Last update and Board Approval: August 2023
OVERVIEW
Hedberg Public Library serves a diverse community– diverse in race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, religious affiliation, literacy level, citizenship, age, socio-economic status, experience and thought. We strive to build and maintain a collection where inclusiveness is the norm; to provide access to the broad spectrum of ideas and viewpoints reflecting the Janesville community and also the larger national and international communities in which we exist. The library supports the individual’s right to access ideas and information representing all points of view. Some materials are controversial, and any given item may offend a customer. Selection of any title for the collection does not constitute endorsement of its content. Diversity and inclusion in the Hedberg Public Library collection, as well as materials accessed through the SHARE consortium and inter-Library Loan service, strengthens our ability to achieve our mission: Discover. Share. Create. Connect.
The Library endorses the American Library Association’s “Bill of Rights” (along with its official ALA Interpretations) and “Freedom to Read” statement (Appendix A). The library provides a collection – and access to that collection – which is in keeping with the Inclusive Services Statement found in The Inclusive Services Assessment and Guide for Wisconsin Public Libraries, 2019:
“Wisconsin public libraries are places where everyone should be safe, welcomed, and respected in experiences including…perusal, use, and request of library materials….”
HPL collects materials at a popular information level to support lifelong learning and education, early literacy, general interest, basic skill building, and entertainment. In general, the Library does not provide materials of a higher academic content nor does it strive to be comprehensive in any subject. We do not collect textbooks unless they happen to be the best resource on a subject to serve the general public. Other than for print periodicals, Hedberg Library meets the Tier 2 recommendations of the Wisconsin Public Library Standards, 6th ed., 2018.
Hedberg Public Library subscribes to commercial digital collection services such as Kanopy and Hoopla. Titles in these collections are selected by the vendors, not by HPL staff. Selections in Overdrive (Wisconsin’s Digital Library), a digital service provided to all Wisconsin library cardholders, are made by a statewide committee under the direction of WPLC (Wisconsin Public Library Consortium).
PROCESS
Ultimate responsibility for the collection lies with the Director. The Assistant Director is the Collection Manager and assigns selection and maintenance responsibility for areas of the collection to qualified library staff.
Primary criteria for selection include popular demand, author and publisher authoritativeness, accuracy, price, reviews, social significance, availability elsewhere, literary/artistic merit, local/regional significance, and customer requests. Review sources include professional journals – Publisher’s Weekly, Library Journal, School Library Journal, Booklist, Horn Book, Kirkus Reviews – vendor publications (e.g. B&T Forecast), publisher catalogs, established book awards, salespeople, newspapers, New York Times Book Review.
The Technical Services Manager oversees the acquisition, cataloging, and processing of materials. The vast majority of items, once received by the department, are shelf-ready within 21 days. Priority is given to those titles with customer holds.
Multiple copies are purchased for a title according to demand. “Jackpot” copies – 7 day, non-requestable and non-renewable – are often purchased to allow for browsing of high-demand titles significantly impacted by holds/requests.
Customer requests for specific titles are welcomed and given priority consideration as long as they are new (about two years or less) and meet collection criteria. Gifts of specific items and gifts of money for specific titles or subject areas are treated in the same manner. Reasons for not purchasing requests or adding a gift to the collection may include obsolescence, lack of availability, narrow subject area, price, misinformation, and publication date.
FORMATS
The Hedberg Public Library collects materials in a variety of print and non-print formats currently including, but not limited to, hardback & paperback books, large print, graphic novels, microfilm, DVD and Blu-ray, books on CD, “Playaways”, MP3, music CDs, and video games for a variety of platforms. In addition, the Juvenile collection includes toys, virtual reality “books”, compact disc and digital read-along sets, and braille books. HPL also subscribes to a variety of online databases and resources, and digital collection services. New formats will be considered on the basis of community demand, availability of titles, availability of necessary technology, price, and the library’s ability to circulate, maintain, and store the collection.
WEEDING
Hedberg Public Library maintains a “zero growth” collection. Added titles are offset by the removal of roughly the same number of materials in order to exist within the overall collection footprint. Most areas are weeded annually. Items are removed from the collection based on condition, being out-of-date, or lack of use (usually 2-3 years without circulating depending on the collection area). Fiction Core Collection, Public Library Core Collection, and Graphic Novels Core Collection are sometimes consulted to guide decisions. Not only does weeding maintain the overall size of the collection, but, more importantly, it keeps the collection dynamic and responsive to the needs and desires of the community. Withdrawn items are given to the Ground Floor to sell or are discarded. The library staff does not accept patron requests to purchase or get on a waiting list for items that are, will be, or may be withdrawn.
JUVENILE COLLECTION
Juvenile materials are collected at a popular information level in the formats mentioned above. Attention is given to titles which support early literacy efforts. Non-fiction titles are arranged according to Dewey Decimal System (Dewey) with biographies pulled out in a separate area. Picture Books are arranged according to “Glades” categorized by general subject areas (e.g. Transportation, Favorites, Folk & Fairy Tales). Board books are housed separately. Series paperback fiction have a separate location from Fiction, as do Easy Readers and Illustrated Fiction which provide a collection bridge between Picture books and Fiction. A collection of Spanish language materials for children which includes titles solely in Spanish along with bilingual titles (Spanish/English) is also maintained.
Awards and classic titles play a significant role in developing Juvenile collections. HPL strives to maintain a reasonable representation of the Youth Media Award winners (including Caldecott, Newbery, Coretta Scott King, among others) and other major children’s book award winners. Retention of the older (thirty or more years ago) classic titles and award winners will be evaluated by their availability and their circulation levels.
The Teachers’ Collection is a special collection within the Juvenile holdings. It brings together items of interest to teachers and home-schooling parents. It includes Early Literacy Kits containing a variety of materials appropriate for storytimes, Book Club in a Bag – multiple copies of a title for Children’s book groups, and Big Books – oversized picture books for storytimes.
YOUNG ADULT COLLECTION
The YA Collection provides a bridge for middle and high schoolers between the Juvenile and Adult Collections. The scope is to provide information at a popular level which appeals to the age group.
This includes Fiction, Graphic Novels (including Manga), high-interest non-fiction titles (arranged in Dewey order), movies on DVD & Blu-Ray, video games, and audiobooks.
ADULT COLLECTION
Adult materials are selected at a popular information level and in the formats mentioned above. Non-fiction print is arranged in a continuous order according to the Dewey Decimal system except for the collections described below. Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Urban Lit, and Western genres are separated out from the general Fiction collection. These popular title collections are enhanced by classics in each genre. Fiction series are represented with a sample of titles, unless usage warrants keeping the full series. Large Print and Audiobook collections are separated out by format. Music CDs are grouped by genre and include current and standard titles within each. A cross-section of Classical music recordings is also maintained. Popular, award-winning, and classic films are selected in DVD and Blu-Ray formats. HPL also maintains a strong “TV series on DVD” collection.
Neighborhoods and Special Collections. HPL has pulled certain subjects from the main non-fiction collection and arranged them in “Neighborhoods”. Current Neighborhoods include: Biography; Do-It-Yourself (DIY)– information for a variety of construction, repair, improvement, creation projects; Great Escapes – travel guides and travel related materials; Job Resource Center – materials for job seekers; and Small Business Center – information for entrepreneurs, business startups and expansions. Neighborhoods are predominantly print circulating books, but some also include magazines, DVDs, reference works, audio materials and brochures/pamphlets. The adult Spanish language collection is also organized as a Neighborhood and includes Fiction and Non-Fiction books, audiobooks, Music CDs, DVDs, English language learning kits, magazines, Fotonovelas and comics, English literacy materials, and pamphlets.
“Book Club in a Bag” is a collection of multiple copies of single titles which lend themselves well to book club discussions. “Elder Care Kits” include activities and items intended for people with dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other health issues to engage the user and provide respite for the caregiver.
DIGITAL MATERIALS
Hedberg’s Adult, Young Adult, and Juvenile collections of books, audiobooks, periodicals, film and music are augmented by digital collections as mentioned above which allow us to make available more copies of popular materials and peripheral titles which we may not have otherwise been able to provide.
MAGAZINES AND NEWSPAPERS
Magazines can be found in the Adult, Young Adult, and Children’s collections. In the past several years there has been a sharp decline in the use and publication of print magazines resulting in a decrease of titles and holdings which is expected to continue. Other than those with historical or Wisconsin focus, most titles are kept for 1 year plus the current year. HPL maintains a collection of local and state newspapers and a few titles with national significance (e.g. New York Times, Wall Street Journal). Newspapers, except for the Janesville Gazette, are kept for 1 month plus current month. A microfilm collection of the Janesville Gazette is maintained from 1845 until present with a few missing dates. Microfilm of the New York Times from 1851 to 1999 – with some years missing – is also available.
REFERENCE
The Reference collection consists of non-circulating print, electronic/online, and microform resources to support the information needs of the Janesville and Rock County communities. Similar to magazines, many print resources have dwindled being superseded by online free and subscription resources. HPL continues to maintain some standard works in print like the Oxford English Dictionary. Subscription databases are partially evaluated in the context of providing a viable alternative to information in print.
Ideally, the collections in print and online formats will complement each other.
Reference materials for genealogy research, Wisconsin History, and the GM Employee Newsletter have been brought together in the Wisconsin Room. Maps of Janesville, Rock County, and several other areas in Wisconsin, WI Plat books, and the Janesville Gazette microfilm collection are also housed here.
JANESVILLE ROOM
The Janesville Room provides history, cultural, social, and governmental resources on the city of Janesville primarily and secondarily, Rock County (Appendix B). Although not comprehensive, every effort is made to strive for as thorough a coverage as possible within existing constraints. Some of these resources have been digitized and are available electronically through UW Digital Collections. Library staff and volunteers maintain databases of Local History, High School Yearbooks, and Janesville Gazette obituaries to access and augment the physical collection.
LOCAL AUTHORS
HPL strives to provide access to works published by local authors (Appendix C). A liberal application of selection and maintenance guidelines found in this document may be applied to these items. Adding a work by a local author does not constitute an agreement to retain the item indefinitely. The Hedberg Public Library may not necessarily add all titles by a prolific author, will at least try to maintain a representative sampling of their works.
STATEMENTS OF CONCERN
Should a patron of HPL take issue with a specific resource, they are encouraged to contact the Library Director or Assistant Director to arrange to discuss these concerns. Should that discussion prove unfeasible or fail to address the patron’s concerns, they may complete and submit a “Statement of Concern about Library Resources” form. The person requesting the discussion with the director or submitting the Statement of Concern must be a resident of the Hedberg Public Library’s service area. For further details, please see the Statements of Concern policy. Once a resource has been reviewed and a decision made, four years must pass before it will be eligible again for review.
Appendices
A. ALA Library Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read Statement
B. Janesville Room guidelines
C. Collecting Works by Local Authors Guidelines, Local Author Purchase/Donation Request Form
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.
Although the Articles of the Library Bill of Rights are unambiguous statements of basic principles that should govern the service of all libraries, questions do arise concerning application of these principles to specific library practices. See the documents designated by the Intellectual Freedom Committee as Interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights.
The 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 thatour 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:
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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 B
Hedberg Public Library Retention Guidelines for The Janesville Room
PURPOSE:
To document Rock County history, culture, and people – with emphasis on the city of Janesville – and to provide access to local city and county government information and publications. Material formats include published books, periodicals, audiovisual materials, government documents, studies/proposals, maps, photos, local authors’ works, local family histories, news clippings, local pamphlets, and yearbooks from the Janesville public schools.
Institutional and space constraints on the Janesville Room preclude a comprehensive archive. Researchers seeking more in-depth knowledge will be directed to other historical repositories, including the Rock County Historical Society, the Area Research Center at UW-Whitewater, and/or to the Wisconsin Historical Society in Madison.
ACQUISITIONS:
Newly published materials are purchased through the normal selection process. Government documents are given by the issuing agency. Historic materials are typically received as gifts. A reasonable amount of effort will be made to preserve these holdings through re-bindings, encasement boxes, safe shelving, microfilming, digitizing, encapsulation, restricted use, and preservation copies.
Ephemera, specialized research materials, local items no longer needed, and items requiring special preservation and care are donated to the Rock County Historical Society or to the Area Research Center at UW-Whitewater.
Peripherally related historical and genealogical materials are located elsewhere in the library.
ACCESS:
Materials in the Janesville Room are non-circulating, and are accessible to the public whenever the library is open. Making copies, scanning or taking photographs of most materials is allowed.
RETENTION GUIDELINES:
Space within the Janesville Room is limited. We do, however, want to maintain as complete a run as possible and desired of the items below.
Janesville City Directories:
Keep bound volumes in The Janesville Room. Microfilmed copies are available through 1959 in the microfilm area. Digitized copies of 1857-1931 are available on the library’s website under “Janesville’s Past.”
Janesville Area/Rock County Telephone Directories:
Keep one copy of City and one copy of Rock County for each year available.
Janesville/Rock County-related Genealogical Materials:
Genealogical items specifically for Janesville and Rock County research.
Janesville/Rock County-related Histories:
Maintain at least 1 copy of each title along with their indexes. Additional copies of these titles, may be placed in the circulating collection.
Rock County Plat maps and historical atlases.
High/Middle School Yearbooks from Janesville Public Schools.
Other local directories, or directories containing city/county information.
Newspaper clippings/pamphlets:
• Pamphlets, newspaper clippings, or other ephemeral material documenting the history, culture, and people of Janesville and Rock County.
• Folders whose entire contents have already been entered into the Local History Database can be placed in binders, cataloged and shelved in the Janesville Room, offered to the Rock County Historical Society, or discarded.
• Withdrawn pamphlets and clippings may be offered to the Rock County Historical Society Archives, or other appropriate agency or library.
City and County Annual Reports:
Keep current year. May not keep back issues if available online.
• Janesville City annual reports (Fire, Police, etc.). (Keep all Police. Fire no longer publishes)
Other City annual reports (Keep as desired. May keep just current year if back issues online)
• Rock County annual reports. (Keep as desired. May choose to keep current +1 year)
• Janesville School District annual reports. (Keep as desired. May only keep current +1 year)
Local Authors:
Maintain a representative sampling of materials by a local resident that has been published by a reputable publisher. Refer any controversial or questionable issues to the Collection Team. Preference is given to materials relating to Rock County.
Other Janesville and Rock County-related material.
GOVERNMENT MATERIALS:
Though Hedberg Public Library is not a designated repository for city or county materials, the library will retain relevant items of general interest.
Types of government materials not listed above to collect and maintain:
- • Janesville/Rock County Annual Budgets (Keep tentative budgets only if final budgets are not available; Recommended Budget, current +1 year)
- Keep minimum current + 1 year of Janesville’s annual budgets. Keep as many previous years as space allows.
- Keep Rock County’s annual budgets as follows: current year + 1 year (Recent budgets are only printed as “Recommended”). Mark date budget passed inside front cover, date & initial.
- City/County commissioned planning/business studies or analyses (Keep as desired & as space permits).
- City proceedings and agendas are available online.
- Proceedings (minutes) 1990to present.
- Agendas and Agenda Packets May 29, 2007 to present.
- Miscellaneous agendas - current and some previous years.
- No back copies in print.
- City Ordinances: Historic versions of the ordinances are kept in the Janesville Room. A note directs patrons seeking current information to city ordinances online or at City Hall.
- County proceedings and agendas are online, January 2009 to present. Older editions are available at the Rock County Courthouse or the Area Research Center at UW-Whitewater.
- County Ordinances: Ordinances and resolutions are on the County web site. Some older ordinances are in the Janesville Room.
- Hedberg Public Library Annual Reports and Publications (such as Library Matters), etc. – Keep all.
- Hedberg Public Library Annual Budgets – Keep to 2007 only. See Administration for print copies after 2007.
COLLECTION MAINTENANCE:
Replace titles with newer editions on a continual basis.
Review materials every 10 years for condition and relevance.
Consider items no longer meeting the criteria for Janesville Room inclusion for possible transfer to the circulating collection, to the Area Research Center at UW-Whitewater, to the Rock County Historical Society, or to some other appropriate repository.
Compiled by HPL Reference Librarians, Fall 2001, Janesville Room Sub-Committee
Updated January 2011. Reviewed & approved by Reference Librarians May 2011. Approved by Collection Team.
Reviewed & update draft created September 2018
Reviewed & updated December 2020
Appendix C
Hedberg Public Library Collecting Works by Local Authors Guidelines
- A local author is defined as someone currently residing in Rock County, or someone who has lived in Rock County and mentions that--or Wisconsin--in the Author bio within the book.
- The item should be taken to the Information Desk or Children’s Desk.
- The item must be in a format which Hedberg Public Library (HPL) currently purchases.
- Items donated by an author will be given to the selector of that collection area for consideration.
- If the author provides an email address, the selector will notify her/him within 60 days if the item will be added to the collection. There is no guarantee that a particular book/item will be added to the collection. If it is not, then the item will be held for 30 days at the Information desk, or the Children’s Desk for Children’s or YA titles, for the author to pick up. Items not picked up within 30 days will be given to the Friends for sale.
- If an author leaves a book which they want the library to consider for purchase, then the same process above will be followed by the selector. Review of the item must be done before we agree to purchase.
- If an author provides information requesting us to purchase a book without providing the book, then they must provide reviews from standard library review journals such as Booklist, Library Journal, School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus or nationally recognized periodicals before the library will consider purchasing.
- Library staff will decide on what section of the collection the book is placed.
- Items by local authors are subject to HPL’s selection, maintenance and weeding guidelines.
- The Library will try to add/retain at least one title by a local author or a representative sample of those writing in different genres or subjects as space allows.
- Higher consideration will be given to works of local authors which are local histories or subjects of local interest that might be considered for the Janesville Room collection.
- Higher consideration will also be given to those works published by a known publisher (as opposed to self-published), and those works which are reviewed in professional review journals, national newspapers or periodicals, or The Gazette.
- Acceptance or purchase of a work by a local author is not a commitment to retain the work indefinitely.
June, 2015