Coburn Free Library Collection Management Policy
Adopted: 8/26/22
Revised: 10/15/25
Reviewed:
Purpose
The purpose of the Collection Management Policy is to outline the Coburn Free Library’s collection management procedures governing the selection, procurement, cataloguing, evaluation, and weeding of library materials.
This policy and its procedures position the Library to assure its community that the Library’s collection management practices meet the needs of the community and uphold the Library’s mission to continue and perpetuate a free, public, circulating, and reference library to promote literacy, lifetime learning, and community engagement to the residents of the Village of Owego and the surrounding area.
Definitions
Acquisition: process by which selected library materials are procured.
Cataloging: The process by which purchased items are formally added to the Library’s collection. “Cataloging” includes how selected materials are listed in the Polaris Catalog System and in what section of the Library they are placed (where they are “shelved”).
Collection Management: The overall term for the selection, procurement, cataloging, evaluation, and removal of Library Resources.
Evaluation: The process by which collection materials are periodically reviewed to ensure they remain physically intact, relevant, and meet community needs.
Interlibrary loan: Process by which a library requests material from, or supplies material to, another library.
Library Resources: the print and nonprint materials owned by the library and any other services provided by the library to the resident borrowers of the Library’s Area of Service.” In this Policy, Library Resources held by the Library are collectively referred to as the “Catalog” or “Collection Materials.”
Procurement: The process by which selected Library Resources are purchased. Procurement is governed by a combination of law, regulation, and Library policies, including: Coburn Free Library Financial Policy and Coburn Free Library Procurement and Bidding Policy. Certain purchases may also be governed by grant terms required by funding sources.
Selection [of Library Resources]: The process by which Library Resources are chosen by Library staff based on the Library’s budget and through the use of vetted materials.
Selection Criteria: The criteria determined by the executive director and other Library staff, based on the goals and identified community needs in the Library’s Long-Range Plan adopted by the Board, that must be met by the Collection.
Weeding: process by which library materials are withdrawn from the Library Catalog.
Collection Management
Selection
The Library director is responsible for the selection of library materials and exercises that responsibility within the framework of the Library’s mission, long range plan and policies. Material selection is determined by available funds and available space. As a part of the Finger Lakes Library System, many materials are available from other libraries via interlibrary loan. Both the local collection and the system collection are considered when selecting materials.
Selection Guidelines
The selection guidelines are applied to purchases, recommendations, and donations for materials to be added to the collection. An item need not meet all of these standards in order to be added to the collection. Other factors may also be considered. The criteria for assessing library materials are as follows:
- Relevance to the interest and needs of the community.
- Support or enhancement of library collections, programs and services
- Historical, cultural and literary value.
- Positive reviews from credible sources such as literary critics, magazines, blogs, etc.
- Significance, timeliness, or permanence of subject matter
- Representation of diverse authors and points of view
- Clarity, accuracy, and presentation
- Local emphasis/local authors
- Reputation or qualifications of the author, creator, or publisher
- Cost proportionate to expected use
- Appropriateness for the intended audience
- Availability of content through other formats or sources
- Condition of materials
- Space and budgetary limits
- Availability from 32-member libraries in the Finger Lakes Library System
It is impossible for library staff to read or view all items added to the collections; therefore, reliable selection aids such as professional reviews, notable award lists, online tools, bestseller lists, national and international news, ad other materials are often employed.
Selection of materials does not mean the Library endorses the content or the views expressed in those materials. Materials will not be excluded because of race, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, political, or social views of the author or of the content within the materials.
The Library welcomes and encourages public suggestions for selections, which can be made by visiting the circulation desk or emailing the library director (director@coburnfreelibrary.org). Due to the Library’s limited budget and space, as well as the selection criteria outlined above, a suggestion does not guarantee acquisition.
Records management: records pertaining to the Selection of Library Resources are kept for 0 years after no longer needed.
Parental Responsibility
The Coburn Free Library supports equal and equitable access to all library resources and services by users of all ages as stated in the American Library Association’s “Access to Library Resources and Services for Minors”, and selection of library materials is not restricted by the possibility that children or teens may access materials their parents or legal guardians may consider inappropriate. Therefore, given the diverse natures of the library’s collection, it is the exclusive responsibility of parents or legal guardians to supervise their underage child(ren)’s access to library materials.
Procurement
The Procurement of selected Library Resources by the Library is governed by the Library’s Procurement and Bidding Policy.
At all times, the Executive director and the Board distinguish between Selection and Procurement. “Selection” is how Library Materials are chosen; “Procurement” is how they are purchased using library funds. Library materials are primarily procured through a vetted distributor of books. Additional online sources are used for materials unavailable through the main distributor.
Cataloging
The procedures for cataloguing are set by the Finger Lakes Library System, which uses Polaris as its ILS (integrated library system) a dual-facing system that allows: A) library personnel to maintain an inventory database and B) library patrons to access the inventoried materials. Every library employee who engages in cataloging task must be trained by FLLS on item maintence. At all times trained library staff must follow the Item Maintenance Best Practices, Item Maintenance Guide and Collection Development Reports Guidelines as provided by FLLS.
Records management: As the final cataloging is set out in the Catalog, records pertaining to the procedures for Cataloging are kept for 0 years. Printed manuscript or published library catalogs are kept permanently; continuously updated library catalogs (such as databases) are kept until updated.
Evaluation
Library materials are routinely evaluated to ensure the library collection meets community needs, provide current, accurate information (especially in subjects related to health and sciences) and provides materials that are clean and undamaged.
Evaluation Guidelines
Library materials are evaluated upon the following criteria:
- Information is out of date
- Item is worn or damaged
- Item no longer responds to the current needs or interests of our community
- The material format is out of date/no longer supported by current technology
- Lack of available shelf space
- Lack of circulation, with a standard 10-year no circulation check.
Material evaluation are an ongoing practice, collections are reviewed throughout the year.
Records management: records pertaining to Routine Evaluation are kept for 0 years after no longer needed (see LGS-1 #600).
Request for Reconsideration of Library Material
A trustee, employee, or Coburn Free Library card-holder (a Request-Maker) may request that the Selection or Cataloging of a Library Resource or Resources be reconsidered.
To initiate a Request for Re-Evaluation, the Request-Maker may fill in the “Request for Re-Evaluation” form attached to this policy. Only the factors listed in the form are a suitable basis for filing such a request.
Materials shall generally only be subject to Re-Evaluation once every 5 years. For repeat requests within 5 years, unless the Selection Criteria have changed with respect to the subject Materials, the prior determination shall be supplied.
Records management: records pertaining to a Request for Re-Evaluation are kept for 6 years. In addition, because such records deal with serious constitutional issues and may have value for future research, the Library shall appraise such records for historical significance prior to disposition.
Weeding
Following evaluations materials that meet any of the previous criteria may be considered for removal from the collection through weeding or replaced with an updated edition or undamaged copy. The removal of library materials occurs on an ongoing basis but may also be prioritized when space constrains exists, as determined by the Library Director. Weeded materials can be discarded in the following ways: donated to the Friends of the Coburn Free Library or recycled if the item is dirty, damaged, etc.
The executive director reports to the Board on the routine evaluation of Library Resources not less than annually and will be provided through the library’s annual report to NYS.
Weeding Guidelines
1. Removal of damaged or technologically obsolete items
Upon finding that a Library Resource is too damaged to be useful or has become technologically obsolete to the point where it can no longer function in the manner intended, the item will be removed from the Collection.
Records management: records pertaining to the Removal of damaged or technologically obsolete items are kept for 0 years.
2. Removal based on Routine Evaluation
Upon finding, after Routine Evaluation, that a Library Resource no longer meets the then-current Selection Criteria of the Library, the item will be removed from the Collection.
Records management: records pertaining to Removal based on Routine Evaluation are kept for 0 years.
3. Removal based on Request for Re-Evaluation
If a “Request for Re-Evaluation” form is properly submitted and either the executive director or the Board of Trustees upon appeal, determine that the Library Resource it pertains to should be removed from the Collection, it will be removed from the Collection and the Catalog by the executive director (or their designee).
All requests for Re-Evaluation will be evaluated per the Library’s Plan of Service, this Policy, and the American Library Association’s Code of Ethics
Decisions shall be communicated via email or physical mail with modifications as determined by the issuing authority.
Records management: records pertaining to Removal based on Requests for Reevaluation are kept for 6 years and may be kept longer based on a determination of operational or historic significance.
Forms and Templates
Four forms and templates are available in the PDF form, and can be made available upon request.
Form to Request Re-Evaluation of Library Resource
Notice of Director’s Determination Form Request for Re-Evaluation of Library Resources
Template for Board of Trustees’ Resolution pertaining to Trustees’ Determination of Appeal of Request for Re-Evaluation
Notice of Board Determination of Appeal of Decision made of DATE Regarding TITLE, CATALOG # Request for Re-Evaluation of Library Resource
Coburn Free Library Collection Management Policy PDF
A PDF copy of the Coburn Free Library Collection Management Policy is available below.