Materials Selection Policy
The Champaign Public Library provides a broad range of printed and digital popular materials that support the recreational, educational, and cultural needs of the community. The library's selection of materials sustains the principles embodied in the Library Bill of Rights, and the Freedom to Read and Freedom to View statements, as enunciated by the American Library Association.
In selecting and acquiring materials, the library recognizes the following general principles:
A. The existence of the Illinois Library and Information Network, the ability of the library to borrow from libraries throughout the United States, and the rich library resources in the Champaign area permits the citizens of this City to have access to a wealth of information and materials. The library will seek to address the citizen's needs for popular, current materials.
B. The library‘s collection is one that is intended to be current, useful, and circulating. The criteria for weeding (i.e., the periodic discarding of library materials) are continuing accuracy, frequency of use, physical condition, and relevance. Replacements and updated editions are purchased when warranted.
C. The library staff will attempt to select materials that represent a wide range of viewpoints and will do its best to exercise impartiality in all selection activities. The addition of an item to the collection does not represent an endorsement by the library of its content. All sides of controversial issues will be represented in the library's collection as far as budget, space, and availability of materials allow. The race, religion, nationality, or political views of an author, the frankness or coarseness of language, the controversial content of an item, or the endorsement or disapproval of an individual or group in the community will not cause an item to automatically be included or excluded. Processing and shelving of materials does not reflect a value judgment of the materials.
D. Children are not limited to materials in the juvenile collection, although juvenile collections are kept together to facilitate use. The library assures free access to its holdings to all customers who are free to select or reject for themselves any item in the collection. Responsibility for materials selected for a child must rest with his or her parent or guardian, not with the library.
E. In addition to the requirements of the general public served, materials will be selected to meet the needs of such groups as business; the professions; government; community organizations; the homebound; the visually, physically, and mentally disabled; individuals with learning disabilities, adult beginning readers, and of people for whom English is not the principal language. Adult, teen, and children's collections will serve as supplementary sources for student use, but materials selected for students must also be useful to the general reader.
F. Criteria which are used, where applicable, in materials selection are as follows:
- Appropriate physical format
- Artistic excellence
- Award-winning or “classic“ titles
- Contemporary or historical significance
- Current interest
- Curricular enrichment
- Entertaining presentation
- Favorable reviews in reviewing sources
- Intended age and reading/listening/viewing level
- Customer requests
- Price
- Relation to other materials in order to maintain impartial but comprehensive collection
- Scarcity of materials on a subject/author/performer
- Subject area and collection-development value
- Technical value
- Value as a source/reference materials
All criteria are measured by the professional judgment, knowledge, and experience of Champaign Public Library staff.
G. Materials currently provided for library customers include books, audiobooks, magazines, newspapers, music and films in physical, digital and/or streaming formats.
H. The library will encourage and accept gifts with the understanding that gifts of materials will be added to the collection only when they meet the same standards required of purchased materials. Gift materials, which do not meet those standards, are out-of-date, are unneeded duplicates, or are in a format unsuitable for library use, may be given to the Friends of the Library for book sales, exchanged, or recycled. Gift items may be marked with an appropriate bookplate. A letter for tax purposes will be sent to the donor if requested at the time the donation is made. Whenever a gift is no longer needed or useful, it will be disposed of in the same manner as materials purchased.
I. The library will review the selection of a specific item upon request of a member of the community. The form “Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials” may be used with a written response sent to the person or organization making the request.
J. Also adopted by the Library Board as part of the Materials Selection Policy, are the following American Library Association statements:
The Champaign Public Library supports the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights and Intellectual Freedom Statement. The library attempts to purchase materials that represent differing opinions on many topics. Selection is made without partisanship regarding matters of gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or moral philosophy.
Please note that items are not withdrawn for the collection due to their controversial nature; merely because individuals or groups object to the material; or the unpopular portrayal of events, institutions or people.
Any requests for reconsideration will be forwarded to the Library Director.
Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials »
Reviewed and approved by the Board of Trustees on February 17, 2021
