The objective of the Oakmont Carnegie Library is to curate, organize and make available the widest possible diversity of materials in a variety of formats. The Library also serves as an information center providing access to accurate and up to-date information for the people of Oakmont, Verona, Allegheny, and surrounding counties. This policy is written with residents in mind.
The Library recognizes the Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read Statement adopted by the American Library Association.
PURPOSE:
This policy defines the standards, criteria, and responsibilities of curating materials for the Oakmont Carnegie Library (OCL). Within these guidelines the Director and staff will use their professional judgement to select materials that meet the library’s mission: to serve as a community source of lifelong learning, information, recreation, and inspiration.
SELECTION CRITERIA:
- The Library selects materials in a wide range of formats, using the following criteria:
- Literary merit, artistic quality, aesthetic, and recreational value
- Clarity, accuracy, and usefulness of information presented
- Social, political, and historical significance of the subject matter
- Community needs and popular demand
- Local interest (Oakmont, Verona)
OCL selects material for its collection in accordance with professionally accepted guidelines. The library will attempt to represent all approaches to public issues of a controversial nature. The selection of any given item is not an endorsement of an author’s viewpoint. This process is governed by the library’s mission statement, an assessment of present and future community needs and the limitations of space and budget.
SELECTION TOOLS:
Professional staff members read current library and review journals to suggest materials for purchase. These journals include Library Journal, Booklist and School Library Journal, among others. In addition, sources such as major national newspapers, local publications and weekly news magazines are used.
- Purchase suggestions – library users are encouraged to suggest titles and/or subjects. The above-stated selection criteria will be used to review these suggestions.
- Self-Published Materials – We desire to support local authors while maintaining the standards used for the permanent collections and have set specific guidelines for self-published materials. Authors wishing to contribute books to the library must meet the criteria listed below:
- Authors must be Oakmont or Verona residents, or the book must take place in Oakmont or Verona
- Each book must be approved by the appropriate librarian before being accepted for placement.
- Books will be accepted as donations from the author or publisher
- Books will not be purchased at patron request unless they have been reviewed in standard sources. Patrons may donate copies of authors’ self-published books. These will be evaluated in accord with the Library’s collection development policy and are not guaranteed inclusion in the collection.
RECONSIDERATION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS:
While anyone is free to reject Library materials of which she or he does not approve, the freedom of others to access these materials cannot be restricted. The Library does not stand in loco parentis. Parents and guardians are responsible for guiding the reading, listening, and viewing choices of their own minor children. Selection of adult collection materials cannot be inhibited by the possibility that items may be accessed by minors. An individual may express their objections to Library materials by completing a Request for Reconsideration form found at the front desk. The written complaint is then reviewed by the Library Director, and the Board and the decision of the Board is final. A written reply conveying the decision of the Board shall be sent to the complainant within 45 days of being reviewed. A request for reconsideration can only be put forward once by a resident or local organization in any given year.
DESELECTION OR WEEDING OF LIBRARY MATERIALS:
The deselection of library materials is a valuable part of maintaining a public library’s collection. This process ensures that the collection is viable and useful. OCL is not an academic library and its collection and weeding policy reflect viability, interest, and demand.
Materials considered for deselection include:
- Worn or mutilated items
- Duplicate copies of seldom used titles
- Materials which contain outdated or inaccurate information
- Superseded editions of specific titles
- Materials no longer of interest or demand
Materials considered for replacement follow this criterion:
- Demand for an item
- Number of existing copies
- Coverage within the collection
- Timeliness of the information
- Availability of the title for reorder
- Cost of mending versus replacement
Adopted: February 2002
Revised: June 2023