Collection Development Policy

Collection Development Policy

Table of Contents

Collection Development Policy
     Our Mission
     Responsibility to the Community
     Criteria for Selection
     Special Collections
     Self-Published Materials and Local Authors
     AI-Generated Materials
     Withdrawn Materials
     Gifts and Donations
     Memorial Gifts
     Request for Reconsideration Regarding Library Resources
     Appendix A Freedom to Read Statement
     Appendix B First Amendment
     Appendix C Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3375.40
     Appendix D Request for Reconsideration of a Title/Source

Collection Development Policy

Approved May 20, 2015
Revised: May 18, 2022
October 18, 2023
Sept. 16, 2026

Our Mission:

Troy-Miami County Public Library provides opportunities to enrich, empower, educate, and entertain Miami County residents through inclusive access to library materials and services.

Collection development is an ongoing activity; the collection evolves as the needs of the community evolve and as changing technology provides additional or alternative resources. Because no library budget is large enough to permit the purchase of every worthy resource, this Collection Development Policy guides the library staff in most effectively using the Troy-Miami County Public Library’s financial resources to meet the present and anticipated needs of the community it serves. A policy cannot replace the judgment of librarians, but stating goals and indicating boundaries will assist staff in selecting Library resources, evaluating the collection, and maintaining the collection’s currency, relevancy, and usefulness.

Periodically, the Board of Trustees of Troy-Miami County Public Library reviews this document as well as the Revised Code of the State of Ohio and the First Amendment to the US Constitution.

Responsibility to the Community

The public library is an important and positive part of the community. It provides people with access to many different ideas and information. The library supports the freedom to find information and learn about different points of view, including popular ideas and less common ones. In a democracy, everyone should have the freedom to explore and learn about all kinds of ideas.

Troy-Miami County Public Library fulfills its mission when it selects and makes available materials that meet the needs of all members of the public, including all age levels and many levels of interest and ability. Efforts are made to provide materials that represent a variety of viewpoints on controversial issues. Inclusion in the collection does not signify endorsement by the Library.

All libraries, then, are likely to contain some materials that some patrons may find objectionable. In addition, collections may not contain all materials that some patrons feel are important. In both cases, the Library has established procedures to hear the voices of the community. TMCPL has created a Request for Purchase form as well as a Statement of Concern form. All comments and suggestions are welcomed, and forms are available on paper and through the library website to make it easy for patrons to express their opinions.

The library does not label materials except to aid the public in finding them in the library. Stickers such as “new” or “fiction” may be used. Judgmental statements such as “This material contains language which some may find offensive” are not applied by the library.

Selection is an individual choice, and each patron should choose items that right for them, but no one has the right to restrict others’ freedom to choose what they prefer to read, view, or hear.

The responsibility for monitoring a child’s reading, listening and viewing rests with the parent or legal guardian. Selection of materials for the Library is not restricted by the possibility that children may obtain materials that their parents consider inappropriate. Library staff are willing to work with parents/guardians to determine what materials are best suited for a child’s needs.

Criteria for Selection

Because its ability to purchase and store materials is limited by both budgets and buildings, the Library has established standards for purchase and retention. These standards are developed, implemented, and revised by librarians who are trained in adult, young adult, juvenile, reference, local history, audio-visual, and electronic services. These standards may be applied to all formats. The standards include, but are not limited to:

• Current Interest/demand
• Timeliness
• Value commensurate with cost and/or need
• Historical or cultural significance to Troy and Miami County
• Critical reviews or publicity from professionally recognized sources
• Duplication of content in other formats
• Suitability of physical form for library use
• Educational significance
• Availability of material elsewhere within our local and state library lending partner’s collections
• Contribution to the breadth of representative viewpoints
• Reputation of author/publisher/producer

These criteria apply to purchased and donated materials as well as special collections.

Special Collections

From time to time, the Library may establish a special collection on a temporary basis or as a permanent collection, such as the Local History collection. A special collection may be developed to meet a particular need in the community or may be established to provide a comprehensive collection of works deemed necessary to address a topic in greater detail. The rules governing the purchasing of books and materials for special collections will be applied the same as the general collection.

Self-Published Materials and Local Authors

The library is often asked to include items that are written and/or published independently, including materials that are self-published or published through a vanity press company. The library looks for materials with regional connections and collection relevance that will appeal to a wide audience. Materials must meet the standards of this policy. Works added to the collection are subject to current weeding policies and procedures. Some items may not appear in the catalog because they do not meet cataloging minimum requirements.

AI-Generated Materials

The Library is committed to maintaining a collection that reflects human creativity, knowledge, and expertise. As such, the library makes every effort to not purchase, acquire, or accept donations of books that are primarily generated, authored, or written by artificial intelligence. This policy ensures that our collection upholds quality, authenticity, and intellectual integrity for our community.

Withdrawn Materials

Librarians periodically re-examine materials, including gift items, in order to re-evaluate the overall collection and specific items within it. Doing so keeps the collection optimally sized and current. Staff consider the condition, use, and timeliness of materials when deciding what items to withdraw from the collection. The Library may offer withdrawn materials to the Library Friends Group or other groups or organizations who purpose is consistent with or furthers the Library’s mission. These groups may resell these materials, or use them for other purposes consistent with the Library’s mission, e.g. donation to underprivileged children.

Gifts and Donations

The library does not provide formal monetary appraisal of any gift for income tax or other purposes. The library retains unconditional ownership of gifts and decides if items will be added to the collection, offered in a book sale, or discarded. The Library reserves the right to refuse donations.

Memorial Gifts

Patrons may donate money to the Library for the purchase of specific materials as memorial gifts. The items must meet all regular selection process criteria. The Collections & Technical Services Manager can advise and assist patrons in the selection process. Patrons may designate a donation for a particular purpose.

Request for Reconsideration Regarding Library Resources

The Library serves a diverse public. On occasion, a patron may believe that a specific title or source should not be in the collection. They should discuss these concerns with the Collections & Technical Services Manager or the Executive Director.

If the patron’s concerns remain unresolved and they are a resident of Miami County, they will be provided a Request for Reconsideration form. Because items are evaluated as a whole, a title will not be reconsidered unless the patron making the request has read/viewed/heard the entire item. Also, if the material has been previously reconsidered, it will not be reconsidered again unless the newer request is based on substantially different reasons than the first. The request will be referred to a collection development committee for review. No form will be considered without a contact name and address or email included.

The patron will be informed in writing of (1) the receipt of the request and (2) the decision. If the patron is not satisfied with the decision, he or she may appeal in writing to the Director, who will respond in writing within 30 days.

The Director’s decision may be appealed to the Board of Trustees. The letter should be addressed to President, Board of Trustees, Troy-Miami County Public Library, 419 W. Main St., Troy, Ohio 45373. The board will make a decision and inform the patron in writing, usually following the next regularly scheduled board meeting.

The title under consideration will remain in the collection throughout the process to support the freedom to read/view/listen for other patrons.

Appendix A Freedom to Read Statement

Adopted August 16, 2023, by the Board of Trustees of Troy-Miami County Public Library

The freedom to read is guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States. As a library, we wish to uphold this freedom by ensuring the public has a wide variety of reading options.

We therefore affirm these propositions:

1. We strive to make available the widest diversity of views and expressions, including those that may be perceived by some as unorthodox, unpopular, or considered dangerous by others. 
2. Librarians do not necessarily endorse every idea or presentation they make available. They do not set their own political, moral, or aesthetic views as a standard for determining what should be published or circulated.
3. Librarians will not bar access to writings on the basis of the personal history or political affiliations of the author.
4. We will not make any efforts to coerce the taste of others, to predetermine the suitability of topics for particular age groups, or to inhibit the efforts of writers to achieve artistic expression.
5. We will not attempt to influence a reader to accept the prejudgment of a label characterizing any expression or its author as subversive or dangerous.
6. As guardians of the public’s freedom to read, Librarians will challenge encroachments upon that freedom by individuals or groups seeking to impose their own standards or tastes upon the community at large; and by the government whenever it seeks to reduce or deny public access to public information.
7. Librarians will support the full meaning of freedom to read by providing books that enrich the quality and diversity of thought and expression.

We realize that the application of these propositions may mean the dissemination of ideas and manners of expression that are objectionable to some people. However, while we acknowledge that some ideas can be dangerous, we are committed to preventing the suppression of ideas which would thereby limit a significant freedom established by our Constitution.

Troy-Miami County Public Library’s mission statement says the library will “provide opportunities to enrich, empower, educate, and entertain Miami County residents.” We strive to make this statement true for all members of our community.

Appendix B First Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution passed by Congress September 25, 1789. Ratified December 15, 1791.

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution protects freedom of speech and freedom of the press and has been interpreted to protect the right to receive information and ideas.

Appendix C Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3375.40

Ohio Revised Code § 3375.40 grants Ohio public-library boards broad authority over the establishment, maintenance, improvement, operation, and management of their libraries. This authority provides the statutory foundation for library policies governing collection development, retention, withdrawal, and reconsideration of materials. The exercise of that authority remains subject to constitutional requirements, including applicable First Amendment protections.

Ohio Revised Code § 3375.40 is the statute that sets out the powers and duties of boards of library trustees for Ohio free public libraries.

• § 3375.40(B) — The board may expend library funds and "generally do all things it considers necessary for the establishment, maintenance, and improvement of the free public library under its jurisdiction.”
• § 3375.40(H) — The board may "make and publish rules for the proper operation and management of the free public library and facilities under its jurisdiction, including rules pertaining to the provision of library services to individuals, corporations, or institutions that are not inhabitants of the county.”
• § 3375.40(I) — The board may “Assess uniform fees for the provision of services to patrons of the library, but no fee shall be assessed for the circulation of printed materials held by the library except for the assessment of fines for materials not returned in accordance with the board's rules.”