Collection Development Policy
Strong collections of books and other resources are the core of excellent library service. The Vancouver Public Library is committed to developing robust and diverse collections to best serve and inspire our public. We embrace the power of knowledge to change lives.
This policy provides guidance towards achieving consistency in the selection of materials for the collection, defines the intended scope of our collections, and informs the public of the principles upon which selection and deselection decisions are made.
Collection development is an ongoing process requiring professional judgment and experience to balance competing needs and demands, striving for the for optimal use of the human and fiscal resources entrusted to us.
Collection Guidelines, as well as more detailed profiles for specific units and ordering committees are maintained to guide information staff in the selection of material.
VPL’s collections must be of considerable scope and variety to fulfill our mission to:
This policy provides guidance towards achieving consistency in the selection of materials for the collection, defines the intended scope of our collections, and informs the public of the principles upon which selection and deselection decisions are made.
Collection development is an ongoing process requiring professional judgment and experience to balance competing needs and demands, striving for the for optimal use of the human and fiscal resources entrusted to us.
Collection Guidelines, as well as more detailed profiles for specific units and ordering committees are maintained to guide information staff in the selection of material.
VPL’s collections must be of considerable scope and variety to fulfill our mission to:
- Enrich and empower lives and build community by providing universal access to the world’s information and ideas.
- Promote lifelong learning, discovery, enjoyment and the realisation of potential.
- Inspire the love of reading and the exploration of ideas, culture and knowledge.
- Meet the diverse needs and interests of individuals.
- Respect and reflect communities of various cultural, ethnic, religious, and philosophical backgrounds.
- Recognize and accommodate varied educational levels, abilities and disabilities, English and non-English speaking users.
- Meet the needs of the citizens of Vancouver and to supply resources for residents in the province through InterLINK and resource sharing agreements.
- Meet demonstrated needs in a rapidly evolving information world while also considering our responsibilities to posterity, and our role in providing access to the local human record.
The Vancouver Public Library values all the communities it serves. Community and individual input is encouraged and collaborative, community led approaches are used to identify unmet needs and interests.
We actively collect Canadian authors and subjects and build comprehensive collections on British Columbia and Vancouver history and culture.
The Central Library maintains collections to meet a wide range of needs, and acts as a support resource for branches across the system, as well as being available as a provincial resource.
The library must balance the demand for availability of popular and recreational material with the responsibility to build appropriately comprehensive collections to meet the many and varied information needs of our users.
It is vital for the Library to monitor and respond to developments in content provision technology. Content is our primary consideration, we select formats that provide for communities that require alternate formats as well as facilitate the most convenient access for the majority of our users.
The library must also track social and demographic trends in order to build collections responsive to the needs of our users as they change over time. This includes maintaining an awareness of emerging languages and cultures, economic impacts on information needs, and broader changes in work and recreational habits.
Deselection
Deselection is vital part of building and maintaining a living and responsive collection. We actively and continuously track and appraise the performance of our collections, to balance both immediate demand and long term user needs. Removal of items from the collection through active weeding is integral to this process. Material of local historical importance and interest is retained where the content has enduring worth or documents the development of a subject for in-depth research.
Intellectual Freedom
The VPL Board endorses the Canadian Library Association’s Statement on Intellectual Freedom (see end of policy). The Vancouver Public Library selects materials based on the belief that individuals have the right to access all expressions of knowledge, opinion and creativity of some value or significance. Such freedom of access to information is essential to the health and development of a democratic society.
We acquire and make available a wide range of materials, representing all significant points of view, including those which express controversial or unpopular ideas. Inclusion in the collection does not constitute endorsement by the Library.
While recognizing the right of individuals and groups to criticize selections, we must not allow the freedom of choice within the Library to be limited by the personal views of any group or individual.
We acquire and make available a wide range of materials, representing all significant points of view, including those which express controversial or unpopular ideas. Inclusion in the collection does not constitute endorsement by the Library.
While recognizing the right of individuals and groups to criticize selections, we must not allow the freedom of choice within the Library to be limited by the personal views of any group or individual.
Reconsideration of Library Materials
The Library will review the selection of any specific materials upon written request from any member of the public. A completed copy of the form, "Request for Reconsideration of Library Material" is reviewed by the appropriate librarian(s) in light of the criteria outlined in this policy. A written response will be sent to the person or organization making the request.
Gifts
The Library welcomes donations of books, materials, or money for the purchase of books, materials, equipment or facility enhancement.
We reserve the right to decide the disposition of all gifts received. All donated material is reviewed according to the same selection criteria applied to purchased materials. Processing costs and space are significant considerations.
All gifts become the property of the Vancouver Public Library. Material, which is not needed for the Collection, may be sold for the benefit of the Library.
Approved by Library Board: May 31, 2000
Revised: September 24, 2008
We reserve the right to decide the disposition of all gifts received. All donated material is reviewed according to the same selection criteria applied to purchased materials. Processing costs and space are significant considerations.
All gifts become the property of the Vancouver Public Library. Material, which is not needed for the Collection, may be sold for the benefit of the Library.
Approved by Library Board: May 31, 2000
Revised: September 24, 2008
Canadian Library Association Position Statement on Intellectual Freedom
Approved by Executive Council ~ June 27, 1974; Amended November 17, 1983; and November 18, 1985
All persons in Canada have the fundamental right, as embodied in the nation's Bill of Rights and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, to have access to all expressions of knowledge, creativity and intellectual activity, and to express their thoughts publicly. This right to intellectual freedom, under the law, is essential to the health and development of Canadian society.
Libraries have a basic responsibility for the development and maintenance of intellectual freedom.
It is the responsibility of libraries to guarantee and facilitate access to all expressions of knowledge and intellectual activity, including those, which some elements of society may consider to be unconventional, unpopular or unacceptable. To this end, libraries shall acquire and make available the widest variety of materials.
It is the responsibility of libraries to guarantee the right of free expression by making available all the library's public facilities and services to all individuals and groups who need them. Libraries should resist all efforts to limit the exercise of these responsibilities while recognizing the right of criticism by individuals and groups. Both employees and employers in libraries have a duty, in addition to their institutional responsibilities, to uphold these principles.
