TPL-COL-01 Materials Selection-Policy
1.0 Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to provide staff with the necessary guidelines to assist them in the development of collections to meet Library goals and to inform the public about the principles by which materials are selected for inclusion in the Library collections. This policy is the basis for collection evaluation, planning and budgeting.
2.0 Goals
Library materials in both official languages are selected to meet the intellectual, educational and recreational needs of our patrons. The Library is committed to providing equitable access to ideas and knowledge, making the collections accessible to people with disabilities by offering a variety of alternative formats. It offers well-organized, timely and varied collections responding to and reflecting the changing and diverse communities in our area.
3.0 Role of the Library
The Main Branch acts as the main resource Library for the entire City of Timmins. It has a diverse and extensive collection, including a large collection of French materials and three special collections. (See 14.0} In addition, the collection includes a variety of materials pertaining to the indigenous culture, with emphasis on Northern Ontario content and perspective.
The C.M. Shields Centennial Branch Library in South Porcupine provides a general collection for all age groups in the immediate neighbourhood and a general reference collection which will answer most questions. The collection is broad in scope, but has fewer materials in all areas due to limited space. The emphasis is on up-to-date, popular materials and regular weeding is a priority.
4.0 Scope
The Library develops collections which include, but are not limited to, the following areas: fiction and non-fiction for adults, young adult (YA} and juvenile, magazines, picture books, music, local history and local interest, adult literacy, and government documents.
Recognized, professional standards will be used to determine the appropriate size of the collection. Planning for budgets and facilities must reflect these standards.
The collections will be balanced and represent diverse points of view and may include materials that some members of the public consider to be controversial in nature.
However, selection will not be made on the basis of any anticipated approval or disproval, but solely on the evaluation by staff of the item’s merit, authenticity, honesty of presentation and use to the community.
No material will be excluded from selection solely because of the “race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, receipt of public assistance, political affiliation, disability, level of literacy, language and/or socio-economic status” of the creator of the work.
The presence of an item in the Library does not indicate an endorsement by the Library of its content.
5.0 Responsibility for Selection
The Board delegates responsibility for the selection and withdrawal of Library material to the CEO. The CEO may in turn delegate this task to qualified staff. In selecting material, staff will use professional resources, judgement, knowledge, experience and expertise.
Staff will proactively solicit advice from, as well as anticipate the needs and interests of the community.
6.0 General Principles of Selection
6.1 Intellectual Freedom
In adopting this policy, the Board endorses the Canadian Federation of Library Associations’ Statement on Intellectual Freedom and Libraries (Appendix A) and the Ontario Library Association’s Statement on the Intellectual Rights of the Individual. (Appendix B)
6.2 Selection Criteria
The following criteria are used to select and retain materials for the collection. All acquisitions, whether purchased or donated, are considered in terms of these standards. Items need not meet all of the criteria to be acceptable:
Special consideration is given to materials with Canadian content, that record the Canadian experience or that relate to life in Canada or the lives and works of Canadians.
It is the responsibility of institutions engaged in formal education to provide materials which supports their curricula. It may happen that materials collected by the Library meet the needs of school projects, but this is not the primary reason for their selection. Textbooks are not purchased unless they are considered useful to the general reader as an introduction to a subject, are the only source of information, or because their content is considered essential to a library collection.
Replacement of items is based on maintaining a professional standard of a useful, relevant, accurate, and current collection. Replacement of worn, damaged, or missing titles is dependent on the demand for the title, availability of current materials on the subject, and the extent of collection coverage in the collection. Replacement of items is ultimately rendered at the discretion of the selector and Chief Executive Officer {CEO).
7.1 Classification
In order for the Library collection to be of maximum use and value to Library patrons, the collection is organized in such a way as to facilitate access to it. This is achieved through a logical and systematic physical arrangement of individual items and through the provision of indexes and catalogues for public use, and inside signage.
The majority of non-fiction collections are organized by the Dewey Decimal System. The fiction and biography collections are arranged alphabetically by author and subject respectively.
Bibliographic records are obtained primarily via copy cataloguing and preference is given to those methods requiring the least staff time. In some instances, bibliographic records are developed through original cataloguing. Moving forward, our bibliographic database will use subject headings and descriptors which are more inclusive, including the use of Indigenous Subject Headings as they become available.
The digital collection provides a wide range of electronic resources in both English and French to serve all ages and interests of the community. The majority of electronic titles are selected through consortiums, with the Library purchasing supplementary titles, budget permitting.
No materials are excluded from selection solely because they may come into the possession of a child. Responsibility for children’s use of materials rests with their parents and legal guardians.
The Library occasionally receives requests from regional and local authors to add their books to its collection, which they have self-published or published at their own expense. Although this type of publishing is experiencing rapid growth, these books often do not meet the requirements outlined in this policy to be candidates for the Library’s permanent collection. They typically have not received reviews in standard published sources and may not meet the criteria that the Library normally sets for inclusion in its collections.
The Library wishes to recognize the literary efforts of local authors by including their works in its collections.
Suggestions from patrons are always welcomed and are given due consideration. Every attempt will be made to respond to public suggestions for purchase of books or other materials, in accordance with this policy. Forms are available at the Library or on line at:
http://tpl.timmins.ca/about/suggested-purchase-form/
The Library accepts books and other material donations. Due to the large volume of donations that we receive, we are only able to accept material that is in good condition and that falls into one of the following categories:
The Library reserves the right to refuse any donation and any conditions placed upon them.
Tax receipts are not issued for donations of materials.
Donations of money will be accepted with the understanding that selections of items will be made in accordance with the established material selection policy. Official tax receipts for cash donations will be issued upon request.
To ensure a useful, contemporary, valid, and aesthetically pleasing collection the library continually assesses and withdraws collection items that fail to meet the acceptable professional standards for a healthy contemporary public library collection. These decisions are made by considering a number of factors including but not limited to physical condition, accuracy, usefulness, reliability, frequency of circulation, publication date, relevance to users, duplicates, and availability of newer materials. Items concerning local history, certain award-winning books, and certain classics are exceptions determined at the discretion of the Chief Executive Officer
(CEO). Frequency of deselection shall follow professional standards determined at the discretion of the CEO.
Deselection of materials from any collection is a necessary process to maintain collection vitality, size, and scope. Deselected materials may be sold, donated, discarded or recycled. Money generated from the sale of used library books are deposited into the general revenues of the library.
14.1 Local History & Interest
The Local History Collection is comprised of over 500 volumes specializing in material relating to the history of the City of Timmins and the surrounding area. Special consideration is given to both fiction and non-fiction materials of importance to the history of Timmins and the surrounding area, northern Ontario, and local authors. This part of the collection is not meant to be comprehensive or archival. Acquisition and retention of these items is rendered at the discretion of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
This collection of over 3,700 volumes consists of historical geological publications, technical materials, texts, maps and journals. This valuable resource of mining geology is available to the local mining community as well as to local students or others who have an interest in this field.
This collection of over 1,400 volumes of research material is comprised of marriage, baptism and burial records, local histories, genealogies of specific families, notary records, genealogy dictionaries, and more.
15.0 Requests for Reconsideration
The Library believes that a vital society encourages members of its community to actively participate in an open exchange of ideas and opinions. Material selectors consequently strive to provide the widest possible range of resources within Timmins Public Library collections.
The content or manner of expressing ideas in material that is purposely selected to fill the needs of some Library users, may, on occasion, be considered to be offensive by other Library users. The Library recognizes the right of any individual or group to reject library material for personal use, but does not accord to any individual or group the right to restrict the intellectual freedom of others. It is the right of parents and legal guardians to develop, interpret and enforce their own code of ethics upon their minor children.
The Canadian Federation of Library Associations recognizes and values the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as the guarantor of the fundamental freedoms in Canada of conscience and religion; of thought, belief, opinion, and expression; of peaceful assembly; and of association.
The Canadian Federation of Library Associations supports and promotes the universal principles of intellectual freedom as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which include the interlocking freedoms to hold opinions and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
In accordance with these principles, the Canadian Federation of Library Associations affirms that all persons in Canada have a fundamental right, subject only to the Constitution and the law, to have access to the full range of knowledge, imagination, ideas, and opinion, and to express their thoughts publicly. Only the courts may abridge free expression rights in Canada.
The Canadian Federation of Library Associations affirms further that libraries have a core responsibility to support, defend and promote the universal principles of intellectual freedom and privacy.
Libraries have a core responsibility to safeguard and facilitate access to constitutionally protected expressions of knowledge, imagination, ideas, and opinion, including those which some individuals and groups consider unconventional, unpopular or unacceptable. To this end, in accordance with their mandates and professional values and standards, libraries provide, defend and promote equitable access to the widest possible variety of expressive content and resist calls for censorship and the adoption of systems that deny or restrict access to resources.
Libraries have a core responsibility to safeguard and foster free expression and the right to safe and welcoming places and conditions. To this end, libraries make available their public spaces and services to individuals and groups without discrimination.
Libraries have a core responsibility to safeguard and defend privacy in the individual’s pursuit of expressive content. To this end, libraries protect the identities and activities of library users except when required by the courts to cede them.
Library employees, volunteers and employers as well as library governing entities have a core responsibility to uphold the principles of intellectual freedom in the performance of their respective library roles.
You can find CFLA-FCAB’s Position on Third Party Use of Publicly Funded Library Meetings Rooms and
Facilities: An Interpretation of the Canadian Federation of Library Associations’ Statement on Intellectual Freedom and Libraries { http://cfla-fcab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/CFLA-FCAB_statement_meeting_rooms.pdf }
Statement on Intellectual Freedom and the Intellectual Rights of the Individual
Introduction
The Ontario Library Association and its divisions are committed to the fundamental rights of
intellectual freedom, the freedom to read and freedom of the press, as embodied in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Ontario Libraries have the important responsibility to facilitate expressions of knowledge,
creativity, ideas, and opinion, even when viewed as unconventional or unpopular.
The Ontario Library Association declares its acceptance of the following principles for libraries:
views, and philosophy of life, other than those currently approved by the local community or by society in general and including those ideas and interpretations which may be unconventional,
uncommon or unpopular.
thought are upheld.
including the provision of access to electronic sources of information and access to the internet. Materials are not excluded from library collections based on race, place of birth, origin, ethnic
origin, ethnicity, citizenship, age, creed, disability, family structure, sex, and sexual orientation.
group within the community it serves to abrogate, censor or curtail access to information, the freedom to read, view, listen or participate by demanding the removal of, or restrictions to library information sources in any format.
7. It is the responsibility of libraries to maintain the right of intellectual freedom and expression by implementing it consistently when hosting programs and events within the public space of the library including rented public space by individuals and community organizations.
https://accessola.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2020_OLAlntellectualFreedomStatement.pdf
Name of person making request: _______________________