Collection Management Policy
The Fountaindale Public Library District provides materials to serve the needs of the community for the purposes of education, enrichment and discovery. The management of the District’s collections are governed by the policy established by the Board of Trustees and any applicable rules or regulations adopted by the District. The Executive Director as the executor of the policy for the Board of Trustees has discretion in determining what materials are “in the best interest of the library” and is authorized to act accordingly. The Board of Trustees may modify, amend or supplement this policy, as it deems necessary and appropriate.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
Materials are selected to fulfill the mission established by the Fountaindale Public Library District Board of Trustees. The following criteria serve as guidelines:
- Popular demand
- Value of information
- Accuracy
- Relevance to community interests, needs, and languages spoken
- Authority of the author in the field
- Representation of varying points of view
- Price, format or production quality
Selection of materials is made on the basis of the values and interests of all the people in the community. No material will be excluded because of the personal characteristics or political or social views of the author.
No titles are excluded from the collection solely because the frankness of presentation might be offensive to some nor because the material might not be suitable for all levels. High interest materials of questionable long-term value are included in the collection and may be withdrawn once they have served their purpose. Literary merit is not a necessary criterion for high interest materials.
When available, materials which contain a significant amount of information about Bolingbrook or the District, or are created by a resident of the District, will be acquired.
When budget permits, appropriate suggestions for materials made by registered District patrons will be considered.
CENSORSHIP
The Board of Trustees believes that censorship is an individual matter and declares that, while anyone is free to reject for themselves materials of which they do not approve, they cannot exercise this right of censorship to restrict the freedom of others.
The library selects appropriate material for each age group. Special collections serve the needs and interests of children of preschool, elementary and middle school age.
There are no age restrictions on the borrowing of library materials. Selection of materials for the adult collection will not be limited by the fact that this collection is widely used by both high school and middle school students, and increasingly by elementary school students. The responsibility for monitoring library material used by minors rests with the parent or guardian.
The Board of Trustees upholds the principle of the Freedom to Read and declares that whenever censorship is involved, no material will be removed from the library except under the orders of a court of competent jurisdiction. The principles on which this policy is based are expressed in the “Library Bill of Rights”, adopted by the American Library Association (ALA), and as amended by the ALA Council, and the following interpretations by the ALA Council: Access to Library Resources and Services Regardless of Sex, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, or Sexual Orientation; Challenged Materials; Diversity in Collection Development; Evaluating Library Collections; Expurgation of Library Materials; Free Access to Libraries for Minors; Restricted Access to Library Materials; and, Labels and Rating Systems. Copies of these interpretations are included in this policy as appendices.
Patrons with complaints concerning specific library materials will be provided with a copy of the Collection Management Policy of the Fountaindale Public Library and asked to complete a copy of the “Request for Reconsideration of Materials.” Upon receipt of a completed request form the Executive Director will make an appointment with the patron to discuss the request. If the meeting does not satisfy the patron, the Executive Director will bring the matter to the attention of the Board of Trustees for their consideration. The complainant must be a registered District patron.
DONATIONS
Gifts of books and other materials will be accepted by the library with the understanding that these articles are given unconditionally and become the property of the library. The library reserves the right to add the item to its collection, donate it to another institution or dispose of it in any other manner.
Gifts of money, real property, and stocks and bonds are encouraged and are most useful to the library in unrestricted form. Any restrictions or conditions attached to such gifts must apply to the mission and roles of the library and be acceptable to the Board of Trustees.
Personal property, art objects, memorial, or commemorative objects, displays or plaques, portraits, artifacts, antiques, museum objects, and similar materials are generally not accepted as gifts by the library. Under certain circumstances the library may accept such a gift if all conditions are approved by the Board of Trustees.
The library will not accept any materials which are not outright gifts, nor will the library accept any materials that attach the condition of periodic or permanent display.
No valuations or appraisals shall be made by the library staff on any potential or actual gifts to the library. A gift receipt form is available upon request.
WITHDRAWAL OF MATERIAL
The collection will be periodically examined for the purpose of discarding materials so as to maintain a balanced, timely, and attractive collection. Materials which no longer meet the stated objectives of the District will be discarded according to accepted professional practices. Materials discarded might include but are not limited to worn, obsolete, unused and unnecessary items. Disposition of all library materials will be at the discretion of the Executive Director.
COLLECTION CRITERIA FOR SPECIFIC LIBRARY COLLECTIONS:
Sub-sections of the collection are listed below in alphabetical order.
GENEALOGY – The library purchases a variety of general guides to help patrons learn how to trace their ancestry. Genealogies of specific families are considered only if the family is of local interest. Staff will provide referral to other libraries and agencies for specific genealogy questions that are beyond the scope of the collection.
LOCAL AUTHORS AND CREATORS – The Fountaindale Public Library District seeks to support the community’s local authors and other creative content producers. The District maintains a physical collection of materials created by Bolingbrook residents or former residents and material that may be of interest to the Fountaindale community. In addition, digital materials created by Bolingbrook residents or former residents within the last five years may be hosted by the library on a vendor provided platform where the terms and conditions would apply.
APPEAL AND REVIEW
The Board of Trustees of the Fountaindale Public Library District will review the Collection Management Policy and regulations periodically and reserves the right to amend them at any time. The Board authorizes the Executive Director to waive regulations under appropriate circumstances. The Executive Director is the chief person empowered to make decisions regarding the management of the library’s collections. Any appeals for changes to, or exceptions to, any portion of the Collection Management Policy will be considered. An individual wishing to file an appeal shall submit it to the Executive Director in writing. The Executive Director will respond in writing.
APPROVED JUNE 15, 2017
