Home PageMATERIALS SELECTION POLICY Adopted May 21, 1974 by THE DAVIDSON COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES Revised June 18, 1987 Revised March, 1994
With a population of over 125,000 people and a land area of 546 square miles, Davidson County is one of the larger, more rapidly developing counties in the Piedmont section of North Carolina. It is composed of the cities of Lexington and Thomasville with many small, rural communities. The major industries are furniture and textiles but agriculture is still important to the economy. Educational institutions consist of a county and two city school systems with a total of 20 elementary and nine secondary schools. The Davidson County Community College located five miles north of Lexington offers a threefold curriculum of college parallel, vocational-technical training and adult education.
The Davidson County Public Library System is the only library resource and information facility that serves all the people of the county. Libraries in the public schools and at the Davidson County Community College provide curriculum-oriented materials while the public library system makes every effort to supplement these collections. It cannot, however, supply materials in sufficient quantities to meet all the needs of the school curriculum.
The Davidson County Public Library System selects, organizes, preserves, and makes available information, research, and recreational materials in diverse formats such as books, cassettes, videos, periodicals, and software to every individual in the county. Educational and information materials shall be stressed over recreational pursuits. Part of the library system's responsibility is to provide materials for the reading and reference needs of the county's youth even though they may be served by a school or college library. The library reaches out to citizens who do not have access to formal library buildings through the services of its bookmobile and outreach programs. The system shall cooperate with other civic and cultural organizations to serve the needs of the citizens of Davidson County.
The library's purpose is to promote the communication of
ideas, an enlightened citizenship and enriched personal lives; to serve as a reliable
source for research and information; and to support educational, civic, and cultural
activities of the community.
Additional materials may be selected to meet the special needs of
major segments of the community such as business and senior citizens.
Materials are added when they are of current and potential value to individuals
and groups with varying levels of interest, age, and ability. The library's collection
shall strive to foster intercultural communication by including multicultural materials
that portray various cultures and minorities in a positive way. No library materials
shall be excluded because of the race or nationality or the social, political or
religious views of the authors.
The library shall endeavor to provide materials and information
that present all points of view on current and historical issues. The collection
shall include materials that present opposing views on controversial topics as
well, aiming to strike the best possible balance among all sides of public
issues. A sense of responsibility to both present and future users guides the
library's selection of materials that enrich the collection and maintain its overall balance.
Librarians on the staff are available to guide and assist readers in their
choice of materials. However, inclusion of a particular title in the collection does
not imply any recommendation or endorsement by the library system.
The library system is opposed to censorship and no materials shall be proscribed or
removed from the libraries because of political, religious, moral or aesthetic
disapproval. Consideration for selection shall be based on the
accuracy, integrity, and literary merit of the material. Sexual incidents, profanity,
and themes about controversial societal values appearing in materials shall not
automatically be a reason for exclusion from the collection. Basic to this policy
is the Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read Statement of ALA (Appendix A
and B).
Responsibility for guidance and monitoring reading, listening,
and viewing choices made by children and by adolescents belongs to each child's and
adolescent's parents or guardians. Materials considered for addition to the
collection shall be judged on the following points, where applicable:
Provide for the interest, information, and enlightenment of
the library community
Authority and competence in presentation
Authority and competence in content
Reputation and/or prominence of the author
Aesthetic and literary value
Current, permanent, or historical significance
Potential or known use of patrons
Importance to the total collection
Appearance of the title in important bibliographies, lists, or
recognized reviewing media
Appearance of a title on a bestseller list shall not be the
sole reason for inclusion in the collection
Timeliness, permanent, and/or current value
Presence or absence of similar materials in the collection
Price
CONCERNING FORMAT, THE FOLLOWING SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO
CONSIDERATION:
Appropriateness of format to content
Type of use expected
The physical condition of the work shall be of sufficient
quality to withstand library use.
An item, however, need not meet all the criteria to be acceptable. Books and other
materials shall be considered as whole works and may not be excluded based on
individual passages taken out of context.
Materials containing an emphasis on sex or using profanity shall not automatically be rejected without consideration of literary value. However, the selection process
shall exclude materials characterized by calculated eroticism lacking redeeming
social or literary value. The origin, background, or views of those contributing to
the creation of a work shall not automatically cause the exclusion of said work from
the collection.
Subject fields needing fuller explanation are listed here:
Law. The library system provides a collection of
standard popular books for the general reader on such subjects as jurisprudence, legal
history, legal ethics, court procedure, jury duty, etc. Standard texts by recognized authorities are purchased in certain fields.
A limited amount of genealogical materials shall be acquired--the
majority dealing with North Carolina, some with the southeastern region of the
United States, still fewer of a general nature.
The library system shall cooperate, as far as possible, with groups and individuals
interested in local history. However, genealogical research cannot be done by
library staff.
DUPLICATIONS, GIFTS, WITHDRAWALS AND RESERVES
GIFTS
The system shall accept as many as three religious books per library from any one
denomination on strictly doctrinal subjects, if these books meet stated library
standards. The library system reserves the right to withdraw them on the same basis
as other library materials.
The library system encourages the giving of cash donations or books as memorials.
Plates shall always be placed in memorial books but otherwise shall be placed only
on large library items of equipment and furnishings.
Only materials in the general collection (not reference) may
be reserved. Duplication is considered based on accumulated reserves.
The library system's policy is to consider for replacement all
books withdrawn because of loss, damage, or wear. Replacement in each case is
based on the following factors:
Adequate coverage in the field by later and better
materials,
Demand for the specific title.
The weeding of a book collection is book selection in reverse.
Weeding is a thorough and conscientious effort to achieve a well-balanced collection
suitable to the patrons served, and should be a continuous, consistent process.
Books and other materials that are obsolete, soiled, damaged, or no longer useful
in the light of the SELECTION STANDARDS or purposes of the library shall be
systematically removed from the collection. Books weeded from the collection may be
sold to the general public for a nominal fee at an annual book sale. Receipts from such
a sale shall be placed in the system's book budget for purchase of new titles. In some
instances an irreplaceable title of importance must be retained regardless of
condition. Special handling shall be given to such titles. Books, materials,
furnishings, or equipment may also be transferred to another library unit or government
agency if no longer needed or space is limited at the original location. Equipment
or furnishings no longer needed by the library system shall be sold at public
auction according to N.C. General Statutes 160A-270.
Readers wishing to register a complaint about a particular title
should complete a considered by the Book Selection Committee composed of the
director, assistant director, the head of acquisitions and technical services and any
head librarians who may be concerned. The decision of this committee as to the
validity of the complaint shall be communicated to the complainant by letter.
Should a complainant wish to appeal the decision, he may do so by
requesting a hearing by the Board of Library Trustees. The request for such a
hearing must be made in writing to the Director of Libraries at least one month
prior to a board meeting. The request must include the name and address of the
person who desires to appear before the trustees; a copy of the complaint form; the
approximate amount of time required to discuss the complaint and if a group is to
appear, the approximate number of persons to be present and the name of the spokesman
for the group. Upon receiving notice of an appearance by a person or group, the
Director of Libraries shall notify the Chairperson of the Library Board of Trustees.
The chairperson shall place the item on the agenda for the next regular meeting of the
board. Any available information regarding title(s) to be discussed shall be
assembled. If other persons are involved or affected, these persons shall be
notified that the matter is to be considered and shall be given an opportunity to
be present.
Books may be removed from circulation only by the Board of Library Trustees.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION Non-fiction shall be selected based on its content as a whole, and shall be characterized by accuracy, integrity, and authenticity. No workshall be automatically excluded because of the origin, background, or views of the author. Rather, the author shall be a recognized subject authority, whose writing is characterized by competence and objectivity.Health, Medicine and Drugs. The lay
person requires a growing amount of technical information; therefore, selection by
the library shall range from the basic to the specialized. Acquisition of highly
specialized materials shall normally be left to the medical libraries or the community.Human Reproduction and Sexual Behavior.
The library system is responsible for providing authoritative, scientifically accurate, up-to-date, unsensational materials on sex. Materials appropriate for various age and interest levels shall be acquired. In the selection of any book in this area, judgment is
based on the total work, rather than words, phrases, or situations, which, in themselves, may be objectionable.Government Documents. Since 1971, the
Lexington Library has been a limited depository for selected U. S. government
documents. Publications in chosen series are received free from the U. S. Government
Printing Office. The library also purchases useful documents not received on
depository and duplicates depository items as needed.Religion. The library system recognizes
an obligation to provide materials about the major denominations, especially those
represented locally. It also includes information about the beliefs, practices, and rituals of many sects, if presented with authority, accuracy, and objectivity. In addition to
materials concerning individual beliefs, the collection contains basic authoritative
studies in the area of history of religion, technology, comparative religion, and
mythology. The collection also encompasses popular studies on new trends, ideas, and
movements that are currently taking place in the field of religion. (Gift policy on
religious materials is stated elsewhere).North Carolina, Local History, Genealogy.
The NCLHG collection shall acquire within the limitations of budget and
facilities, materials that reflect the political, social, cultural, and economic life
of Davidson County, North Carolina, and, to some degree, the southeastern area of the
United States. Standards for the general collection may not always apply, since
inclusiveness is the goal regarding materials produced in and about Davidson County.
Copies of North Carolina items shall be placed in the collection and purchased
for other agencies as needed. Memorials1. Only unconditional gifts of materials or objects shall be
accepted.
2. All gifts of materials or objects are considered outright
and unconditional property of the Davidson County Public
Library System.
3. No gifts of materials or objects shall be accepted on which
restrictions are placed which prevent maximum use within the
system or effective disposal (exception furnishings, large
equipment items, i.e., computers, etc.)
4. No gifts of materials or objects shall be accepted with the
requirement that they remain permanently in a library -
(materials may become out-of-date, furnishings wear out, and
equipment inoperable). Judgment of the library must be
retained in use and disposal of items in these instances.
ARTDonations of works of art (paintings, prints,
drawings, sculptures and/or other forms of artistic endeavor), equipment and furnishings
shall be accepted only after review by the director and librarian and with the approval
of the Library Board of Trustees. BOOKS AND RELATED MATERIALSThe library system welcomes gifts of books and other related materials with the
provision that the director and the head of technical services have the authority to
make whatever disposition they deem advisable. Gifts shall be evaluated by the same
standards that are applied to material purchased with public funds - no special shelves shall
be provided as a condition of acceptance. Exception: The libraries can provide special
housing for a gift of a collection of books if that collection is a recognized entity of unusual
value.MoneyGifts of money for the purchase of books and other materials are welcome. The
library system appreciates flexibility in the use of the donation for the enrichment
of the collection and to avoid unnecessary duplication of titles.Appraisal of GiftsThe library system attempts to weigh the specific demand in relation to
the total library program and policies. Materials that are in great demand and
selected titles on current problems may be duplicated. Paperbacks and a rental
collection may be used to supplement further demands.Reserves Complaints
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