This policy functions as a general guide for the development of a robust collection of reading, listening, viewing and information/research material that allows the Middletown Library Service Center (MLSC) to fulfill its mission to the Library Services and Information Act (LSTA) five-year plan to “support the library workforce as they integrate social justice, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (SJDEIA) into their daily work and their approach to patrons” by “reflecting the growing diversity of CT’s communities and its literary and affirmational needs”.
The MLSC was established “to provide supplementary books and related library materials and services to public libraries and to public schools.” (CT General Statutes, Sec. 11-23b)
GOALS:
The goals of this policy are to provide general principles and more detailed information to Library staff and our community regarding the following:
• Professional standards used to guide the development of the collection
• Criteria and methods used by library staff to select new material
• Collection maintenance, including how materials are deselected from the collection
• How community input is used to maintain the collection
The responsibility and authority for materials selection and the development of the library collection rests under the purview the Children/ Young Adult Consultant, Digital Content and Innovation Consultant, and Director of the MLSC, who carry out the selection of materials on the basis of standards set forth herein.
The freedom to read, along with the freedom to hear and to view, is protected by the First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution and shall not be restricted or abridged based on the content or viewpoint expressed in the materials in the MLSC collection.
The MLSC has an obligation to select, maintain, and support access to content on subjects by diverse authors and creators that meets—as closely as possible—the needs, interests, and abilities of all the CT library community. This includes titles that “affirm the inherent dignity and rights of every person. We work to recognize and dismantle systemic and individual biases; to confront inequity and oppression; to enhance diversity and inclusion; and to advance racial and social justice in our libraries, communities, profession, and associations through awareness, advocacy, education, collaboration, services, and allocation of resources and spaces” as per the ALA 9th code of ethics.
Quality is pursued and maintained by applying professional discretion and standards established by the library profession and using appropriate selection aids, including book reviews, best seller lists, professionally recognized periodicals, standard bibliographies and booklists. Professional review sources provide more objective information about the materials than appears in publishers' catalogs or advertisements. Reviews are usually written by subject experts in the field, by professional reviewers, or by librarians. Library review sources often assess how well a publication serves a particular audience (for example, “essential for public libraries," or “not recommended”).
The Service Centers subscribe to the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, Code of Ethics, Freedom to Read, Freedom to View, Access to Electronic Information, Services and Networks statements and their related interpretations.
Books and other materials are initially placed in areas of the collection based on the publisher and author’s intended audience and review source recommendations. Occasionally, materials are subsequently reevaluated for placement updates based on their respective age-appropriateness. Materials will be organized and maintained according to subject, format, type, user level or other category to achieve their most effective utilization by the public and by library staff.
The history of libraries and librarianship in America is rooted in intentional segregation and purposeful exclusion. In a field that has been and continues to be dominated by whiteness, this foundation underlies and influences the current structure of libraries. The MLSC strives to meet the informational needs of the CT library community to support all ages, backgrounds, and educational levels while recognizing that past and present inequities exclude many people, including Black people, indigenous people, people of color (BIPOC), individuals with accessibility needs, members of the LBTQ+ community, and many other people with marginalized identities. These inequities that were built into the design of libraries need to be meaningfully and purposefully dismantled and redesigned in a multitude of library spaces, one of which is collections.
The MLSC acquires materials in many subjects and formats, based upon the merits of a work in relation to the needs and interests of the CT library community. Selection criteria and guidelines apply to all MLSC literary material. Each item is evaluated objectively, taking into consideration selection criteria set forth herein, including but not limited to content, educational, informational, creative, literary, and technical quality and merit. Although the MLSC attempts to provide materials on many subjects, no attempt is made to match the collection to a particular curriculum.
• Relevance to interests and needs of the CT library community
• Significance of subject matter
• Accuracy of information
• Extent of publicity, critical reviews and current or anticipated demand
• Current or historical significance of the author or subject
• Reputation or authority of the author or publisher, with preference generally given to titles vetted in the editing and publishing industry
• Timeliness and/or popularity of a subject, title, or author
• Professional reviews from reputable journals and sources
• Award-winning or award-nominated material
• Patron requests (see RESPONSIVENESS)
• Value of resource in relation to price, availability, and materials budget
• Technical characteristics, e.g., binding, size, quality of paper and typography
The MLSC youth collection is selected by the Children/YA Consultant and is intended to serve children birth through 12th grade. The MLSC contains a wide variety of materials and opinions reflecting various points of view. MLSC does not serve as “in loco parentis”. Selection of library materials, in this and other collections, will not be restricted by the possibility that materials may inadvertently come into a child’s possession.
Digital resources are selected by the Digital Content and Innovation Consultant and will fall under “General Criteria for Selection”. Additional considerations include:
• Price
• Ease of Use / Accessibility of platform
• Accessibility to patrons (in-house use and /or remote access; 24/7 access)
• Availability from contracted vendors
• Need or interest from the community
• Terms of licensing agreements
• Cost per use analysis
The MLSC responds to community interests by careful consideration of the following: patron requests for purchases, use patterns for existing materials, purchase trends of similar materials from retailers and any other source of information indicating community interests. The MLSC collection serves, to the degree possible, the interests of a diverse community without exclusion. The MLSC believes that individuals have the freedom to accept or reject an item from the MLSC’s collection. Responsiveness to the interest of one individual or group is not restricted based on the dislike or objection of another individual or group.
Patrons are encouraged to submit suggestions for possible addition to the library collection. The MLSC will consider all requests from patrons using the same selection criteria used for all materials.
Some materials are chosen for the purpose of developing and/or updating specific subject areas to ensure that vital resources are available, up-to-date, and reliable. The MLSC staff is constantly gathering information concerning the needs of library users by means of circulation statistics, loan requests, and patron input.
Gifts in the form of library collection materials will be accepted if they meet the MLSC’s principles for selection of new materials. The MLSC reserves the right to determine such issues as classification, arrangement, and shelving of gift materials. The MLSC will not accept special collections of materials with any donor’s stipulations.
In addition to acquiring new materials, it is important to remove from the existing collection those items no longer deemed useful or relevant. This policy provides authority for the systematic and regular evaluation of the existing collection and subsequent withdrawal of worn, obsolete or infrequently used materials and supports the public’s right of access to an appealing and relevant collection. The MLSC staff systematically review the collection with the goal of maintaining the quality and vitality of library resources. Collection analysis incorporates the use of library data, circulation reports, and other statistical information for continuous collection evaluation, as well as the use of the patron Request for Reconsideration Process.
Weeding in this context is defined as the process of evaluating books and other physical materials to determine whether they will be retained, relocated, or replaced. Selection of materials for discarding is based on the “CREW” method, which stands for Continuous Review, Evaluation, and Weeding, and is a professional guide for reviewing and withdrawing materials from each library collection.
While the MLSC attempts to have copies of standard and important works, it does not automatically replace all materials withdrawn. The same criteria that apply to original selection also apply to replacements.
Excess or obsolete library materials weeded from the collection are submitted to the Baker and Taylor Sustainable Shelves Program. Items suffering from water/mold damage or other conditions that make their retention hazardous are disposed of promptly and appropriately.
The reconsideration form is to be completed in its entirety for items to be considered for removal from the MLSC.
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