Collection Development Policy

Purpose

This policy governs the selection of materials for the collection.  All general and specific selection criteria herein shall be examined when adding materials to the collection.

Article 1. Responsibilities

  1. The responsibility for collection development lies with the Executive Director working within policies established by the Board.
    1. The Executive Director may delegate the authority to choose materials in consistent with this collection development policy to individuals qualified by training or experience.
    1. Library materials will be discarded under the direction of the Executive Director.

Article 2. Goals

2.1 To provide current reference materials to support patrons as citizens, students, employees, employers, and hobbyists.

  • To provide current and classic recreational reading, viewing, and listening materials.
    • To provide resources for the study of local history.
    • To stimulate thoughtful participation in the life of the family, the community, the country, and the world.
    • To encourage maximum use of library materials by the greatest number of people.
    • To support the educational, civic, and cultural activities of individuals, groups, and organizations.
    • To foster intellectual, artistic, and spiritual growth.
    • To promote the use of library materials for recreation and enjoyment.

Article 3. Guidelines

Library Bill of Rights – Addendum 1

  • The Executive Director and staff will keep themselves informed of other publicly available library collections in the area to avoid duplication.
    • The library makes no attempt to purchase textbooks or other materials used in courses of study offered by schools or institutions.
    • Materials will be selected based on their interest value, information value, and entertainment value to people in the community.
    • In no case should any book be excluded because of race, nationality, age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religious affinity, or political views of the author.
    • Responsibility for the reading of children rests with their parents or legal guardians, and selection should not be inhibited by the possibility that materials may inadvertently come into the possession of children.
    • To the extent possible, provision of materials representing all points of view on the problems and issues of our times should be acquired, and material should not be proscribed or removed from library shelves because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
    • Materials of controversial nature should not be automatically rejected; rather, selection should be made on the basis of whether the material presents life in its true proportions, whether content is realistically presented, and whether the material has literary value.

Article 4. Selection Criteria

  • Contemporary significance or permanent value.
    • Accuracy.
    • Authority of the author.
    • Relation of work to the existing collection.
    • Price, format, and ease of use.
    • Availability of material elsewhere in the area.
    • The library should make available materials for enlightenment and recreation even if not enduring in value, interest, and accuracy.
    • Materials will be selected based on review.
    • Patron recommendations.

Article 5. Special Areas of Collection Emphasis

  • Local history materials.  Local history is defined as the history of Ogdensburg and the immediately surrounding towns.  Local history materials include books, maps, photographs, slides, account books, programs, letters, documents, genealogies, and manuscripts.
    • Genealogical materials to support genealogical research.
    • Art history materials in support of the Frederic Remington Art Museum.
    • The library collects materials on the Civil War as part of its on-going interest in the Civil War based on the Curtis Collection.
    • The library collects materials with funds provided by the Mahoney bequest.  These materials represent all engineering materials and most materials in the Dewey 620 or 690 classifications.
    • Books by local authors.

Article 6. Audio Visual

  • Audio visual materials will be collected in order to supplement and enhance the print materials in the collection.
    • All age levels will be considered when purchasing audiovisual materials.
    • The library will provide and actively collect digital and audiovisual materials.
    • Items will not have ratings or other special designations added which might indicate or facilitate censorship.
    • The library will observe all copyright restrictions with regard to audiovisual material and will not allow the copying of items or the public exhibition of DVDs which do not have public performance rights.

Article 7. Censorship

  • Censorship is an individual matter.  While an individual may reject books or materials for themselves, they may not restrict the freedom to read of others.
    • If library material is challenged, it will be reviewed by the Executive Director, the Board, or both, to determine if the material meets selection criteria of this policy.  If the material meets these criteria, it shall not be removed from the collection except by court order.

Article 8. Challenged Materials

  • Treat complaints with dignity, courtesy and good humor.

8.2 Provide complainant with form titled “Request for Reconsideration of Library’s Materials” to obtain a formal complaint in writing.

  • The Director will make an initial decision based on this policy.  If complainant is not satisfied with the Director’s decision, the complaint will be brought to the Board of Trustees.
    • Defending the principles of the Freedom to Read Statement, the Library Bill of Rights, is the responsibility of professional librarians.
    • If necessary, seek the support of local media.
    • If necessary, seek support and aid from the NYLA Intellectual Freedom Committee, the Right to Read Foundation, or other agencies.

Request for Reconsideration form is available upon request.

Article 9. Young Adult Materials

The young adult collection seeks to provide a wide range of materials to stimulate the interest of teenagers in reading and in the world around them.

Selection criteria:

  • Material is selected to meet recreational, developmental, and informational needs and esthetically appealing.
    • Material is selected on the same criteria as adult material with the addition of an appeal to ages 13 through 18.
    • Books in this collection are shelved in the teen room.
    • Books selected for the young adult collection will provide a transition between the juvenile and adult collections in terms of reading interest and abilities.

Article 10. Children’s Materials

The Children’s Collection is composed of materials designed to serve the needs of children from infancy through the sixth grade, as well as adults concerned with this age group.

Selection criteria are as follows:

  1. All criteria that apply to the selection of adult materials apply.
    1.  Relevance and appropriateness for the intended audience.
    1. Items should exhibit non-stereotypic attitudes although new editions of classics and some titles which reflect beliefs of other times or cultures may be acceptable.
    1. Selected materials for parents of infants and young children will be housed in the children’s library.

Article 11. Weeding

Weeding is a thorough and conscientious effort to achieve a well-balanced collection and is a continuous, consistent process.

Guidelines

  1. The physical condition of the material.
    1.  Slow moving material not listed in standard sources – e.g., Fiction Catalog, Public Library Catalog, etc.
    1. Material containing subject matter no longer accurate – generally 5 years after the copyright (YAC) for medical and computer books; 10 YAC for legal, accounting, management books; 15 YAC for hard science and gardening.
    1. Multiple copies of material no longer in demand.
    1. Local history material or books by local authors and personalities will only be withdrawn by the Executive Director or his designee.
    1. Last copy of any classic will not be discarded without authorization by the Executive Director or his designee.

Article 12. Gifts

12.1 The library may accept or deny gifts.

12.2 Gifts become the absolute and unconditional property of the Library. The Library is free to make all decisions in accordance with its established policies and procedures with respect to the retention, storage, processing, use, and disposition of the item.

12.3 All gifts will be evaluated for placement in the collection on the same basis as items newly acquired.

12.4 Gifts may be used to replace worn or missing copies of titles already owned.

12.5 Magazines will only be accepted as gifts if they were published in St. Lawrence County, are to be added to the collection, will be used to replace missing issues of a title to which we subscribe, or are titles that can be sold in a book sale.

12.6 The Library will not accept Reader’s Digest Condensed Books unless authorized by the Executive Director.

12.7 The Library will not accept VHS tapes.

12.8 A letter acknowledging material donations will be issued by the Executive Director upon donor request.  All monetary donations will be acknowledged by the Executive Director with a note card or letter.

12.9 The Library will not appraise books and will not set a value on any gift.

12.10 Staff will secure the name and address of people donating materials if possible.

Donated items will be left at the circulation desk until they can be inspected for vermin, mold, mildew, or other conditions which might create environmental, health, or security problems.

Materials created, either partially or wholly, with or by Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be added to OPL library collections if they meet the materials selection criteria detailed above.  Materials could include digital voice recorders in audio materials, print or other items with video, images and/or text generated in AI products. AI generated content will be given increased scrutiny regarding the quality and accuracy due to unknown limitations of AI.  When possible, AI materials will be delineated in the MARC (machine-readable cataloging) record in the library catalog.

Adopted by the Board of Trustees on: February 4, 2026