Library Collection Development

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT

PURPOSE OF THE POLICY

The purpose of the Collection Development Policy is to provide guidelines for day-to-day acquisition and withdrawal decisions, allocation of resources, and long-range planning of collection needs in accordance with the library’s mission.

MISSION STATEMENT

McMinnville Public Library: Defending your freedom to read, learn, grow, and inquire.

COMMUNITY PROFILE

The City of McMinnville is one of the fastest growing cities in Oregon.  With an attractive downtown area, McMinnville is a vital city with strong connections to Linfield College, committed civic leaders, and a history of citizens who are concerned about their community and take action to improve the quality of life in the community.  McMinnville has a history of planning that started back in the 1950s.  Located in the heart of the Oregon wine country and beautiful farmland, McMinnville is the county seat of Yamhill County and boasts nurseries, wineries, and agricultural products as its largest income producers.  The beauty of the area, its warmth and charm, the amenities of the city, a strong economy, and the arts and cultural activities have attracted new residents and tourists.

The rapid population growth includes a significant increase in people of retirement age, people of Hispanic ancestry, and families with small children.  McMinnville is close to Oregon’s urban population centers, and the number of people who live in the community but work in other communities is increasing each year.  In the future, it will be important for the community to find new ways to integrate commuters into the fabric of community life.  Issues the City needs to address include the needs of children and youth; a high drop out rate; literacy; bilingual and multicultural education; urban growth and development; expanding needs for health care and affordable housing, especially for low income residents; and public transportation.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT

Responsibility for selection of materials within Collection Development Policy guidelines is vested in the Library Director.  The Director may authorize members of the staff who are qualified by reason of education, training, judgment, and experience to assist with selection.  Suggestions from the public are welcomed and are given serious consideration within policy guidelines.  Final decision for selection rests with the Library Director.  The goal will be the development of collections that maintain a balance between diverse points of view and reflect the interests and cultural values of the community.

NEEDS AND SERVICES DEFINED

The McMinnville Public Library provides service to the residents of the city of McMinnville.  As a member of the Chemeketa Cooperative Regional Library Service (CCRLS), the Library also provides basic library service (one book and one reserve per person) to residents of rural Yamhill County without charge, and charges a fee to households outside the City limits for unlimited access to library services and collections.  Children through the age of thirteen years who live outside the City limits and in the area served by the Library through CCRLS are eligible for a CCRLS Create A Reader Everyday (CARE) card to check out materials from the children’s room, the young adult room, or children’s videos from the media center.

The Library shares its resources with 17 public libraries in Polk, Yamhill, and Marion counties, and the Chemeketa Community College library. The Library’s collection emphasizes current, popular materials in a variety of formats; up-to-date resources to satisfy a wide range of personal interests; and timely information to support an educated, self-reliant citizenry.

To help define the needs of a diverse and changing population, it is the goal of the Library to respond to community needs by focusing on the following service responses as defined by the Public Library Association:

General Information:

• The Library will develop programs to promote effective use of the Library’s resources, services and all of its collections, including remote access to electronic databases, the online catalog, and the Internet.
• The Library will continue to refine and improve services and programs which are currently offered, including but not limited to, expanded reference collections in print and electronic formats; local history assistance; consumer information; information literacy; and current technology.
• The Library will provide current and accurate print, non-print and electronic reference services using professionally trained personnel; increase public access to reference services via telephone, fax and e-mail; develop and maintain current technology; and develop continuing education and training programs for staff to enhance their professional skills, promote a high level of customer service, and foster the ability to use and plan for new technology.

Current Topics and Titles:

• The Library will provide a current collection with sufficient copies of titles in high demand to ensure customer requests are met quickly. Given a choice between multiple copies of current best sellers and a wide selection across a range of titles and subject areas, the choice will support a broad range of collection development to meet the needs and interests of multiple users.
• The Library will increase staffing, equipment and supplies to support the processing of materials acquired and to better serve the public. Collections will be organized so materials will be easy to find, and “weeded” on a regular basis to eliminate extra copies of popular titles that are no longer in high demand.
• The Library will provide free access to children’s collections for all children through the age of 13 who reside in the CCRLS service area and expand programs and services to young people ages 12-18.
• The Library will develop and implement collections and services “beyond the walls” to expand access to services in the community and to address space limitations in the current facility.

Cultural Awareness:

• The Library will reduce cultural, language, and communication barriers by providing Spanish-speaking collections and staff, developing signage and promotional materials in both English and Spanish, and providing staff training in cultural awareness.
• The Library will develop collections, programming, and displays that promote an understanding of diversity, including differences related to culture, language and ethnicity, religious preference, and age, and encourage cross-cultural communication.

All library roles actively support the unique needs of special populations and Lifelong Learning.  Some of these include: the business community, senior citizens, preschoolers, young adults, people seeking jobs or career change or advancement, home schoolers, parents, non-English speaking people, students and people with disabilities.

The library staff takes an active approach to anticipating emerging trends and purchases materials in subject areas that will enhance the overall development of the collection.

For materials not found in the collection, interlibrary loans are available through a variety of local, regional, and national systems including CCRLS, North Valley Link, and OCLC.  The cost of interlibrary loan transactions and the timeliness of the user’s need are also factors in purchase decisions.   While the Library is committed to resource sharing on an equitable basis, it is important to note that the use of materials from other libraries is a privilege rather than a right and can be abused.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION

As of July 1, 2003 McMinnville Public Library’s collection consisted of 52,404 adult volumes, 3,078 books in Spanish, 23,103 books for young readers, 5,805 audio-visual items, and 182 periodical subscriptions.  The collection is directly accessible to the public for browsing.  Access is gained through the use of the Library’s online catalog, III Millenium Silver, online databases, and the Internet.

Chronological Coverage – For the general collection new and current materials, including newspapers and periodicals, are selected on a regular basis.  The goal is to provide an up-to date collection that will help meet the information needs of its users.

Multiple Copies – Within budget and space restrictions the Library purchases multiple copies of books in high demand and single copies of other titles.  Staff is alert to best-seller lists, popular and local authors, award winning titles, and popular subjects.

Formats – The collection consists of books, periodicals, newspapers, microforms, cartographic materials, video materials, audiocassettes, compact discs, DVDs, computer applications, online databases, Internet access, and puppets.  Paperback books are purchased to supplement high demand hard cover titles, when the paperback edition is the only format available, when the overall lower cost makes it more economical, and for materials that are easily dated, and genre collections.

Languages – The collection consists primarily of English language materials.  The Library does collect foreign language learning resources and is expanding the collection of Spanish language fiction and non-fiction materials for leisure reading.

Rare books – As a public library we do not collect rare books of high value.  The Library does maintain a collection of local and Oregon history.

Funding considerations – The primary source of financing for the Library’s collection is the library budget funded through the City of McMinnville.  Other sources are grants and donations to the Library through the Library Foundation of McMinnville and The Friends of the McMinnville Public Library.

SELECTION PROCEDURES

Sources for the selection of materials include book review journals, newspapers, catalogs of standard library materials, trade catalogs and announcements, online listings, and patron recommendations.

Selection of materials is determined by the Library’s Mission Statement, Collection Development Policy, anticipated demand, availability at other libraries, and budget.

Acquisition procedures include the use of standing orders, wholesalers, jobbers, local bookstores, and automation.  Discount, efficiency, speed and reliability all enter into the decision.

YOUNG ADULT SELECTION

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association, defines young adults as persons between the ages of twelve and eighteen (commonly referred to as “teens.”)  Young adults are persons who no longer see themselves as children but whom society does not see as adults.  McMinnville Public Library’s young adult collection consists of materials geared to the interests of middle and high school youth.  Materials selected for young adults must meet the same selection criteria as all other library materials.

In selecting materials for young adults, special consideration is given to information, situations, and characterization that accurately reflect the adolescent experience.  The use of incidental profanity or frankness in dealing with social issues is present is some materials.  The value and impact of such material must be examined as a whole; the significance of an entire work often transcends the words, phrases, or incidents out of which it is made.

The young adult collection serves as a bridge between the children’s and adult collections and, as such, overlap at both ends of the collection is inevitable to ease users’ transitions and to accommodate the wide variation in young adults’ reading levels and interests, sophistication, and maturity.

McMinnville Public Library affirms respect for the reading, listening and viewing privacy of every individual.  Parents and guardians have the responsibility to guide and direct the use of the Library by their children and young adults.  The Library does not stand in place of the parent.

GIFTS POLICY

The McMinnville Public Library accepts gifts of materials in all formats.  Gifts of money designated for library materials are also accepted.  Gifts are added to the collection based on the same criteria as purchased materials.  The Library reserves the right to accept or dispose of any gift offered, through donation to other libraries or to the Friends of the Library for their book sale.

The McMinnville Public Library will not provide appraisal of gift materials.  A receipt is given and upon request a letter of acknowledgement.

The Library encourages the donation of funds for the purchase of memorial books and books to celebrate a special occasion or to enhance a specific subject area.

COLLECTION MAINTENANCE

The collection receives ongoing evaluation and weeding to keep it accurate, up-to-date and in good physical condition.

The automated system provides the staff with lost book printouts and annual lists of items that have not circulated.  These lists are reviewed on an ongoing basis.  The entire collection is evaluated every two years.

Criteria for weeding are: physical condition, currency and accuracy, use, scope and duplication.

Care is taken to avoid weeding classic works in a subject area, material useful for its historic value, and items of local interest and importance.

Books that are of historical significance or out of print will be considered for rebinding.

COOPERATIVE COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT

An important consideration in the development of the Library’s collection is the holdings of other local libraries, institutions in the regional library system and in the state.  Specialized holdings at Linfield College, Western Oregon State College, and the Oregon State Library in most cases should not be duplicated.

In addition, the Library works cooperatively with other libraries to rotate the purchasing of expensive books and online databases, and to avoid unnecessary duplication.

Library staff recognizes that certain materials must be available in the Library and that patrons should not be asked to wait for standard materials.  The Library receives reference assistance from L-Net, the state-supported online reference referral link, to enhance local resources.

CHALLENGES AND CENSORSHIP

The McMinnville Public Library supports intellectual freedom and endorses the “Library Bill of Rights” and the “Freedom to Read Statement” (American Library Association) (appended.)  In addition, the Oregon Revised Statutes, Chapter 357, states:

The State of Oregon recognizes that:

(1) Libraries constitute a cultural, informational and educational resource essential to the people of this state.

(2) Library services should be available widely throughout the state to bring within     convenient reach of the people appropriate opportunities for reading, study, and free inquiry.

(3)  Providing and supporting adequate library services is a proper and necessary function of government at all levels.

The McMinnville Public Library recognizes the right of individuals to question materials in the Library’s collection.  An individual questioning material is free to discuss such material with designated members of the library staff.  An individual may state his or her opinion in writing on the Reconsideration of Materials Form (appended.)  The concern will be reviewed by the supervisor, then the Director of the Library.  Questioned materials will be reviewed to determine if they meet the selection criteria as described in this document.  Book reviews will be read, usage of the item checked, and holdings in other libraries sought.  The Director will reply to the individual in writing in a timely manner.

LIMITS ON THE COLLECTION

While the collection includes standard works for the lay public in the areas of law, medicine, genealogy, patent searching and other fields, it is not meant to support in-depth research by professionals in those fields.

Textbooks, in general, are not purchased.  The Library does not purchase textbooks used in the local school district or textbooks or workbooks for home schoolers.  Textbooks continually change, making it hard to keep up with new editions without expending an unreasonable percentage of the book budget. A textbook will only be selected if it is the best book available for a particular subject.  The latest textbooks are available at the school district.

The collection is not a primary resource for college course work or academic research.

Formats may change as technology and availability of materials in new formats occurs.

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT OVERVIEW

Many public libraries in the U.S. have similar roles and responsibilities in their communities.  Approaches to collection development are also similar.  McMinnville’s overview, which follows, is modeled after Salem Public Library’s “Criteria for Selection.”

The development of the Library’s materials collection is based upon responsiveness to the changing needs of the people of McMinnville.  These changing needs require that materials be evaluated initially and on a continuing basis.

While a single standard cannot be applied to each potential item for selection, materials are judged by appropriate criteria.  In some instances, these criteria include artistic merit, scholarship and the value of the material to the informational needs of the community.  In other instances, the criteria may be substantial demand.  A work will not be excluded from the Library’s collection because it presents an aspect of life honestly, presents a different view from the mainstream, or because of frankness of expression.  Selection goals will apply to material selection in all formats.  Due to budget restraints, material in visual formats will primarily be selected for appropriate family viewing.

The Library’s service responses are the framework for the following selection goals in all formats:

(1) To represent differing viewpoints on a subject.

(2) To reflect the problems, aspirations, attitudes, and ideas of a pluralistic society.

(3) To support business, cultural, recreational, civic, and independent learning pursuits in the community.

(4) To stimulate self-understanding and growth.

(5) To enhance job-related knowledge and skills.

Selection criteria for reference materials:

• Public demand in subject areas
• Reputation for accuracy and completeness
• Timeliness
• Ease of use
• Suitability for intended audience

Selection criteria for adult fiction materials:

• Public demand
• Popularity of the author and/or genre
• Relationship to the collection
• Reputation of the publisher
• Timeliness
• Positive critical reviews and awards received
• Significance

Selection criteria for adult nonfiction materials:

• Public demand
• Timeliness
• Scarcity of material on the subject
• Reputation of publisher
• Media attention
• Style – quality of writing
• Positive critical reviews
• Significance

Selection criteria for juvenile fiction materials:

• Public demand
• Positive reviews
• Significance
• Relationship to the collection
• Quality of writing
• Popularity of the author and/or genre
• Timeliness
• Appeal
• Reputation of the author and illustrator
• Awards received

Selection criteria for juvenile nonfiction materials:

• Public demand
• Timeliness, contemporary or permanent value
• Format and illustration quality
• Quality and suitability of the physical format
• Awards received