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Library Mission: The mission of the Richard Salter Storrs Library is to enrich the quality of life for Longmeadow residents by promoting the development of independent, self-confident, and literate citizens through access to cultural, intellectual, and informational resources. 

Collection Development Philosophy and Goals: The goals of the Storrs Library are to select, organize, preserve, and make freely and easily available resources which will aid in the pursuit of education, enlightenment, information and recreation. Since the community consists of individuals with diverse interests, needs, values, opinions and backgrounds, the Library attempts to offer a collection that represents a variety of points of view, including positions that may be considered controversial or unpopular. The inclusion of an item in the collection does not constitute an endorsement of its views by the Library; rather the Library seeks to enable its users to form their own opinions by free access to ideas. A decision to select a particular title or type of material may exclude some other title or material. 

The Library is a forum for ideas and information. The primary goal of selection shall be to collect materials of contemporary significance and/or of permanent value which will enrich the collections and maintain an overall balance representing many points of view with respect to a given subject. In addition, the library, recognizing that demand is a valid and important factor in selection, shall make available some materials which may be in widespread and persistent demand such as books on the bestseller list. 

Selection Criteria: The policy of this library shall be to select materials in accordance with the above stated objectives for all people of the community. It is the goal of the Storrs Library to protect intellectual freedom. Materials shall not be excluded because of the origin, background, or the personal views of the author, as outlined in the ALA Library Bill of Rights. 

General criteria for selecting library materials are listed below. An item need not meet all of the criteria in order to be acceptable.

  • public demand and community interest:
    • contemporary significance and popularity
    • patron request
    • local author or local/regional interest
  • Merit/permanent value
    • Attention of critics and reviewers
    • statement of challenging, original, or alternative point of view
    • prominence, authority and/or competence of author, creator or publisher
  • Relation to collection goals and existing collections
    • Timeliness of material
    • Accessibility of multiple users of electronic formats
    • Availability in the C/W Mars network
  • Financial/Budgetary Considerations 

Responsibility for Selection: Authority for library materials selection is vested in the Executive Director of the library. The Director is guided by a collection development policy that is collaboratively developed and approved by the Library’s Board of Trustees. This policy is designed to provide direction to professional librarians who have earned an MLS degree from an ALA accredited university and are delegated by the Director with collection development responsibilities. While adhering to the selection criteria outlined in this policy, the professional librarians will also be guided by their own good judgement. 

Program Support: The policies set forth in this document apply to materials selected for program presentation or content of programs as well as for the lending and reference collections. 

Gifts: The Library may accept gifts of books and other materials but reserves the right to evaluate, accept and/or reject, and dispose of them in accordance with the selection criteria applied to purchased materials. No conditions may be imposed by the donor relating to gifts, books and related materials made to the library. 

In accepting any gift, due consideration must be given to the resources necessary to receive, maintain and make such gifts available to the public. 

Generally, the Library does not accept textbooks, videocassettes, periodicals or books in poor physical condition. The Library reserves the right to refuse donations if the Library Director and/or professional librarian staff determines they are not of use to the Library. 

The Library applies the same criteria for evaluating gift items as it applies to purchased material. Gifts will be withdrawn in the same manner as purchased material. The Library does not accept responsibility for notifying donors of withdrawal or replacement of gift items. 

All gifts are tax deductible. A receipt for donation of materials will be provided upon request. The Library does not place a financial value on materials received. With rare exceptions, we do not return items that are given to us. No gifts are accepted unless given to the Library without restriction. All gifts may be utilized, sold or disposed of in the best interest of the Library. 

When the library receives a cash gift for the purchase of library materials, the selection will be made by librarians in consultation with the donor and consistent with the Materials Selection Policy. 

Gifts other than books and related materials shall be governed by the Board’s Policy on Gifts in general. 

Maintenance of Collection: In order to maintain a collection that is current, reliable, in good condition, well used, and which relates to the needs and interests of the residents of Longmeadow, materials are withdrawn on a systematic and continuing basis. The same criteria will be used when removing materials from the collection as are used in their acquisition. Materials which are no longer useful or which are not in a condition suitable for circulation will be removed from the collection. Such materials may be given to other libraries, sold for the benefit of the library, or discarded. Materials from the collections which are disposed of by sale must be pursuant to a public sale. The library is prohibited from selling to individuals by private sale. 

It is the responsibility of professional staff to assess the need for replacing materials that are damaged, destroyed or lost. Items are not automatically replaced. Decisions are based on need, demand and budget. 

Suggestions for Additions to the Collection To assure the acquisition of resources desired by Library users, patron suggestions are always considered for addition to the collection. Suggestions for purchase help the Library reach its goal of developing a collection which meets the diverse interests of the Library community. All suggestions for purchase are subject to the same selection criteria as other materials and are not automatically added to the collection. Anyone who wishes to request a specific item be purchased for inclusion in the collection is asked to visit the Reference Desk Librarian or click here to fill out a Recommend and Item for Purchase Form. 

Revised and approved by the Board of Directors of the Richard Salter Storrs Library, November 8, 2018