A.     The library will provide any materials which help to meet its objectives.  Materials may include: books, periodicals, pamphlets, newspapers, pictures, slides, films, music scores, maps, recordings, microfilms, videos, CDs, and software.

B.     Materials acquired will meet high standards of quality in content, expression, and format.

C.     The library will keep itself informed of other publicly available resources of books and other materials in the area to avoid unnecessary duplication.

D.     The library will not attempt to furnish materials needed for formal courses of study offered by elementary and secondary schools and by institutions of higher learning.  The public library has materials for self-study, but is not primarily designed to furnish reading required for academic study.

E.      All materials except those which are in special demand and cannot be duplicated including rare and fragile items will be loaned for home use under library regulations and procedures.

F.      The library subscribes to the Library Bill of Rights of the American Library Association.

G.     The library subscribes to The Freedom to Read statement prepared by the American Library Association and the American Book Publishers’ Council.

H.     Materials which are no longer useful in the light of the stated objectives of the library will be systematically weeded from the collection according to accepted professional practices.  Such materials will be removed.

Material Selection Policy

A.  Objectives

The purpose of the Fleming County Public Library is to provide all individuals in the community with carefully selected books and other materials to aid the individual in the pursuit of education, information, research, pleasure, and the creative use of leisure time.

Because of the volume of publishing, as well as the limitations of budget and space, the library must have a selection policy with which to meet community interests and needs.

The materials selection/collection development policy is used by the library staff in the selection of materials and also serves to acquaint the general public with the principles of selection.

The Library Bill of Rights and The Freedom to Read Statement have been endorsed by the Fleming County Public Library Board of Trustees and are integral parts of the policy.

The materials selection/collection development policy, like all other policies, will be reviewed and/or revised as the need arises. 

B.  Responsibility for Selection

The ultimate responsibility for selection of library materials rests with the library director who operates within the framework of the policies determined by the Fleming County Public Library Board of Trustees.  This responsibility may be shared with other members of the library staff; however, because the director must be available to answer to the library board and the general public for actual selections made, the director has the authority to reject or select any item contrary to the recommendations of the staff.

C.  Criteria for Selection

1. The main points considered in the selection of materials are: individual merit of each item, popular appeal/demand, suitability of material for the clientele, existing library holdings, and budget.
2. Reviews are a major source of information about new materials.  The primary sources of reviews are the Horn Book and Ingram.
3. The lack of a review or an unfavorable review shall not be the sole reason for rejecting a title which is in demand. Consideration is, therefore, given to requests from library patrons and books discussed on public media.  Materials are judged on the basis of the work as a whole, not on a part taken out of context.