Collection Development Policy

(Adopted June 18, 1985 by the Library Board of Trustees and revised on May 26, 1992 and November 6, 2003)

The Board of Trustees of this library, in recognition of the pluralistic nature of this community and the varied background and needs of all citizens, regardless of race, creed, or political persuasion, declares as a matter of collection development policy that:

1. Selection of books and other library materials shall be vested in the City Librarian, and under his or her direction, such members of the professional staff who are qualified by reason of education and training.
2. Selection of books and other library materials shall be made on the basis of their value in information, interest and enlightenment of all people of the community. No book or other library material shall be excluded because of the race, religion, culture, nationality, or the political or social views of the author.
3. This Board believes that the right to censor is an individual matter. While people are free to reject for themselves books or other library materials of which they do not approve, they cannot exercise this right of censorship to restrict the freedom of others to read or attain information.
4. The Board defends the principles of the freedom to read and declares that whenever the issue of censorship is raised, no book or other library material shall be removed from the library save under the orders of a court of competent jurisdiction.
5. This Board adopts and declares that it will adhere to and support the Library Bill of Rights as revised by the ALA Council in 1980 and reaffirmed in 1996.