collectionmanagement

FLLS Collection Management Policy

Statement of Philosophy and Goals

The mission of the Finger Lakes Library System (the System) is “to stimulate, coordinate, and strengthen library and information services within Cayuga, Cortland, Seneca, Tioga, and Tompkins Counties.”

The Finger Lakes Library System exists to support the efforts of member libraries to meet the educational, recreational, cultural, and informational needs of persons residing in the five counties served. The system supports the intellectual freedom of all library users by supporting their freedom to access materials, seek information, and speak freely as guaranteed by the first amendment. The system also supports the American Library Association’s Freedom to read Statement and Library Bill of Rights when building and managing collections.

Objectives of the Collection

Materials in FLLS’ headquarters collection are made available to member libraries, reading centers, agencies, and card holders in our service area.

All FLLS-owned materials, regardless of where they are housed, are available for interlibrary loan – holds may be placed on them – at all times.

The member libraries of the Finger Lakes Library System, many of which are small, rural libraries with limited resources, are responsible for purchasing and maintaining their own core collections of materials to meet the needs of their communities. In addition, member libraries share materials among themselves in a cooperative effort to maximize resources available to library borrowers. The Finger Lakes Library System does not duplicate either of these core responsibilities.

The Finger Lakes Library System collection will be used in the following ways:

  • Provide collections of materials for member libraries using NYS Central Library Services Aid funds, to be housed at the Central Library (currently Tompkins County Public Library) or in OverDrive;
  • Provide additional resources for interlibrary loan;
  • Serve as an educational resource for member library staff by encouraging collection development of diverse materials;
  • Provide programming resources for member libraries with limited budgets, including but not limited to storytime kits, StoryWalk kits, book group kits, puppets, and other resources;
  • Providing access to various educational databases.

Materials Selection

Criteria of Selection

The ultimate responsibility for selection rests with System professional staff as assigned who operate within the framework of the System Mission Statement and policies approved by the Board of Trustees. Suggestions from member library staff are encouraged and seriously considered.

These basic principles are applied as guidelines for selection. Every item should meet the following criteria:

  • Degree and accomplishment of purpose;
  • Authority and competency of the author/creator;
  • Reviews in media and opinions of experts in the field;
  • Expressed or anticipated interest in the subject from member libraries and their patrons;
  • Relation of material to existing collection;
  • Budgetary considerations (headquarters funds and grant sources);
  • Physical limitations of the building and delivery methods;
  • Availability of materials at other libraries in the System and through interlibrary loan channels.

Guidelines of Selection

  • FLLS endorses and adheres to the “Freedom to Read” statement, the “Freedom to View” statement, and the Library Bill of Rights, all of which were adopted by the American Library Association. View the ALA Bill of Rights.
  • Because the System, through its members, serves a public embracing a wide range of ages, educational backgrounds and reading abilities, it will always seek to select materials of varying complexity. We encourage and empower I.D.E.A.S. at our system headquarters and 33 member libraries; Inclusive, Diverse, Equitable, & Accessible Services. Programs, collections, and services at our system and at our member libraries should both reflect the communities that we serve and offer diverse perspectives. Our libraries are for everyone. View our IDEA Statement here.
  • Central Library Services Aid materials for all ages, in both print and electronic format, and databases will be acquired with and either housed at the Central Library, or made available to all system member libraries through the FLLS website. Central library staff that make selections for the Central Library Services Aid collection will also abide by these guidelines.

eContent

Purchases made by member libraries to support system wide eContent are the property of the Finger Lakes Library System. All member libraries are encouraged to contribute matching funds in proportion to their patron’s usage of our eContent collection. Member libraries have the choice to select their own materials or contribute to the eContent fund. Selection of materials is the responsibility of each member library and must adhere to their own Collection Development/Management policy. If member libraries contribute to the eContent fund, selection is at the discretion of the eContent Selection Committee that is overseen by the Member Services Librarian.

Selection of eContent is based on:

  • Accuracy, timeliness, format compatible with as many readers and players as possible
  • Price and availability
  • Interest/Entertainment
  • Informational needs
  • Relevance to the present and potential needs to the community
  • Requests by library card holders in the Finger Lakes Library System’s service area.

Materials Purchased

The Finger Lakes Library System will consider purchasing materials based on the system goal of providing materials which may be difficult to sustain in member library collections. Finger Lakes Library System collections will not be comprehensive in nature.

Gifts

The System accepts gifts of materials, but reserves the right to evaluate and dispose of them in accordance with the criteria applied to all purchased materials. No other considerations may be imposed relating to any gift either before or after acceptance by the System.

Use of System Materials

Selections will not be made on the basis of any anticipated approval or disapproval of library users, but solely on the merits of the works in relation to building the collection and to serving the needs of the member libraries and their patrons.

Responsibility for the reading, listening, playing and viewing of System materials by children rests with their parents or legal guardians in the respective libraries of use. Selection will not be inhibited by the possibility that materials may inadvertently come into the possession of children.

Member libraries are responsible for being aware of FLLS materials that are housed at their libraries at all times. Should an FLLS item become lost or missing, FLLS will bill the lending library in accordance with our Billing Policy.

Reconsideration of System Materials

Procedures have been developed for the reconsideration of materials to assure that objections or complaints by member libraries or their patrons are handled in an attentive and consistent manner. Once an item has been accepted for purchase, based on the Collection Development Policy of the System Board of Trustees and the criteria for selection, it will not be automatically removed upon request.

In the event that the selection of any library materials is challenged, the following procedures shall be followed:

  1. The individual with a complaint should complete and submit the Request for Reconsideration of System Materials form in its entirety to the System Director. Complaints regarding Central Library Services Aid items should be handled by the System, not the Central Library itself.
  2. The material shall then be reviewed objectively by the System Director and appropriate System staff to determine whether its selection met the criteria listed in this policy. The System Director will then meet with the member Library Director to discuss the matter. The member Library Director will then meet with the concerned patron. If necessary, the System Board of Trustees will make a final decision.
  3. No material shall be removed from the collection until a final decision has been made.

Maintaining the Collection

Materials which no longer serve a need will be removed from the collection. Decisions for deselection will be based on past circulation, physical condition, usefulness, age, accuracy and availability within the system. Decisions for deselection of eContent will be based on past circulation, availability, cost, and funding.

The deselection of Central Library Services Aid items from the collection housed at the Central Library should only occur if items have not circulated within the last 3 years and/or the physical condition warrants removal. Central library staff that make deselection decisions will also abide by these guidelines and shall notify Finger Lakes Library System of any proposed titles before removal.

Revision of Policy

As directed by the Mission Statement, this policy will be revised as times and circumstances require.

Approved by the FLLS Board May 18,2005 DOC 05-32
Revised and approved April 22, 2015
Revised and approved May 15, 2024 DOC 24-35