West Custer County Library District develops and maintains a resource collection which will support its function as an important information and entertainment source for the community. To meet community needs, the Library acquires resources in a variety of formats meant for all ages. Resources for children and teenagers are intended to broaden their vision, support recreational reading, encourage and facilitate reading skills, supplement their educational needs, stimulate and widen their interests, lead to recognition and appreciation of literature, and reflect the diversity of the community and our world. It is the parent(s)’ or legal guardian(s)’, and only the parent(s)’ or legal guardian(s)’, responsibility to guide their children under 18, and only their own children, in using and accessing library resources.
The West Custer County Library District Board of Trustees delegates to the Library Director or Collections Co-Director the authority and responsibility for evaluation, selection, deselection, and management of all resources within the framework of this policy. The Director or Collections Co-Director may delegate any or all of this work to staff who are qualified by virtue of education, training, or experience.
Selection Criteria
The evaluation of resources for selection is characterized by flexibility, open mindedness, and responsiveness to the changing needs of the citizens of Custer County. Purchase suggestions are encouraged and are given serious consideration. Resources are evaluated as a whole and not on the basis of a particular passage. A work will not be excluded from the Library’s collection because it contains material that might be offensive to some people. Inclusion in the collection does not constitute endorsement of content or of any particular viewpoint.
All acquisitions, whether purchased or donated, are considered in terms of the following selection criteria. An item need not meet all of the criteria to be acceptable.
- Present and potential relevance to community needs
- Suitability of subject, style, and reading level for the intended audience
- Insight into human and social conditions
- Importance as a document of the times
- Appropriateness and effectiveness of medium to content
- Suitability of format to library circulation and use
- Reputation and/or significance of the author, publisher, or producer
- Current or anticipated demand
- Critics’ and staff members’ reviews
- Recipient of an award
- Relationship to existing resources in the collection
- Price and the Library’s collection budget
- Availability through resource sharing with other libraries
- Local author, producer, illustrator, or subject
Requests for Reconsideration
WCCLD supports and endorses the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read and Library Bill of Rights policies, as well as the Freedom to View policy of the Educational Film Library Association (see Section J). WCCLD does not practice censorship, and access to resources is not restricted except for protection from damage or theft. Notwithstanding, community members have the right to challenge the Library to reconsider library resources.
An individual requesting reconsideration of a Library resource must reside within the Library’s legal service area, and shall complete the “Request for Reconsideration of a Library Resource” form available at the front desk. The completed Request for Reconsideration form is open to review under the Colorado Open Records Act. During the reconsideration process, the resource in question will remain in the collection and access will not be restricted. The Library shall not reconsider a resource more than once every two years. Only one reconsideration request can be evaluated at a time.
Three staff members shall evaluate the resource in light of the request, using published reviews and the above selection criteria. Evaluators will submit their written recommendations to the Director or the Collections Co-Director, who will make a decision concerning the resource. The process will result in maintaining the current status, a change in location or reading level, or removal. The Director or a Co-Director shall notify the complainant in writing of the decision. Should the complainant believe the Library’s policy was not followed, they may request in writing that the Board of Trustees review the staff’s process.