1.0 Introduction

The Harrison Memorial Library Collection Development Policy provides a framework for the growth and development of the collection to ensure that the collection meets the broad and diverse interests of the community and respects both the library’s autonomy and our specific community needs.  

The Library serves as a center for voluntary inquiry and the dissemination of information and ideas. It is the Library’s goal to provide the community with library materials that reflect a wide range of views, expressions, opinions, and interests. Library materials should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people, and should present diverse points of view in the collection as a whole.  Specific acquisitions may include items that may be unorthodox or unpopular with the majority or controversial in nature. The Library’s acquisition of these items does not constitute endorsement of their content but rather makes available its expression. 

The Library provides free access to materials in a number of formats (print, media, and digital ) to all patrons. Library users make their own choices as to what they will use based on individual interests and concerns and it is the right of the public to receive access to a range of social, political, aesthetic, moral, and other ideas and experiences. The Library supports the right of each family to decide which items are appropriate for use by their children. Responsibility for a child’s use of library materials lies with their parent or guardian. Harrison Memorial Library adheres to the principles of intellectual freedom, adopted by the American Library Association, as expressed in the Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read and Freedom to View documents.  

This policy applies to all library materials with the exception of Local History Department Collections for which there is a separate Collection Development Policy. 

2.0 Collection

Harrison Memorial Library’s collection of books and other media provides a wide range of literary, cultural, educational, informational, and recreational materials for people of all ages. Collections include popular and in-demand materials as well as special formats, such as large print books, world language materials, test and study guides, financial, tax, and business information, company and telephone directories, school and career information, consumer, health and medical information.

• The variety of formats includes: 
• Print: books, documents, magazines, and newspapers
• Audiovisual Media: videos on DVD and books on CD and digital audio player
• Digital Resources: databases, software, electronic books, downloadable audiobooks, videos, and music. 

3.0 Criteria For Selection

The Harrison Memorial Library purchases, within budget limitations, the best material available to fulfill the stated objectives of the library.  An item need not meet all of the criteria in order to be acceptable. Criteria for selection may include:

• public demand, interest, or need
• contemporary significance or popular interest
• attention of critics and reviewers
• prominence, authority, and/or competence of author, creator, or publisher
• timeliness of material 
• relation to existing collections
• statement of challenging, original, or alternative point of view 
• accessibility for multiple users of digital  formats
• authenticity for multiple users of digital  formats

In most cases, the library will not purchase self-published materials that are not reviewed in established review journals.  Exceptions may be made for self-published materials of local interest that meet the selection guidelines. 

3.1 Digital Resources 

A digital resource is considered part of the Library collection if it is acquired using budgeted funds and/or it is included in the Library catalog. The collection may include Web-based databases and other reference sources, ebooks, digital audiobooks, serials, and other text, audio, visual, or multimedia digital resources. Collections of electronic documents, such as full-text or image magazine and newspaper databases or groups of ebooks provided by a single vendor, may be included without selection of individual titles.

Except for unique local collections, resources which must be maintained on local servers or storage media are not acquired unless similar information is not available through the Internet at an acceptable cost, and community needs or customer demand justifies the necessary expenditures for hardware, software, and support. 

Library Web pages include links to free Internet resources and services selected to meet community information needs and to supplement the Library collection. Some library catalog records for books and other materials include links to supplementary descriptive or related information. The Library Director may establish policies and procedures for selection of these linked Web resources. These Web resources are not part of the Library collection and their selection is not governed by this policy. 

In addition to the following criteria listed above, these additional factors  are considered in evaluating digital resources:

• User-friendly interface.
• Links to related resources. 
• Compatibility with Library and/or customer hardware and software.
• Compatibility with Library network, security, and remote authentication requirements.
• Consistent accessibility using a stable Internet address provided by a reliable organization. 
• Vendor reputation and past performance. 
• Training and documentation. 
• Customization options.
• Staff time required for installation, upgrades, maintenance, and customer assistance.
• Pricing options.
• Legal or technical access and usage restrictions. 
• Availability of usage statistics. 

3.2 Digital Reference Sources 

Subscription databases and other digital reference sources may provide more complete or current information than print alternatives, enhanced search, linking, and user customization options, remote access, and more efficient use of Library space or funds. These resources should meet the selection criteria set forth in this policy, and should include flexible, intuitive search capabilities and frequent updates when timeliness is important. Digital resources for youth should offer topics of special interest to children and/or teens, information useful in answering homework questions, and an attractive, easy-to-read display. 

3.3 Ebooks and Digital Audiobooks

The Library will look for opportunities to partner with libraries, vendors, and other organizations to provide ebook collections that meet a wide variety of community needs and interests based on customer demand and the selection criteria and priorities in other sections of this policy, in formats and on devices that customers prefer, and that offer user-friendly discovery, check-out, and reading.

In order to make ebooks as easy as possible for Library customers to locate and use, access may be provided through the Library catalog, Library web pages, vendor or partner web pages and/or public domain collections on the web.

4.0 Responsibility for Selection 

Responsibility for the initial selection of library resources rests with the Library’s professional staff, based on the criteria cited above, as well as on the basis of book reviews, bibliographies, subject lists, catalogs, etc. Designated staff are responsible for specific areas of the collection, under the overall direction of the Library Director. 

5.0 Suggestions for Additions to the Collection

To assure the acquisitions of resources desired by Library users, patron suggestions are always considered for their addition to the collection. Patrons can request that specific items be purchased by filling out a Recommendation for Purchase form through their Library Account or at either the Harrison Memorial Library or Park Branch Library. 

6.0 Gifts 

The Harrison Memorial Library encourages donations of money be made to the Carmel Public Library Foundation and donations of materials be made to the Friends of the Harrison Memorial Library (see Donation of Books and Other Materials Policy). Gifts of archival materials are accepted according to the Local History Department’s Collection Development Policy. The library cannot appraise the value of gift materials for income tax purposes. 

The library welcomes donations of money to purchase books in memory of an individual.  Donors of the funds may suggest subjects or titles to be acquired with their donation, but the library reserves the right of final decision. Bookplates may be placed in these books designating their memorial status. 

7.0 Collection Maintenance, Replacement, and Weeding

Professional library staff regularly review items in the collection to ensure that they continue to meet patrons’ needs. Materials that are worn, obsolete, unused, old editions or unnecessarily duplicated are removed. 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. 

8.0 Request for Reconsideration of Materials

The Library welcomes citizen’s expressions of opinion concerning materials purchased. Requests to remove materials will be considered within the context of the policies set forth in this document and the Local History Department Collection Development Policy. Anyone who wishes to request that a specific item be reconsidered for inclusion in the collection of materials is asked to complete and sign the Request for Reconsideration form available at either the Harrison Memorial Library or Park Branch Library. The questioned material will be reviewed in its entirety by the Library Director and one professional staff member, and once a decision has been made regarding the retention or removal of the material, a letter or email will be sent to the person, explaining the decision. If the person indicates dissatisfaction with the resolution, they may appeal to the Library Board. The Board will reconsider the decision based on whether or not the particular title conforms to the Board-approved Collection Development Policy, as outlined in the “Criteria for Selection” above. 

(Adopted by the Harrison Memorial Library Board of Trustees March 2010. Revised March 2018. and January 2025)