Collection Development Policy

Introduction

The Northeast Regional Library serves the citizens of Alcorn, Prentiss, Tippah and Tishomingo Counties. This is a statement concerning the policy and procedures of the selection and deselection of materials in the collection of the Northeast Regional Library (NERL).

I. Objective of the Library

Within its financial limitations, Northeast Regional Library will acquire, organize, house, and make readily accessible materials so as:

To meet the information needs of the community
To supplement formal study and encourage informal self-education
To provide materials for recreation and entertainment needs
To aid in learning and improving job-related skills
To stimulate thoughtful participation in the affairs of the community, the country, and the world
To serve as a cultural, social, and educational center for our community and to support other educational, cultural, recreational, and civic groups of the area
To help people know more about themselves and their world

II. Selection of Materials

Responsibility for Selection

Ultimate responsibility for the selection of all materials rests with the Director, who operates within the framework of policies determined by the NERL Board of Trustees. However, the Director will delegate to the Collection Development Librarian authority to interpret and guide the application of the policy in selections. Unusual problems will be referred to the Director for resolution.

Branch librarians are responsible for determining items for their individual collections, under the direction of the Director and the Collection Development Librarian. The Collection Development Librarian may also select suitable titles for a specific branch or branches if they recognize a need for that material at those branches. Other members of the staff, as well as patrons, may recommend titles for consideration.

Objectives of Selection

Individual judgments from each staff member are an integral part of the collection development process. The decision to select any item for the collection will be based on demand, anticipated need, and the effort to maintain a wide and balanced collection. Staff will be guided by a sense of responsibility to patrons, both present and future, by adding materials of contemporary significance and of long-term value that will enrich their collections. At the same time, there is an additional immediate duty to make available materials for enlightenment and recreation, even though such materials may not have enduring interest or value.

Materials added to the collection must meet high standards of quality in content and expression. Factors to be considered in judging quality are: factual accuracy, effective expression, significance of subject, and responsibility of opinion. The need for each item in relation to the rest of the collection and to the interest of the community also influences selection. Items suggested for purchase by Northeast Regional Library’s patrons are given due consideration and added if they meet the required standards of excellence and can be purchased within budget limitations.

Branch librarians should consult professional reviews and literature, such as Booklist, Library Journal, and School Library Journal, including curated lists from these sources and others. As Baker & Taylor and Bound to Stay Bound are two of the primary vendors for library materials, Baker & Taylor’s online catalogs such as The Forecast, and quarterly Spotlight print publications by BTSB are a good starting point for collection development.

Criteria for Selection

All acquisitions, whether purchased or donated, will be evaluated in terms of the following considerations:

Reputation of the author
Current interest in the subject matter
Permanent value to the collection
Subject matter of local interest (in general, Mississippi; more specifically, the counties included in the Northeast Regional Library service area and adjacent areas in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama)
Adds diversity and/or depth to the collection
Favorably reviewed in professional resources
Attractiveness and/or durability of the item.
Cost of item relative to funding available

While no work needs to achieve positive evaluation in all areas, the overall assessment of the work should indicate that it will make a positive contribution to the breadth, depth, and usefulness of the collection.

Budget Allocation

The NERL budget is made up of funds from the state of Mississippi and the counties of Alcorn, Prentiss, Tippah, and Tishomingo counties, as well as occasional state and federal grants.

Allocation per branch is based on available funding, circulation activity, and number of patrons.
Yearly budgets are sent to Branch Managers by the Collection Development Librarian at the beginning of each fiscal year.
Purchases for gift, memorial, and honor donation are credited to the branch to which the donation was given.
Book orders will cease in August and September to allow for all invoices to be paid within the fiscal year.
In times of financial hardship, the NERL Director may elect to reduce the book budget

Approved Vendors

NERL purchases from the following vendors:

Children’s fiction and non-fiction items are purchased through Bound to Stay Bound.
Large-print materials are purchased through Thorndike/Cengage.
Audiobooks and Marvel and Disney DVDs are purchased through Mid-West Tapes.
Adult fiction and non-fiction materials, as well as any items not found through the above vendors, are purchased through Baker & Taylor, if available.
Occasional specialty items not available through other vendors may be purchased through Amazon with the Director’s permission.

NERL does not purchase items directly from individual authors.

Intellectual Freedom

The public library is the institution in our society that attempts to provide a diversity of viewpoints on a wide range of topics of interest, including political, social, and religious ones— in a neutral, unbiased manner. NERL strives to maintain materials representing all sides of an issue, limited only by our selection criteria, budget, and the space in our facilities.

The existence of a particular viewpoint in the collection is an expression of the library’s policy of intellectual freedom, not an endorsement of the contents or views expressed in those materials. The library provides service to all within the framework of its rules and regulations and does not knowingly discriminate in its material selection regarding race, creed, sex, occupation, or financial position.

NERL seeks to present sound, factual data and honest expressions of opinion on all sides of controversial issues of public importance. Each book or type of material is judged by the basis of its overall content or style, not by isolated or random portions. In considering materials to place in the libraries, NERL will not automatically include or exclude an item based on any ofthe following:

Race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, or political views of the author
Frankness or coarseness of language
Controversial nature of an item
Endorsement or disapproval of an item by any individual or organization in the community

Once acquired, materials are not labeled or otherwise marked to avoid influencing a reader in advance as to its merits. NERL upholds the traditional American doctrine of the freedom of speech and press, as guaranteed by the Constitution and supported by the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read statements.

Although the library facilities are divided into sections such as Juvenile, Reference, Fiction, Nonfiction, Audios, etc. for the convenience of the public, patrons of any age may use all parts of the library. Age restrictions are sometimes made to the George E. Allen collection at the library in Booneville and for the upstairs portion of the Corinth Library. The responsibility for the reading or viewing choices of children rests entirely with parents or legal guardians. Library staff do not monitor the materials that children choose.

The classification scheme (Dewey Decimal Classification and Library of Congress Subject Headings), reviews by professionals, and the librarians’ expertise contribute to the proper placement of material.

Policies of Selection by Format

Books

Books, whether purchased or donated, will be evaluated in terms of the criteria listed above with the addition of the following considerations:

Actual or potential use by the community
Accuracy and objectivity of content
Contribution to the balance of the collection
Availability of the title in other area libraries
Price
Format

Whenever possible, titles in hardcover will be purchased for long-term use, but paperback editions may be acquired if cost or availability preclude the purchase in hardcover. Branches may elect to maintain a section of Non-Cataloged Paperbacks for patron use. A barcode is provided to each branch to count the number of daily uses for such items. Non-cataloged paperbacks should follow the same selection criteria as other items and go through the same weeding process.

Electronic materials (E-books and E-audios)

Electronic materials will be acquired as demand requires and financial constraints permit. Items will be selected by NERL administrative staff in consultation with other staff and suggestions by library users. Items must meet the same criteria as those for print books listed above.

NERL uses the OverDrive platform to deliver electronic materials. As a member of the Mississippi E-Book Consortium, NERL patrons have access to additional titles purchased by other consortium members.

Other digital materials are provided by the Mississippi Library Commission (MLC) through the hoopla platform, which uses a pay structure based on individual use per item. Currently, MLC pays for $2,000 of use per month, with NERL paying for any additional use up to a pre-determined limit.

Genealogy and Local History Primary Sources

Primary sources such as letters, manuscripts, and diaries will not be purchased. The Northeast Regional Library does not currently have the resources to care for archival material, so donations of such items will be directed to local history museums when possible. If the branch librarian, the Collection Development Librarian, and the Director agree to accept the donation of primary sources of local interest, the items will be maintained in non-circulating collections. Genealogical compilations will be accepted as donations and cataloged provided they have an ISBN. Materials where there is concern the material contains copyrighted materials without adequate permissions will not be cataloged but may be maintained in non-circulating collections if space allows.

Government Documents

Government documents that serve a specific community need and are donated to the Library will be retained and made available to the public in non-circulating collections. Patrons will also be directed to access online of state and federal government documents.

Audio Recordings

NERL will provide sound recordings of selected fiction and non-fiction books, as well as those for language instruction. Selection of these items will consider the quality of both the content and the longevity of the item.

Currently the Northeast Regional Library provides audio recordings of books in compact disc format. As technology changes, this format may be phased out and new ones added. Items of older technologies will continue to be circulated until they are no longer useable, or demand indicates they are no longer desired by patrons.

Movies and Films

NERL will provide movies and films for educational and entertainment purposes. The collection will reflect current community interests and will be developed with a view to high turnover rather than historical permanence. As with other library materials, it is the responsibility of parents or guardians, rather than the library, to monitor the materials borrowed by Juvenile users.

Currently NERL provides items in DVD and Blu-Ray formats. As technology changes, these formats may be phased out and new ones added. Existing items will continue to circulate until no longer useable or demand indicates they are no longer desired by patrons.

Games

Video games for use in library programming may be purchased with prior approval by the Director.

Board games for circulation and use in library programming may be purchased with prior approval by the Director.

Items should follow the same criteria as print materials.

Other Items

Items that could be considered museum items, such as artifacts, sculpture, and paintings will not be purchased by NERL, but may be accepted or rejected as gifts with the agreement of the branch librarian and the NERL Board of Trustees. As with other materials, items accepted become the property of NERL and are subject to the same weeding guidelines as other types of materials.

Other Digital and Online Resources

Unless significant changes in financial circumstances permit, NERL will not purchase specialized online databases. Instead, it will rely on those online resources provided through MAGNOLIA, a statewide consortium funded by the Mississippi Legislature, or through grants.

The following items will not be purchased by NERL. Items may be accepted as donations as space permits:

Newspapers
Periodicals
Maps and atlases
Microfilm
Telephone Directories
Self-published books with an ISBN

The following items will not be purchased or accepted as donations to catalog for the NERL collection:

VHS tapes
Cassette tapes
MP3 titles
Music recordings
Sheet music
Specialized computer software
Textbooks
Self-published books without an ISBN

III. Policy Concerning Gift Items

The library will accept gifts of books and other materials with the understanding that the items become the property of the library and will be evaluated against the same criteria as purchased materials. The library will make the final decision on the use or other disposition of all donations and will decide the conditions of display, housing, and access to the materials. If gifts of marginal value are offered, processing and handling costs and use of shelf space will be prime considerations. No special shelves or sections will be designated for gift collections but an appropriate bookplate may be placed in each gift identifying the donor and purpose of donation.

To prevent unnecessary duplication of titles, all Branch Managers must check the system’s catalog when considering the addition of a gift to the collection.

Criteria for adding gifts to the collection include:

Three years old or newer
Multiple copies of classic titles
Replacement copies for classic titles or those experiencing heavy use
Multiple copies needed due to school assignments (i.e. Required Summer Reading Lists, etc.)
Item completes a gap in a series

Self-published books cannot be accepted as donations unless the material contains a registered ISBN.

Items are inspected by the staff for odor, water damage, wear, age, mold, insects, etc. If such problems are noticed, the items are promptly discarded.

Items in good condition that are not placed in the collection may be sent to the branch’s giveaway area, given to Friends of the Library groups for public sale, or discarded. Gifts are not returned to the donor. All items become the property of NERL.

Funds for the purchase of materials will be accepted. The library encourages donors to place as few restrictions as possible on the funds in order to permit the most flexible use of the donation for the enrichment of the collection.

Existing Collections

In some instances in the past, certain collections of books and other materials were accepted with terms which dictated that they be kept in a certain library or in a certain area of a library. While this practice has been discontinued for some time, these previous arrangements will continue to be honored for as long as these libraries house those collections. However, no new donations may be made with donor-placed restrictions on the materials.

In 1976, the personal collection of books and memorabilia of the late George E. Allen was given to the George E. Allen Library to be housed in the Allen Room. The local and regional Boards of Trustees agreed that since these materials are irreplaceable, they should be used only in the George E. Allen Library and not be available for circulation or interlibrary loan.

Memorial, Honor, and Special Gift Items

Items may be donated in memory of a deceased person or in honor of a living person. Material may be left to the library staff, or the donor may indicate a particular book or subject desired. If the indicated item is not available, the librarian will substitute an item of similar interest. Often the library selects a book which will reflect the special interests of the person or event being commemorated. All items given as memorial and honor donations must meet the criteria for selection as previously stated in this book selection policy.

Memorial items are shelved with the regular collection, according to subject classification, so that they will be available and useful to persons seeking items on a particular subject. A memorial or honor plate is affixed to each memorial item.

The person (or, in the case of memorials, the family of the person) honored will be notified of the donation. The donor will receive a letter acknowledging the gift. These acknowledgements will be made by the Branch Manager.

Appraisal Policy

The Northeast Regional Library cannot legally assign monetary value to donations or make expert appraisals of gifts. A form acknowledging receipt of all donations will be provided to fulfil IRS requirements.

IV. Maintaining the Collection

Weeding

Weeding is the systematic evaluation of the library’s collection with an eye to the withdrawal of damaged or obsolete materials from the collection. This process is an integral part of collection development and maintenance. Weeding is the final component of the CREW method for library materials – Continuous Review, Evaluation, and Weeding.

Shelf occupancy of 75% is the optimal goal for collections. Each librarian is responsible for weeding the collection in their branch with the advice and assistance of the Collection Development Librarian as needed. A good rule of thumb is to weed as many items each month as you have new items coming in.

If the Collection Development Librarian perceives a need for an item that the branch librarian wishes to discard, the Collection Development Librarian will direct the branch librarian to retain the item or submit it for relocation to a different branch.

Statistical tools such as circulation reports, turnover rates, materials’ use reports, collection age analysis, and volume counts are studied to determine how the collection is being used and how it should be modified.

The MUSTIE system of criteria is also useful for determining items to be weeded. Materials that fall into the following categories should be withdrawn:

Misleading information, such as outdated or inaccurate information
Ugly in appearance, such as worn, damaged, or torn items
Superseded editions
Trivial information
Irrelevant information
Obtained elsewhere

NERL’s integrated library system (ILS) Atriuum is a useful tool for determining items to weed. Reports can be quickly formulating according to age, use, etc. Branch staff may consult the Collection Development Librarian for assistance with reports as needed.

Items purchased through grants or items received as donations, including gift and memorial items, will be subject to the same weeding process as other items.

Branch staff should follow instructions from the Collection Development Librarian for turning in lists of weeded items each month. Each item should be stamped ‘DISCARD’ and the barcode marked out. All items are presented to the NERL Board of Trustees for approval before discarding. Once approved, the items may be:

Placed in donation/giveaway area.
Given to Friends of the Library for yearly book sales.
Donated to local Goodwill, Salvation Army, or other charitable organization.
Thrown away or taken to the landfill.

Prior to weeding, branches may elect to try a Last Chance Display of items to determine if there is any remaining community interest before discarding.

Inventory

NERL branches will perform a complete inventory of the collection every three years to conform to the Mississippi Library Commission Accreditation Report. NERL’s ILS Atriuum contains an inventory option for this purpose. Additional instructions may be obtained from NERL administrative staff.

Replacements

Specific items removed from the collection by weeding, loss, or damage will be replaced only if there is a demonstrable need for that particular item. Branch librarians are encouraged to replace removed items by selecting newer items in the same field of interest.

Yearly Missing List

NERL branches maintain an ongoing list of items that are determined to be Missing from the card catalog. Attempts should be made throughout the year by various staff to search for the Missing items. Those not found by January of each fiscal year are turned into the Collection Development Librarian to be deleted from the NERL card catalog

Duplication

The library attempts to duplicate classics and standard works in some fields but cannot accept the responsibility of duplicating the same book in sufficient quantity to serve a class or reading group. Rather, the library will try to fill these requests through the use of resources on hand and the use of Interlibrary Loan. Likewise, the library assumes no responsibility to provide the same information in different formats, but will assist users in finding and using the information in whatever format in which it is available.

Ordinarily branch librarians will not purchase more than one copy of current fiction in any one format. Additional copies may be accepted as gifts, in order to meet immediate demand of certain titles with the agreement of the Collection Development Librarian. Once demand subsides, the additional copies should be sent to another branch or turned in for discarding.

Reconsideration of Library Materials

The Northeast Regional Library tries to provide materials which represent all sides of public questions on which there is a variety of opinion. Materials must meet the criteria of factual accuracy, effective expression, significance of subject, and responsibility of opinion expected of all materials in the collection.

NERL recognizes that there may be instances when community members challenge the inclusion of certain materials in the library’s collection. If a patron objects to an item in the physical collection of the Northeast Regional Library System, the patron should fill out the Citizen’s Request for Reconsideration of Library Material form. Forms will only be accepted from patrons with NERL library cards with a home address within NERL’s service area.

The library will follow its established policy for handling challenges, which includes:

Upon receipt of a Request for Reconsideration form, the Director will designate a committee to review the form. The committee will be comprised of the Director and two senior library staff members.
The committee will read the item, along with professional reviews of the item and make a recommendation for action. The committee will also consider this Collection Development policy and other professional literature regarding the principles of intellectual freedom.
The Director will provide the complainant with a written explanation of the decision with 30 business days. If a decision cannot be made within the 30 business days, the patron will be notified in writing about the reason for the delay. A one-time extension of 14 business days will be granted at that time.
If the patron is not satisfied, an objection may be presented in writing to the NERL Board of Trustees. The Board will provide their decision about the matter within 30 business days.

Patron concerns regarding digital items will be handled as follows:

The MAGNOLIA database is provided at no charge to all Mississippi libraries and is administered by the MAGNOLIA committee. Requests for Reconsideration for items contained within the MAGNOLIA database must be submitted via a separate form dedicated to those items. The completed form will be forwarded to the MANGOLIA committee by the NERL Director. The MAGNOLIA committee will then take over the issue.
Hoopla is provided by the Mississippi Library Commission. Requests for Reconsideration for items contained within hoopla must be submitted via a separate form dedicated to those items. The completed form will be forwarded to the Mississippi Library Commission by the NERL Director. The Mississippi Library Commission will then take over the issue.

NERL belongs to the MS E-book Consortium through OverDrive. Requests for Reconsideration for items contained within OverDrive must be submitted via a separate form dedicated to those items. NERL’s Director, in collaboration with other MS E-book Consortium member libraries, will provide a response according to the process detailed above for physical items.

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