Materials Selection Policy

GENERAL POLICY STATEMENT:

The Henderson County Public Library strives, within budgetary limitations, to purchase and make available resources in a variety of formats that offer both permanent value and current interest on a wide range of subjects based on the needs and requests of the community we serve. Library resources will provide citizens opportunities to explore diverse points of view and issues of interest. Final responsibility for selection of all library resources rests with the Library Director, who operates within the framework of policies approved by the Board of Trustees of the Henderson County Public Library.

RESOURCE SELECTION:

Selection of materials is based on the professional knowledge and judgment of the Library staff, whose expertise includes familiarity with all types of resources, familiarity with the strengths and weaknesses of the existing collections, and awareness of the needs of the community. All acquisitions, whether purchased or donated, are evaluated by the same standards regardless of format.

• Each resource is evaluated individually according to its intrinsic merit, suitability of subject, style and reading level for the intended audience, present and potential relevance to community need, and need for the book in an organized collection.
• Each resource is evaluated as a whole and isolated passages in themselves are not used as criteria.
• A resource will not be excluded from the collection solely because it represents a particular aspect of life, because of frankness of expression, because it is controversial, because it may be deemed inappropriate for children, or because of the ideas it contains.
• A resource will be considered inappropriate for the library if it is patently offensive to the community as a whole. Decisions concerning the appropriateness of specific library resources for a child’s use are the responsibility of the child’s parents or guardian.
• When selecting resources, library staff consider professional review, authority, and demand. Staff members consult standard bibliographic works and published reviews in professional and general periodicals and online resources for evaluations of available materials. Some works may be purchased based on the strength of an author’s or performer’s previous popularity before a published review is available.

The Library participates in a number of electronic resource sharing consortia such as NCLIVE and the North Carolina Digital Library. Responsibility for digital content selection in these consortia is shared among a variety of libraries and organizations. The Henderson County Public Library does not have complete control of content or inclusion of resources within these consortia.

Where streaming and downloadable content is provided by third-party vendors, availability is subject to publisher and licensing restrictions on public library lending, and cost is the primary consideration in expanding streaming and downloadable content to library borrowers. Where possible, additional licenses or downloads are made available to meet patron demand based on requests. New electronic formats will be made available to the public when and if they meet the criteria for selection, access, and cost.

GIFTS:

The Library accepts gifts of books and other materials with the understanding that they become the property of the Library and are evaluated in the same manner as purchased materials. Acceptance by the Library of any gift does not mean that the item will be incorporated into the collection. The Library reserves the right to refuse any donation deemed unsuitable based on the aforementioned explanation. Gifts that are not added to the collection may be donated to the Friends of the Henderson County Public Library. See also the Library policy on Donations and Memorials, December 2020.

COLLECTION MAINTENANCE:

The Library has an obligation to maintain up-to-date resources that reflect the reading and research interests of the community. To accomplish this, items must periodically be designated for discard. Retention and withdrawal decisions are based upon an item’s historical standing and importance, its replacement possibilities, age, physical condition, relevancy, lack of use, and whether there are multiple copies of the item. Items that are designated for discard will be reviewed carefully by Library staff before they are removed from the collection. Items in acceptable condition may at times be made available to the Friends of the Library for sale or discard.

STATEMENT OF CONCERN:

Should a member of the community have concerns regarding a Henderson County Public Library resource, the individual may submit a Statement of Concern about Library Resources provided the following criteria are met:

Criteria:

• Must be a Henderson County resident
• Must be a Henderson County Library cardholder
• Concern is being submitted on behalf of an individual, not an organization
• Individual may submit a maximum of 3 titles per 12 months
• Resource in question has not been previously submitted for review
• Resource in question is owned by Henderson County Library

See Also:

Donations and Memorials, December 2020

Statement of Concern about Library Resources

Approved by the Henderson County Library Board of Trustees:

August 2023

(original date June 2003, revised February 2009, revised March 2014, revised October 2021)