Collection Development Policy

Preamble

As part of its mission to enrich, educate, and inspire our diverse community by connecting people to the world of information and ideas, the Glenview Public Library is committed to providing our community and their families with free and open access to diverse works and information reflective of many perspectives and lived experiences. While not everyone will agree with all materials in our collection, the right to read, seek information, and speak freely is important to our democratic society and allows individuals to learn from one another. We support the right of parents to select or decline library materials for their own children without interference and encourage parents to be active participants in helping their children select library resources. To that end, the Glenview Public Library resolves to protect the right to freely access information and materials from censorship and book banning and seeks to provide our community the opportunity to read and access information freely as promised by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States.

Purpose

The Collection Development Policy sets forth the principles upon which a useful and well-rounded collection is built and maintained. The Library aims to create a collection that promotes inclusion and diversity. The goal is to select, organize, and make available materials that meet the cultural, educational, informational, and recreational needs of the community.

Policy

  1. Materials selection supports the Library’s Mission Statement and is guided by the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read statement and Library Bill of Rights.
  2. Ultimate responsibility for the Library’s collection resides with the Library Director and Library Board of Trustees and is delegated to Library staff who utilize their training, experience, and professional knowledge in the selection of library materials.
  3. If a Glenview Library resident objects to any item in the Library’s collection, they will be asked to fill out a Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials. The Library will review both the item in question and the Request for Reconsideration as completed. The Library Director will inform the patron of the decision. If the complainant is not satisfied with the decision, a written appeal can be made directly to the President of the Library Board of Trustees for discussion at the next scheduled board meeting. The decision of the board is final.
  4. Deselection of material from the circulating collections is a vital part of successful collection maintenance. Continuous evaluation is necessary to ensure that the Library’s materials are useful and accessible.
  5. Gifts of materials are accepted if they are in keeping with the Library’s Collection Development Policy. Recognition of donations will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Guidelines

  1. Criteria for selection include, but are not limited to:
    • Timeliness
    • Accuracy
    • Format
    • Readability, literary merit, organization, and presentation of the information, subject, or material
    • Reviews in reputable journals or authoritative sources
    • Community interests and needs
    • Suitability of subject, style and reading level for the intended audience
    • Authority of the author or publisher
    • Item price and collection budget
    • Representation of diverse and inclusive interests and perspectives
    • Relationship to other materials in the collection
    • Availability at consortium libraries or other libraries
    • Enduring value to the collection
  2. Specific considerations for each area of the collection are outlined in the Collection Development Plan.
  3. Hold lists are monitored to meet patron demand. Additional copies may be purchased as the budget allows. Patron suggestions for materials will be considered for purchase using the selection criteria outlined in the Collection Development Policy. Requests are not automatically purchased.
  4. The following criteria will be used for withdrawal or retention:
    • Damage or poor condition
    • Inaccuracy or a lack of authority
    • Timeliness or obsolescence
    • Number of copies in the collection
    • Relevance to the needs and interests of the community
    • Current demand and frequency of use
    • Availability elsewhere including other libraries and online
    • Deemed to be of an enduring nature
    • Space constraints

To request a Request for Reconsideration Form, please email refdesk@glenviewpl.org.

Adopted by the Glenview Public Library Board of Trustees on April 21, 2022

Revised; November 17, 2022

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