Lititz Public Library
Materials Selection Policy
Adopted July 9, 2002
Revised December 7, 2015
Revised April 4, 2022
Mission Statement
The Lititz Public Library provides an environment for the exercise of intellectual freedom and civil discourse. We are dedicated to providing access to materials and databases that support evidence-based analysis and discussion.
Objectives
The Lititz Public Library strives to be a welcoming hub for a dynamic community. Rooted in the local community since 1935, we are committed to continued transformational growth. By offering innovative programs, materials, technology and services, the Library is a place for life long learners to discover, grow, share, create and connect. The Library will continue to engage with educational institutions, local organizations, and civic groups to promote the educational, cultural, economic and social well-being of this growing and vibrant region. Because of the volume of publishing, as well as the limitations of budget and space, the library must have a selection policy with which to meet community interests and needs.
Guiding Principles
The Lititz Public Library is committed to:
- Meeting the informational needs of the community
- Meeting the recreational needs of the community
- Promoting a life-long love of learning to area residents
- Reflecting a variety of opinions on a subject
- Serving all people, regardless of age, race, religion, gender, physical ability or economic status
- Presenting programs and materials that help to promote personal growth, economic self-sufficiency, optimum physical and mental health, and diverse artistic and cultural
opportunities. - The materials selection/collection development policy is used by the library staff in the selection of materials and also serves to acquaint the general public with the principles of selection.
The Library Bill of Rights and The Freedom to Read Statement have been endorsed by the Lititz Public Library Board of Trustees and are integral parts of the policy. (See appendices A and B).
The Community
The library serves Lititz Borough, Warwick Township and Elizabeth Township. Originally a rural area, it is becoming increasingly suburban. The library strives to offer materials and/or informational databases that meet the needs of all who enter its doors.
Definition of Materials
Materials include books, periodicals, audio books, video recordings, music, digital resources and online databases. They also include links to online resources from the Lititz Public Library’s website.
Authority and Responsibility
The Lititz Public Library Board of Trustees accepts final responsibility for materials selection but delegates this authority to the Library Director, and under his/her direction, to book selectors who are qualified for this activity because of education, training or experience.
Criteria for Selection
While a simple 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, or the value of the material to meet the informational needs of the community. In other instances, the primary, but not sole, criterion may be to meet substantial public demand.
Some general criteria for selection include the following:
- Current and anticipated needs and interests of the public
- Accuracy of content
- Timeliness of information
- An author’s, artist’s or publisher’s qualifications and/or reputation
- Evaluations in review media
- Contribution to diversity or breadth of collection
- Presentation of unique or controversial points of view
- Receipt of or nomination for awards or prizes
- Quality of production
- Availability and suitability of format
- Suitability of subject, style and reading level for the intended audience
Reviews are a major source of information about new materials. The library’s primary sources for reviews are Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly and Booklist.
Materials are evaluated as a whole and not on the basis of a particular passage or passages. A work will not be excluded from the library’s collection because it presents an aspect of life honestly or because of frankness of expression. Every attempt is made to acquire titles by local authors that are published by mainstream publishers. Self-published titles (e.g. via print-on-demand, digitized-on-demand, vanity or subsidized presses) are not added to the collection unless the book is reviewed positively in established review sources, has significant local content or has high local interest. Purchase of publications by local authors or self-published titles is at the discretion of the Library Director.
Local authors who want to bring their books to the attention of library collection development staff should provide:
- Basic bibliographic information about the book (title, author, ISBN, publisher, date of
publication, number of pages, price). - Copies of mainstream publication reviews or other coverage in the news media (if
available). - A brief description of the book and its intended audience and information about how or
where to buy it.
Authors should not supply a review copy. Due to the number of submissions received, authors will not be notified if their book is selected.
Resource Sharing
Because of budgetary and space limitations, the library cannot provide all materials that are requested. Therefore, interlibrary loan is used to obtain from other libraries those materials that are beyond the scope of this library’s collection. In return for utilizing interlibrary loan to satisfy the needs of our patrons, the Lititz Public Library agrees to lend its materials to other libraries through the same network.
Donations and Memorial Gifts
The library accepts donations of books and other materials with the understanding that they will be added to the collection only if they fulfill a collection development need and meet the same criteria applied to library-purchased materials. Donations become the property of the library and the Library Director is responsible for all decisions regarding the disposition of donated items. Due to the number of books donated to the library, donors will not be notified regarding the disposition of their donation.
By law, the library is not allowed to appraise the value of donated materials, though it can provide an acknowledgment of receipt of the items if requested by the donor.
Monetary contributions are accepted for the purchase of memorial or honor books/media and suitable bookplates are placed in purchased items. Specific memorial books/media can be ordered by the library on request of the contributor if the request meets the criteria established by this policy. A donor with a specific title in mind should consult the director about this choice. If no specific book is requested, the director will make an appropriate selection. The Lititz Public Library encourages and appreciates gifts and donations.
Collection Maintenance
Books and other materials are periodically withdrawn because information in them is dated, because the materials are damaged beyond repair, or because they do not circulate. Space, the cost of replacement, and the appearance of the collection are factors used in decision-making. Often withdrawn items can be used in the annual book sale. Sometimes materials are replaced by identical titles. Demand and adequate coverage of a subject area are considerations when determining whether or not an item will be replaced by an identical title. Sometimes the purchase of a more current item is more appropriate. The Lititz Public Library strives to keep the “last copy” in the system database if at all possible. Classic and award winning literature will not be withdrawn from the collection. One of our goals is a collection of literary fiction not subject to withdrawal from the shelves due to our standard circulation criteria.
Request for Reconsideration
Although materials are carefully selected, differences of opinion can arise regarding suitable materials. Patrons requesting that material be withdrawn from or restricted within the collection may complete a “Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials” form that is available upon request. (See Appendix C attached below). After the form is filled out and signed, it should be forwarded to the Library Director. The director will meet with a committee from the Library Board of Trustees to determine whether or not the challenged material conforms to the library’s selection policies and criteria. Within 45 days of the formal request, the library user will receive a written decision of the committee. The decision of the committee is final.