Collection Management
Purpose of the Collection Management Policy
This collection management policy is intended for use by selection committee, governing officials, and community members. It provides information about the library, the scope of the collection, the library’s goals for providing information, and specific practices for selecting and maintaining books and other library materials. The policy is intended as a framework for guiding the collection management decision making process in light of the library’s overarching mission and goals; however, no policy can replace the qualified judgment of the librarians.
The Champaign County Library serves a predominately rural population. Most circulated items are used for recreational reading by adults, including popular fiction titles and nonfiction titles in popular hobby subjects. DVD titles are also heavily used. School age patrons use the library for schoolwork and recreational reading. Many in Champaign County do not have computer or Internet access and frequently use the library’s free Internet computers. The library is supported by local property tax and by a portion of the state General Revenue Fund.
Purpose of the Library
The purpose of the Champaign County Library is to be a vital part of the community, to provide exceptional customer service to all; to serve as an information center and gathering space, and to provide a wide variety of materials for all users as the library connects the community to information, quality experiences, and each other.
Intellectual Freedom & Censorship
The Champaign County Library Board recognizes the pluralistic nature of this community and the varied backgrounds and needs of all citizens and adheres to the democratic principle of free and unrestricted access to a wide range of library materials for all people in the community.
The library collection will be developed and maintained upon the foundation of intellectual freedom in order to carry out its mission of serving as an information center providing a wide variety of materials to all. No library material shall be excluded because of the beliefs or background of the author.
This board believes censorship is a purely individual matter and declares that anyone is free to reject materials of which he or she does not approve but cannot restrict the freedom of access to others.
This board adopts and declares that it will adhere to and support the “Library Bill of Rights” and the “Freedom to Read” statement adopted by the American Library Association and included in the appendix here.
Selection Process & Criteria
Library material selection is vested in the director and under his or her direction such member of the professional staff who are qualified by reason of education and training.
Library materials will be selected to meet the stated collection goals in Section 1 of this policy and shall be evaluated according to the following criteria: (1) appropriateness of the subject matter; (2) purpose of the resource; (3) scope of the resource; (4) intended audience; (5) accuracy; (6) impartiality; (7) competence, authority, popularity and credibility of the author; (8) authority/credibility of the publisher; (9) literary merit (10) currency and timeliness or enduring contemporary significance of the material; (11) format, including style, aesthetic qualities, technical aspects, physical characteristics and special features; (12) comparison to other resources available for purchase or already in the collection; (13) professional journal reviews;
(14) availability of material in other area libraries; (15) price or availability; and (16) user demand or community needs.
Series Titles Selection
The Champaign County Library understands and appreciates the public’s interest in series titles; however, maintaining a complete series poses a unique challenge to a public library. Items within a series the library owns may become missing, lost, damaged, or wane in interest.
Consequently, the Champaign County Library will strive to maintain a collection that reflects current circulation trends and popular interests.
Format of Materials
The library will collect and maintain materials in a variety of formats. Dependent upon user demand, budget constraints, space considerations and suitability, new formats will be periodically added to the collection. Older formats will be withdrawn as user demand lessens and technology changes.
Special Collections
The library maintains the following special collection(s):
Local History & Genealogy – This is a collection of books, newspapers, microfilms, maps, cemetery records, and reference materials relating to Champaign County history and genealogy. Many of the materials in this collection are “one-of-a-kind” and cannot be replaced; therefore, they are available for use in the library only. Books and other materials are added to this collection as they become available for purchase, and through donations of materials in good physical condition that meet the library’s criteria for relevance.
Maker Kits – This is a collection of tools, games, accessibility materials, and equipment for all ages. This also includes Wi-Fi hot spots.
Adaptive Toys – This is a collection of switch-adapted toys for children with special needs and disabilities to make them more inclusive and accessible.
Professional Development – This is a collection of library professional related materials offering information on library trends, services, and programming.
Outreach Collections – These are set collections of items that circulate to adults and seniors at locations like local assisted living facilities or the Champaign County Senior Center. Collections
check out for a longer period of time and allow for community outreach and promotion of adult literacy to segments of the population that might not be able to travel to the library.
Limits of the Collection
The Champaign County Library strives to provide a complete collection, but there are limitations. Based on budget and space constraints, other information sources available in the community (e.g., school libraries, other local libraries, and the Internet), and community expectations, the following types of materials will not be collected or maintained by the library:
Textbooks
Multiple copies of outdated fiction or nonfiction titles
Government publications
Technical manuals, except selected automotive repair manuals
Scholarly or professional journals, or
Subjects or formats for which there is limited demand
Library Cooperation
In accordance with its goal to provide free access to information and materials, The Champaign County Library participates in a state and country-wide resource sharing programs. When requested items are not considered essential to the library collection, every effort will be made to obtain the materials from other available library sources. Participating in such a programs allows the library to reach beyond its physical building to obtain additional resources for its users.
As a public library in the State of Ohio, the Champaign County Library also has access to the research databases managed by the State Library of Ohio. These databases provide a wealth of free information from newspapers, magazines and journals.
Weeding and Discarding Policy
In order to maintain room for materials library user’s demand, items will be routinely evaluated according to accepted professional practices to determine when materials no longer meet the collection objectives.
Typically, withdrawn materials are made available at the Friends of the Champaign County Library book sales, though items of particular value or interest to other libraries or local organizations will be distributed accordingly.
Replacement of damaged materials will be at the discretion of the library director or designated supervisor and may consist of a processing fee.
Patron Requests
In order to provide materials the community wants or needs, the Champaign County Public Library welcomes requests to acquire specific materials. All requested materials will be evaluated according to the above stated criteria to determine acquisition. Patrons who would like to request a specific item for purchase may fill out a Patron Suggestion form, which is included at the Service Desk. (See Section 5: Appendices)
May 2024