The Mount Pleasant Library Board complies with the First Amendment, and endorses the Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read Statement adopted by the American Library Association.
Section 1: Selection of Materials
The selection of materials reflects the MPPL’s mission; to be a center of discovery for the community.
The selection of materials rests with librarians and para-professionals (collection development team). Criteria for selection shall include positive reviews in authoritative sources, actual evaluation of the material by library staff, and popular demand (best-sellers lists, patron holds, local interest, circulation statistics). Suggestions from the community are encouraged, but material must meet selection criteria.
When selecting materials, staff shall bear in mind the following goals:
1. The library will feature current, high-demand, high-interest materials in a variety of formats for persons of all ages.
2. The library will encourage young children to develop an interest in reading and ideas
3. The library will assist students of all ages in meeting educational objectives
4. The library will provide timely, accurate, and useful information for community residents
5. The Library’s collection development team will use their expertise to select thoughtful and stimulating material for the community
Multiple copies of popular titles will be purchased in order to meet demand. The Library will not acquire textbooks to support local curricula, condensed books or other abridged material. The Library will attempt to have information available in a variety of formats but may choose not to select certain items if the format is not durable enough to withstand reasonable library use, or would require excessive staff time to maintain. Items that must be updated every year may be placed on a standing order list.
At the beginning of each year the Director will determine how limited funds will be allocated among the major collection sub-divisions.
The collection in the Mount Pleasant Library is not an archive, but a collection for use. All materials are kept on open shelves except for sections of the Local History collection.
The library does not limit access to any item because of content or style. There are collections of material suitable for children and young adults; the responsibility of what children read, view or listen to rests with parents, not with the library.
The library aims to provide a diverse collection that reflects major viewpoints on a variety of subjects. In no case are any materials excluded solely because of the race or nationality, the political or religious views, or the social or moral views of the author, editor, contributor or artist. Objections to items in the collection should be made in writing to the Library Board through the use of the Library Materials Reconsideration form (which may be obtained at the reference desk or on the Library’s home-page).
Section 2: Discarding of Materials
The discarding of books and other materials is a necessary and continuing process. Members of the Collection Development Team are responsible for making the decision of what items are to be removed from the collection. It is expected that they will exercise professional discretion when making this decision and that the following factors will be part of the evaluation process:
• The number of copies of an item in the collection
• The existence of adequate coverage of the field
• Other similar materials in the collection, especially later and better materials
• Validity of information
• Demand for that particular title
• Physical condition of the item
Particular attention is paid to retaining material by local authors.
Materials Reconsideration Form
Policy History
Selection of Materials Policy originally approved by the Library Board of Trustees, February 16, 1995. Revised: June 2010
Discarding of Materials Policy originally approved by the Library Board of Trustees, August 8, 1996
Materials Reconsideration Form originally approved by Library Board of Trustees, February 1995.
Revised and combined into Collection Development Policy, March 2014
