| Jarrell Community Library and Resource Center | Approved June 25, 2020 |
| Materials and Resource Selection and Retention Policy | Revised December 13, 2022 |
Collection Development
A. Objectives: Jarrell Community Library and Resource Center (JCLRC) supports the following collection development objectives:
- To provide the open exchange of ideas through free access to information.
- Connect a culturally diverse population with the global community.
- To provide for the research and information needs of Jarrell and surrounding areas by assembling, preserving and administering a collection in a variety of formats.
- Support the “Library Bill of Rights and “Freedom to Read” statements.
- Encourage continuing education by promoting the use of all library resources.
B. Criteria for Selection: The process of selection, acquisition, and organization of library materials is an ongoing task.
Library staff rely on a variety of sources for selection including reviews in professionally recognized literature, book lists by recognized authorities, popular reviews and bestseller lists, and recommendations of staff and patrons. Other criteria to be considered are cost, value, demand, format, regional interest, authority of the author and reputation of the publisher, relevancy of subject, organization and style, good quality illustrations, durable binding and paper, and language. The overall goal is a balanced collection.
C. Instructions for Ordering Materials: The Library Director will be designated as selector for the different collections of the library. These selectors are responsible for choosing materials for their areas of assignment.
D. Special Collections: JCLRC maintains special collections that include but are not limited to the genealogy/local history and reference collections.
E. Gifts, Memorials and Cash Donations: JCLRC encourages and welcomes donations of used or new books and AV as well as funds for the purchase of library materials. Used books in good condition may be added to the library collection and will be governed by the same principles and criteria used to select materials purchased for the library. The library retains ownership of gifted material and conditions cannot be imposed on any gift. The library reserves the right to decide how to use and/or dispose of the gift.
The library accepts monetary donations for the purchase of library materials to honor the memory of individuals or celebrate a special occasion. Bookplates are placed in the materials acknowledging the honoree and the donor. Notification is sent to the memorial family or the honoree when the item has been received and processed for library use. Memorials will be weeded using the same criteria as all other library materials.
COLLECTION RETENTION
F. Collection Maintenance: The library’s holdings are periodically evaluated using the CREW (Continuous Review, Evaluation, and Weeding) method to identify inappropriate or outdated materials. A practical, useful collection will be maintained through a continual process of discard and addition. Materials are withdrawn if they are outdated, no longer of interest or in demand, unnecessary duplicates or multiple copies, or worn or mutilated. Weeding is done with the same care, thought, criteria, and judgment as selection. Items removed from the collection are discarded, recycled, or designated for sale in the used bookstore or at a used book sale.
G. Challenged Materials: JCLRC believes in freedom of information for all, and does not practice censorship. The library declares that while anyone is free to reject books and other materials of which he/she does not approve, he/she may not exercise censorship to restrict the freedom of others. The library also recognizes that the collection of diverse materials may result in some complaints or requests for reconsideration.
Reconsideration forms are available from the Circulation Desk. Any patron who wishes the library to discard or reclassify a book or item of non-book material must be a resident of zip code 76537 and be a JCLRC library card holder in good standing for no less than a six month period. That patron may then complete the “Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials” form [below]. The form is sent to the office of the Library Director who assigns a committee of librarians to review the item. The committee will evaluate the request form, any available reviews, and the item to determine if it meets the library selection criteria and collection development guidelines. The committee will make a recommendation to the Library Director, who will review the material, related items, and the committee recommendation, and present to the Library Board for a final decision regarding the disposition of the challenged item.