Collection Development Policy

Kyle Public Library  

Collection Development Policy  

  

Mission Statement  

  

The mission of the Kyle Public Library is to serve the community as a resource for informational, educational, recreational, and cultural enrichment by providing convenient access to books, periodicals, audiovisual materials, technology, information services, and quality programing.  These services are provided for patrons of all ages and backgrounds to support literacy and knowledge.  

Purpose of the Collection Development Policy  

  

The purpose of the Collection Development Policy is to define the principles and criteria by which selection and retention of Kyle Public Library materials are made. It provides guidance to the Kyle Public Library Staff and serves to inform the public about the nature of the Kyle Public Library's collection and the motivation that drives collection decisions.  

  

Philosophy and Scope of the Collection  

  

The Kyle Public Library's collection serves the educational and recreational needs of the general public while reflecting the diversity of the community.  It also takes a leadership role in collecting, preserving, and disseminating information of both current and historical interest on the Kyle area.    

  

The Kyle Public Library Collection Development Policy is based on the following principles:  

  

Materials selected shall develop a well-rounded collection of current, high-quality items in a variety of formats to serve patrons in the best manner possible.  

  

The Kyle Public Library is committed to the free and open distribution of ideas and diverse opinions which shall be reflected in the library’s collection and available to patrons who may form their own viewpoints.  

  

The Kyle Public Library does not, through material selection, imply agreement with the viewpoints of contents and materials within the collection.  

  

The Kyle Public Library upholds the right of all patrons to access information that may be considered controversial or unacceptable to others.  

  

The Kyle Public Library is dedicated to free and open use for all and shall not place restrictions on the use of the collection based on age, race, color, sex, national origin, educational background, religion, disability, or any other discriminatory criteria.  

  

Children shall be encouraged to develop a lifelong interest and enjoyment in reading and learning through a curated collection of materials which are also used in programs and services intended for children, parents, teachers, and other adults who work with children.  

  

Material for children and teenagers shall stimulate their interests, broaden their vision, facilitate reading skills, and enrich their educational needs.  

  

Responsibility for children's reading rests solely with their parent(s) or legal guardian(s), and the selection of materials shall not be constrained by the possibility that material may be considered inappropriate for children. The Kyle Public Library does not act in loco parentis.   

  

Lifelong learning for patrons of all ages shall be encouraged, and the collection shall include resources to assist them in achieving their educational and personal goals.  

  

The Kyle Public Library upholds the principles of the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights (Appendix A), Freedom to Read Statement (Appendix B), Freedom to View Statement  

(Appendix C), Labeling and Rating Systems (Appendix D), and Access to Library Resources and  

Services for Minors (Appendix E), the Texas Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Statement (Appendix F), and the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States (Appendix G), which protects the freedom of speech and the freedom to read, hear, and view.  

  

Collection Development Criteria  

  

Materials are selected by one or more of the following criteria. An item need not meet all criteria for inclusion, but all new selections shall require   at least two positive reviews from credible professional review sources, as outlined in Section V of this policy.  

  

Popular and anticipated demand  

Contemporary significance  

Permanent value  

Literary merit  

Authority and reputation of the author, publisher, or producer  

Evaluation in reputable review sources  

Accuracy and currency of content  

Receipt of, or nomination for, major awards or prizes  

Suitability of physical form for library use  

Relationship to the existing collection  

Local emphasis  

Cost and availability  

Artistic and creative quality  

Requests by patrons  

Representation of diverse points of view  

 

Selection Tools  

Quality is pursued by applying professional discretion and publishing industry standards and through the use of appropriate selection aids. Professional resources utilized in the selection process include, but are not limited to, the following:   

  

Booklist  

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books  

Common Sense Media  

Horn Book  

Kirkus Reviews  

Library Journal  

New York Times Book Review  

Publishers Weekly  

School Library Journal  

  

Responsibility for Materials Collection  

Ultimate responsibility for material selection and funding allocation rests administratively with the Kyle Public Library Director, who delegates to appropriately trained professional staff who make individual selection decisions.   

  

Electronic Materials  

  

Electronic materials are an essential part of modern libraries. Therefore, the Kyle Public Library recognizes the importance of providing digital materials and aspires to create a digital collection that complements and enhances the print collection.  With the exception of the Texas Heritage Room, it does not seek to digitize existing material, but rather to obtain material in existing digital formats. Electronic materials shall be purchased in the most appropriate format currently available and as pricing permits.   

  

While electronic materials are vital, a balance between print and electronic materials is key. For example, in reference, electronic databases are an essential part of the collection and take priority over print, yet a streamlined core collection of print reference materials nevertheless remains essential.   

  

Conventional collection development policy and practices described in this document shall be applied to the selection and purchase of electronic resources, with additional criteria as follows:  

  

1 Ease of use  

Remote access potential  

Licensing requirements  

Ability to be hosted off-site  

Hardware, software, networking, security, and authentication requirements  

Consistent accessibility   

Comparison of content with other available formats  

Comparison of cost with other available formats  

Inclusion in the Library catalog  

  

Deselection Policy   

  

Deselection is the practice of culling books from the collection. The Kyle Public Library recognizes the importance of maintaining a collection of current, balanced, and useful materials; therefore, a periodic evaluation of the collection will be performed to remove or replace materials as necessary. Deselection helps utilize space, gives the Kyle Public Library a reputation for reliability by having an updated collection, and culls materials in need of repair or replacement. Items dealing with local history or that are of historical value are an exception.  

 

Materials will not be deselected or removed from the collection, nor will they be moved  from one section to another, based on viewpoint or content alone. 

 

 

The following guidelines shall serve as guidelines for deselection:  

  

Physical condition  

Items are damaged, worn, dirty, brittle, tattered, contain discolored or missing pages, are poorly bound, etc.  

  

Appearance  

Items are of dated appearance which discourages use  

Multiple volumes  

Multiple copies of items no longer in demand  

Poor Content  

Information is dated, inaccurate, or item is found to be poorly written  

Use  

Items are no longer of interest to readers based on circulation statistics  

Obsolescence   

Items containing subject matter no longer of current interest  

Older or superseded editions  

  

Reconsideration of Library Materials  

  

The Kyle Public Library fully endorses the principles documented in the Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read Statement of the American Library Association (available in the following pages). Materials available in the Kyle Public Library present diverse viewpoints, enabling patrons to make the informed choices necessary in a democracy. The Kyle Public Library also selects a wide variety of library materials that satisfy the diverse interests of our community. The Kyle Public Library upholds the right of the individual to access these resources, even though the content may be controversial, unorthodox, or unacceptable to some. The Kyle Public Library’s varied collection is available to all; however, it is not expected that all of the collection will appeal to everyone.   

A patron with a valid Kyle Public Library card who wishes to request the withdrawal or reclassification of materials currently owned by the Kyle Public Library is encouraged to discuss their concerns with the Kyle Public Library Director. The following steps will be used when a patron feels that further action is necessary to address concerns about a Kyle Public Library resource.   

A concerned patron who is dissatisfied with earlier informal discussions will be offered a packet of materials that includes the Kyle Public Library’s mission statement, selection policy, reconsideration form, and the Library Bill of Rights.   

The patron is required to complete and submit the “Patron’s Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials” form to the Kyle Public Library Director.   

The Kyle Public Library Director with the Kyle Public Library Staff, will review the "Patron’s Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials” form and the material in question, to consider whether its selection follows the criteria stated in the Collection Development Policy.   

Within 30 business days, the Kyle Public Library Director will furnish a decision, in writing, to the concerned patron who requested the reconsideration, stating the reasons for the decision. 

If the patron is not satisfied with the decision, a written appeal may be submitted within 15 business days to the Kyle Public Library Board. The Kyle Public Library Board will be informed of the Appeal through the Kyle Public Library Director. The Director shall provide the patron’s “Patron’s Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials” form, the furnished decision, and the patron’s appeal. 

If the Kyle Public Library Board plans to address the appeal at their board meeting, the individual will be notified, in writing, of when and where the meeting will be held by the Chair of the Kyle Public Library Board. 

The Kyle Public Library Board reserves the right to limit the length of public comments. 

The Kyle Public Library Board will review the appeal. The Kyle Public Library Board will then advise the Kyle Public Library Director, thereby giving the Director a chance to re-evaluate if the Board disagrees with the original decision. A final decision  will be made by the Kyle Public Library Director in consultation with the Kyle Public Library Board within 30 days of the date the patron’s appeal is received. The Kyle Public Library Board’s decision is final. Once validated by the process, materials shall not be eligible for further re-evaluation as each challenged item has been through a rigorous review.  

For the duration of this process, the material in question will remain in circulation in the Kyle Public Library collection. 

Donations Policy 

 

The Kyle Public Library accepts donations from the community. It maintains the authority to reject or accept donations and does not accept materials that are not outright gifts. All gifts of books and materials must be in usable physical condition, and materials selected for inclusion to the collection are subject to the same criteria as those applied to purchased materials described in the policy. Donated materials become the property of the Kyle Public Library and those not added to the collection shall be dispersed as deemed appropriate by the Kyle Public Library Director. The Kyle Public Library does not evaluate or appraise donations for tax purposes. For more information on criteria for condition of donations, refer to the Kyle Public Library Gifts Policy.