OVERVIEW
Purpose of the Collection
The mission of the Mahwah Public Library is to be an essential resource, connecting everyone in the community with ideas, information, technology and each other to further lifelong learning opportunities and the cultural and business interests of its residents
The Library’s physical and online collections play a vital role in achieving this mission by providing resources to assist individuals in their pursuit of educational objectives, intellectual and emotional growth, practical solutions to daily problems, and the enjoyment of leisure time.
Intellectual Freedom
The Library staunchly supports intellectual freedom and adopts the following statements as the underpinnings of this Collection Management Policy: The American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read, and Freedom to View statements.
The Library endeavors to build a collection representing varying points of view. The choice of Library materials by users is an individual matter. Responsibility for the reading/viewing choices of children and young adults rests with their parents or legal guardians. While a person may reject materials for himself or herself and for his or her children, he or she cannot exercise censorship to restrict access to the materials by others.
Community Needs
Mahwah is a sprawling, suburban township located in northern New Jersey. The residents of Mahwah vary in age, ethnic background, and in educational and economic levels. The Library strives to meet the diverse needs of its constituents when making decisions about its collections. Due to the close proximity to neighboring communities and the high level of reciprocal use among users of neighboring libraries, the Library may also consider the needs of those communities.
The Library acknowledges that each person within the broad community it serves has information needs that are important and specific to that individual. At the same time, it also recognizes that it has limited financial resources to respond to these needs. The Library has a responsibility to use public funds in ways that are advantageous to the largest number of its constituents.
Delegation of Authority
The Board of Trustees assigns the responsibility of interpreting and executing this Policy to the Library Director. The Director, in turn, delegates the authority for collection management to designated staff based on their professional training, expertise, experience, knowledge of the collection and of the community, knowledge of the Library’s budget and space limitations.
OBJECTIVES
By actively managing its collections, the Library seeks to:
1. Encourage lifelong learning by providing information and recreation materials on a broad range of topics to people of all ages.
2. Provide resources that meet residents’ interests and needs in a timely manner.
3. Ensure that each subject area contains materials that are current, accurate and produced by reliable sources.
4. Provide a balance of viewpoints on all subjects.
5. Avoid duplication of resources while ensuring wide coverage of topics.
6. Participate in the Bergen County Cooperative Library System (BCCLS), the regional consortium which permits reciprocal borrowing among cardholders of the Mahwah Public Library and those of other local libraries.
7. Participate in the New Jersey’s Interlibrary Loan program which makes it possible to share resources with other libraries.
COLLECTION MANAGEMENT
Materials Selected
The Library purchases materials in a broad range of formats, including books, magazines, newspapers, audio and video recordings, downloadable books (e.g. eBooks and audiobooks), interactive devices, streaming media, online services, non-traditional items, and more. The individual formats purchased may change over time to meet the evolving needs of the community.
1. Adult materials: The Adult collections are managed to meet the general recreational and informational needs of the adult community. By definition, these tend to be popular, rather than scholarly, in nature.
2. Young Adult materials: The Young Adult collection is managed to meet the recreational reading and informational needs of the middle school and high school age population. However, the young adult user of the Library has access to the entire collection. Limitations to be placed upon the reading materials of the young adult are left to the discretion of the parents.
3. Children’s materials: The Children’s collection is managed to meet the recreational and informational needs of all children from pre-school through middle school. Some items may be included that might not be considered appropriate by all adults for all children. While some books are too mature for one child, other children may be ready for them. Only each child and his or her parents/guardians can decide what material is suitable for that child to read. There are special goals connected with selecting books for children, which should further influence selection. These goals include:
a. Fostering a delight in reading.
b. Aiding in the development of reading tastes.
c. Encouraging further exploration in subjects introduced in school.
d. Stimulating personal interests and hobbies.
Selection of Materials
For a well-rounded collection, materials are selected based on local and national demand, on professional and popular media reviews, recommendations from the public and other Library staff, and evaluation of review copies from publishers.
Budget and space limitations require a focus on materials that appeal to a broad range of users, rather than the academic and highly technical works collected by schools, universities and other research institutions.
Selection Guidelines
All materials, whether purchased by the Library or donated to it, are evaluated in accordance with these guidelines. Each item is evaluated on its significance as an entire work rather than upon the merit of individual parts. Selection decisions may be made upon one or a combination of guidelines as applicable to the item in question. The criteria for and the methods of selection of non-book materials are the same as for books.
Guidelines used by the Library to evaluate materials to be selected for its collection include:
1. The needs and interests of the community.
2. Reviews in professional literature or patron request.
3. Reputation or significance of the author, producer or content creator.
4. Suitability of reading level, interest level and treatment of subject relative to the age of the intended audience.
5. Accuracy of non-fiction materials and literary merit of fiction materials.
6. The overall balance of the collection and the relation to other material on the subject.
7. The availability of materials in various formats from commercial vendors and the suitability of the formats for Library use.
8. Locally produced or authored material.
9. Price and budgetary limitations.
10. Use of the material locally as assigned reading, viewing or listening.
11. Conformity with BCCLS’ policies and procedures for materials added to the cooperative’s shared catalog.
Selection Tools
Because it is impossible for Library staff to examine all items being considered for purchase, they depend on reliable selection aids. Library staff consult a number of resources in selecting items for the collection. These resources include, but are not limited to: professional journals, trade publications, reputable Internet sites, subject bibliographies and publishers’ promotional material.
A positive review in one or more of the library review journals, such as Library Journal, School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, a national or local daily paper, or a well-regarded online source will give an item an improved chance for selection the Library.
Exclusions
The Library does not typically add items that are published independently. This can include materials that are self-published/produced or items published through a vanity press company, unless those items have strong local connections and would be suitable for a local history collection. The best way to bring an independently published items to the Library’s attention is through reviews.
The Library does not typically acquire or make available textbooks or scholarly/academic works unless they fill a gap in the collection that cannot be filled in any other way.
Duplicate Copies
Although the Library does not have the budget to buy multiple copies of every title, it does purchase multiple copies of titles having high demand. The number of copies of each item initially purchased varies with the expected demand for the item. As extensive use for individual titles is demonstrated, the Library may purchase additional copies to meet demand.
In subject areas such as cookbooks and computer tutorials where the interest is in the topic rather than in a particular title, the Library prefers to buy several different titles rather than numerous copies of one title. Through this approach, the Library offers a variety, depth, breadth, and relevance to the needs of the community.
Availability Through Other Resources
The Library actively participates in regional and statewide resource sharing both by lending its materials to other libraries and borrowing materials from other libraries to meet its residents’ needs.
The Library may request items from other libraries rather than purchase them for the collection. This applies to older items, new items with limited demand, or items concerning specialized subjects of limited interest to most residents.
Suggestions for Purchase
The Library welcomes suggestions from residents; these requests provide Library staff with useful information about interests or needs that may not be adequately met by the collection. Library staff will use the decision-making process described above when considering whether to purchase items suggested by patrons. The Library is under no obligation to fill any particular request if not deemed suitable to the collection.
Gifts and Donations
The Library maintains a comprehensive Gift and Donation Policy which includes donations of materials.
Collection Maintenance
The Library keeps the collection vital and useful by adding materials to meet demand, retaining or replacing essential materials, and by removing, on a systematic and continuous basis, those works that are worn, outdated, of little historical significance, or no longer in demand. Resources such as circulation reports, material turnover rates, fill rates, volume counts, interlibrary loans, customer requests, and community surveys may be employed to determine how the collection is being used and how it should change to meet customers’ needs.
Weeding
In order to maintain the best possible collection of materials, a continual weeding process takes place. Items are discarded if there are more duplicate copies than needed; if they are outdated; if they no longer circulate; or, if they are in poor physical condition.
Disposal of Surplus Library Materials
Library materials which are no longer necessary or useful for Library purposes shall be disposed of accordingly. Books and other materials from the Library’s collection or gift materials may be: Given to local philanthropic, educational, cultural, government or other not-for-profit organizations; given to the Friends of Mahwah Library to be made available for public purchase at book sales; sold or discarded in bulk for recycling; or, otherwise disposed of.
REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION OF MATERIALS
All individuals have the right to choose which Library materials they use. However, no one has the right to restrict the freedom of others to read whatever they wish. No book or other material is automatically removed from the collection because of an objection to it.
Requests for reconsideration may be made only by Mahwah residents, and shall be made in writing and given to the Library director (Materials Reconsideration Form) for a written response.
Upon receipt of a formal written request, the Director will obtain information from the staff regarding the decision for ordering the material in question. In order to understand the importance of the item to the subject area, the Director may consult with outside professionals in the field.
After reviewing this information, the Director will respond in writing to the person who initiated the request for reconsideration. The Director will inform the Board of Library Trustees of all requests for reconsideration of Library material and disposition of their requests.
In the event that the resident who initiated the request is not satisfied with the decision of the Director, he/she may appeal the decision to the Board of Library Trustees by making a written request to the Board President. Upon receipt of the request, the Board may place the issue on its agenda. The resident who initiated the request will be notified of the time and place of the Board meeting. The Board of Library Trustees reserves the right to limit the length of presentation and the number of speakers at the meeting.
After hearing from the resident making the reconsideration request, the Board will determine whether the request has been handled in accordance with this Policy. It will consider the information provided by Library staff, the position of the resident and the decision of the Director. The decision of the Board of Trustees shall be final.
Ongoing Policy Review
Because the needs of the community change, this Collection Management Policy will be revised as needed and reviewed at least every five years.
Approved by the Board of Trustees December 15, 2021.