Collection Development Policy

Washington-Centerville Public Library seeks to provide responsive library service and a superior collection that represents the diverse needs and interests of the residents of Centerville and Washington Township. Library resources are not infinite, and it is not possible to purchase every worthy resource. The Collection Development Policy provides guidance to ensure that collection budgets are used in the most efficient and effective manner to meet the current and anticipated needs of the community.

The collection of the Washington-Centerville Public Library includes materials and resources in print, audiovisual, digital, and other formats. The addition of an item to the library collection does not constitute or imply agreement with the views expressed or approval of the content.

The Library is committed to providing a patron-oriented collection. This commitment supports the development of a well-rounded collection consistent with the varied interests of the community. While the collection is not intended to provide direct curriculum support, which is seen as the function of the school library, the Library will endeavor to provide a broad range of materials that will supplement those available in the school libraries.

Through an active program of collection evaluation, gaps in the collection will be identified and filled through the purchase of suitable materials. Consideration is given to those materials which will best complement the existing collection.

The selection process is designed to ensure not only the purchase of quality materials, but also to determine appropriate quantities and locations. Acquisition of multiple copies of high-demand items helps to achieve a collection that is patron-oriented.

The Board of Trustees of the Washington-Centerville Public Library considers and adopts a Collection Development policy, which they authorize the Library Director to administer. While the collection is ultimately the responsibility of the Library Director, selection of materials is delegated to qualified staff members in various departments.

Staff members who do not have assigned selection areas are encouraged to make suggestions.

Selection of library materials should be as objective as possible. Decisions influenced by personal prejudice, especially when rejecting an item, is censorship. The Library will attempt to have a balance of opinions represented, but is not under obligation to provide a platform for any specific viewpoints. A balanced collection is reflected in the diversity of materials, not in equality of numbers.

Materials are selected through the routine use of professional review journals, bibliographies, and online sources. Determination of new and unusual sources of recommendations of materials for purchase allows for the development of a superior collection.

Demand, both actual and anticipated, is considered a valid factor in the selection of materials. Patron recommendations for purchase are welcomed and encouraged. Recommendations from staff and patrons will be subject to the selection criteria outlined below.

Regardless of format or intended audience, the following general criteria will be used to select materials, whether purchased or donated, for the collection:

• Authoritative or of high quality
• Lasting value or contemporary significance
• Reputation or professional standing of author, illustrator, or publisher
• Effective writing style or clarity of presentation
• Demand or relevance to community needs
• Promotes a love of reading
• General support of life-long learning
• Scarcity of information
• Relationship to other items in the collection
• Availability of the material elsewhere
• Price
• Format
• Local historical value
• Literary or artistic value

Criteria are not listed in priority order nor is this list meant to be exhaustive. Materials need not meet all criteria in order to be selected.

The Library gives special consideration to materials donated by local authors or artists. All author/artist donated works are evaluated by representatives of the appropriate department and approved on a case-by-case basis taking the above selection criteria into consideration. Material donations that are not added into the collection will be offered to the Friends of WCPL.

Patron-purchased replacements in exchange for any lost, billed, or damaged materials are not accepted. Patrons are responsible for the cost of the materials as assessed by the Library.

The Library is committed to free and open access to its collection by all patrons and maintains a diverse collection of materials that reflect a broad range of ideas, opinions, and viewpoints. No material will be selected or not selected solely because of the gender, race, nationality, ethnicity, or social, political, or religious views of the author. Materials will not be excluded from purchase solely because of the frankness of expression, unorthodox language, nontraditional theme, or unusual style. Nor are materials excluded from the collection soley on the grounds that they may offend certain staff or Library users, or that they may be viewed by some as inappropriate for children. Disapproval of an item by an individual or group should not be the means by which that item is denied to all individuals or groups.

Library users may determine what materials they will access and use based on their individual interests, preferences, and needs. While one is free to reject materials and resources for one’s own personal use, one cannot restrict the right of others to read and inquire. Responsibility for a child’s reading, and the materials they access, rests with the parent or guardian. The Library cannot act “in loco parentis.”

Library collections will be organized and maintained according to an accepted system of organization (Dewy Decimal, alphabetical, genre, etc.). Labeling included in packaging or as part of the item that indicates outside rating services or private advisory codes will not be altered or removed. The Library does not mark or identify materials to show approval or disapproval of contents, including labeling or altering materials due to controversy surrounding the author or subject matter. The Library will not remove or shield materials in the collection due to controversial content or images.

Individuals with concerns about whether materials are located in the appropriate part of the collection or whether items are appropriate for the library at all should first discuss such concerns with staff. If someone still wishes for the Library to reconsider material found in the collection after discussing their concerns with a staff member, they should complete a Patron Request for Reconsideration of Library Material form. Only residents of Montgomery County with a valid Washington-Centerville Public Library card may submit formal reconsideration requests. The Patron Request for Reconsideration Form must be filled out completely with only one title per form.

Upon receipt of a Patron Request for Reconsideration of Library Material form, a committee of library staff, Team Leader, and the Director will review the concerns of the patron regarding the item. An evaluation and recommendation will be written and completed within a reasonable amount of time. During the evaluation process, the item will remain accessible to the public. Each item will be reviewed one time, and one time only. A written response will be sent to the patron about the decision. Any appeal to this response will be referred to the WCPL Board of Trustees.

Just as the Library carefully selects materials to be added to the collection, it must also carefully deselect materials that no longer serve the community. The Library’s collection is not intended to be and shall not be considered archival. In order to maintain an up-to-date collection, worn and obsolete materials are deselected or weeded. The specific criteria for weeding are determined by each department at the time of weeding. Basic considerations include age of item, lack of usage, condition, number of copies owned by the library, and whether the item has been superseded by a new edition or better work on the subject.

Withdrawn materials are largely donated to the Friends of WCPL for their sales or sold to other booksellers. The proceeds of such sales are used to fund grants back to the Library. Materials that are not sold will be disposed of at the discretion of the Friends of WCPL.