Collection Development & Reconsideration Policy (Approved 10/18/22)
The VVS Corner Library is the public name of the Sherrill-Kenwood Free Library.
The
Sherrill-Kenwood Free Library has adopted a collection development policy that
guides the selection of titles to be purchased and/or added to the collection
through donations. The policy attempts to cultivate a diverse and well-rounded
collection that addresses the needs and interests of the patrons at the
Sherrill-Kenwood Free Library. Any patron who wishes to see the collection
development policy in its entirety may request to view a copy by speaking with
the library staff.
Materials Selection Policy
The Library Director is responsible for the selection of library materials and may authorize other professional staff to execute this policy in developing the library collection. In order to support the mission of the Library, collection development will prioritize the needs, interests, and values of our patrons. The collection will maintain a balance of recreational, informational, instructional, and reference materials appropriate to community needs and desires.
Inclusion of content in our collection does not constitute an endorsement of those views, viewpoints or content. The Library has a responsibility to make a wide range of diverse viewpoints available.
The goals of selection will be:
To support enlightenment and personal development.
- To provide recreational materials.
- To educate and inform patrons about current issues that are relevant to them and their communities.
- To provide a broad cross section of information and research.
Criteria for Selection
Judgments of professional staff, qualified reviewers and experts in specific areas provide a balance of opinion as the basis for selection. Criteria include:
- Accuracy
- Authority and competence in presentation
- Availability of information elsewhere
- Contemporary significance
- Format
- Interest to the community
- Uniqueness of subject or approach
- Popular demand
- Price
- Recommendations from the community
- Relation to existing collection
- Reputation of authors, publishers or producers
Material and Donations Policy
The Sherrill-Kenwood Free Library accepts donations of recent books (within 10 years) and audiovisual materials which are clean and in good condition, when space is deemed available.
- The Sherrill-Kenwood Free Library reserves the right to accept, decline, discard, or sell any donations.
- Gifts of books and other materials will be accepted with the stipulation that if materials are unable to be added to our collection they will be placed in a book sale.
- Items will be added to the collection if they meet our selection policy and are in formats already purchased by the library for our collection.
- The Sherrill-Kenwood Free Library can provide a receipt for gift materials for tax purposes upon request, but no value or dollar amount will be established.
Weeding Policy
The collection will be periodically reviewed to determine relevance to the collection. Materials may be withdrawn from the collection, due to reasons listed below:
- Materials that no longer meet the needs of the community and no longer support the library collection.
- Items in poor condition due to general wear and tear or damaged.
- Items that contain outdated information.
- Duplicate copies of popular items that are no longer popular
- Items that are readily available through other MidYork collections-electronic and other libraries.
- Fiction titles that are no longer popular and are not deemed a “classic”.
- Items with poor circulation over the duration of the past 4 years.
Items that have been withdrawn from the collection will either be disposed of or placed in the book sale.
Reconsideration of Library Materials
The choice of library materials by patrons is an individual matter; the Sherrill-Kenwood Library affirms the ALA’s Library Bill of Rights as well as the Freedom to Read and the Freedom to View. While a person may reject materials for oneself, one may not exercise censorship to restrict access to the materials by others. The Sherrill-Kenwood Free Library recognizes that a diversity of materials may result in some requests for reconsideration. Should a patron decide to request the reconsideration of a library material, the below procedure will be followed to assure that objections or complaints about library materials are handled in an attentive and consistent manner.
The person with the request for reconsideration should be referred immediately to the Library Director or to the person in charge in the absence of the Library Director. The person in charge should provide the patron access to the Collections Development Policy of the Board of Trustees of the Sherrill-Kenwood Free Library. If the user is not satisfied with the explanation received, s/he may ask for reconsideration in the following manner:
- The person making the request for reconsideration must complete a Request for Reevaluation of Library Materials form. See below form.
- The Request for Reevaluation will be referred to a committee consisting of the Library Director, the Youth Services Coordinator (if the material in question belongs in the children’s collection), and a member of the Board of Trustees.
- The committee will reconsider the item in question using the Collection Development Policy and reviews from recognized professional sources.
- The Library Director will then write to the patron regarding the committee’s recommended action.
- If the patron desires further action, an appeal can be made in writing to the entire Sherrill-Kenwood Free Library Board of Trustees and their decision is final.
Request for Materials
The Sherrill-Kenwood Free Library welcomes the input of its patronage in its collection development efforts. Patrons are invited to formally recommend books, journals, and audio-visual materials for library purchase by completing the Request for Materials form that can be obtained by speaking with the library staff at the circulation desk or on our website. See below request form
While the library welcomes patron suggestions, purchase decisions are ultimately dependent on the selection criteria outlined in the library’s collection development policy and the availability of funds. The Library Director will review all material requests, adhering to the criteria listed in the library’s Material Selection policy while also considering the availability of funding for purchasing requested materials. Any electronic material requests will be forwarded to the Mid York Digital Services for consideration.
Forms
Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials (PDF, 58KB)
Request to Purchase (PDF, 10KB)
Download a Printer-Friendly Version
COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY (PDF, 117KB)
If you have questions about this policy, please contact us or speak with a staff member. We’re happy to help.