Collection Development Policy

BOARD APPROVED MAY 21, 2024 

Purpose 

The Huntsville-Madison County Public Library (HMCPL) works to maintain a useful, well-rounded collection to support the library’s mission and meet the needs of residents of the library’s service area. This policy exists to guide librarians in selecting materials and to inform the public about the principles guiding collection development decisions. 

Our Community 

The Huntsville-Madison County community enjoys a unique background and heritage. For the better part of the past century, the Huntsville-Madison County community has been fueled by innovation and technical advancement and has welcomed newcomers from around the world to make our community their home. Consequently, our growing community encompasses a wide range of racial, ethnic, professional and socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as a diverse range of religious and political beliefs, lifestyles, and identities. HMCPL’s commitment to education has caused the library to lead the state of Alabama in circulation at our local public libraries as many families rely on our library system to provide access to books and other materials in our collection as well as the many services we provide. 

HMCPL is a ten-branch system with an extensive outreach department that serves all of Madison County, Alabama. For over 200 years, HMCPL has been dedicated to enriching the educational, recreational, and cultural lives of communities in Madison County through materials, information and programs that foster a lifelong love of learning. 

Our Collection 

The HMCPL collection includes a wide variety of formats including the following: 

  • Print consisting of books, documents, magazines, newspapers, pamphlets and maps. 
  • Audiovisual Media, including videos on DVD and Blu-ray, books on CD and digital audio player, music on compact disc, and streaming audio and video materials. When possible, digital materials are selected in accordance with this policy. However, digital materials may be provided through a content aggregator. As such, the inclusion or exclusion of specific titles in these collections are made by the vendor and may not conform to this policy’s guidelines. 
  • The library also provides wi-fi access to the Internet. 
  • Other formats include multimedia kits, microforms, educational toys, and selected audiovisual equipment. 

Materials may be available in a variety of formats. Factors governing choice of format include anticipated use, ease of access, and availability of technology, if applicable. 

Responsibility 

HMCPL provides free access to materials in a number of formats (print, media, and electronic) to all patrons. It is the responsibility of the library director and staff to curate a balanced collection that meets the needs of our community under the authority of the library board. The director and staff will oversee the acquisition of materials using professional judgment, selection guidelines, and common sense consistent with this policy. 

Library users make their own choices as to what they use based on individual interests and concerns. HMCPL supports each person’s right to receive information and to decide which items are appropriate for them and their families. Ultimate responsibility for a minor’s use of library materials lies with the minor’s parent or guardian. 

Selection Guidelines 

HMCPL’s goal is to provide our community with library materials that encourage literacy and instill in patrons a lifelong love of learning. As described in more detail below, the library director and staff shall select materials on the basis of community interest, accuracy of information and literary or educational significance. The library shall not exclude materials solely due to the subject matter dealing with topics deemed controversial at 

any given time. The library shall not purchase or receive as a donation any book or material that violates applicable laws or regulations. 

General criteria for selecting library materials are listed below. An item need not meet all the criteria in order to be acceptable. Criteria include: 

  • Public demand, interest or need 
  • Contemporary significance or permanent value 
  • Prominence, authority and/or competence of author, creator or publisher 
  • Timeliness of material 
  • Relation to existing materials in the collection 
  • Reflecting competing or controversial points of view 
  • Authenticity of historical, regional, or social setting 
  • Materials on current or historical matters 
  • Accessibility for multiple users of electronic formats 
  • Costs 

Price, accuracy and timeliness of information are other factors influencing selection. The library does not typically purchase out-of-print material for the collection, and no attempt is made to purchase all the works by particular authors. As a general rule the library will acquire only works of interest to the layperson. The library does not support educational curricula through the purchase of textbooks. Borrowing materials from other libraries through interlibrary loan is another option available to customers for older or unique materials. 

The library welcomes suggestions from the public for materials to purchase. Purchase of such requests is dependent on whether the desired item meets general selection guidelines established here. 

Gifts 

HMCPL welcomes donations to enhance the collection. Donated items become the property of the library. All donations to the library are accepted on the condition that they may be retained and added to the collections or disposed of at its sole discretion, in accordance with this policy. Monetary donations intended for use in purchasing materials may be accompanied by a suggested subject area, but specific selection decisions will be made in accordance with this policy. 

Placement of Materials 

HMCPL staff will place materials based on suitability of subject, style and content for the intended audience. Library staff may reconsider or reevaluate the placement of materials at any time. 

Withdrawal of Materials 

Materials that are worn, damaged, outdated, duplicated, or no longer used may be removed from the collection. Materials withdrawn from the collection in this manner will be disposed of at the library’s discretion. 

The library follows accepted principles of intellectual freedom and each person’s right to access and receive information. 

Statements of Concern 

Should a patron of HMCPL take issue with the inclusion of a specific title in the library collection, they may complete and submit a “Statement of Concern about Library Resources” form. For further details, please see the Statement of Concern policy. https://www.hmcpl.org/policies/concerns 

Updated 5/21/2024