The Collection Development Policy of the Hershey Public Library (the Library) is guided by the Library’s mission to be “the hub of our community, creating possibilities for everyone to enrich their lives.” The Library provides an impartial environment in which individuals and their interests are brought together with the universe of ideas and information spanning the spectrum of knowledge and opinions. The Hershey Public Library Board of Library Directors (the Library Board/the Board) adopts and affirms the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights (Appendix A), Freedom to Read (Appendix B), Freedom to View (Appendix C), Labeling Systems (Appendix D), and Access to Library Resources and Services for Minors (Appendix E) policy statements in support of acquiring and managing collections.
Collection development includes the planning, selection, acquisition, cataloging, and weeding of the Library’s collections in all formats. Library materials may include, but are not limited to the following: books, magazines, the internet, electronic databases, DVDs, audio books in CD and Playaway format, music CDs, downloadable materials, and large print materials. Weeding is the regular, on-going, and systematic evaluation process whereby library materials are withdrawn from the collection based on specific criteria such as outdated, worn, unused, damaged, and/or duplicated materials.
The goal of the Library is to select, organize, preserve, and make freely and easily available to all individuals in the community printed and other materials which will aid them in the pursuit of information, education, research, recreation, culture, and in the creative use of leisure time. The primary goal of collection development is to provide the best possible collection with the financial resources available. The decision to select any item for the collection is based on demand, anticipated need, and the effort to maintain a balanced collection. Inclusion in the collection does not constitute endorsement by the Library.
Recommendations for purchase
The library patron is an important part of the selection process. An individual request from a patron for a title is usually honored if the request conforms to the guidelines outlined in this policy statement. Requests from patrons residing in Derry Township are given preference. Requests from patrons residing outside Derry Township will be considered as budget and need allows. Suggestion forms can be obtained at the circulation desk or online. If requested, individuals submitting the suggestions may be contacted by Library staff regarding the outcome of the decision, but the Library makes no guarantee of specific placement in the holds queue. Items that are not purchased for the Library collection may instead be available through the Interlibrary Loan process.
Selection Criteria
Library materials are selected based on informational, educational, cultural, and recreational value. These materials are selected in compliance with the mission and goals of the Library and within the limitations of the budget. The following general criteria are also used in selecting materials for addition to the collection:
- Importance and value to the collection and Library users
- Significance of the subject matter
- Current appeal and popular demand
- Local interest
- Cost and budgetary constraints
- Attention of professional critics or reviewers
- Literary merit
- Authority, accuracy, and artistic quality.
- Suitability of format for Library use; durability
- Contribution to the diversity and breadth of the collection
An item need not meet all of the criteria in order to be included in the collection and materials should be considered as a whole and not be excluded based solely on the author’s identity, frankness or coarseness of language; nor should it be excluded solely because of the controversial nature of the item, or endorsement or disapproval of an item by an individual or organization.
Responsibility for Selection
The ultimate responsibility for materials selection and the development of the library collection rests with the Library Director who operates within the framework of policies determined by the Library Board. The actual selection and weeding of materials is accomplished by the Cataloging and Collection Development Librarian and other professional library staff under the general supervision of the Director of Library Services. Staff contributes to the development of patron-oriented collections by balancing individual needs and broader community needs in determining the best allocation of collection budget for acquiring or providing access to materials and information. The collection is reviewed on a regular basis to identify areas of community interest that may need to be strengthened.
Tools used in selection include, but are not limited to, professional journals, trade journals, subject bibliographies, publisher’s catalogs and promotional materials, reviews from reputable sources, lists of recommended titles, and sales representatives for specific materials. Purchase suggestions from patrons are also an important source and are given consideration.
Selection of materials will be made without bias toward subject matter, ideology, point of view or frankness of language.
Formats of Materials
Materials may be available in a variety of formats. Factors governing the choice of format include anticipated use, storage requirements, ease of access, availability of funding to start and maintain a new format, demand for format in the community, and the format of earlier editions. When all other factors are equal, ease of access by the public should be the primary consideration. The process for determining new material formats will be ongoing. The Library also may choose to eliminate obsolete formats when customer demand, affordability, and availability of product from vendors indicate the format is no longer needed or supported.
Downloadable e-Audiobooks and e-Books
The Hershey Public Library provides access to downloadable audio materials that include fiction and non-fiction titles that follow the general guidelines and content criteria for books. Collection development responsibilities are shared through the Capital Area Library District Consortium. The Library will support acquisitions made through shared resources or consortium purchasing as a means of providing a greater breadth of library resources. Downloadable purchases will follow all acquisition guidelines as outlined by the Capital Area Library District Consortium.
Special Collections
The Library is home to several unique collections including, but not limited to:
- The Pennsylvania Collection: A unique collection of reference books on Pennsylvania, Derry Township, and Hershey history.
- Palliative Care Collection: Features materials dealing with the care of the ill, death, and grieving.
- World Languages Collection: Resources include books in a variety of world languages, for example Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese etc.
Development of these collections is limited by budget and staff knowledge. Special collections are subject to the same criteria in this collection development policy and may be created or deselected as guided by the policy.
Local Authors
Authors who reside in Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Cumberland, or York Counties who wish to submit their book for inclusion on the local author shelf are considered for inclusion in the collection using guidelines in the Local Authors Shelf Policy.
Gifts, Memorials, and Donations
Donations of materials intended for the Library collection as well as money to purchase books are guided by the Gifts and Donations Policy. Tribute Books are selected by staff based on broad guidelines indicated by the donor in their submitted Tribute Book form.
Weeding or Withdrawal of Materials
The withdrawal of materials, also called weeding of the collection, is an ongoing process directly related to collection development. The library bases its decision to deselect or remove an item on a number of factors, including but not limited to publication date, frequency of circulation, community interest, condition, accuracy, and availability of newer or more valid materials. Items dealing with local history are an exception, as are certain classics and award-winning children’s books. Fiction that was once popular but no longer in demand and non-fiction books that are no longer useful or accurate are withdrawn from the collection. Library staff, under the general direction and supervision of the Director of Library Services, will be responsible for the weeding of the collection.
Withdrawn books are donated to the Friends of the Hershey Public Library for book sales. The proceeds from such sales are used for the benefit of the Library. Books that are not sold will be disposed of at the discretion of the Friends of the Hershey Public Library.
Deselection guidelines will be applied to all Library materials including donations, tribute books, and works by local authors. Weeded or deselected materials will not automatically be replaced. Missing and withdrawn materials are selectively considered for replacement.
Access
The Library Board recognizes that full, confidential, and unrestricted access to information is essential for patrons to exercise their rights as citizens. The Board believes that reading, listening, and viewing are individual, private matters. While anyone is free to select or reject materials for themselves or their own minor children, the freedom of others to read or inquire cannot be restricted. Selection of adult collection materials should not be inhibited by the possibility that minors may utilize the items. The Library collection will be organized and maintained to facilitate access. No materials will be labeled, restricted, sequestered, or altered because of any controversy about the author, subject matter, or intended potential audience. Items will not be sequestered, or access denied, except for the purpose of protecting resources from damage or theft.
Access for Children and Young Adults
Responsibility for the use of library materials by children rests with their parents or legal guardians. The Library does not stand in loco parentis. While available to provide guidance on selections, Library staff members are not responsible for monitoring a child’s use of and selection from Library collections.
Internet (Public Access)
In conjunction with its mission statement, the Library provides access to a vast array of information available electronically. Electronic information, services, and networks provided directly or indirectly by the Library will be readily, equally, and equitably accessible to all Library users. The Library does not monitor and has no control over the information accessed and cannot be held responsible for the content, accuracy or quality of the information retrieved. Providing access to electronic information, services, and networks differs from selecting and purchasing material for the Library’s collection, as it offers unprecedented opportunities to expand the scope of information available to all users. The Internet Access Policy governs user’s behavior on publicly available internet and Wi-Fi.
Requests for Reconsideration
The Library selects a wide variety of materials that satisfy the diverse interests of our community. The Library upholds the right of the individual to secure these resources, even though the content may be controversial, unorthodox, or unacceptable to some. The Library’s varied collection is available to all; however, it is not expected that all the collection will appeal to everyone.
The Library Board considers all materials selected under this policy to be constitutionally protected under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. If a patron claims that a particular item is not constitutionally protected, the burden of proof rests with the patron. The Library Board recognizes the right of individuals to question materials in the library collection. Only individual residents of Derry Township may request reconsideration of materials.
Whenever a patron objects to the presence of any Library material, the complaint will be given consideration. The patron will be given a “Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials” form (Appendix F) to complete. This completed form will be given to the Library Director who will then meet with professional staff to evaluate the material in question and consider the merits of the completed request form. Only 100% completed Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials forms will be considered. A separate form must be completed for each individual request. No more than three requests may be active for an individual patron at any one time. Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials forms will be reviewed sequentially in the order the Library Director receives them.
The Library Director will form a review committee with professional library staff to consider whether the material meets the selection criteria outlined in this policy. Within 60 business days, the director will decide an action for the material in question with written reason for the decision conveyed to the patron. The letter will provide information to the patron regarding their options for next steps in the process including their options for submitting a written appeal to the Library Board.
If the patron is dissatisfied with the decision or the written reply, a written appeal may be submitted within 10 business days to the Library Board. The Library Board will decide at a public meeting whether to address the appeal through a written reply or at a regularly scheduled Board meeting. If the Library Board decides to use a written reply, the Secretary will draft a response for the Library Board to approve through a majority vote of the assembled quorum at their next Board meeting. If the Library Board plans to address the appeal at their Board meeting, the individual will be notified of when and where the meeting will be held. The Library Board will review any documentation it deems necessary to decide within ninety (90) days of receipt of the appeal. At the regularly scheduled Board meeting addressing the request, the Library Board, after receiving public testimony from the patron, and from the Library Director, will decide, based on a majority vote of the assembled quorum, whether or not Library policies have been followed. If library policies were followed, the decision will stand as made by the Library Director. If library policy was not followed, the Library Board will direct the Library Director to repeat the process and make another recommendation. The final responsibility for adding or withdrawing library materials rests with the Library Director. The Library Board reserves the right to limit the length of public comments. Materials reviewed for reconsideration will not be eligible for reconsideration before 3 years have passed.
Materials subject to complaint shall not be removed from use and circulation pending final action. If a court having jurisdiction over the Library decides that any material in the collection is unprotected by the Constitution of the United States, such material will be removed immediately. Material under court consideration will remain available to patrons until a final ruling is made.
Policy Review and Revision Statement
This Collection Development Policy will periodically be evaluated and revised as time and circumstances require.
Board Approved: 11/21/2017; Amended 1/16/2024.
