Marlboro County Library
Collection Development Policy
Approved by Board - August 25, 2005
Revisions in Bold – August 9, 2010
The Board of Trustees of the Marlboro County Public Library (Marian Wright
Edelman Public Library) believes that ideally the public library should strive to
furnish any book requested by any person, but acknowledges that in practice,
limitations of funds, staff, and space make this impossible. The board also believes
that in the selection of books for children and young people, guidance is indicated.
The literary collection, must, therefore, be selective rather than inclusive.
The following general principles of materials selection are adopted:
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The selection of all library materials should be as objective as possible with
selections being made from standard sources recommended by the American
Library Association and the South Carolina State Library, keeping in mind the
needs and interests of the community.
In selecting books of a controversial nature, the library should attempt to
present all available sides of the issue.
The book budget should be expended in such a way that the various demands
made upon it are proportionately served.
Books given to the library should be accepted with no strings attached and
judged upon the same basis as those that are purchased.
Responsibility for Selection
The selection of materials is the responsibility of the Director. Staff
members and patrons may make suggestions for materials to have.
Method of Materials Selection
Any material selection policy must be general in nature. The librarian(s)
must exercise knowledge and experience of library materials and of the
community served. Methods and principles should be followed as closely as
possible.
Criteria:
Each type of material must be considered in terms of its own merit
and intended audience. No book or library materials shall be
excluded because of race, nationality, or the political or social
views of the author. All selections, both purchases and gifts, must
meet the following criteria:
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appeal to the interests and needs of individuals in the
community
permanent value as source material or interpretation
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vitality and originality of thought
contemporary significance
artistic excellence
entertaining presentation
accuracy and objectivity
suitability of physical form to library use
competence and purpose of the author
relation to other materials and existing areas of coverage in
order to maintain a well-balanced collection
technical quality in selection of non-book material
Reviews:
Reviews in standard sources recommended by the American
Library Association (ALA) and the South Carolina State Library,
as well as professionally recognized periodicals, are a primary
source for materials selection. Standard bibliographies, booklists
by other recognized authorities and the advice of competent people
in specific subject areas will be used.
Requests:
All requests from patrons for specific titles or subjects will be
considered. Whenever there is enough demand or interest in a title
or subject, an item with unfavorable reviews may be purchased
unless the subject is completely and adequately covered by better
materials. Requests will be filled as funds allow and if material
meets selection criteria.
Specialized
Materials:
Books or subscriptions of special interest or value to the
community not found in the above review sources may be
purchased with available funds other than State Aid. Other
specialized materials of limited community interest will not
ordinarily be purchased. Referral to other library collections and
interlibrary loan will be used to supply patrons with these
materials. Supplementary materials for students and information
for specialists are provided in a limited number of fields, with the
library taking cognizance of and avoiding the special prerogative
of other community resources.
Replacement: The library keeps its collection vital and useful by retaining or
replacing essential material, and removing on a systematic and
continuous basis those works which are worn, outdated, or no
longer in demand.
Disposal:
Adult fiction books which are no longer in print will be offered to
the designated libraries of South Carolina who are in the Fiction
Cooperation Last Copy Depository. Other materials will be
donated to the Friends of the Library or discarded at the
discretion of the Director.
Access:
Processing and shelving of materials shall in no way reflect a value
judgment of materials. There will be no labeling of any item or its
catalog entry to indicate its point of view or bias. All materials will
be shelved in their proper order on open shelves, except for some
out-of-print materials which cannot be replaced.
The library assures free access to its holdings for all patrons who
are free to select or reject for themselves an item or type in the
collection.
Children are not limited to the juvenile collection, although
juvenile materials are kept together to facilitate use. Responsibility
for a child’s reading must rest with parents or guardian, not with
the library.
Controversial
Material:
In selecting books of controversial nature the library should
present all available sides of the issue.
Statement of Specific Policies in Selected Areas
Adult
Fiction:
Religion:
The fiction collection provides books in the English language or
other languages prevalent in the community for a wide range of the
general reading public, including classics, titles representing
periods of writing and those meeting the popular demand of light
reading. Books which are obviously pornographic, which come
within the South Carolina definition of obscenity as stated in 1615-150, should be excluded, but no book should be eliminated
because of coarse language, or violence, or frank discussion of
sexual episodes, any one of which may be objectionable to some
people, if the author is justified in what he portrays, or when such
episodes are pertinent to the plot or character delineation in a book.
It is the library’s responsibility to protect the rights of mature
readers.
The library attempts to maintain a well-balanced collection
representing all the major religions and their sacred scriptures.
Authoritative material which introduces and explains the basic
concepts and practices of various religions and beliefs is also
included. The library does not add materials of a strictly
proselytizing nature. The collection encompasses popular studies
on new ideas and movements that are taking place in religion
today. Books on astrology, witchcraft, and other occult sciences
shall be limited to the best and most reasonably presented.
Health and
Medicine:
The library generally purchases standard and popular materials in
health, nutrition, hygiene, diseases and medicine that are primarily
of interest to persons outside the medical profession. Authoritative,
scientific and popular materials about sex are provided for the
general reader at various age and reading levels. Books catering to
morbid, esoteric or sensational interests do not come within the
scope of the collection.
Law:
The library purchases standard and popular materials which deal
with the philosophy of law such as real estate, taxation, marriage,
and divorce for the lay reader. Laws and regulations for South
Carolina and Marlboro County are included in the collection.
Similar materials for other counties and states are not included.
Politics:
In addition to a balanced collection on modern American and
international politics and government, the basic documents of all
political systems that have influence, and do influence people
should be available to the public. Outright propaganda should be
avoided except for a few representational items.
Genealogy:
Except for a few elementary texts on genealogical searching, the
library buys only materials which have general reference value, or
which are of value to general readers. The genealogy collection is
housed in a separate room and many of these materials do not
circulate. The library does not have the funds to subscribe to
online genealogy services. Patrons are directed to use these
resources in house at other libraries within the Palmetto
Consortium until funds become available locally to subscribe
to services such as Heritage Quest.
Selections for Readers of Limited Skill or with Other Reading Problems:
The library is alert to the need for easy reading materials for the
less skilled adult reader. Materials to fill this need will be carefully
selected from recommended sources. To meet the needs of
readers with visual or other concerns, the library maintains
and regularly adds to its collection of large print books both
for adults and young adults.
Young Adult
Materials:
Juvenile
Materials:
Extension
Materials:
Non-book
Materials:
A Young Adult Collection has been developed for patrons 12 to
18 and these materials are housed in a separate area of the
library. Specialized review sources may be consulted as well as
the standard journals.
The Children’s Division selects materials on subjects of interest to
and within the comprehension of children from pre-school through
the fifth grade. Abridged editions of the classics are purchased
only when they retain the quality and favor of the original. In
addition, a few easy reading ephemeral books are purchased. A
few adult books of interest to students of children’s literature,
parents, and people working with children are also purchased.
These include historical perspectives of children’s literature,
information on children’s authors and illustrators, and
bibliographies of materials for children.
The entire library collection is available for use on the bookmobile.
The library staff considers that non-book materials, such as
Playaways and electronic books, represent an alternative format
and may be selected when that format best meets the needs of the
community. In general, the same selection policies will apply.
Periodicals/Newspapers:
The library endeavors to provide the most representative
periodicals in a wide range of subjects of reference value
and recreational interest. Particular emphasis is given to
titles included in periodical indexes. Specialized titles are
considered in relation to subject needs and their availability
in area and regional libraries. The library maintains back
issues of the Marlboro Herald-Advocate.
Microforms:
Microfilm and microfiche of census records are maintained
for use by all patrons.
Copies may be made for a small fee.
Recordings:
A small collection of music CD recordings is available for
circulation. A collection of books on CD and DVD is also
available for circulation.
Videos and DVDs:
The library purchases non-fiction videos and DVDs that
fulfill the representative needs of the patrons. The library
purchases fiction videos and DVDs that are literary based,
meet informational or recreational needs of patrons, are
requested and/or have relevance to South Carolina.
CENSORSHIP
Censorship can result from outside pressures being imposed, or by over
cautious librarians selecting books. In either case it is a problem for the public
because information they may want or need is withheld from them. The following
recommendations have been prepared as practical guidelines to follow in a
censorship confrontation:
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Do not panic.
Be friendly. Greet the patron with dignity. Take them to the best and most
important office to which you have access. Make sure everything is
comfortable.
 Obtain full information. Make sure to get the would-be censor’s name,
address and who they represent.
 Never argue.
 Inform them of the Library Bill of Rights and the library’s responsibility
to offer free access to the full range of man’s thought. If charges are not
dropped, proceed as follows:
--Ask that their complaint be submitted in writing and signed.
--Explain that you cannot take steps in this case, but must refer it to the
director and board.
--Be courteous and assure them their request will be given prompt
attention.
--Inform your superior immediately. Library staff should leave a dated and
signed note in the Director’s mailbox.
--DO NOT REMOVE THE BOOK IN QUESTION FROM THE SHELF.
Note: Be aware that at one point one of the censors might take the book(s) away
without the library staff being aware.
DONATIONS, MEMORIALS, AND GIFTS
Donations
Books or related materials may be donated at any time at the Marlboro
County Library or the Bookmobile. All donations of materials will be accepted
only after the donor understands the terms under which donations are accepted.
Copies of the statement which follows below are to be kept at the circulation desk
and on the Bookmobile.
Marlboro County Library Donations Policy Statement
“The Marlboro County Library is honored to receive donations of books
and other materials. It is the policy of the library to accept donations only with
the understanding of the donor that (1) the item will be added to the collection
only if needed and must meet the same selection standards of other library
materials, and (2) all donated materials become exclusive property of the library
and will not be returned to donor. Marlboro County Library reserves the right to
dispose of by standard library procedures (such as book sale) any item that does
not warrant inclusion in the collection. The library does not give cost evaluations.
However, if requested, a statement certifying receipt of the number of items
donated will be given to the donor. Donor will be responsible for the original
count of the donated materials.”
TAX DONATION FORM
____________________________________
__________________________________
(Name of donor)
(Date)
The Marlboro County Library gratefully acknowledges your donation of:
__________________ Hardback books
__________________ Paperback books
__________________ Other: ________________
Your support of Marlboro County Public Library is greatly appreciated.
__________________________________
Librarian/Staff
Member
Memorials
Marlboro County Library welcomes donations for the purchase of library
materials as memorials or for the purpose of honoring someone. All checks
should be made payable to Marlboro County Library. These funds may be
dispersed by the Director upon approval of suggested purchases by the Board of
Trustees. These funds will be handled through the In-House Funds account and
subject to all County fiscal requirements.
The donor may designate the subject field in which a memorial item is to
be chosen. Otherwise, the library will select appropriate material(s) following
usual procedures. Patrons are to be discouraged from choosing materials
themselves as materials must meet the Library’s selection criteria.
Persons interested in contributing to the materials memorial fund should
contact the library Director. The Director will obtain all the necessary information
for ordering and notification. Appropriate mention will be placed in the material
itself. A listing of memorials is kept in a special memorial book.
Acknowledgements of the gift will be sent to the donor and notification of the
memorial will be sent to family.
Gifts
Books and other materials will be accepted on the condition that the
Director has the authority to make whatever disposition he/she deems advisable.
Gifts of money, real property, and/or stock will be accepted if conditions
attached thereto are acceptable to the Marlboro County Library Board of Trustees.
Personal property, art objects, portraits, antiques, and other museum
objects must be handled by Art Committee.