Collection Development Policy Revamped: Evanston Teen Library

by Read, Conquer, Repeat, posted in Collection Development, GSLIS739M, Teens

GENERAL POLICY STATEMENT

The purpose of this Collection Development policy is to provide guidance and understanding for teen librarians, library staff, and stakeholders on how the Evanston Teen Library selects, acquires, and evaluate materials that are added to their collections. This includes providing objectives for creating a balanced teen collection and the criteria used for making those selections. With an understanding that the needs of teens are constantly changing along with developments in technology and their communities, this library selects and acquire materials that meets their overall needs in the areas of personal, educational, recreational, and cultural growth.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR SELECTION

As this library is a part of the Illinois Library Network, the overall responsibility for the collection rests with the Library’s executive board. The responsibility for acquiring and maintaining the collection rests in the hands of knowledgeable library professions. In selecting materials however, those decisions will be made by both the librarians and their teens who utilize the space. The final responsibility for material selections and retention lies with the Director of the Illinois Library Network.

OBJECTIVES OF THE TEEN COLLECTION

  • To promote literacy and help teens become lifelong learners
  • To help teens learn more about themselves by selecting and acquiring materials where there is diversity in characters, settings, and cultures
  • To provide access to a variety of opinions that shares different viewpoints and encourage freedom of expression
  • To provide access to resources that will expand their knowledge base about past and current events and trends
  • To encourage continuous learning and advancement through skill building and critical thinking
  • To maintain an online digital collection where teens have access to resources twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week

In ensuring that librarians and teens select materials that are appropriate for the Evanston Teen Library, they should follow the criteria below:

  1. Has the material been reviewed by professional book reviewers (Kirkus, School Library Journal), critics, media, and teens?
  2. Can the material be maintained for long term use by other teens ?
  3. Is the subject matter of the material covered written for teens?
  4. Does the material reflect what teens are going through today?
  5. Does the material to be purchased add to the current collection at the Library?
  6. Does the material have diverse characters, settings, etc. that allows teens to see themselves in the books they read?

HANDLING COLLECTION CHALLENGES FROM THE PUBLIC

If a member of the community would like to challenge any of the materials in the Evanston Teen collection, he/she may compete a REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION form and submit it to the Office of the Executive Director. The Library Materials Reviews Committee will review the material using resources surrounding the item including book reviews, critiques, and guidelines set forth by the ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom which includes the Library Bill of Rights, Interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights including that for Challenged Materials, etc. The assistant will respond to the patron accordingly with their decision.

The library does not discriminate in their collection practices and will acquire materials that reflect all walks of life and point of views.

 

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