Collection Development Policy

Effective Date: December 2013
Revision Date: May 2024
Next Year of Review: 2026

Purpose

Strong library collections are foundational to meeting the goals of the library and providing excellent customer service. The purpose of this policy is to support Bruce County Public Library in providing diverse and robust collections and to inform the public about the principles Bruce County Public Library adheres to when developing or deselecting items from our collections. This policy provides the basis for collection evaluation, planning, and budgeting.

The board delegates responsibility for the collection to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who may delegate responsibility for specific portions of the collection to library staff.

Scope

This policy applies to Bruce County Public Library staff and the Bruce County Public Library Board. It applies to all collection formats, including print, non-print, digital, and audiovisual materials.

General Collection Information

The collections support the library’s mission to stimulate imagination and inquiry by providing equitable access to information, knowledge, and entertainment resources. The Library is committed to making the collection accessible to people with disabilities by offering a choice of formats. To respond to the needs and interests of our community, the library provides:

a) a variety of formats, including print and digital
b) accessible formats, including resources through the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA)
c) multilingual materials in response to community need
d) representation of a wide variety of opinion, lived experience, culture, religious tradition, language, and people
e) materials to inspire a love of reading and lifelong learning

The library develops collections which include, but are not limited to, the following areas: fiction and non-fiction for adults, young adults, and children; magazines, picture books, graphic novels, audio-visual, local history and local interest, adult literacy, and government documents. The library participates in resource sharing initiatives and consortia purchasing to provide the greatest access to library materials.

The Library collection includes a wide range of materials that reflect different points of view and may include materials that some members of the public consider to be controversial in nature. Selections are made on the merits of the work in relation to developing collections. The presence of an item in the library does not indicate an endorsement of its content, but rather is an affirmation of the principle of intellectual freedom.

The following will not cause an item to be automatically included or excluded from the collection:

a) race, religion, nationality or political views of an author
b) frankness or coarseness of language
c) controversial content
d) endorsement or disapproval of an individual or group
e) language of the text

Physical access to materials will not be restricted except for the express purpose of protecting an item from damage or theft. Library customers have open access to all the Library's collections with certain limited exceptions. BCPL will not mark items to show approval or disapproval. The Library will not abridge or make other modifications to materials.

Recognized, professional standards are used to determine the appropriate size of the collection. Planning for budgets and facilities will reflect these standards.

Material Selection

In selecting materials, staff will use professional resources, judgment, knowledge, and experience. BCPL welcomes purchase suggestions from library patrons and staff will evaluate them using BCPL’s selection criteria.

Materials are selected according to the needs and demands of the community, access to other library resources, the present library collection, and the budget. Materials are not excluded from selection because they may come into the possession of a child.

The following criteria informs what is ordered and what material remains in the collection:

a) Authoritative book reviews or recommendations
b) popular and/or anticipated demand and current trends
c) relationship of subject to existing collection
d) importance of subject matter in relation to community needs and interests
e) authority, reputation, reliability, or significance of author
f) quality of writing, production, and illustrations
g) accessibility criteria and features
h) authority and standards of publisher
i) suitability of format for library use
j) currency and relevancy of the content
k) access to other library resources
l) Canadian content

Staff may consult with subject area specialists to obtain advice about certain fields. The overall value of the material is the chief criterion of selection. Material is judged based on the entirety of the work, not by a part taken out of context. An item does not need to meet all the criteria to be acceptable.

The library does not keep, acquire, or purchase material that the Canadian courts have found to be obscene, seditious, or are hate propaganda.

First Nations Materials

The Bruce County Public Library will provide materials in various formats that expand access to Indigenous content and knowledge, as well as items that further understanding of Truth and Reconciliation.

Material Withdrawal and Replacement

Bruce County Public Library maintains an up-to-date, attractive, and useful collection to maximize performance and meet the needs of our community. An ongoing withdrawal process is crucial to holding current, responsive, and appealing collections. Staff utilize professional standards such as the CREW Method for weeding and software to facilitate collection maintenance.

Withdrawn material may be discarded, sold, or donated at the library’s discretion. Replacement depends on a variety of factors, including demand, availability of the title or of more current material on the subject, and the extent to which the subject is already covered in the collection.

Reconsideration of Library Materials

The Bruce County Public Library is a resource where many points of view and modes of expression can be examined without hindrance. The Bruce County Public Library, therefore, recognizes the right of individuals to express opposition to authors' ideas or to their creative exercise of language in materials selected for the library. However, the Bruce County Public Library will not engage to appease patrons by removing items purchased in compliance with the principles of this policy.

Patrons who wish the library to withdraw, restrict access to, or otherwise reconsider a particular item in the collection may complete a Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials form and submit it to the Library Director/CEO. The item will remain in the collection while the material is reviewed to determine if the item adheres to this policy. CEO will provide a written response within 15 business days. Responses to these requests are guided by the Library Board’s position that:

a. People have the right to reject for themselves material they do not approve of, but do not have the right to restrict the intellectual freedom of others.
b. parents and legal guardians have the right to determine access to materials for their own minor child(ren) but not to limit what other children can access.

Patrons may submit one request for reconsideration per year.

Gifts and Donations

BCPL has the discretion to accept gifts or donations of books, money, or other materials and reserves the right to decide the disposition of gifts received. Tax receipts are not issued for donations of materials. Any items added to the collection are subject to the same selection guidelines and criteria for withdrawal that are applied to purchased materials.