Collection Policy

Little Falls Public Library

Library Collection Policies

Table of Contents

1. Collection Development Policy

I.I. Policy Statement

I.II. Purpose of Collection Development Policy

I.III. General Philosophy of the Collection

I.IV. Acquisitions

I.V. Principles and Guidelines for Selection

I.VI. Guidelines for Specific Areas of the Collection

I.VII. Collection Maintenance

I.VIII. Digital Resources

I.IX. Deselection or “Weeding” of Materials

I.X. Replacements

I.XI. Donations

I.XII. Revision of Policy

I.XIII. Intellectual Freedom Challenges

2. Appendices

1. Library Bill of Rights

2. The Freedom to Read Statement

3. The Freedom to View Statement

4. Reconsideration of Library Materials Request

5. Reconsideration of Library Materials Procedure

Approved by the Library Board of Trustees 1/20/2026

Collection Development Policy

I.I. Policy Statement

The Little Falls Library maintains a vast collection of both physical and digital resources in order to fulfill its mission as defined by the Little Falls Library Mission Statement. Library collections are provided to be used by the community and those within the Mid York Library System. The Library upholds the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read Statements but maintains the right to personalize these statements to fit the needs of the local community.

I.II Purpose of Collection Development Policy

The Collection Development Policy is intended to outline the unbiased ideologies that create and shape the Little Falls Library’s unique collection of resources. The Collection Development Policy ensures that over time, the Little Falls Library’s collection will reflect various viewpoints and foster a stronger inclusive institution.

I.III. General Philosophy of the Collection

The Little Falls Library acknowledges its commitment to defending an individual’s right to open access to information and to the principles of intellectual freedom. The library also strongly adheres to the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution. The Little Falls Library also adheres to the philosophy that the choice of specific library materials for children rests with their parents or legal guardians.

I.IV. Acquisitions

Responsibility for Selection

The Director of the Library holds ultimate responsibility for the development of library collections and resources. The Director may partially or entirely delegate acquisitional authority to staff members who are deemed to have the knowledge and experience necessary to develop the collection and meet the needs of the library patrons.

I.V. Principles and Guidelines for Selection

• The primary objective shall be to select material of contemporary and/or long-term value.

• Review of subject area publications and material reviews will be consulted by the staff on a regular basis to ensure quality choices are being made.

• The emphasis will be to maintain a vast, comprehensive, unbiased, and up-to-date collection, providing various viewpoints.

• Local needs and interests will influence which genres or topics of the collection are more extensively developed.Staff will utilize patron preferences as a determinant of which areas in the collection should be developed further.

• Local authors and self-published materials will primarily be accepted through a donation process, as the library does not typically purchase unsolicited, self-published works, unless requested by a patron. See Donation Section for more details. 

• Timeliness and demand are important factors for adding or updating resources within the collection. Demand can also impact the amount of copies that are purchased for the library collection.

• Since the library serves a diverse population, the collection will reflect this need by selecting materials for a wide range of ages, educational backgrounds, and reading levels.

• The Library will not promulgate particular beliefs or views, nor is the selection of specific materials equivalent to the endorsement of the author’s views, opinions, or arguments.

• The Library welcomes any expression of opinion by patrons, regarding the selection of books to develop the collection. However, the library does not and cannot please patrons through immediate removal or elimination of items purchased unless approved by the Board of Trustees and after a formal grievance or challenge has been submitted to the Library Director for review.

I.VI. Guidelines for Specific Areas of the Collection

Reference and Adult Non-Fiction: The primary goal is to develop a balanced and current collection at a basic informational level. Community needs and interest will be utilized as the primary factor on expanded development of a particular subject. Medical, legal, business, and civil service items must be current and up-to-date. Library users will be encouraged to use interlibrary loan for resources and research beyond the scope of the collection.

Adult Fiction: Providing a collection that is diverse in genre to include classics, popular authors, various genres, and current best sellers. Paperback books will be used when appropriate to expand the collection in popular areas. Multiple copies will be considered based on popularity and demand within the library itself.

Young Adult: An up-to-date and diverse collection that relates to the needs and interests of young adults, along with appropriate works to introduce them to the adult fiction reading level, will be maintained.

Children: A strong emphasis will be placed on maintaining a current and attractive collection on diverse subjects. A balanced collection of  non-fiction, fiction, easy books, easy reader books, and board books will be upheld. Areas of interest to patrons will get expanded coverage to meet the needs of the local community.

Large Type: Purchases will concentrate on subjects of anticipated or continued high use and demand. A collection of large type books will be maintained.

DVDs: DVDs will be purchased regularly and will contain movies, animated films, or television series that are recent or in high demand within the library.

Audiobooks: Audiobooks will only be purchased when the item is in high demand or if requested by patrons.

Periodicals and Newspapers: Considerations of need, interest, use and collection support will apply.

Other Items within the Collection: Decisions will be made on an individual basis, depending on the item type and use.

I.VII. Collection Maintenance

The library recognizes the need for continuous evaluation of library resources as a result of the changing needs of the community in which it serves. The library also recognizes the importance of completing deselection or “weeding” procedures regularly. The ultimate decision of withdrawal of titles from the collection will be left to the discretion of the Director.

IVIII. Digital Resources

As a member of the Mid-York Library System, the Little Falls Public Library has access to a wide range of digital resources, available to all patrons with a library card. Selection, weeding, and maintenance of the digital library is conducted by the Digital Resources Librarian at the Mid-York Library System. All licensing agreements are received, reviewed, signed, and monitored by the Digital Resources Librarian at Mid-York. Access is determined by licensing agreements established by vendors.

The Little Falls Public Library also purchases digital copies of materials through OverDrive. Selection and weeding of digital materials through the Little Falls Public Library is based entirely on the interests of Little Falls Library patrons.

I.IX. Deselection or “Weeding” of Materials

Collection maintenance involves the removal of resources from the collection which may be deemed unsatisfactory for the collection for the following reasons:

1. Physical condition is poor- binding is separating from book, spine is damaged, pages are ripped, etc.

2. Multiple copies of an item that is no longer in high demand

3. Contains information that is outdated or inaccurate

4. Older edition of an item, with the most current edition housed within the collection as well

5. Available at other libraries or through online databases and catalogs

6. Infrequent use and lack of demand

I.X. Replacement

While the library tries to have copies of all works of importance and interest to the community, it does not attempt to replace each copy that is deselected and discarded due to damage or wear. Community interest and the availability of new content within the same subject area will be of primary consideration when redeveloping the collection. Many older items within the collection are no longer in print and can therefore not be replaced. Books that have been worn or damaged due to their popularity will be replaced. DVDs that have become damaged as a result of frequent use will also be replaced.

I.XI. Donations

The library accepts donations of books-paperback and hardcover, DVDs, and puzzles. Based on the condition at the time of donation, staff of the library retain the authority to accept or reject the donations of such items, depending on their scope, age, and wear. The library also accepts monetary donations and the donation of specific materials to add to the collection. Donation of an item to the library does not guarantee that the item will be added to the collection, as the item will be governed by the same criteria as those of purchased items. Library personnel are not able to evaluate the monetary value of donations but a list of gift materials can be provided to the donor if requested. If a donation is made with the intent that it be added to the collection, the patron can leave their contact information with the material and the Library Director will contact them if the material is not being added to the collection.

Donations of books published by local authors may be added to the collection, either in the Library’s local history section, or with the main collections. A “Local Author” sticker will be added to the spine of the book to designate its significance within the collection.

I.XII. Revision of Policy

As the collection continues to expand and ideas are constantly evolving, any policy within this statement must be responsive to change. For this reason, careful review of this policy will be conducted on a regular basis. The Library Director will be responsible for reviewing the Collection Development Policy every 3 years and notifying the Board of Trustees on whether changes were made to the document, so that the changes may be considered.

The Little Falls Library Board of Trustees is the governing body of the Library and is therefore responsible for approving the Collection Development Policy and any changes made to the document. 

I.XIII. Intellectual Freedom Challenges

The Library is committed to the idea that Library patrons have the right to intellectual freedom, as mentioned in Appendices A, B, and C.

Library patrons have the right to challenge the inclusion of Library materials belonging to the Little Falls Public Library. Patrons who feel that a material within the collection should be moved or removed from the collection may request a “Reconsideration of Library Materials Request” form at the Circulation Desk. See Appendix D for the reconsideration form and Appendix E for the reconsideration procedure.

Appendices

Appendix A: Library Bill of Rights

The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.

I. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

II. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

IV. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.

V. A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.

VI. Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.

VII. All people, regardless of origin, age, background, or views, possess a right to privacy and confidentiality in their library use. Libraries should advocate for, educate about, and protect people’s privacy, safeguarding all library use data, including personally identifiable information.

Adopted June 19, 1939, by the ALA Council; amended October 14, 1944; June 18, 1948; February 2, 1961; June 27, 1967; January 23, 1980; January 29, 2019.

Inclusion of “age” reaffirmed January 23, 1996.

Appendix B: Freedom to Read Statement

The freedom to read is essential to our democracy. It is continuously under attack. Private groups and public authorities in various parts of the country are working to remove or limit access to reading materials, to censor content in schools, to label "controversial" views, to distribute lists of "objectionable" books or authors, and to purge libraries. These actions apparently rise from a view that our national tradition of free expression is no longer valid; that censorship and suppression are needed to counter threats to safety or national security, as well as to avoid the subversion of politics and the corruption of morals. We, as individuals devoted to reading and as librarians and publishers responsible for disseminating ideas, wish to assert the public interest in the preservation of the freedom to read.

Most attempts at suppression rest on a denial of the fundamental premise of democracy: that the ordinary individual, by exercising critical judgment, will select the good and reject the bad. We trust Americans to recognize propaganda and misinformation, and to make their own decisions about what they read and believe. We do not believe they are prepared to sacrifice their heritage of a free press in order to be "protected" against what others think may be bad for them. We believe they still favor free enterprise in ideas and expression.

These efforts at suppression are related to a larger pattern of pressures being brought against education, the press, art and images, films, broadcast media, and the Internet. The problem is not only one of actual censorship. The shadow of fear cast by these pressures leads, we suspect, to an even larger voluntary curtailment of expression by those who seek to avoid controversy or unwelcome scrutiny by government officials.

Such pressure toward conformity is perhaps natural to a time of accelerated change. And yet suppression is never more dangerous than in such a time of social tension. Freedom has given the United States the elasticity to endure strain. Freedom keeps open the path of novel and creative solutions, and enables change to come by choice. Every silencing of a heresy, every enforcement of an orthodoxy, diminishes the toughness and resilience of our society and leaves it the less able to deal with controversy and difference.

Now as always in our history, reading is among our greatest freedoms. The freedom to read and write is almost the only means for making generally available ideas or manners of expression that can initially command only a small audience. The written word is the natural medium for the new idea and the untried voice from which come the original contributions to social growth. It is essential to the extended discussion that serious thought requires, and to the accumulation of knowledge and ideas into organized collections.

We believe that free communication is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture. We believe that these pressures toward conformity present the danger of limiting the range and variety of inquiry and expression on which our democracy and our culture depend. We believe that every American community must jealously guard the freedom to publish and to circulate, in order to preserve its own freedom to read. We believe that publishers and librarians have a profound responsibility to give validity to that freedom to read by making it possible for the readers to choose freely from a variety of offerings.

The freedom to read is guaranteed by the Constitution. Those with faith in free people will stand firm on these constitutional guarantees of essential rights and will exercise the responsibilities that accompany these rights.

We therefore affirm these propositions:

It is in the public interest for publishers and librarians to make available the widest diversity of views and expressions, including those that are unorthodox, unpopular, or considered dangerous by the majority.

Creative thought is by definition new, and what is new is different. The bearer of every new thought is a rebel until that idea is refined and tested. Totalitarian systems attempt to maintain themselves in power by the ruthless suppression of any concept that challenges the established orthodoxy. The power of a democratic system to adapt to change is vastly strengthened by the freedom of its citizens to choose widely from among conflicting opinions offered freely to them. To stifle every nonconformist idea at birth would mark the end of the democratic process. Furthermore, only through the constant activity of weighing and selecting can the democratic mind attain the strength demanded by times like these. We need to know not only what we believe but why we believe it.

Publishers, librarians, and booksellers do not need to endorse every idea or presentation they make available. It would conflict with the public interest for them to establish their own political, moral, or aesthetic views as a standard for determining what should be published or circulated.

Publishers and librarians serve the educational process by helping to make available knowledge and ideas required for the growth of the mind and the increase of learning. They do not foster education by imposing as mentors the patterns of their own thought. The people should have the freedom to read and consider a broader range of ideas than those that may be held by any single librarian or publisher or government or church. It is wrong that what one can read should be confined to what another thinks proper.

It is contrary to the public interest for publishers or librarians to bar access to writings on the basis of the personal history or political affiliations of the author.

No art or literature can flourish if it is to be measured by the political views or private lives of its creators. No society of free people can flourish that draws up lists of writers to whom it will not listen, whatever they may have to say.

There is no place in our society for efforts to coerce the taste of others, to confine adults to the reading matter deemed suitable for adolescents, or to inhibit the efforts of writers to achieve artistic expression.

To some, much of modern expression is shocking. But is not much of life itself shocking? We cut off literature at the source if we prevent writers from dealing with the stuff of life. Parents and teachers have a responsibility to prepare the young to meet the diversity of experiences in life to which they will be exposed, as they have a responsibility to help them learn to think critically for themselves. These are affirmative responsibilities, not to be discharged simply by preventing them from reading works for which they are not yet prepared. In these matters values differ, and values cannot be legislated; nor can machinery be devised that will suit the demands of one group without limiting the freedom of others.

It is not in the public interest to force a reader to accept the prejudgment of a label characterizing any expression or its author as subversive or dangerous.

The ideal of labeling presupposes the existence of individuals or groups with wisdom to determine by authority what is good or bad for others. It presupposes that individuals must be directed in making up their minds about the ideas they examine. But Americans do not need others to do their thinking for them.

It is the responsibility of publishers and librarians, as guardians of the people's freedom to read, to contest encroachments upon that freedom by individuals or groups seeking to impose their own standards or tastes upon the community at large; and by the government whenever it seeks to reduce or deny public access to public information.

It is inevitable in the give and take of the democratic process that the political, the moral, or the aesthetic concepts of an individual or group will occasionally collide with those of another individual or group. In a free society individuals are free to determine for themselves what they wish to read, and each group is free to determine what it will recommend to its freely associated members. But no group has the right to take the law into its own hands, and to impose its own concept of politics or morality upon other members of a democratic society. Freedom is no freedom if it is accorded only to the accepted and the inoffensive. Further, democratic societies are more safe, free, and creative when the free flow of public information is not restricted by governmental prerogative or self-censorship.

It is the responsibility of publishers and librarians to give full meaning to the freedom to read by providing books that enrich the quality and diversity of thought and expression. By the exercise of this affirmative responsibility, they can demonstrate that the answer to a "bad" book is a good one, the answer to a "bad" idea is a good one.

The freedom to read is of little consequence when the reader cannot obtain matter fit for that reader's purpose. What is needed is not only the absence of restraint, but the positive provision of opportunity for the people to read the best that has been thought and said. Books are the major channel by which the intellectual inheritance is handed down, and the principal means of its testing and growth. The defense of the freedom to read requires of all publishers and librarians the utmost of their faculties, and deserves of all Americans the fullest of their support.

We state these propositions neither lightly nor as easy generalizations. We here stake out a lofty claim for the value of the written word. We do so because we believe that it is possessed of enormous variety and usefulness, worthy of cherishing and keeping free. We realize that the application of these propositions may mean the dissemination of ideas and manners of expression that are repugnant to many persons. We do not state these propositions in the comfortable belief that what people read is unimportant. We believe rather that what people read is deeply important; that ideas can be dangerous; but that the suppression of ideas is fatal to a democratic society. Freedom itself is a dangerous way of life, but it is ours.

This statement was originally issued in May of 1953 by the Westchester Conference of the American Library Association and the American Book Publishers Council, which in 1970 consolidated with the American Educational Publishers Institute to become the Association of American Publishers.

Adopted June 25, 1953, by the ALA Council and the AAP Freedom to Read Committee; amended January 28, 1972; January 16, 1991; July 12, 2000; June 30, 2004.

A Joint Statement by:

American Library Association

Association of American Publishers

Subsequently endorsed by:

American Booksellers for Free Expression

The Association of American University Presses

The Children's Book Council

Freedom to Read Foundation

National Association of College Stores

National Coalition Against Censorship

National Council of Teachers of English

The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression

Appendix C: The Freedom to View Statement

The FREEDOM TO VIEW, along with the freedom to speak, to hear, and to read, is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. In a free society, there is no place for censorship of any medium of expression. Therefore these principles are affirmed:

To provide the broadest access to film, video, and other audiovisual materials because they are a means for the communication of ideas. Liberty of circulation is essential to insure the constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression.

To protect the confidentiality of all individuals and institutions using film, video, and other audiovisual materials.

To provide film, video, and other audiovisual materials which represent a diversity of views and expression. Selection of a work does not constitute or imply agreement with or approval of the content.

To provide a diversity of viewpoints without the constraint of labeling or prejudging film, video, or other audiovisual materials on the basis of the moral, religious, or political beliefs of the producer or filmmaker or on the basis of controversial content.

To contest vigorously, by all lawful means, every encroachment upon the public's freedom to view.

This statement was originally drafted by the Freedom to View Committee of the American Film and Video Association (formerly the Educational Film Library Association) and was adopted by the AFVA Board of Directors in February 1979. This statement was updated and approved by the AFVA Board of Directors in 1989.

Endorsed January 10, 1990, by the ALA Council

Appendix D: Reconsideration of Library Materials Request

Little Falls Public Library

Reconsideration of Library Materials Request

If you wish to request reconsideration of library materials, please complete the form below and return it to:

Library Director

Little Falls Public Library

10 Waverly Place

Little Falls, NY, 13365

Please Note: Any requests sent to the Library Board of Trustees will become a matter of public record, including your name and address. A written reply with the Library Board of Trustees’ decision will be mailed to the address provided on the form below:

Requested by:____________________________________ Date:_________________________

Address:________________________________________ City:__________________________

State: ______________________ Zip:________________ Phone:_________________________

Email:_____________________________ Do you represent yourself? ☐ Or an organization? ☐ Name of Organization:___________________________________________________________

1. Resource on which you wish to comment:

☐ Book ☐Movie ☐Magazine ☐Newspaper ☐Audiobook ☐Digital Resource ☐Display ☐Sports Equipment ☐Other: Please specify:__________________________________________

Author/Producer:________________________________________________________________

Title:_________________________________________________________________________

2. What brought this resource to your attention?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Have you examined the entire resource? If not, what sections did you review?

______________________________________________________________________________

4. What concerns you about the resource? (Use additional pages if necessary)

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. To what do you object? Please be specific. (Use additional pages if necessary)

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Are there resource(s) you suggest to provide additional information and/or other viewpoints on this topic?

______________________________________________________________________________

7. What action are you requesting the Library Board of Trustees take?

☐Re-evaluate it ☐Withdraw it from the collection ☐Other: _____________________________

Signature:_____________________________________________________________________

Appendix E: Reconsideration of Library Materials Procedure

Patrons of the Little Falls Public Library may request materials be removed or reconsidered for the collection. Patrons requisition removal or reconsideration on an item may express their concerns to the Library Director. Upon receipt of the complaint, the patron should be given a copy of the Library’s Collection Development Policy which explains the Little Falls Public Library’s selection process and procedures.

A patron who is still not satisfied should be informed that a Reconsideration of Library Materials Request form may be completed and formally submitted to the Director. If a patron decides to take this action, the following procedure will be followed:

1. Formal complaint is issued to the Library Director

2. The Director will then:

1. Promptly respond to the patron in writing, detailing the process

2. Review the item for reconsideration

3. Upon decision, notify the patron in writing. Should the item be retained, the patron is notified that it is their right to appeal to the Board of Trustees. The procedure for doing so will be included in the written letter.

3. The procedure for a formal complaint to the Board of Trustees is as follows:

1. The request to appear before the Board must be submitted to the Director at least seven days in advance of the Board meeting.

2. The patron must appear in person to issue his/her complaint.

3. The Board of Trustees will take one of the following actions:

• Keep the item in the collection

• Withdraw the item as requested

• Defer decision until the next Board of Trustees’ meeting

Please Note: The Little Falls Public Library Board of Trustees meetings are held monthly and are open to the public.