Collection Development Policy
A. Principles:
The New Castle Public Library recognizes its responsibility to provide open access to the widest possible range of ideas and information for its library users.
1. The Library Board of Trustees endorses the Library Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read Statement and the American Library Association interpretations of these rights.
2. The Library Board of Trustees pledges to maintain the confidentiality of all who use the library.
3. The Library Board of Trustees believe that reading, listening and viewing are individual, private matters. Parents and guardians have the responsibility to guide and direct the reading, listening and viewing choices of their own minor children.
B. The Selection Policy for Library Materials:
1. The selection of library materials remains under the final authority of the Library Board of Trustees. That authority is delegated to the Library Director. Materials will be selected on a regular basis, preferably adding new titles each month.
2. The library collection will be selected and maintained to provide materials for the interest, information and enlightenment of all people of New Castle. No materials will be excluded because of the race, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, political or social view of the author. The library will favor no viewpoint.
3. Factors to be considered in adding materials to the library collection shall include: present collection composition, collection development objectives, interest, demand, timeliness, audience, and diversity of viewpoint. Reliable review media will be consulted in selecting materials for purchase. Recognized national, local and international awards will be given weight in selection as a means of objectively determining the import of materials.
4. The library should actively seek to supplement its collection with materials from interlibrary loan when practical.
5. The library encourages public suggestion of items and subjects to be considered for inclusion in the collection. Books and other materials will be accepted as gifts, subject to the approval of the Library Director, with the condition that the library is free to make any disposition of such materials as the library chooses.
D. Book Withdrawal Policy:
The withdrawal of items from the library collection should be based on the following guidelines:
1. To remove physically damaged items
2. To eliminate items containing obsolete information
3. To remove duplicate copies of items which are no longer in demand, eliminating those most physically worn
4. To consider for withdrawal items which have not been circulated for several years
E. Disposition of Withdrawn Items:
The Library Director will make final decisions regarding disposition of items withdrawn from the collection. Such withdrawals may be sold at book sales held by the library, donated to other libraries or non-profit organizations, or disposed of by other appropriate means.
F. Access:
1. All materials, except for documents and library staff reference tools, will be shelved in their proper order on open shelves or on displays freely and easily accessible to all library users. All library users are free to select or reject for themselves any item in the collection. Individual or group prejudice about a particular item in the collection may not preclude its use by others.
2. Although juvenile materials are kept together to facilitate use, children are not limited to using the juvenile collection. The Library Board of Trustees reiterates that responsibility for a child’s reading must rest with the parent or guardian, not the library. Parents who would rather their children not have access to certain materials should so advise their children.
G. Related Documents:
1. Library Bill of Rights (on ALA site)
2. Freedom to Read Statement (on ALA site)
Adopted by the New Castle Public Library Board of Trustees, June 21, 2011. Revised & adopted February 18, 2014. Reviewed April 21, 2015. Reviewed March 27, 2018. Reviewed February 18, 2020. Reviewed February 15, 2022.