Policy Manual

The Collection Development Policy supports the mission, vision and values of the Poudre River Public Library District. This policy guides staff decisions regarding the selection, management and de-selection of library materials to ensure collections are accessible, contemporary, diverse and dynamic in order to meet the needs and interests of our community.

The District’s goal is to provide a collection that is:

• Accessible – Browsable stacks and useful electronic resources that can be accessed inside or outside of the library. Materials available in varying formats. Items consistently classified for ease of identification at all locations.
• Contemporary – High interest items mixed with works of lasting value. A collection that is fresh, relevant, diverse and in good condition.
• Diverse – A wide array of materials that represent a broad range of subjects and points of view, support recreational reading and viewing, encourage and facilitate reading skills, supplement educational needs, and reflect the diversity of the community and our world.
• Dynamic – Community-driven collections that are responsive to changing demographics and community interests and needs.

The District supports the right of each customer to decide which items are appropriate for their own personal use.

The District maintains that parents and guardians have the right and the responsibility to determine their minor children’s — and only their children’s — access to library resources. Minors are defined as people under 18 years of age.

Materials are not selected or excluded on the basis of:

• race, ethnic group, nationality, immigration status, socioeconomic status, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ability, language, religious affiliation, beliefs, age or viewpoint of the creator,
• frankness or coarseness of language,
• controversial nature of an item including art or graphics
• endorsement or disapproval of an item by an individual or organization, or
• the possibility that materials may be accessed and used by minors.

Specific items acquired for the collection may include those that are unorthodox, unpopular with the majority, or controversial in nature. The district’s acquisition of such material does not constitute an endorsement of the material’s content or creator.

The District endorses the following statements:

• American Library Association’s (ALA) Freedom to Read statement
• The ALA’s Library Bill of Rights
• ALA Statements on Library Labeling Systems
• ALA Access to Digital Resources and Services
• ALA Access to Library Resources and Services to Minors
• Urban Libraries Council Declaration of Democracy

Responsibility for Selection

Responsibility for materials selection and deselection for the District rests with the Executive Director, who entrusts to professional staff the responsibilities of selecting, managing and deselecting materials.

Scope

The District aims to provide collections that offer variety, depth, breadth and relevance to the community.

The District continually gathers and analyzes data, including circulation statistics, survey results, demographic studies, customer requests and comments to anticipate demand for new materials. The District continually strives to improve the usefulness and appeal of its collections. The emphasis is on acquiring materials of wide-ranging interest to the general public.

The collection is not archival and is reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis to meet contemporary needs. Items generally excluded from selection include: textbooks, workbooks, and curriculum-related work, unless they are considered useful to the general reader.

Selection Guidelines

Staff will acquire, make available, and encourage the use of materials that:

• help people learn about themselves and their world;
• encourage lifelong learning and provide educational support;
• stimulate thoughtful participation and engagement in the affairs of the community, the country, and the world;
• provide access to a variety of opinions on matters of current interest and encourage freedom of expression;
• support educational, civic, and cultural activities within the community; and
• assist the individual to grow intellectually and enjoy life more fully.

Selection Criteria

Materials need not meet all criteria to be selected.

• Requests from community customers
• Local interest and demand
• Critical reviews in standard selection journals and other media
• Appropriateness within the scope of the District’s collections
• Authoritativeness or popularity of author, artist, publisher or producer
• Significance, permanence or timeliness of subject matter
• Literary merit and artistic quality
• Major publicity
• Suitability of format
• Relationship and importance to the entire collection
• Physical space required for shelving and display
• Date of publication
• Price

At the Harmony Library on the Front Range Community College (FRCC) — Larimer Campus staff select and maintain College-owned materials consistent with FRCC collection development policies. FRCC selection criteria are based on meeting the needs of FRCC faculty and students.

Formats

The District maintains collections in varied formats to best meet the diverse needs of its community. The District acknowledges both the enduring demand for many traditional formats, such as the printed book, as well as accelerating technological advances in digital formats. The District monitors the development of, and demand for, new formats and strives to respond by offering materials in a variety of formats. Older formats with sustained decreasing use over time will be deemphasized and eventually deselected.

Gifts

The District may accept gifts of both book and non-book materials. Donated materials are subject to the District’s selection criteria and may be added to the collections, discarded, donated to other charitable organizations or sold at the Library’s discretion. Donated items, including review copies, become the  property of the Library and will not be returned to the donor.

The District will accept and add to the collection one copy of materials created by Colorado authors that meet our collection criteria.

De-selection of Materials

De-selection (also known as ‘weeding’) of dated, worn, redundant and obsolete materials in the collection is as important to maintaining relevant collections as the selection of new materials. Systematic de-selection of materials in the collection by Collections Management staff is required in order to keep the collection responsive to customers’ needs; ensure vitality, currency and usefulness; eliminate worn materials and multiple copies of titles no longer popular and create shelf and display space for newer materials in each library.

Materials withdrawn from District collections are given to the Poudre River Friends of the Library. Materials that are damaged or otherwise unusable will be recycled and disposed of responsibly.

Requests for Reconsideration of Collection Materials

The District reviews user requests to reconsider items in District collections. For details on the process and how to submit a request please review the Reconsideration of Library Resources Policy. The District abides by Public Libraries Colorado Revised Statutes 24-90-122

Revised and approved on September 9, 2024