Civic · 6 pages · 12 min

Why a collection policy is a civic document

A collection policy states how a public library chooses, keeps, and removes material.

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From the opening

A collection policy is the written rule a public library uses to select, keep, and withdraw books and other materials. Because the library spends public money and offers access to a whole community, that rule is a civic document, not a private reader's list of favorites. The opening covers criteria for adding and withdrawing, reconsideration gives a public path, and budget forces real choices.

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Inside

  • Criteria for adding and withdrawing
  • Reconsideration gives a public path
  • Budget forces real choices
  • Access is not an endorsement
  • Where the idea stops applying
  • A distinction worth keeping

Sources

  • Library collection development policy
  • Material reconsideration procedure