COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY
The Board
of Trustees of the Stevens County Rural Library District recognizes that within
Collection development is based on and reflects the District's service roles:
Support
for independent learning and formal education
Reference
and general information
Popular
reading center.
Library materials selection will develop a broad collection that meets the needs and interests of a diverse community for information, education and enlightenment. The Library District will be responsive to public suggestion of items and subjects to be included in the library collection. Not all materials will be suitable for all members of the community. The library collection shall be organized and maintained to facilitate access. There shall be no prejudicial labeling, sequestering, or alteration of materials.
The Stevens County Rural Library District is part of the national information infrastructure providing people with access to global electronic resources and the opportunity to participate in the electronic arena. Materials selection and access to electronic resources are integral to fulfilling the mission and objectives of the Library District, but access is not the same as selection. Connection with electronic information, services and networks provides access and information transfer rather than selecting and acquiring materials in the traditional sense.
The Board of Trustees believes that reading, listening to and viewing library materials are individual, private matters. While one is free to select or to reject materials for oneself, one cannot restrict the freedom of others to read, view, or inquire. Parents have the primary responsibility to guide and direct the reading and viewing of their own minor children. While the library does not presume to take the place of the parent or legal guardian, the library is committed to taking steps to create positive and clearly identified opportunities for minor children to make appropriate use of library resources, to support parents and legal guardians in their efforts to guide their own children's choices for reading, viewing and listening, and to assist parents and guardians to understand the library materials selection and electronic access process and policy with respect to children.
The Board defends the principles of the freedom to access print, non-print and electronic information and considers that all materials selected or accessed under this policy are protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution until such time as they are determined unprotected by jurisdictional action and after appeals, if any, have been heard. Only then will the Board take action which may result in removal of materials from the collection or system-wide restrictions to electronic information resources.
Selection is vested in the Director of the Stevens County Rural Library District, and under, the Director's direction, such members of the staff who are qualified by reason of education and training. Library materials selected in accordance with this policy shall be held to be selected by the Board.
The Board of Trustees adopts and declares that it will adhere to and support the Library Bill of Rights, the Freedom to Read statement adopted by the American Library Association, the Washington Library Association Statement of Policy on Intellectual Freedom in Libraries, all three of which are made a part hereof.
ADOPTED
BY THE
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