Introduction
The purpose of this policy is to let people know how Western Counties Regional Library selects materials and maintains its collection. We serve diverse communities and aim to provide people with free access to a wide range of information, ideas and creative expressions.
Statement on Intellectual Freedom
Our collections support intellectual freedom. We endorse the Canadian Federation of Library Association’s Statement on Intellectual Freedom. We seek to represent a wide variety of ideas and opinions in print, audio, audiovisual, and electronic formats.
We select materials based on our selection criteria and the needs of our diverse communities. We recognize that some items selected may contain content that individuals find controversial, unpopular, upsetting, or unfavourable.
The library does not restrict access to its collections as outlined in the Access for All Policy.
Accessibility
We collect materials in different formats to make our collections more accessible. We work with other lending libraries to provide additional services to people with print disabilities. For more information on these services see our Patrons with Print Disabilities Policy.
Collections Management
Qualified staff develop the library’s collections. Materials are selected for general public use and to support people in their informational, cultural and recreational needs. We use the following criteria when considering if materials are suitable for the library’s collections. Materials do not need to meet all criteria in order to be added to the collection.
- Needs of the community
- Relevance to the local community
- Timeliness
- Relationship to the existing collection and other materials on the subject
- Suitability of subject, style and vocabulary for intended audience
- Subject coverage
- Reputation or reliability of the author
- Clarity and accuracy
- Depth and breadth
- Authoritative reviews
- Physical condition and quality
- Format
- Availability of funds and space
- Cost and budgetary priorities
We welcome suggestions for purchase.
We actively maintain the collections through a process called weeding, which is the systematic review and withdrawal of materials. We do this to ensure that the library’s collection is up-to-date, contains relevant information, and is reflective of the needs of the community. We withdraw items using the same criteria as used for selecting materials.
Items that are withdrawn from the collection are generally sold in library book sales. Books that cannot be sold are recycled.
Digital Collections
We pay different providers and companies for access to their digital collections, which are then provided to library patrons free of charge. Many digital resources are curated by third-party sources, and we do not control the content provided through these platforms. We select providers for digital services based on the needs of the community, reputation of the provider, authoritative reviews of the service, application in similar institutions, and cost.
Local Authors
We support the work done by local authors. All materials requested for purchase or donated by local authors are evaluated using the same selection criteria as any other item. Local authors who wish to have their work considered for addition to our collections may submit the publication information via the Suggest a Title form. The library may request to view an author’s website or to read a sample of their book in order to determine if the book is suitable for addition to the collection.
Any unsolicited copies of items will be treated as donations. The library cannot accept any imposed conditions on a donated item. Please see the Materials Donation Policy and Form for more information.
Reconsideration
Members of the public may request a review of any materials that have been excluded from, or included in our collections. Any request for consideration must be made in writing and addressed to the library’s Executive Director.