Imagine that.

                                              Troy Public Library Collection Development Policy

Overview

The purpose of this collection development policy is to ensure that the collection, materials, and electronic access, support and express the library’s response to the information and learning needs of the community. The policy, together with a specific collection development plan, will help measure progress by defining the collection as it is now and envision future needs. It will assist in budgeting decisions and responsible use of funds, define the purposes for the collection; and establish limits and priorities on collection parameters. The
policy will inform and educate both the library staff as well as the patrons about censorship challenges, and provide guidelines for accepting, declining, evaluating and acknowledging gifts. A policy cannot replace the judgment of individual librarians but only provides guidelines to assist them in choosing from the vast array of available materials. In selection, the librarian uses professional judgment and expertise, based on understanding of user needs and knowledge of authors, publishers, trends, and information resources in all
formats.

Basis for Policy

Troy Public library’s collection development policy is based on the library’s mission statement, community assessments and the service roles of the library.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Troy Public Library is to make available a broad range of library materials, provide up-to-
date and accurate information, and to offer services and programs desired by the community of Troy. The
Library also acts as the most convenient point of access for the needed materials and information and
actively seeks to make community members and organizations aware of library resources and services.


Selection Criteria

​

• Reviews

       Since it is impossible to examine and evaluate each item available for selection, librarians depend on reviews to help in the selection process. The selectors are knowledgeable about review sources and their particular strengths, weaknesses and biases. At least one favorable review is usually necessary for selection. If the first review is not definitive, the selector usually waits for more reviews, or bases the selection decision on some of the other selection criteria outlined here.

 

 

• Authors/Performers

        The author’s qualifications and previous publications are important in selecting both fiction and nonfiction.
For audiovisual materials, the expertise of the performer (reader, conductor, actor, director, musician, etc) is paramount.

 

 

• Formats

        The format should be appropriate for library use. This means books must have durable bindings, clear print and good paper. Workbooks and books with perforated pages are generally avoided. Book club and some reprint editions are frequently of inferior quality and are not added to the collection unless they are important items and higher quality editions are not available. Audiovisual items should be tough enough to stand up to the heavy demands of library circulation.

 

 

• Date

        The date of publication in not a factor in recreational reading and in titles of literary merit and wide audience appeal. However, informational publications must be timely, and titles even two years old may not be selected because they will not remain accurate long enough to justify their cost. See sections on weeding for guidelines as to timeliness.

​

 

• Demand

        Adult fiction titles in considerable demand because of extensive publicity, local interest, author popularity, or other factors are usually purchased, even if the title did not receive good reviews, though this decision rests solely with the director. Adult nonfiction titles in demand are also usually purchased, unless there are serious questions about the accuracy of their information or the qualifications of the author.

​

 

• Series

        Although series are selected on a title by title basis, if the library has purchased previous titles in a series, and those titles have been popular, the selector will be inclined to buy others in the series.

​

 

• Editions

        Purchase decisions are based on the type and quality of the edition. The following are the basic types of editions available:

-New: printed from new plates, or one in which changes have been made to the original content

-Reprint or reissue: a new printing from unchanged plates, sometimes of a quality inferior to the original

-Trade: a hardcover edition printed for and supplied to the book trade

-Text: published for classroom use (contains questions, annotations, etc). Generally, the library refers trade editions to text editions.

-Trade paperback: better quality paper and binding than mass market editions. Often printed with the same plates as the hardcover edition

-Mass market paperback: designed to appeal to a large market, usually lower priced and of poorer quality than trade paperbacks

-Book club: Usually of inferior quality than a trade edition, and suitable for personal not library ownership

-Limited: a special edition signed by the author, or otherwise designed to attract collectors. Generally, not of interest to the library

-Library: a specially bound edition, that is of superior quality and will last longer. Suitable for children’s books and classics

-Abridged: some part of the book has been deleted -- to lower costs, censor material, or simplify the text for a different audience. The library avoids abridgements, regardless of intention. An exception to this "rule" is audiobooks (see section on audiobooks)

-Print on Demand:  generally a paperback edition that is printed and bound when someone needs a copy. Can be a specialized book, midlist or backlist title, or self-published "vanity" title. Production quality can be from poor to archival quality.

 

• Audiovisual Issues

        The number of audio titles selected in comparison to the number produced is much lower than is the case with books. In popular music, the recreational interests of library users are a primary consideration. For classical music, the quality of the recording as determined from reviews, and the need to adequately represent certain classical genres are important selection issues. For audiobooks, the expertise of the reader and the sturdiness of the compact discs and packaging are paramount. For feature films, recreation is the primary consideration. For "non-fiction" videos, reviews are important to identify quality titles.

​

 

• Publishers

        Publishers tend to establish expertise in certain fields, and this is taken into consideration in evaluating a title, especially one for which reviews are not available. Selectors try to be familiar with publishers and their specialties, but this is harder and harder to do in an age of mergers and takeovers. Some publishers in each field produce titles of such quality that selection decisions can be made solely on the basis of the publisher. Conversely, some publishers who produce marginal works are avoided, unless a certain item receives excellent reviews. The library generally avoids vanity presses, where the authors pay publication costs and do their own distribution. Self-published and desktop publishers produce works of varying quality and are seldom reviewed. These items are generally not purchased, unless the subject is in high demand, and the book is examined and found to be of merit.

​

• Price

        Price plays a role in selection. Price decisions are generally not made in the abstract, but in relation to the value of the item to the collection. However, to protect the patron, who is required to pay the cost of lost items, circulating items that cost over $50, excluding popular audiovisual materials, are generally avoided. This means that expensive video and audiocassettes on popular subjects such as sales and marketing are generally not purchased. With books, price limits mainly the selection of very expensive art books and some
specialized professional texts. Often, the library will purchase a less-expensive trade paperback, rather than a very expensive trade hardback. Purchasing decisions are also affected by the discount the library will receive from our jobbers. Publications that are not heavily discounted (for example, traditionally, University presses and textbooks) and are also expensive are bought more sparingly than publications that are heavily discounted. As University presses produce more titles of general interest at more competitive prices, the
library is increasingly purchasing more of them.

​

 

• Holdings

        Each title considered for purchase is evaluated in terms of the library’s present holdings. For example, if the library has sufficient titles in a certain area, the selector may not choose to add a new title, even though it has received good reviews. Also, the selector may choose to add additional titles of a better work, than buy another title in a certain subject.

​

 

• Local Authors

        Every attempt is made to acquire titles by local authors that are published by mainstream publishers. Titles that are self-published are not added to the regular collection unless there is a compelling reason to do so (valuable local content, high local interest). Print on demand titles that are self-published, even though available via mainstream distributors, will not be added unless they meet the library's collection criteria.
 

• Selection Process

        Library materials are selected by members of the staff after consulting professional review media/ selection criteria. Staff members consult with each other to review the needs of the community as documented in circulation statistics and requests. Final responsibility for the purchase of materials resides with the Director of the Library.
 

• Collection Maintenance

        The Library strives to maintain a collection that meets the needs of the community. The vitality and usefulness of the collection will be maintained by systematically discarding materials that are damaged, factually inaccurate, or no longer in demand.

Reconsideration of Library Materials

As a tax-supported agency, the Troy Public Library is building a collection that includes opposing viewpoints, rather than supporting any one view of a particular topic or issue. Some of the materials may be offensive to individuals or groups because of individual perceptions of profanity; social, economic, and political ideas; religious viewpoints; the background of an author; or the kind of information provided. The Library does not approve or endorse any particular viewpoint, belief or person represented in its collection. The Public Library's role is to provide materials that will allow individuals to freely examine issues and make their own decisions. It is the responsibility of individuals to limit their reading to books and other items that are congruent with their individual tastes. While a person may reject materials for him/herself and his/her children, he/she may not restrict access to the materials by others. Further, Library materials will not be rated like popular movies or be isolated except to protect them from damage or theft. Comments from community members about the collection or individual items in the collection often provide the librarians with insight into interests or needs that may not be adequately addressed. The Library welcomes these comments and opinions put forth by customers, but will be guided in general by this Policy in making decisions on additions to, or deletions from, the collection.