TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Steve Powers, City Manager
FROM: Norman Wright, Community Development Director
SUBJECT:
title
Library Collection Development Policy
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
end
ISSUE:
Salem Public Library has implemented a formal Collection Development Policy reflecting the goal of the library to provide free, equal, and equitable access to a high quality collection of information resources in a variety of formats, reflective of the diversity of the Salem community.
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendatio
Information Only
body
SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND:
Salem Public Library’s Collection Development Policy (Attachment 1) provides guidelines for selecting and maintaining materials in the library collection that reflect the mission of the Salem Public Library and expresses a commitment to intellectual freedom. The policy both informs the public of the principles supporting selection decisions and provides guidance for the selection and evaluation of library materials that anticipate and meet the needs of the Salem community. The Collection Development Policy was given unanimous support by the Library Advisory Board at the August 2018 meeting.
FACTS AND FINDINGS:
Present Situation:
While staff at Salem Public Library have long followed local and national practices in collection development, there had been no formal policy incorporating those practices.
Solution:
Update our policy and practice to better align with national standards and local needs by the implementation of Salem Public Library’s Collection Development Policy. This will help us continue to build and maintain a vibrant, relevant collection of resources.
Examples from other jurisdictions:
Current standard practice is for public libraries to have collection development policies. In developing the Collection Development Policy, staff looked at peer libraries, industry leaders, national standards, and professional literature, including:
• Collection development policies from Multnomah County, Tigard, Fort Vancouver, Eugene, Hillsboro, McMinnville, Newberg and Deschutes County
• The American Library Association’s (ALA) Library Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read Statement, and Freedom to View Statement
• Texas State Library’s CREW method
Advantages/Benefits:
Implementation of the Collection Development Policy reaffirms the library’s commitment that the selection and evaluation of library materials is done in a consistent and cohesive manner, and will prevent personal biases from entering into selection decisions. By implementing a formal Collection Development Policy we increase transparency in our collection development practices; clarify for the Salem community the purpose and scope of the library’s collection; and provide a foundation for allocation of materials, resources, and for future planning.
Disadvantages/Costs:
There is no service disadvantage to having this policy.
Budget Impact:
There is no negative budget impact.
Sarah Strahl
City Librarian
Attachments:
1. Collection Development Policy