Materials Selection/Donation Policy
The following are the rules and regulation of the Macsherry Library, as adopted by this librarys Board of Trustees on______________(date).
Objectives
The purpose of the Macsherry Library is to provide the community with carefully selected books and other materials to aid the individual in the pursuit of education, information, research, pleasure, and the creative use of leisure time.
Because of the volume of publishing, as well as the limitations of budget and space, the library must have a selection policy with which to meet community interests and needs. The materials selection/collection development policy is used by the library staff in the selection of materials and also serves to acquaint the general public with the principles of selection.
The Library Bill of Rights and The Freedom to Read Statement have been endorsed by the Macsherry Library Board of Trustees and are integral parts of the policy.
The materials selection/collection development policy, like all other policies, will be reviewed and/or revised as the need arises.
Responsibility for Selection
The ultimate responsibility for selection of library materials rests with the library director who operates within the framework of the policies determined by the Macsherry Library Board of Trustees. Suggestions for material acquisitions from the staff and patrons will be given important consideration in making purchasing decisions.
Criteria for Selection
1. The main points considered in the selection of materials are:
a. individual merit of each item
b. popular appeal/demand
c. existing library holdings
d. budget
2. Reviews are a major source of information about new materials. The primary sources of reviews are reviews provided by respected periodicals and online system reviews and databases.
3. The lack of a review or an unfavorable review shall not be the sole reason for rejecting a title that is in demand. Consideration is, therefore, given to requests from library patrons and books discussed on public media. Materials are judged on the basis of the work as a whole, not on a part taken out of context.
Interlibrary Loan
Because of limited budget and space, the library cannot provide all materials that are requested. Therefore, interlibrary loan is used to obtain from other libraries
those materials that are beyond the scope of this librarys collection. In return for utilizing interlibrary loan to satisfy the needs of our patrons, the Macsherry Library agrees to lend its materials to other libraries through the same interlibrary loan network, and to make an effort to have its current holdings listed in a tool that is accessible by other libraries throughout the state.
Gifts and Donations
Macsherry Library values the books, movies, and other items donated to it. But, because Macsherry Library is answerable to the IRS, and all library transactions must be able to withstand the strictest scrutiny, the value of donated materials will be set by the library director if a donation value receipt is requested by the donor.
The general guidelines for placing value on donated materials are as follows: In most cases hardcover books or other media can not be valued at full retail price. If they are current enough and in good enough condition they must and will be treated as and assigned the value of a good used book (or other material type). If it is a book or media item unneeded or already in the collection and will become a sale item at the Summer Book Sale, the value will be the estimated value at sale, at best 25% of the cover price or less. Softcover books are subject to the same evaluation process, their value as used books less than that of hardcovers. Macsherry Library reserves the right to refuse book donations on the basis of content, suitability for use or sale, or if the value the donor places on them is at variance with their actual value to the library. Macsherry Library reserves the right to dispose of any book or other media it receives in any manner deemed fitting by the Library Director, whether it be for use in the collection, as a sale book, or for discard.
Potential Problems or Challenges
The Macsherry Library recognizes that some materials are controversial and that any given item may offend some patrons. Selection of materials will not be made on the basis of anticipated approval or disapproval, but solely on the basis of the principles stated in this policy.
Responsibility for the reading of children rests with their parents or legal guardians. Selection of library materials will not be inhibited by the possibility that materials may come into the possession of children.
Library materials will not be marked or identified to show approval or disapproval of their contents, and no library material will be sequestered except to protect it from damage or theft.