Collection Development Policy - Lake Agassiz Regional Library

The purpose of this policy is to inform the public and to provide a guide for Lake Agassiz Regional Library (LARL) staff to understand the principles upon which selections are made. It provides goals and guidelines to assist in choosing from a vast array of available materials and then relies upon staff judgment to responsibly execute its intent.

The Mission of Lake Agassiz Regional Library is to enrich lives and strengthen communities. This policy aligns with the intent of the LARL Mission Statement and upholds the principles of intellectual freedom. All materials will be accessible to the public, limited only by necessary circulation rules. Free and convenient access to the world of ideas, to information, and to the creative experience is of vital importance to every citizen of today.

Collection Development Goals

To provide a diverse, broad range of cultural materials to promote an enlightened citizenship and to enrich lives
To provide popular materials to support community recreation
To provide up-to-date informational materials to support the community need for lifelong learning and continuing education
To foster a lifelong interest in reading and discovery
To provide support for educational, civic, and cultural activities of groups and organizations
To collect items contributing to the knowledge of local history and/or of permanent value
To anticipate future needs of the community and to provide thoughtful interpretations of the past

Responsibility of Selection

Ultimate responsibility for selection of materials and securing and allocating funds for materials rests with the Executive Director, who operates within the framework of budgets and policies determined by the LARL Board of Directors. The Executive Director will delegate authority to interpret and apply the policies in daily operation to the Collection Development Librarian and/or staff members responsible for selection of materials.

In applying professional judgment to selection, library staff will follow these best practices:

Handle all requests equitably;
Understand and respond to changing demographics, as well as societal and technological changes;
Recognize that materials of varying complexity and format are necessary to serve all members of the community;
Balance individual and community needs;
Seek continuous improvement through ongoing measurement.

Method of Selection

LARL purchases materials from a wide variety of sources. Acquisitions and selection decisions are made in a manner most efficient and cost-effective for LARL. Vendors, publishers and authors may submit written or electronic information for consideration.

LARL does not select through unsolicited materials preview; unsolicited telephone orders, or other processes that require return of materials not selected or meetings with sales representatives. Materials sent to or given to LARL for purchase consideration will be treated as donations and will not be acknowledged or returned.

General Criteria for Selection and Collection Priorities

To develop and maintain an excellent collection, materials are evaluated according to one or more of the following criteria. An item may be included or excluded on any one or more of the following criteria:

Currency
Authority
Suitability of form for library use
- The Library collection offers materials in a variety of formats, which may include materials in physical or digital format. Criteria for new formats and removal of old formats is at the discretion of the Library based on a variety of factors such as usage, cost, space, availability, accessibility and technology longevity.
Cost, in relation to the available resources
Relation to existing collection and to other material on the subject
- The Library will make available a representative selection of materials on subjects; it will not seek to acquire all the materials on any given subject. Instead, the library will attempt to provide those materials through interlibrary loan
  as needed.
Favorable information in publishing critical reviews or bibliographies
Requests by LARL customers
- The Library welcomes requests that specific library materials be purchased for the collection from community members. Requests made through the “Suggest a Purchase Form” on larl.org will be considered for purchase using the established selection procedures and the Collection Development Policy. Policy and budget may limit the ability of LARL to provide all requested materials. A reliable review for each title is desirable before a decision is made to purchase the material for the Library collection. Whenever possible, ILL will be offered for items the Library
  does not purchase.
Present and potential relevance to community needs and/or local interests.

Cataloging and Placement of Library Materials

LARL participates in a library community that agrees on standards for cataloging and classification that enable greater resource sharing and accessibility.

LARL locations share a collection and the majority of items in the collection will not be assigned to a specific library location. A small number of items may be assigned to a particular location at the discretion of the Collection Development Librarian.

Displays of Library Materials

Materials may be placed on display to highlight a particular theme, subject or item. Staff will select display topics, materials and accompanying resources in accordance with the following:

Community needs and interests
Format and style suitable for intended audience
Historical or educational significance
Appropriateness to seasonal events or holidays
Relation to current events
Connection to other community or national programs, exhibitions or events
Relation to library collections, resources, exhibits and programs

LARL will strive to include a wide spectrum of opinions and viewpoints in Library-initiated displays of materials, as well as offer displays that appeal to a range of ages, interests and information needs. Placing materials on display does not constitute an endorsement of LARL of the content of the display or any of the views expressed in the materials on display.

Many library locations have limited space for display. While efforts will be made to place displays near the section where the materials are typically placed, displays may occasionally be placed in more central areas and/or may contain materials for multiple age groups.

Relationships to Other Libraries Affecting Collection Development

The Library recognizes resources of other libraries in the area and shall not needlessly duplicate materials. LARL selection staff will also consider state and national holdings of materials when making retention decisions. No library is able to purchase all materials needed by its customers; therefore, materials not owned by the Library will be requested from other libraries through statewide and national library sources. The Library will seek to broaden these sources through agreements with other libraries and groups of libraries.

All regional systems in Minnesota are included in the Library Reciprocal Borrowing Agreement. Reciprocal agreements with Fargo Public Library, Leach Public Library (Wahpeton), and West Fargo Public Library have broadened the base that can be accessed by LARL customers. Local college libraries, school libraries, special libraries and other institutions are used to support customer needs.

Gifts

The Library recognizes that gifts are an important source of library materials, and as such, LARL welcomes gifts of library materials or money to purchase such materials. All gift materials must meet the Collection Development Policy criteria guidelines for inclusion in the Library collection. No gifts may be accepted which impose preconditions, such as special collection status, or special circulation rules. All materials added to the LARL collection are the property of LARL and are subject to the same conditions as all other library materials. Once a donation is given to the Library, it will not be returned. The Library reserves the right to use and dispose of gift materials and funds as seems appropriate for current needs, which may include but is not limited to, inclusion in the Library collection, offering for sale or disposal.

Collection Management

Collection Management or “weeding” is the systematic evaluation of the collection designed to facilitate the repair or withdrawal of damaged, unused or obsolete material from the collection. LARL staff members perform continuing analysis of the use of the collection, the needs and interests of the community, requests lists, the availability of similar materials, cost and physical condition of specific items. These factors will be considered in determining the number of copies of each title LARL should have and when an item should be replaced, repaired or withdrawn. Selection staff will review all last copy removals to determine local, regional or national value. A
title may be retained if it is deemed valuable on one of these levels.

As a guide, items are identified for withdrawal when they are:

Factually inaccurate or obsolete
Damaged or worn beyond repair
No longer in demand as evidenced by circulation history
Superseded by a new edition or a better title on the topic
Irrelevant to the needs of the community served
Available elsewhere through reciprocal borrowing or interlibrary loan

Intellectual Freedom

LARL incorporates as part of this policy the Library Bill of Rights, the Freedom to Read Statement, and the Freedom to View Statement. The aforementioned documents are appendices attached to the policy.

LARL has the responsibility to serve all the residents of its community. It hereby adopts the philosophy that a public library will not curtail what an individual may or may not read, see, or hear. The Library strives to make available a representative selection of materials on subjects of interest to its customers, including material on various sides of controversial questions to enable customers to make up their own mind about controversial subjects.

LARL is aware that one or more persons may take issue with the selection of any specific item in the collection and /or display of library materials, and will consider any expression of opinions by customers. However, LARL does not undertake the task of pleasing all customers by elimination of items or displays selected after due deliberation under guidance of the policy expressed herein. Anticipated approval or disapproval by persons or groups will not be considered in the selection process or in the decision to place material on display.

LARL does not endorse particular beliefs or views; nor is the selection of any given material equivalent to sanction of the author’s views. Materials are selected on the basis of the content as a whole and without regard to the personal history of the author, composer, or producer. Each work is considered on its own merit.

Library materials will not be marked or identified by LARL to show approval or disapproval of the contents. Materials will not be sequestered except for the purpose of protecting them from damage or theft. Selection of materials will not be inhibited by the possibility that materials may come into the possession of minors; monitoring the reading and viewing of children is entirely the responsibility of their parents or legal guardians.

Reconsideration of Materials

Any citizen who resides or owns property in the LARL service area may request that the Library explain its acquisition or placement of a book or other library material. A complaint will not result in immediate removal of the item. LARL will reconsider any material in its collection upon written request from a customer on a Request for Reconsideration form (see Appendix A). The Library requests that the citizen read this policy before filling out the form.

Likewise, any citizen in the LARL service area may request that the Library explain its decision regarding a topic for display of materials. A complaint will not result in the immediate removal of the display. LARL will reconsider its displays upon written request from a customer on the Request for Reconsideration form (see Appendix A).

Appendix A

Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials/Resources/Material Displays

The following procedures will be followed to process a “Request for Reconsideration.”

The customer must initiate the Request for Reconsideration process with the public service staff at any LARL location. A Request for Reconsideration form must be filled out in its entirety and any supporting documentation that the customer wishes the library to consider must be included with the submission. Forms received from individuals without residency in the LARL service area will not be considered.
The formal complaint is forwarded to the LARL Executive Director, who will acknowledge receipt of the request for reconsideration within fifteen (15) business days and provide information on the next steps in writing.
The Reconsideration Committee will meet quarterly to review any Request for Reconsideration received at least fifteen (15) business days before the scheduled meeting and review supporting documentation.
The Reconsideration Committee will share their decision with the Executive Director for final approval. The Executive Director will respond to the complainant within (15) business days of the Committee’s quarterly meeting regarding a decision on the request.
If the customer is unsatisfied with the Reconsideration Committee’s decision, the customer has fifteen (15) business days to notify the Executive Director in writing of their intention to appeal the decision. A meeting to discuss the decision with the customer may then be scheduled with the Executive Director and other LARL representatives to review the committee’s decision. At the conclusion of the meeting, the customer will indicate if they wish to continue the appeal process. A Reconsideration Appeals Form will be completed for the meeting. If a meeting is not desired by the complainant, the appeal will automatically move to the next step in the appeal process.
The Executive Director will schedule the complainant as a part of the Board agenda at the next regularly scheduled Board meeting, unless the complainant wishes for a later appearance. Board appeals must be scheduled no later than ninety (90) days following the Reconsideration Committee’s decision.
The Board of Directors will provide for up to ten (10) minutes for the complainant to present their concerns at a regularly scheduled meeting. The Complainant is encouraged to submit materials in print, at the complainant’s expense, for the Board to consider in addition or in lieu of any oral presentation. Eighteen (18) copies of printed documents must be received no later than ten (10) business days in advance of the meeting in which the appeal is scheduled.
The Board will make a final decision on the request no later than its next regularly scheduled meeting after the appeal was heard. Communication about the decision will be sent by the Executive Director, with approval by the Board Chair, within ten (10) business days of the Board’s decision.
The decision of the Board is final and remains in effect for a period of five (5) years, barring any changes to state or federal statutes that would void the decision. Request for Reconsideration Forms are available at larl.org/policies.

Appendix B

First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Intellectual Freedom Documents from the American Library Association:

Adopted by the LARL Board of Trustees on September 21, 2023