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Collection Development Policy

Revised September 18, 2024

Introduction

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide a framework for the lifecycle of library materials, from selection through de-selection. The Collection Development Policy provides a standardized guide for Casey County Public Library staff to maintain the collection according to the Library’s stated mission, as well as providing transparency to the community as to how these decisions are made.

Responsibility for Selection of Materials

The Library Board of Directors is ultimately responsible for materials acquired by the library, but the Library Director actually oversees the materials selection process. The Director in turn delegates day-to-day materials selection to relevant parties as necessary.

Staff members may be designated selectors for specified collections or formats. They work within assigned budgets and follow the criteria included in the Collection Development Policies. Other library staff and patrons are also encouraged to make Recommendations.

Mission Statement

The Casey County Public Library will provide access to resources that empower its patrons to imagine the possibilities, discover their potential, and connect with their community.

Vision Statement

The Casey County Public Library will be a gateway to community, enrichment, and discovery for all stages of life.

Collection Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement

The Library strives to offer a diverse collection that provides entertainment, information, and enlightenment to the Casey County community. The Library respects the right of each user to access information, even if the content may be considered controversial, unorthodox, or objectionable to others. Materials are not excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation, provided that they adhere to the Library’s established selection criteria. Inclusion of an item in the collection is not an endorsement of its content by the Library.

The Library believes that parents and guardians hold the ultimate responsibility for their child’s library use and does not intrude upon that relationship. Therefore, while age categories exist in Library materials, Library staff will not actively prevent or restrict patrons from interacting with anything in the collection based on content. Patrons are free to choose what they like from the collection and to reject what they don’t like, but not to restrict the freedom of others to choose for themselves.

Controversial Issues

The Library will, at times, add materials to the collection which may contain subject matter that have the potential to be offensive or controversial. In these instances, the Library strives to take a neutral stance on these matters, presenting both sides of the issue. This may also include books deemed to have historical significance regardless of controversial content. Any inclusion of a material in the Library’s collection does not constitute an endorsement of its content.

General Selection Criteria

The Library’s collection is composed of a variety of materials, broken down by age of the target audience and/or format. In general, the Library applies the same standards in selecting all items, including those specifically requested by patrons.

Fiction

The Library does not select fiction materials based on literary quality, as no such standard exists. Instead, the Library recognizes that Casey County consists of a diverse group of people who differ in interests, reading ability, education, ethnicity, background, sexual preference, religion, and life experience. With this in mind, selection criteria is meant to supply materials for a wide audience rather than on arbitrary merit.

The following criteria constitute neither an exhaustive list nor a prioritized list. Each material will be judged on its own merit, and not all criteria will necessarily be applied to every material.

  • Relevance to the needs and/or interests of the community
  • Relationship to existing materials in the collection
  • Price and perceived value relative to cost
  • Availability
  • Timeliness and permanence
  • Age of publication
  • Authoritativeness or reputation of author
  • Popular appeal and demand
  • Representation of a trend, movement, or otherwise socially important narrative
  • Representation of a diverse or minority population
  • Presence of similar material either currently or previously in the collection

Adult Nonfiction

When selecting a work of nonfiction, the work is evaluated as a whole rather than by its individual parts. A material need not meet all the following criteria to be considered for the collection. Rather, the following will serve as a guideline for determining suitability:

  • Authoritativeness, qualifications, and reputation of author
  • Objectivity
  • Publication date, currentness, and relevance
  • Comprehensiveness and depth of subject
  • Clear presentation and readability, including use of jargon, reading level, etc.
  • Significance or timeliness of subject matter
  • Breadth and depth of materials already in the collection dealing with the same subject
  • Does not present opinion as fact or promote demonstrably false misinformation
  • Controversial issues are balanced and equally represented in the collection
  • Price and perceived value relative to cost

Other Criteria

The Library may also take other things into account when deciding the selection of material, including availability of space on a shelf, representation of a given genre/topic, reception of material by professional reviewers, appropriateness of the format, etc.

Selection Tools

The Library utilizes a variety of tools to select the most appropriate material to add to the collection. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Publishers’ catalogs
  • Retailer catalogs and provided lists, such as Baker and Taylor and Center Point for large print
  • Bestseller lists, such as USA Today, New York Times, and Publisher’s Weekly
  • Review media, such as Edelweiss+, NetGalley, Goodreads, Library Journal , Audiofile, Booklist , and other professional online review sources
  • Vendor catalogs and websites
  • Patron and staff requests

Collection Specific Selection Criteria

Teen & Young Adult Collections

Materials in this collection are selected to appeal to young adult patrons, which the Library defines as being between the ages of 12 and 18. Materials in this collection reflect the unique needs and interests of this age group, while recognizing how varied that may be. Materials in this collection may not be suitable for all ages represented and may contain potentially controversial or mature subjects. It is up to guardians to determine the suitability of a given text in this collection; the Library does not actively restrict or limit access to any collection.

The collection is derived from popular and in-demand authors as well as classics, historically relevant or significant texts, books that commonly appear on reading lists and curriculum, and notable young adult literary award winners.

Young adult nonfiction books are selected according to general nonfiction criteria. However, the focus of young adult nonfiction will be on subjects that may be uniquely pertinent or of interest to this age category.

Children’s Collections

Materials in this collection represent the needs and interests of children from infancy through elementary school. Special attention is given to materials that encourage education, enrichment, and engagement for readers of all abilities. Materials in this collection are often derived from popular and in-demand authors as well as classics, historically relevant or significant texts, books that commonly appear on reading lists and curriculum, and notable children’s literary award winners.

Nonfiction books are selected according to general nonfiction criteria, with the addition of visually pleasing layout, age-appropriate content, and an emphasis on vocabulary.

Manga Collection

Materials in this collection are selected based on general selection criteria, with special consideration given to availability of shelf space, number of volumes in a given series/length of series, availability of volumes, and estimated cost to complete a series. The collection will attempt a balance between completed manga series and ongoing manga series, based on popularity and patron demand.

Kentucky Collection

The Library maintains materials on the history of Kentucky, Central Kentucky, and Casey County, or written by local authors. This collection primarily consists of books, though materials in other formats may be added selectively on a case-by-case basis.

Fictional works written by Kentuckians or local Casey County authors are designated with special stickers. Certain works may also be removed from the general collection and reside in the Genealogy collection.

Reference Collection

Selections include but are not limited to atlases, almanacs, price guides, field guides, directories, manuals, and indexes. Accuracy and currency of information are of particular importance. The print reference collection is non-circulating and for in-library use only.

Newspapers/Periodicals

Newspapers and periodicals are selected annually and purchased with an annual subscription. General selection criteria apply, as well as considerations given to the locality of the publication, scope, purpose, demand, usage, and cost. All newspaper and periodical purchases are physical, except in instances where digital access is granted for the same price.

Genealogy and Local History Collection

The Library houses a special collection of materials that have significance and relevance to the local Casey County population and surrounding areas. Emphasis is given to selecting materials that represent local history, census, government documents, demographics, and other resources that facilitate such research and information gathering. Priority will be given to acquiring and preserving local resources, especially from local authors and entities.

Purchasing is generally restricted to books and professionally published materials. However, donated materials such as manuscripts, letters, family research, maps, photographs, and local records will be considered for addition to the collection on a case-by-case basis.

Databases

The Library subscribes to a variety of databases and digital resources for patron access. Electronic resources are evaluated annually and purchased on an annual subscription. Criteria include usage, purpose, scope, price, accessibility, ease of use, and demand. Statistics are monitored to track patron resources.

Audiobooks

The Library has a limited selection of audiobooks, with limited space to house them. Criteria resembles general selection criteria, with additional consideration given to price, popularity of the title/author/genre, demand, relation to other items in the collection, and usage. Preference is given to unabridged versions. All audiobooks are purchased as physical compact discs.

Movies

Selection is based on popularity of the title, relevance to other items already in the collection, patron interest, age of the film, and perceived entertainment value. Preference is given to DVDs over Blu-Rays. The Library will purchase materials with the following Motion Picture Association of America ratings: G, PG, PG-13, R, and not-rated. Other ratings will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The Library will not purchase pornography or anything deemed gratuitously obscene.

Video Games

The Library will purchase video games for all ages with an emphasis given to cost, popularity, gaming platform, playability/replayability, multiplayer capabilities, and demand. Games of all ratings are purchased only for the following systems:

  • PlayStation 4
  • PlayStation 5
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X
  • Nintendo Switch
  • Steam (in-house use only)

While games for other systems may exist in the collection, new titles in those formats will only be acquired on a case-by-case basis upon request.

The Library does not purchase peripheral accessories that may be required for certain gameplay, such as steering wheels, VR headsets, special controllers, etc. With the exception of Steam games (which are always digital), the Library will only purchase physical copies of video games, whenever possible.

Kentucky Libraries Unbound E-book Collection

The collection currently includes eBooks, digital audio books, and digital magazines, in a variety of formats. The particular file formats supported and any usage limitations are determined by the individual publishers and providers of the materials and are beyond the control of the library. Many items are owned jointly by a consortium of libraries throughout the state and are beyond the control of the Casey County Public Library. As such, titles in that collection may differ from what the library might normally choose.

Formats and Exclusions

Formats

The Library purchases materials in a variety of formats to suit user needs, including those required for accessibility. These materials may include, but are not limited to, audiobooks, large type books, digital books, and foreign language materials. Selection of these formats are subject to the general selection criteria, as well as the potential limited availability of these items and patron demand for them.

The Library Director will monitor new and emerging formats on an ongoing basis in order to evaluate their suitability for use in the collection. New formats will be judged based on their staying power, user demand, accessibility, equipment costs, price, required maintenance, and any other considerations that will help determine their continued viability.

Exclusions

While the Library attempts to develop a solid, rounded collection for the use of its patrons, some materials are not purchased due to cost, format, or duplication of nearby collections. Other material may not be purchased when judged to be outside the scope of the library’s collections.

Textbooks

Textbooks will generally not be purchased for the collection, though the library does collect some popular test preparation books and materials. Textbooks will not be purchased in order to satisfy the demands of any specific institution, curriculum, or patron. Even in the case of donations, they will not be added to the collection.

Microfilm

While existing microfilm materials will remain in the library’s collection, the library will not purchase additional microfilm for its collection.

Special Display Collections

Items will not be purchased for special display collections. All special collections on display will exist as either loaned items or donations to the collection.

Self-Published Works

While the Library will not outright exclude materials that are self-published or published through a vanity press, the Library does not normally include these works in its collection, especially in non-fiction collections. Exceptions may include works of local interest, such as Historical Society publications, or works about prominent local families, events or landmarks. The library does not generally seek out self-published fiction, but it may be added to the collection due to popular demand or local interest. Fiction titles must be of a production quality suitable for circulation and available from a reputable vendor. Donated self-published works from local authors may also be added to the collection, subject to general selection criteria.

Patron Item Requests

The Library will consider any patron request for the acquisition of a particular title or item for the collection. When determining the suitability of a requested title for addition to the collection, the following additional criteria will be taken into account on top of the general selection criteria:

  • Price and perceived value relative to cost
  • Available shelf space
  • General public appeal
  • Relationship to existing materials in the collection
  • Availability of material
  • Availability of required format

If requests are deemed unfit or unfeasible to be added to the collection, staff will attempt to fill the request via Interlibrary Loan, if possible. Should the library be unable to obtain a requested item through any means, the requestor will be notified.

Donations

Donated Materials

Donations are welcome, with the understanding that they will be used at the discretion of the Casey County Public Library in accordance with its selection criteria and Disposal of Library Materials policy. Donations are final and become the property of the Casey County Public Library. The library reserves the right to dispose of items that are unneeded, worn, or out of date in the manner it deems most appropriate.

Donations of physical materials will be assessed according to general selection criteria, along with added consideration for the overall quality of the material, including yellowing, wear and tear, appropriateness of format, irreparable damage, mold, smoke or pet damage, etc.

A Receipt for Donations will be provided upon request. However, the Library does not assign any value to donations for tax purposes. The burden of this falls on the donor, as does the responsibility of keeping track of the total amount of materials donated.

For more information on what happens to donated materials that are not added to the collection, please see the Library’s Deselection policy.

Gifts and Memorials

Monetary gifts are gratefully accepted and used in accordance with general selection criteria. The Library will attempt to honor requests to buy materials in a particular subject or genre. Such decisions will be based upon availability of materials and the needs of the collection. Physical books purchased with memorial funds will be denoted with a bookplate in the front of the book, and acknowledgements will be sent to the family of the deceased.

In instances where gifts and memorials are specified for a unique function (i.e., programming), the Library will take this preference into account and attempt to honor the request when allocating the funds. This will be dependent on availability of items and the needs of the collection.

Collection Maintenance

Mending

The following minor repairs will be handled onsite at the library’s branches:

  • Tip in loose pages with glue
  • Tighten or repair spine with glue
  • Apply new jackets, spine labels, and/or barcodes
  • Tape damaged books for temporary repair

Resurfacing DVDs and CDs

The library owns repair machines to refinish damaged discs in its collections. Assigned staff repair and clean items as necessary to extend life expectancy.

Replacements

Although the library strives to have copies of standard, important, and classic works, replacement of every copy lost to theft or damage is not attempted. When an item from the collection is lost, damaged, or not returned, the Library will consider whether or not to replace the item according to the following criteria:

  • Popularity of the item
  • Availability of a replacement
  • Price
  • Relation to other materials in the collection
  • Presence of duplicate copies

Deselection

Regular deselection, or “weeding,” is an ongoing process that occurs within the Library in order to ensure the continued accuracy, relevance, freshness, and condition of the collection. Finding sufficient space for the materials patrons need and want is also a priority, and weeding is often the only way to accomplish this.

When choosing books for deselection, Library staff will follow the CREW method, which uses the acronym MUSTIE when determining criteria for deselection:

  • Misleading
  • Ugly
  • Superseded
  • Trivial
  • Irrelevant
  • Obtainable Elsewhere

Other reasons for deselection of materials may include, but is not limited to:

  • Irreparable damage
  • Lack of circulation
  • Shelving limitations
  • Changing needs/interests of the community

Final determination on the deselection of materials lies with the Library Director, who may delegate the task as they see fit.

Disposal of Library Materials

Materials that are either withdrawn from the collection or donations that are not added to the collection will be disposed of in a manner appropriate for each item. This may include, but is not limited to:

  • Given to the Friends of the Library for sale either in local book sales or any online site they deem appropriate
  • Donated to other community entities for use
  • Offered as giveaways and prizes for patrons
  • Recycled

The library does not offer any withdrawn items directly to patrons.

Challenges and Removal of Materials

Intellectual Freedom & Censorship

The Casey County Public Library upholds its patrons’ rights to intellectual freedom and, as such, endorses the following American Library Association documents:

  • Library Bill of Rights
  • Freedom to Read Statement
  • Intellectual Freedom Statement
  • Freedom to View

As stated in the aforementioned documents, the Library upholds the belief that everyone has a right to due access to materials and that no other person should abridge these rights. A patron’s intellectual freedom supersedes the very idea of censorship. This means there will likely be materials in the Library that may be controversial in nature or that some may find offensive. The Library will not select materials based on the anticipated reaction of the community. Instead, the Library will strive to include materials that represent all sides of an issue.

With respect to the children’s and young adult collections, it is the responsibility of a guardian to determine the suitability of any given material for their own youth. The Library does not practice censorship at any age nor refuse anyone access to materials, though it does respect the right of any individual to determine what is right and appropriate for themselves.

Any attempt made by any persons to restrict the access or intellectual freedom of another will be staunchly resisted by the Library.

Reconsideration

The Library considers the lifecycle of its collection according to its Collection Development Policies, from selection to deselection. In doing so, it strives to present a well-rounded collection that fits the needs of the entire community. Professional judgment is exercised when selecting, classifying, reclassifying, and deselecting items in the collection. However, there may be times when a certain material will necessarily be reconsidered for its appropriateness within the collection.

Once an item has been acquired and added to the collection, it will not be removed unless it can be shown to be in violation of the library’s policies and selection criteria. Casey County residents and members of the library staff may request that materials be reconsidered. Requests may be made for removal or for reclassification (changes in labeling or movement of the material to another section of the library).

Request for Reconsideration of Materials

Any card-holding patron may submit a Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials by filling out the two-page form by the same name. Please bear in mind that the following conditions apply when filling out a Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials:

  • Complainant must be a library-card-holding resident of Casey County.
  • Specific titles must be listed on the form for reconsideration. The library will not accept requests that include aggregated lists (i.e., a list of subjects, cumulative works by a specific author, an entire genre or sub-genre, etc.).
  • The form must be completed in full and be reasonably legible. Incomplete or illegible forms will not be considered.
  • A title is only eligible for reconsideration once every 18 months. The library’s decision will be retained and available for the duration, but no further requests will be accepted for the material during that time frame.

In the case of the submission of a completed Request for Reconsideration of Materials form, the following procedure will be used to resolve it:

  • Upon receiving the completed form, the Library Director will review the request and gather any necessary information about the material that may assist in determining its suitability.
  • The Library Director will convene a meeting with senior Library staff to assist in the determination.
  • At the next Board of Directors meeting, the Library Director will present the request along with any findings from the staff group and their final recommendation on the matter. The Board will then vote on how to respond to the request. A majority is needed for the vote to pass.
  • The complainant will be notified in writing within 60 days as to the outcome of the request.