Collection Development Policy

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY

GENERAL  POLICY

The Seekonk Public Library acquires and makes available materials that inform, educate, entertain, and enrich individuals in the community. The Library provides, within financial limitations, a general collection of materials embracing broad areas of knowledge, and timely materials on current issues. Within the framework of broad objectives, selection is based on community demographics and evidence of areas of interest. Ultimate responsibility for materials selection rests with the library director, who operates within the framework of policies approved by the Board of Library Trustees. The Library supports the individual’s right to access ideas and information representing all points of view.  The Seekonk Board of Library Trustees has adopted the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, the Freedom to Read and Freedom to View statements. 

Collection Development Objectives

The library collection is developed with the following objectives:

  • to provide materials that meet the customers’ interest and needs in a timely manner;
  • to provide materials and programming to pre-school and grade school to support early literacy and scholastic enrichment
  • to provide a broadly based and diverse collection that can support the goals of the library;
  • to provide a balance of viewpoints on all subjects in its collections;
  • to purchase current materials proportionate to levels of demand and use, taking care to anticipate and respond to indications of significant new needs;
  • to practice ongoing collection management, using output measures, reports from the automated library system and other data for continuous collection evaluation;
  • to keep the collection current by weeding worn, obsolete and dated materials from the collection on a regular basis;
  • to keep abreast of technological changes which affect the development of the collection;
  • to be aware of the resources available in surrounding libraries and avoid duplication of resources while ensuring wide coverage of subjects;
  • to continue participation in cooperative programs concerning shared resources within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

 

 

 

Criteria for Selection

All materials for acquisition, whether purchased or donated, are considered according to the following criteria:

  • Literary merit 
  • Critical reception (ie. reviews published in standard sources including Library Journal, School Library Journal, New York Times)
  • Accuracy and authority of information 
  • Representation of diverse points of view
  • Scarcity, or abundance, of material on the subject in the collection
  • Durability and quality of format 
  • Informational and recreational needs of the users
  • Local demand
  • Local History merit
  • Price and availability
  • Condition of material
  • Donations, self-published materials, and books by local authors will be subject to the same criteria as all other items in the collection
  • Titles whose intent is to promote hate and/or violence may be excluded

 

Date Approved: 1/3/1997

Last Reviewed: 10/15/25       

Amended: 10/19/22