Policy on Collection Development

Purpose of Policy

The purpose of the Hancock County Public Library Collection Development Policy is to provide guidelines for day-to-day acquisition and withdrawal decisions, resource allocation and long-range planning of collection needs in accordance with the Library's mission statement.

Selection Process

1. Ultimate responsibility for materials selection rests with the library CEO who operates within the policies determined by the Board of Trustees. The library CEO delegates the responsibilities for specific subject areas and formats regarding the evaluation, acquisition, retention and withdrawal of materials.
2. The library strives to develop a viable collection of standard works of permanent value and popular materials of current significance, striking an overall balance between public demand and diversity of material. The interests and needs of the community; the individual merit of each item; and the library's existing collection, budget and services are the main factors in selecting materials. Each title is judged as a whole, and isolated passages in themselves are not used as criteria. The library will provide, as far as possible, materials treating all sides of controversial issues - materials that give evidence of a sincere desire to be factual, that are written in a reasonable fashion, and that show results of careful study.
3. Standard collection development tools, including but not limited to professional and trade journals, bibliographies and lists, publishers' catalogs, and reviews published in reputable sources are used in the selection process. Purchase suggestions from patrons are also an important resource.

Scope

The scope of the Hancock County Public Library collection refers to the formats offered, the treatment, and the level of difficulty. Materials selected for the library collection are intended to meet the cultural, educational, informational and recreational needs of the residents of Hancock County. The scope of the collection is intended to offer a choice of format, treatment and level of difficulty so that most needs can be met and service given to individuals of all ages, within current budget guidelines and constraints. The library encourages the use of interlibrary cooperation to better serve the needs of its patrons by expanding available resources. The emphasis is on acquiring materials of wide-ranging interest to the general public. The collection is reviewed and revised on an on-going basis to meet current needs.

Format

Materials are purchased in the most appropriate format for library use. Formats include print, audiovisual and multi-media materials. The library recognizes the place of non-print formats in the collection as legitimate educational and recreational resources for the community it serves. The library monitors the development of new formats and, within budgetary and technical limitations, adds these to the collection. Choice of new formats will be based on patron demand, community trends, new product development, and positive critical reviews.

Gifts

The Hancock County Public Library gratefully accepts gifts and donations with the following conditions:

• Gifts for the library should be of such a nature that usage falls within the mission statement of the library.
• Gifts should be viewed as an addition or supplement to, not a reduction of, the operating budget of the library.
• The CEO will determine if gifts are acceptable under this policy. Gifts resulting in ongoing costs to the institution, such as staffing or special maintenance, will require approval by the Board of Trustees.
• The purchase of specifically identified titles with gift funds cannot be guaranteed, nor does the donor have the right of approval of titles before purchase. However, donors are encouraged to recommend subject areas.
• Depending on the wishes of the donors, some donations may be referred to the Endowment Fund of the Hancock County Public Library or the Friends of the Library.
• The library accepts gifts of materials, but reserves the right to evaluate and dispose of them in accordance with the criteria applied to purchased materials. Materials may be disposed of without notifying the donor if later examination indicates that the library cannot use them.
• Gifts of a more specific nature, such as works of art, furniture, equipment, special collections and real property, shall be referred to the library CEO for acceptance in consultation with the Board of Trustees. When funds are donated for specific purposes, the amount and nature of the expenditure must be approved in advance if not in accordance with the library's current programs and policies.
• Any gift accepted by the Library is subject to the following 3 conditions:
  1. The Library retains unconditional ownership of the gift; and makes the final decision on the use of the gift or any disposition of the gift.
  2. Library bookplates will be placed in library materials purchased with gift funds. Programs and services made possible by gift funds will include Recognition of such benefactors in their supporting literature.
  3. The Library will not appraise donated books for tax purposes. The Library will provide (upon request) a receipt for tax purposes of the donor with a space for the donor's estimated value of the materials.

Reconsideration of Materials

A special form is provided for a patron wishing to request that the library staff reconsider a specific title currently in the collection. The patron completes the form and submits it to the CEO. The CEO will review the title and write a letter of response to the patron. The patron will be invited to voice further objections at the next meeting of the library board. All complaints about library materials are viewed in the context of the collection development policy.

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