Collection Development

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the Collection Development Policy is to provide a framework through which the Wallington Library can create and maintain a collection of materials and resources that implements the Library’s overall mission. It also seeks to provide the public with information about the principles upon which selection and deselection decisions are made.

RESPONSIBILITY & CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

The Library strives to select materials which form a well-rounded collection and meet the needs and interests of the community. The ultimate responsibility for the selection of materials for Wallington's collection rests with the Library Director. The Director may delegate selection of certain materials or collection categories to designated staff members.

The Library selects materials that meet the principles set forth by the First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution; the Library Bill of Rights, adopted by the American Library Association; the Freedom to Read Statement, adopted by the American Library Association and the American Book Publishers Council; and the People's Right to Libraries Statement, adopted by the New Jersey Library Association.

The Library’s collection includes materials in a variety of formats, a variety of reading and intellectual levels, and intended for a wide range of ages. The collection encompasses materials that are intended to promote early literacy, encourage life-long learning, assist with research, and provide entertainment.

Selection of materials for the Library’s collection is restricted by budgetary constraints. The materials budget is part of the Library’s Annual Budget. The materials budget is broken down into five categories: books, media, periodicals, digital, and foreign language. These categories are further divided as to collection area and format. The materials budget is recommended by the Library Director and approved by the Library Board of Trustees as part of the Annual Budget. The allocation of funds for each category is subject to change based on such factors as usage statistics, category development, replacement projects, and patron requests. These factors are reviewed and determined by the Director and designated staff.

The Director and designated staff select materials based on the following criteria:

Materials are authoritative and current.
Materials are of high quality both in terms of construction as well as accuracy.
Materials are in demand.
Materials are potentially useful, valuable, or of interest.
Materials fill a gap in the Library’s collection.

Selectors utilize professional and popular print and online resources such as Library Journal, School Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, New York Times Book Review, Entertainment Weekly, Game Informer, and Metacritic to aid in critical review and selection of materials. Publisher’s catalogues and online, radio, and podcast reviews may also be taken into consideration. Patrons are welcome to suggest materials for purchase. Such suggestions will be reviewed using the above criteria.

The library does not purchase textbooks or other materials that would be more appropriate for an academic or law library.

The Wallington Library is a member of BCCLS, a library consortium. BCCLS member libraries cooperatively share their resources through a shared computer network, card catalog, and reciprocal borrowing. Wallington patrons with library cards in good standing are entitled to borrow materials from any of the BCCLS member libraries either in person or via an interlibrary loan delivery service (some local restrictions may apply). Membership in BCCLS allows for access to a broader range of materials than the budgetary and size constraints on Wallington’s collection would otherwise allow.

DONATED MATERIALS

The Library gratefully accepts monetary donations to allow for the purchase of materials for the Library’s collection. Such donations will be applied to purchases in any area of the collection that the Director deems warranted at the time of donation. Donors wishing to have their donation applied to a specific area of the Library’s collection should discuss their wishes with the Library Director prior to donating.

The Library gratefully accepts donated materials on a limited basis. Donated materials in good condition which meet a need or fill a hole will be added to the collection. Donated materials in good condition which do not meet a need or fill a hole will be added to the Library’s book sale. Donated materials in poor condition will be recycled or sent to a third party seller. The Library will not provide an appraisal of the dollar value of any donated materials, however, upon request the Library will provide a receipt stating the quantity and type of materials donated. Donors are encouraged to call the Library prior to donation of materials to determine if the Library is able to accommodate the influx of donated materials at that time.

COLLECTION ASSESSMENT & EVALUATION

The Library’s collection is evaluated by the library staff on an ongoing and systematic basis. Materials that are outdated, superseded, no longer of interest, worn, damaged, or lost will be removed from the Library’s collection. Materials that are outdated or superseded will be replaced with updated materials if applicable. Materials that are worn, damaged, or lost will be evaluated to see if they should be removed entirely from the collection or replaced with updated versions. The assessment and evaluation of the materials in the Library’s collection combines the use of established weeding methods, such as the CREW method, and the judgement of the Library Director and designated staff.

CHALLENGED MATERIALS

It is the responsibility of the Wallington Library to provide its patrons with diverse sources of information on the widest possible range of ideas and viewpoints. Therefore, it attempts to provide materials of interest to all members of the community regardless of age, religion, national origin, social views, educational level, political view or cultural background. However, the Library recognizes that some materials acquired may be controversial and that any given item may offend some patrons and/or organizations because of perceived profanity, social, economic and political ideas, religious viewpoints, the background of the author, the kinds of information provided, or other reasons.

Acquisition of material does not imply an endorsement of the author’s, artist’s, or publisher’s viewpoint. Rather, it means the material met with some or all of the criteria for selection as defined above and does not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, or values of the individual selector, the library staff, or the Library Board of Trustees.

Responsibility for materials read and used by juvenile patrons rests in the hands of their parents or guardians. Selection of adult materials will not be limited by the possibility that personally unacceptable materials may come into the possession of young people. Furthermore, library materials will not be marked or identified to show approval or disapproval of the contents, nor will items be sequestered excepting for purposes of protecting them from damage or theft. Media materials will retain any markings or ratings as indicated by the original producer.

Persons residing in Wallington or Wallington organizations seeking the removal of materials must fill out the Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials Form and return it to the Library Director. The Director will meet with the staff member responsible for selecting the item in question and the merit of the request will be considered. The Director will determine the retention or withdrawal of the challenged material and will provide a written response to the requester within 14 days from the receipt of the reconsideration form. The Director will also notify the Library Board of Trustees of each reconsideration request that is submitted.

If the requester is not satisfied with the Library Director’s determination about the challenged material, an appeal may be made for a hearing before the Library Board of Trustees. A written request for appeal should be addressed to the Board President. The Board will determine whether the request for reconsideration has been handled in accordance with the established policies and procedures of the Wallington Library. On the basis of this determination the Board will make a ruling on the reconsideration of the challenged material. The Board’s ruling is final.

FORMS & LINKS

Reconsideration of Library Materials Form (Download PDF)

Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill/interpretations

ALA’s code of ethics: https://www.ala.org/tools/ethics

Adopted by the Library Board of Trustees on October 19, 2022.