Audiovisual Materials

• Nonfiction media: Nonfiction DVDs, CDs, and other audiovisual media for all ages will be purchased when appropriate to meet the collection goals stated above.
• Entertainment DVDs and Blu-Rays: This collection is intended to provide high demand entertainment materials for home use for all ages and to meet patron requests for materials which will be of general interest to the community.
• Audiobooks: This collection is composed of popular fiction and nonfiction books in CD format for all ages.
• Music CDs.:  This collection is intended to provide quality renditions and popular releases in a variety of musical traditions for all ages.

Non-Print/Non-Audiovisual Resources

• Digital and online resources: When appropriate and cost-effective, access to proprietary Internet services will be acquired to meet the information needs of Library patrons outside of what is provided through membership in the CLEVNET consortium and the Ohio Web Library. Whenever possible, community-wide licenses, as opposed to in-building only licenses will be purchased to allow Library cardholders to access these resources from outside the Library.
• Library of Things: These collections are composed of materials that support the broadest ranges of interests, topics, and activities of Library patrons”.
• Devices and Equipment: These items are primarily for check-out, but select items may only be available for in house use. These items represent the current needs or interests of the community.

New Technologies, Equipment and Media

Library staff will maintain a knowledgeable awareness of all new and emerging technologies and media being used for the delivery of information. They will also maintain an awareness of equipment and materials that the community is interested in sharing through the library. New items will be incorporated in the Library’s collection and services whenever:

•  such incorporation would meet the goals stated in this Policy
• a significant number of Library users would utilize the service
• the cost of implementing the new service is in line with the value of the new resource
• funding is available to support an additional service on an on-going basis

Guidelines for Donated Materials

The library is pleased to accept gifts and/or memorial gifts from patrons. Items will be accepted on the basis of their suitability to the library’s purposes and needs in accordance with the library’s stated materials selection policy. Use or disposal of all gift materials will be determined by the library director or designated staff member. All donated items become the property of Madison Public Library. The library has the right to discard any materials in poor physical condition (e.g., brittle paper, water or mildew damage, torn and/or missing pages).

• Receipts are given if the donor asks for one. Donors are responsible for recording donations and estimating the value of the materials.
• Monetary gifts are cash donations. The donor should be asked if funds are intended for books, other materials, equipment, or for other purposes.
• Memorials and honorariums are materials or funds donated in the name of an individual. Funds collected for a memorial or honorarium should cover the cost of the material being purchased. If a specific title is donated or requested, the inclusion of the specific item must meet the selection criteria. When specific titles are not requested the library staff will make every effort to obtain a memorial or honorarium title which has lasting value.
• Presentations are pre-purchased books, usually new, offered by individuals or organizations. Inclusion of specific titles must meet the selection criteria.
• Once a donation has been received, a thank you card will be sent to the donor and the honoree, or appropriate recipient.
• Books donated by authors will be considered for inclusion into the library collection if the material meets the selection criteria.

Weeding and Discarding Guidelines

Weeding the library collection is as much a routine as the acquisition of new books. The purpose of discarding materials from the collection is to maintain an accurate and up to date collection and to create space for newer, in demand materials. Materials which are inaccurate, outdated, unused, or in poor condition detract from the usefulness and aesthetic appeal of the collection.

• The collection is reviewed on an ongoing basis, particularly the withdrawing of multiple copies of no longer popular materials.
• Generally, the Library follows the CREW Method to determine if an item will be withdrawn. However, each item will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis for value to the collection, its place within the continuity of a series of books, and availability from other CLEVNET locations.
• Generally, if a piece of media, paperback, or equipment has not been borrowed in the last 12 months, the item will be withdrawn. However, each item will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis for value to the collection and availability from other CLEVNET locations.
• After a period of time, a memorial, honorarium, or presentation will be withdrawn due to wear, obsolescence, or loss. In most cases, the material will not be replaced, especially in the case of obsolescence.
• “Withdrawn items may be sold, given to the Friends of the Madison Public Library, or disposed of in an appropriate manner at the discretion of the Library”.

Materials are withdrawn from the collection due to wear, damage, dated information, or low demand. These materials are not automatically replaced with the same title, though they may be replaced with a newer title. The decision for replacement is made with regard to several factors:

• The demand for the particular title or subject.
• The number of duplicate copies in the collection.
• The importance of the author and the significance that particular title holds among the author’s works.
• The availability of better material, already in the collection or in the market.

Requests for Reconsideration

Choice of library materials by library users is an individual matter. While an individual may reject materials for himself/herself, he/she cannot exercise censorship to restrict access to the materials by others. The Library recognizes that some materials may be controversial and that any given item may offend a given patron. Selection or retention of materials will not be made on the basis of anticipated approval or disapproval of any group of patrons, but solely on the basis of the principles stated in this policy. Library materials will not be marked or identified to show approval or disapproval of their contents, and no library material may be sequestered, except to protect it from theft. Responsibility for the reading, viewing or listening of children rests with their parents or guardians.

Recognizing that a diversity of materials may result in some requests for reconsideration, the following procedures have been developed to assure objections or complaints are handled in an attentive and consistent manner. Once an item has been approved for purchase, based on the selection policy of the Board of Trustees and the criteria for selection, it will not be automatically removed upon request.

Procedure for Request for Reconsideration

Any individual expressing an objection to or concern about library materials should receive respectful attention from the staff member first approached. The staff member will use his/her own best judgment in attempting to answer the concerns or clarify the situation. If the individual is not satisfied with this discussion, the staff member should offer the options of speaking with a supervisor or completing a Request for Reconsideration form. After this conversation, the staff member should provide the Director with an incident report describing the complaints, materials involved and resolution. A request for Reconsideration will be considered as follows:

1. Patrons who wish to file a Request for Reconsideration must be Madison Public Library card holders or residents of Madison, OH. The patron must have read, watched, or listened to the item in question in its entirety before a challenge will be considered. The patron must read the Collection Development Policy of the Madison Public Library and sign on the reconsideration form that they have read the policy before submitting the form. A patron may only have one active reconsideration at a time.  The completed form should be returned to a staff member who will give it to the Library Director. The Director will provide copies to relevant staff and respond in writing to the patron, advising them of the reconsideration.
2. The Director and at least one other staff member will review the material and any printed reviews of the material. Staff reviewers will put their comments in writing to the Director before a meeting is held to discuss the title.
3. The Director, department head and relevant staff will meet to review the comments, compile a summary, and make a recommendation.
4. The Director will make a decision regarding the disposition of the material and communicate the decision and reasons for it in writing to the individual who initiated the request. Once an item has been reviewed by a challenge and a determination has been made, that item will not be considered for review again for a period of 5 years.

If the individual desires further action, he/she may appeal in writing to the Library Board of Trustees, requesting a hearing before the Board. If a hearing is granted, the individual will be notified of the time and location. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to limit the length of the presentation and number of speakers at the hearing. The Board will determine at a separate time whether a Request for Reconsideration has been handled in accordance with the policies of Madison Public Library and whether the material in question meets the Library’s stated guidelines for selection. On the basis of this determination, the Board may vote to uphold or override the decision of the Director.