TABLE OF CONTENTS

I.	Introduction
II.	Principles and Procedures
1.	General Collection Development Policy
2.	Responsibility
3.	Financial Resources and Allocation
4.	Duplication
5.	Replacement
6.	Weeding
7.	Gifts
III.	Detailed Guidelines for Materials Selection
1.	Adult Materials
2.	Young Adult Materials
3.	Children’s Materials
4.	General Philosophy
IV.	Freedom of Access
1.	Library Bill of Rights
2.	Intellectual Freedom Statement
3.	Freedom to Read
4.	Internet Access Policy

I. Introduction

Collection development is a term used by libraries to describe their criteria and methods for choosing, maintaining, and discarding library materials. A written statement of collection development policy does not attempt to create guidelines for the selection of individual titles. Rather, it offers guidelines for the overall direction, content, and quality of the library’s entire inventory of materials.

This statement provides a brief overview of the collection development policies of Tiverton Library Services. Its purpose is to guide librarians and trustees and to inform the public about principles used for selecting materials, plans for future growth of the collections, and the policies governing the removal and replacement of materials.

This policy is subject to revision and should be reviewed periodically by the director, staff, and trustees of the library.

II. Policies and Procedures

1. GENERAL PRINCIPLES

Tiverton Library Services is a small library system in Tiverton, Rhode Island, a small town with a population of approximately 14,000. The main library in the system is the Lydia B. Essex Public Library (hereinafter referred to as "Essex"), and there is also a small library, the Union Public Library ("Union") which functions as a branch library.  In order to remain a small but responsive and vital library system which serves the community’s information needs, Tiverton Library Services collection development will stress the following:

	a.	Careful materials selection
	b.	Continuous assessment of the content and direction of both libraries’entire materials collections
	c.	An ongoing weeding program to remove titles which have outlived their usefulness
	d.	Replacement of outdated or inaccurate information sources with correct and current sources, when possible

Tiverton Library Services collects books, magazines, newspapers, and other print materials (such as pamphlets and maps) that are considered meaningful and relevant to the community. Audiotapes, videotapes, computer CD-ROMs, and other non-book items will also be collected, but on a smaller scale. All materials will be selected with budgetary allotments and availability of similar materials in other libraries in mind.

Flexibility, open-mindedness, and vision in selection are necessary to meet the demands of social, intellectual, and technical change. The libraries’ collections should be periodically reevaluated in the light of these changes, with attention given to the initial selection criteria. An ongoing program of physical inspection and collection maintenance is also important.

No single set of standards or criteria can be applied when making an acquisition decision. In general, all acquisitions, whether purchased or donated, should be evaluated by the following standards:

	a.	Present and potential relevance to community needs, including entertainment needs
	b.	Relation to material on the same subject in the existing collection
	c.	Attention of critics, reviewers, or the public
	d.	Insight into human and social conditions
	e.	Reputation, significance, skill and competence of author/creator

In selecting materials for the libraries, the staff may be guided by (but is not limited to) such resources as library literature (book reviews and recommendations), popular periodicals (the New York Times Book Review and Bestseller List), lists of award-winning materials (such as the Newbery and Caldecott Awards for Children’s Literature), local interest (works about Tiverton or by local authors), and recommendations and requests from patrons. Publishers’ catalogues, subject bibliographies, and standard library catalogues are also important selection guides. Ultimately, however, the final decision about whether to acquire or keep material must be the judgement of the librarian, based upon professional standards, education, training, and experience.

2. RESPONSIBILITY

Primary responsibility for collection development lies with the library director, who operates within the framework of policies determined by the Board of Trustees. Others involved in the selection process include the Assistant Director and the library staff. Staff members who work with a particular area of the collection--for example, children’s or reference--will be asked to keep current on relevant trends and issues and advise on collection ddevelopment in that field.

To increase staff awareness of the libraries’ collections and to eliminate needless duplication of materials, the staff should hold regular collection development meetings to discuss all aspects of developing and maintaining the collection.

3. FINANCES

The Tiverton Library Services appropriation for books is divided between the Essex and Union libraries, with the larger proportion of funding going to Essex, as the town’s main library and information source. In general, within each library, the book budget should be allocated as follows:

Adult materials 60%

Young adult materials 25%

Juvenile materials 25%

The appropriation for magazines and newspapers is listed as a separate item in the budget.

4. DUPLICATION

Within each library: For the most part, purchases are made in single item quantities. Exceptions include:

	a.	When demand for a particular book is predicted to be extremely high
	b.	When more than ten people are waiting for a particular book
	c.	When it is decided there is a need for both reference and circulating copies of an item

Among the two libraries: It is impossible for Tiverton Library Services to eliminate all duplication of materials. Obvious areas where duplication is bound to occur include:

	a.	Bestsellers
	b.	Some basic reference works
	c.	Periodicals
	d.	Children’s and adult classics

Through regular collection development meetings, employing a broad variety of review media, and constant communication among Essex and Union Libraries, every effort is made to keep duplication to a minimum. Duplicated materials are those deemed necessary to both libraries.

5. REPLACEMENT

It is not the policy of Tiverton Library Services to replace automatically all materials removed from the collection because of loss, damage, or wear. Materials may not be replaced if:

	a.	The collection’s existing books provide adequate coverage within the given field
	b.	The library owns or plans to obtain similar materials which are more current and/or provide more complete information about the subject
	c.	The item has not been used recently and there is little or no demand for it among library users

Some items in the collection will be replaced automatically: for example, reference works such as The World Almanac which are updated periodically. In some cases, the current year’s title will be kept in the reference room, while the previous year’s title will be added to the circulating collection.

6. WEEDING

Weeding, or the judicious removal of obsolete materials to make room for new items, is essential to collection development. The American Library Association and other shapers of library codes, policies, and practices have for many years recommended weeding as a collection management technique. "The library collection should be continually evaluated . . . for purposes . . . of identifying for withdrawal those titles which have outlived their usefulness. No title should be retained for which a clear purpose is not evident." (Stanley J. Slote, Weeding Library Collections, p. 3) Studies have also shown that circulation is increased in libraries where the collection is weeded regularly. Crowding is reduced, creating a more attractive and inviting appearance and allowing more room to display new material.

The purposes of weeding are to:

	a.	Maintain a good, usable collection
	b.	Make room for new materials
	c.	Allow better visibility and therefore promote increased use of the collection
	d.	Provide a fresh and inviting appearance

Materials that are prime candidates for weeding include:

	a.	Those that are of poor content (outdated, inaccurate, obsolete, etc.)
	b.	Those that are not used (uncirculated within 5-10 years)
	c.	Those that are worn

Both Essex and Union will maintain a vigorous and continuous weeding program.

7. GIFTS

Tiverton Library Services accepts gifts of books, magazines, and other materials. It applies to such gifts the same selection criteria that govern purchases, and all items are accepted with the understanding that the library staff may select those suitable for use at either library within the system and dispose of unwanted items as it deems best.

III. Guidelines for Materials Selection

1. ADULT MATERIALS

Fiction:

Tiverton Library Services is committed to offering a limited but well-chosen selection of contemporary and classic fiction to meet the recreational reading needs of the community. In choosing adult fiction, the library staff will be guided by such factors as national popularity (i.e., the New York Times bestseller list), local popularity (requests from patrons), critical recognition (positive reviews or recommendations in Library Journal, New York Times Book Review, or similar publications), reputation and/or popularity of author, and pertinence or relevancy of subject matter to the community.

Tiverton Library Services participates in a book leasing system, allowing currently popular titles to be retained for a limited period of time, then returned to the distributor and replaced with new titles. This service should be supplemented with careful purchases.

Tiverton Library Services will purchase a reasonable balance of novels within the following categories: romance, mystery, western, science fiction/fantasy, and general fiction. Essex will develop a more comprehensive collection of mysteries, westerns, and science fiction/fantasy, while Union will continue to maintain a collection of historical fiction.

A smaller amount of contemporary literary fiction, including translations, will be purchased. Series of short stories published annually will not be purchased automatically. Some short story collections may be purchased as part of the general fiction collection, and will be subject to the same selection criteria.

No book will be purchased or retained solely because it is considered a classic or because it is listed in standard book lists (i.e. Public Library Catalog). A fairly sizable collection of classics will be maintained, however, with attention paid to use, demand, and factors likely to influence demand, such as the release of a film version of a classic novel or the inclusion of certain titles on a high school reading list. Every effort will be made to maintain the physical appearance as well as timeliness of this classic collection. Whenever possible, classic titles that are worn, dirty, and falling apart should be replaced by new, attractive editions which are more likely to circulate.

Nonfiction:

As a small, general-interest public library, Tiverton Library Services will not be able to maintain a collection comprehensive enough for college-level research or intensive study in specialized areas, but it should develop and maintain a nonfiction collection sufficient to satisfy the leisure reading and basic research needs of adults and young adults. Essex, as the main library, will in general have a more extensive, more varied, and more specialized collection than Union. In addition to collecting more comprehensively in the Dewey subject divisions of 300, 600, 700, 800, 900, and 920, Essex will emphasize development of the following:

	a.	Handicrafts, especially quilting
	b.	Travel
	c.	Poetry
	d.	Women’s studies
	e.	Small business management and personal finance.

Union will continue to maintain its collections in the following areas:

	a.	World War I history and narratives
	b.	Americana
	c.	Plays.

Specialized resource tools will be purchased by each library to assist with the orderly growth of that particular area, i.e., Union will purchase play indices, Essex will purchase poetry indices. Developing these areas of concentration does not preclude one library from ever purchasing material in the other library’s specialization. Also, this does not mean that a specializing library must or should buy everything in that particular field. Timeliness of information, usage patterns, and community interests and needs should be considered when purchasing or discarding materials.

Coverage of some subject areas will be at the minimal level, including only a few basic works. These should be carefully evaluated to ensure that the information provided is current, factually correct, and unbiased.

Professional Materials:

The primary professional collection will be maintained at Essex and will include works on library collection development and management, library-related periodicals, and a current edition of Books in Print. Union will maintain a basic professional collection, including the previous year’s edition of Books in Print. Professional materials may be supplemented by loans from other libraries or the Department of Library Services.

Reference Materials:

Essex, as the central library, will maintain a larger and more comprehensive reference collection, suitable to the basic research needs of older children, teenagers, and adults.

Union will maintain a basic reference collection that should contain the following kinds of materials:

	a.	Two encyclopedia sets, the older of which may circulate
	b.	A general almanac
	c.	English dictionary, thesaurus, and English grammar
	d.	Foreign language dictionaries (French, Spanish, German, and Portuguese)
	e.	Compact ready-reference books (one to three volumes) in the following areas: biography, history, animals/nature, and science/technology.
	f.	Bible
	g.	A current world atlas
	h.	Book of etiquette

Union Library will have access at all times, via telephone and short-term loan, to all materials in the professional and reference collections at Essex.

At both libraries, paperback editions of reference works, particularly those that will be replaced periodically, are considered cost-effective and a valid alternative to the hardbound edition. Electronic reference sources are an increasingly important part of the library’s collection and will be evaluated and chosen in the same manner as print media. Space considerations and cost may be factors considered in choosing between print and electronic formats.

The Essex reference collection will contain, in addition to a more extensive and more frequently updated collection of the core materials listed above, reference works in all the Dewey subject areas, with a special concentration in the 300s (social sciences), 500s (science and nature), 800s (literature), and 900s (geography and history). The library should strive to provide a diversity of works in these areas, reflecting different approaches, backgrounds, and points of view and offering materials suitable for a range of ages and interest levels, from the basic to the detailed. Local history and genealogy materials will be kept in the reference collection

Periodicals:

The Tiverton Library Services periodicals collection is intended for general and leisure reading and basic reference. It does not include academic journals or periodicals intended for advanced research or specialized subject areas. The core collection should include local newspapers and a selection of magazines of national and local interest. For basic news coverage, at least one major daily newspaper and one weekly news magazine should be part of the collection. Past issues of magazines will be stored in the reference area, but will be allowed to circulate.

Magazines with high potential research value will be held for as long as that research validity remains. Examples include:

Time Will be held for at least two years, or as space allows

National Geographic Will be held indefinitely

Consumer Reports Regular issues will be held for two years, or as space allows. Buying guides will be held for up to five years.

A periodicals index should be available for public use.

Professional Magazines

Tiverton Library Services will subscribe to professional journals such as Library Journal, American Libraries, and School Library Journal and will make these magazines available to the staff for purposes of collection development and keeping current on general professional issues.

Newspapers

The town of Tiverton does not have a daily newspaper. Town news is covered in the Sakonnet Times, a weekly paper, and the Providence Journal, the state’s daily newspaper which publishes an East Bay edition. Larger communities near Tiverton which do support daily newspapers are Fall River, Massachusetts, with the Herald News, and Newport, with the Newport Daily News. Tiverton Library Services should subscribe to these four publications to provide core local and statewide coverage. Other newspapers may be added according to community needs and interests.

2. YOUNG ADULT MATERIALS

Except for a special section of YA fiction, materials for young adults can be found throughout the library and are not specifically grouped for the teenage reader. Nevertheless, the library staff will consider the information needs of young adults when purchasing general and reference nonfiction materials. High school and middle school reading lists, curriculum information provided by teachers, requests by young adult patrons, positive reviews, and yearly lists of award winners and recommended titles will all be considered in the selection process.

Much of the materials purchased, especially in fiction, will be paperback books, except for some well known YA authors whose works are purchased in hardcover. Magazines for leisure reading and school assignments are also considered part of the YA collection. Titles that are part of school reading lists will be marked and displayed for easy access.

3. CHILDREN’S MATERIALS

Children are inquiring individuals with a unique capacity for growth and should have open access to all media and services of the library in their search for information. In order to establish materials collections that reflect the changing interests and needs of contemporary children, the plurality of viewpoints in society, and the diversity of people in the community, it is necessary to continually appraise and revise the selection technique for children and to encourage both concerned adults (parents, teachers, youth advocates) and children themselves to actively participate in the selection of materials.

Caldecott and Newbery award-winners will be purchased by both Essex and Union Libraries. Other local and national award winners will be considered for purchase. Books, magazines, and electronic media for children are selected based on the same criteria and rationale as those selected for the adult collection. In general, the collection will consist of:

Picture books: Usually hardcover, often larger than other books. Illustrated stories designed to be read aloud to younger children or read by older children.

Easy readers: Limited-vocabulary books for beginning readers to read by themselves

Juvenile fiction: "Chapter books" generally for students in grades 2-6 (or sometimes older, although these may overlap with young adult titles). Often hardcovers, although some popular series may be purchased in paperback.

Juvenile nonfiction: Books on all subjects for children in grades 2-6.

The reference collection for children will contain materials appropriate for use by children in grades 2-6, including at least two sets of non-circulating encyclopedias and at least one set which circulates. Where it is possible to purchase several titles on one subject, it is desirable to offer books suitable to different ages and reading levels.

Librarians should seek children’s materials that will provide a broad range of viewpoints, reading levels, and subject matter. This means that while the children’s collection will have thousands of items families want, like, and need, it may also include some items parents will find inappropriate for their children. Because children’s maturity levels and information needs will differ even within similar age groups, and because each family has its own values and standards, it is neither possible nor appropriate for librarians to act as parents and restrict access to materials (whether print or electronic) to children, including access to the World Wide Web. It is the right and responsibility of parents to guide their own children’s library use while allowing other parents to do the same.

4. GENERAL PHILOSOPHY

It is essential that works of non-fiction be current and that the information they contain is valid and usable. This is especially important for works of science, medicine, health, technology, geography, travel, and transportation. Tiverton Library Services will make every effort to insure the timeliness of its non-fiction materials.

For short-term and supplementary collection assistance, TLS will make full use of the CLAN system, interlibrary loan, and the extended borrowing privileges available through the Department of State Library Services (DSLS). Use of these borrowing privileges, however, must never substitute for careful attention to and long-term development of TLS’s own collection.

Paperbacks:

Paperbacks are purchased for two principal reasons:

	a.	They are a source of inexpensive popular reading, particularly in genre areas (fantasy, science fiction, romance, etc.), in series fiction for children, and in young adult fiction.
	b.	They are a less expensive alternative to costly hardbound nonfiction and reference works, especially those (such as college guidebooks, travel guides, etc.) that will need frequent replacement.

Magazines:

Magazine subscriptions will be coordinated between the two libraries to eliminate as much duplication as possible. As with books, however, some duplication will be inevitable.

Magazine titles are selected with these criteria in mind:

	a.	Popular demand
	b.	Potential research value
	c.	Availability to the general public (in other words, TLS will subscribe to magazines that patrons would be least likely to obtain elsewhere or purchase for themselves).

IV. Freedom of Access

1. LIBRARY BILL OF RIGHTS

The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.

I.	Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
II.	Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
III.	Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment
IV.	Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgement to free expression and free access to ideas.
V.	A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background or views.
VI.	Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.

Adopted by the ALA 1948. Amended by the ALA Council 1961, 1967, 1980.

2. INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM STATEMENT

Tiverton Library Services supports the American Library Association’s policy of intellectual freedom for all library users. See the appendix, "The Freedom to Read: Policy Statement" for a detailed explanation of ALA policy.

4. Internet Access

Appropriate Materials for minors- Guidelines for parents.

It is the right and responsibility of the parents to guide theirs own children’s library use. By taking responsibility for your children’s on-line computer use, parents can greatly minimize any potential risks of being on-line. The Essex Library now has full WWW available with graphics. Currently it is only available in the main room at the Essex Library. It is open for anyone to use and browse. We want to let you know that this is available and that parents are responsible for what their child sees. It is not the library staff’s responsibility to watch every patron using the Internet. If you do not want your child accessing the Internet then it is up to you to let them know. The library staff will not oversee what anyone searches online.

The computer in the main room of the Essex Library that does have the Internet available does have a privacy screen on it so that only the person using the computer can see the information on the screen.