Collection Development Policy

Adopted July 12, 2021

Selection of Materials


The Millington Arbela District Library selects materials that meet the educational, informational, researching, and recreational needs of the community at large. To provide excellent service to library users, the library provides a free, open, non-judgmental access to collections and services. The library supports intellectual freedom and disavows censorship. The library will provide a collection of broad ideas and diverse viewpoints that take the interests of staff and library users into consideration. The scope of the collection includes materials with widespread, contemporary appeal and historical value at all reading levels and ages. The Library Bill of Rights by the American Library Association may be used as a guide to assist library staff in collection development.
The assistant director and director will select and purchase library materials. Library staff may also assist in the selection process. The director will have the final say on selection. Before the beginning of each budget year, the director will delegate funds to library materials and the library board will vote to ratify or veto the budget. The budget for library materials will be based on the performance of the budget from the previous year, interest in the materials, and forecasted library funding.
When selecting material, each item is considered on an individual basis. When material is being selected various criteria are taken into consideration. Criteria include if the material was evaluated by selection staff, covers a subject not currently represented in the collection, has positive reviews in professional journals, and has popular demand. Popular demand can be either an item on a best sellers list or high local interest.
Library card holders can request the library acquire an item. The material will be considered based on the before mentioned criteria. Materials can be requested in writing. There is no guarantee that a requested item will be purchased.
The library collection attempts to cover a wide variety of subjects but is unable to meet every need. To best meet demand the library may purchase duplicate copies of best-selling books and heavily used material. When practical and available, the library will attempt to provide materials in various formats such as book, non-book, audiobook, DVD, etc. The library also participates in interlibrary loan and networks to allow library users to obtain resources, information, and services that the library does not provide on its own.

 

Gifts & Donations


The Millington Arbela District Library welcomes donations of new and used books, DVDs, office supplies, and other, similar materials. Once an item is donated to the library, the item becomes property of the Millington Arbela District Library. Donations and gifts are added to the collection based on the selection criteria stated above. If an item is not selected as part of the library collection, the library can choose what to do with the item such as sell the item, rehome the item, trade for other material, or discard donations. Donations are only accepted as gifts and cannot be returned to the donor. Conditions cannot be placed on an item accepted for donation. The library can write an acknowledgement letter for gifts and donations but the letter will not include an appraisal amount. Appraisal of donations for tax purposes is not provided by the library and is the donor’s responsibility to do so before donating.
Donations and gifts in honor or memory of someone are welcomed by the library. Material purchased with these funds will be chosen through the library selection criteria while considering the wishes of the donor and the honoree. Material purchased with memorial or honorary contributions will have a special donor plate whenever possible. Honorary and Memorial donations are processed using the Commemorative Donation Request form.
Donations that alter library property, involve real estate or stock, artifacts, art pieces, or collections must be approved by the library board. The library board will take into consideration maintenance fees, insurance costs, laws and regulations, and the library’s needs when determining the acceptance of the donation.

 

Reconsideration of Library Materials


It is a patron’s personal choice what materials they use for personal use. Parents and legal guardians are responsible for what library materials their children and teens use. Patrons may choose what materials work best for themselves but cannot perform censorship to limit or restrict access to materials to others.
There may be library materials that do not fit the taste and interests of individual library patrons. Library staff may discuss concerns and offer alternative titles to library users. If an adult with an active Millington Arbela District Library account takes issue with an item in the collection and is not satisfied after talking to library staff, the library user may fill out a Request for Reconsideration form and submit it to the library director. Only completed forms will be accepted. The person filling out the form must have read, listened to, or viewed the material in its entirety for the material to be reconsidered.
Upon receiving the form, the library director has 30 days to respond. The director will respond to the person who filled out the form in writing with the decision as to what action is or isn’t taken in concern to the library material. The patron who submitted the request may appeal the director’s decision by submitting an appeal in writing to the president of the library board no later than 10 business days after the director’s decision. The board’s decision on the material is final. There will be no retaliation by library staff or the board on a library patron that challenges material.


Deselection


Materials are deselected when they no longer suit the library’s needs. Deselection keeps the collection relevant and useful. Materials may be deselected due to their physical condition, their cost of upkeep, include obsolete information, or are no longer in use by library users or staff. Deselected items are disposed of or discarded in a legal manner. These manners include donating, selling, throwing out, or recycling.