Taft Collection Development Policy

Policy for the Selection of Materials & Maintenance of Collection

The Taft Public Library endorses the Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read Statements of the American Library Association as herein appended. In essence, these statements endorse freedom of access to information and literary materials, with limits set only by budgetary restraints and the criteria of selection as follows:

Contemporary significance or current usefulness, or interest.
Importance as a historical record or of permanent value.
Relevance to existing collection.
Appeal and relevance to community interests.
Literary merit, authority, and reputation of the author.
Accuracy and timeliness.
Request from users of the library (however, textbooks will not be purchased per se, and will be included in the collection only if this is the only source of information on a topic of general interest).
Physical quality of format and binding.
Presentation of all views on controversial issues.
Balance of special group interest with general demand.
Cost to the individual title and the overall collection.
Availability from another library or source (i.e., through Interlibrary Loan, the Virtual Catalog, etc.).
Selection of materials for the adult collection based on adult needs (selection will not be restricted by the possibility that children may obtain materials their parents consider inappropriate).
Selection of materials based on recommendations of accepted established review sources such as Library Journal, Publishers' Weekly, Boston Globe, New York Times, Kirkus, BookPage, etc.
Weeding and discarding of materials from the collection on a systematic basis (this function is necessitated by limitations of space, obsolescence of material, lack of use over an extended period, physical condition of the item, and acquisition of new materials; the same criteria that are applied to the purchase of new books will be applied to the discarding and weeding of books).
Requests from patrons to withdraw materials from the collection are to be made in writing and will be evaluated by the Library Director within the context of the Freedom to Read Statement and Library Bill of Rights. Patrons may request a copy of the Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials form from the Library Director to fill out.
Patrons may request that the library purchase an item for the circulating collection by filling out a Recommendation to Purchase Form. Determinations of purchase will be made based on cost, availability, and the collection development criteria described herein.

Children's or Young Adult Collections

Responsibility for what children read rests with their parents or legal guardians; therefore, parents or legal guardians are advised to particularly note the suitability of books for each child. The staff and Trustees of the Taft Public Library are not responsible for the reading, viewing, or listening choices of children and young adults using the resources offered by the Library.

Materials will be chosen for children based on recommendations by recognized authorities in the field of children's literature; specific review sources such as The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, School Library Journal, Horn Book, etc. The materials will attempt to satisfy the child's horizons and interests. The library will provide supplementary materials, which enrich the resources available to children, but no materials that are strictly curriculum-related, and belong within the province of the schools. Specific requests for books and other materials by children and adults will be honored when the requested item will add to the strength of the collection, and when the budget permits. The same criteria of service and selection stated in the library's service goals apply to children and young adults.

The Children's collection includes books, music, audiobooks, magazines, and movies geared to children ages birth through grade 6. The Young Adult collection includes books, music, audiobooks, magazines, and music geared to young adults in grades 7 through 12.

The Library will collect and purchase materials to support the curriculum of the Mendon and Upton schools, except for textbooks. In addition, the library supports the needs of area preschools, private schools, and homeschoolers.

Gifts

The library appreciates gifts and accepts them with the following provisos:

The same criteria apply to the incorporation of gifts into the collection as to the selection of books and other library materials.
The library reserves the right to administer gifts with a view to the best interests of the library.
The library will not become a depository or custodian for materials of great monetary or historical value.

Selection Goals

§ To provide our patrons with a wide variety of print and nonprint materials for entertainment, inspiration, and lifelong learning.
§ To provide diverse materials, reflecting many points of view, for patrons of all ages.
§ To balance up-to-date and popular materials with a core collection of recognized classics and key works in a variety of subject areas.

Selection Responsibility

These policies for library service and selection of materials have been formulated by the Board of Trustees of the Taft Public Library. The Board delegates the authority and responsibility for selection and management of all print, non-print, and electronic materials to the Library Director and appropriate professional library staff members. Professional library staff shall use this collection development policy as a guide to the growth and management of all library collections.

Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials

Patrons from the Mendon community who wish to request the removal or reclassification of materials currently owned by the Taft Public Library may submit this completed form. The materials(s) in question will remain on the shelves and in circulation until a final decision is made. Once a form is submitted, the following process will begin:

The Library Director will review the Request for Reconsideration form and the material(s) in question to consider whether their selection follows the criteria stated in the collection policy.
A written response stating the reasons for the decision will be made by the Library Director to the patron within 21 days of receiving the request form.
If the patron is not satisfied with the decision, a written appeal may be submitted to the Board of Trustees within 10 business days.
If the Board plans to address the appeal at their Board meeting, the patron will be notified of the time and date of the meeting.
The Board of Trustees reserves the right to limit the length of public comments.
The decision of the Board is final.

Each household may submit one Request for Reconsideration form at a time, for one title per form.

Please return the completed form to the Library Director.