Collection Development Policy

The Easthampton Public Library Collection Development Policy provides a framework for the growth and development of collections in support of the Library’s mission to “promote lifelong learning by creating welcoming spaces that offer collections and services to inform, inspire, enrich, and entertain.”

It is the Library’s goal to provide the Easthampton community with library materials that reflect a wide range of views, expressions, opinions and interests. Specific acquisitions may include items that may be unorthodox or unpopular with the majority or controversial in nature. The Library’s acquisition of these items does not constitute endorsement of their content but rather makes available its expression.

The Library provides free access to materials in a number of formats (print, media and electronic) to all customers. The collection of the Library is available to all community residents and registered borrowers.  Materials are not marked or identified to show approval or disapproval of contents, no materials are marked to restrict their use by ages, and no materials are sequestered except to protect valuable items from injury or theft.

Library users make their own choices as to what they will use based on individual interests and concerns. Easthampton Public Library supports the right of each family to decide which items are appropriate for use by their children. Responsibility for a child’s use of library materials lies with his or her parent or guardian. Library staff will NOT restrict use or circulation of materials to children or young adults.  Responsibility for the use of materials by children and young adults rests with their parents or legal guardians.  The selection of materials for the adult collection and access to it is not restricted by the fact that children may obtain materials their parents or legal guardians consider objectionable.

Easthampton Public Library adheres to the principles of intellectual freedom, adopted by the American Library Association, as expressed in the Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read and Freedom to View Statements

1. Mission

The Library’s primary role is the provision of popular materials to those who make heavy use of the library.  Secondary roles are independent learning support to members of the community and limited formal education support for students who need to complete school assignments.

The Library’s goal is to develop a collection that is intensively used.  Except the area of local history, little attempt is made to purchase or retain materials for which there is limited current demand.

In order to meet the diverse needs and interests of all residents, the Library provides materials in a variety of formats including, but not limited to, books, magazines, newspapers, audio cassettes, videocassettes, DVDs, compact discs and large-print materials. As technology and media changes occur, phasing out certain types of materials (e.g. videocassettes and audio cassettes) will be considered a natural part of the selection and weeding processes.

The Library recognizes that it is impossible for a small library to individually develop a balanced, comprehensive collection that is strong enough to meet all community needs.  Its collection is supplemented with materials borrowed from the other member libraries of the C/W MARS Consortium as part of its reciprocal borrowing policy, as well as participation in the Massachusetts Virtual Catalog and the state ILL service.

2. The Collection

Easthampton Public Library’s approximately 60,000 books and other media provides a wide range of literary, cultural, educational, informational and recreational materials for people of all ages.

The popular adult collection highlights genres and topics for which local interest and need is known to exist.  These areas include current bestsellers (fiction and non-fiction), high interest genre materials, biographies of popular figures, sports, how-to materials, travel guides, self-help, hobby-related materials, and classic literature.

The Youth Department collections focus on recommended picture books for preschoolers (fiction and nonfiction), and fiction and nonfiction works for children and young adults. Although the collection does contain materials that support Common Core and that are of use in completing school assignments, it is not designed to provide school textbooks or other materials that support only the school curriculum. Children and young adults are not limited to the special collections selected for them.  They are allowed to make full use of the entire collection.

In addition, the Local History Collection preserves and documents the history of Easthampton and the Pioneer Valley and provides a broad scope of historical information about the area.

The variety of formats collected and/or housed include:

• Print: books, documents, magazines, newspapers.
• Audiovisual Media: videos on DVD, Blu-Ray and tape, books on CD and tape, music on compact disc.
• Electronic Media: databases, electronic books, downloadable audio books and videos. The library also provides access to the Internet.
• Other: multimedia kits and selected audiovisual equipment.

3. Criteria for Selection

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

• public demand, interest or need,
• contemporary significance, popular interest or permanent value
• attention of critics and reviewers
• prominence, authority and/or competence of author, creator or publisher
• timeliness of material
• relation to existing collections
• statement of challenging, original, or alternative point of view
• authenticity of historical, regional or social setting
• accessibility for multiple users of electronic formats
• availability in the C/W MARS network

4. Responsibility for Selection

Responsibility for the initial selection of library resources rests with the Library’s professional staff, based on the criteria cited above. Designated staff are responsible for specific areas of the collection, under the overall direction of the Library Director or Youth Department Supervisor, depending on collection. The responsibility for selection ultimately rests with the Library Director operating within the framework of policies determined by the Executive Board of the Easthampton Public Library.

5. Suggestions for Additions to the Collection

To assure the acquisition of resources desired by Library users, patron suggestions are always considered for their addition to the collection. Patrons can request that specific items be purchased by emailing the library or bringing a written request.

6. Collection Maintenance, Replacement and Weeding

In order to maintain a collection that is current, reliable, in good condition, well used, and which relates to the needs and interests of the residents of Easthampton, materials are withdrawn on a systematic and continuing basis.  Materials are discarded when they are judged to be dated, inaccurate, seldom used, in poor condition or otherwise no longer appropriate.

The criteria used in selection also applies to the process of withdrawing materials from the collection.  Materials withdrawn from the library will be disposed of in a manner consistent with their quality and condition.  Materials removed because of dated content or poor condition will not be imposed on another library or institution.

It is the responsibility of professional staff to assess the need for replacing materials that are damaged, destroyed or lost. Items are not automatically replaced. Decisions are based on need, demand and budget.

7. Gifts

Easthampton Public Library accepts gifts of new or gently-used books, magazines, DVDs, and music or books on compact disc. Gift materials, including titles new to the collection, are subject to the same selection standards as materials purchased by the library. The Library does not provide evaluation of gifts for tax deduction or other purposes.

Memorial gifts of money, books or other library materials may be donated in honor of a friend or relative, and can be marked with a special bookplate. The Library will be pleased to select appropriate titles in memory of a relative or friend.

Used books and paperbacks can often be used in the library’s collection. Items not needed by the library are sold at book sales sponsored by the Emily’s Friends of the Library.

Generally, the Library does not accept textbooks, videocassettes, periodicals or books in poor physical condition. The Library reserves the right to refuse donations if the Library Director determines they are not of use to the Library.

The Library applies the same criteria for evaluating gift items as it applies to purchased material. Gifts will be withdrawn in the same manner as purchased material. The Library does not accept responsibility for notifying donors of withdrawal or replacement of gift items.

All gifts are tax deductible.  A receipt for donation of materials will be provided upon request.  The Library does not place a financial value on materials received. With rare exceptions, we do not return items that are given to us. No gifts are accepted unless given to the Library without restriction. All gifts may be utilized, sold or disposed of in the best interest of the Library.

8. Request for Reconsideration of Materials

The library recognizes that some materials are controversial and that any given item may offend some patrons. Selection of materials will not be made on the basis of anticipated approval or disapproval but solely on the basis of the principles set forth in this policy.

The Library welcomes citizens’ expressions of opinion concerning materials purchased. Requests to remove materials will be considered within the context of the policies set forth in this document. Anyone who wishes to request that a specific item be reconsidered for inclusion in the collection of materials is asked to complete and sign the Statement of Concern About Library Materials, available at the Library. To file a request for reconsideration, the requesting individual must be a member of the greater Easthampton community served by the Library.  Anonymous submissions will not be considered.

The form will be forwarded to the appropriate staff – the Library Director for adult materials and the Youth Department Supervisor for children’s materials – who will consider the request in a timely fashion, in consultation with the Director. The questioned material will be reviewed, in its entirety, and once a decision has been made regarding the retention or removal of the material a letter will be sent to the person explaining the decision.

If the person indicates dissatisfaction with the resolution, he/she may appeal to the Public Library Association of Easthampton Executive Board. The Board will reconsider the decision based on whether or not the particular title conforms to the Board-approved Collection Development Policy, as outlined in the “Criteria for Selection,” above.

Any resource reconsidered under this procedure will not be the subject of a review again for a period of three years from the date of the Library Director’s receipt of the initial objection form.

Updated: 6/2/2023

Library of Things Collection Development Policy

The Library of Things (LoT) collection adheres to the framework set out by the Easthampton Public Library Collection Development Policy above. In addition, the collection is developed according to the following goals and policies:

Library of Things Collection Goals:

EPL provides this collection of items in order to:

• Save patrons money and time.
• Reduce waste in the Easthampton community.
• Encourage experimentation, curiosity, learning.
• Offer self-guided recreation.
• Help build a resilient community.

Materials Selection Criteria:

The item meets one or more of the LoT collection development goals (above), AND:

• There is patron demand or demonstrated community need for the item.
• There is adequate space to store the item, and the item can circulate easily.
• Instructions for using the item are available or can be created easily by library staff.
• It is reasonable to assume that patrons can use the item safely without specialized training.
• The item does not require regular maintenance, upkeep, or replacement in excess of what library staff can provide.

Donations:

Donated items will be considered based on the selection criteria above. Donations of items will only be accepted if the item is in usable condition with a reasonable expectation it can circulate for at least one year after acquisition. To donate items, email EPL at ehampton@cwmars.org with a description of the item, or call 413-527-1031. Do not bring donations to the library without first obtaining authorization from a staff member. Authorization to bring in a donation does not guarantee that the item will be accepted, or added to the collection; library staff reserves the right to refuse a donation upon inspection of the item.

No donation will be accepted with restrictions, unless prior approval is granted by the Library Director. All gifts become the property of the Easthampton Public Library and the library reserves the right to sell, dispose of, or manage items in the best interest of the Library. The Library can provide receipt of donation for items brought to the Library during business hours; however, the Library will not make any assessment as to the value of the donated items.

Adopted 8/12/2025

Zine Library Collection Development Policy

In alignment with the library’s general Collection Development Policy, the zine library seeks to further the Library’s goal to “provide the Easthampton community with library materials that reflect a wide range of views, expressions, opinions and interests.”

To that end, the zine library strives to bring the voices of the community members of Easthampton and the surrounding towns into the library. 

Selection

Our primary focus for the zine collection is on collecting local and regional zines. However, zines from outside of our region will be considered if they are deemed relevant to the collection, useful to our patrons, and/or there is no local/regional alternative known.  We are primarily focused on current zines (published in the last 5-10 years).  For more information on how we select materials for the zine library as well as our other collections refer to section three of the Library’s Collection Development Policy.

We will not add to the collection zines that use hate speech to promote hateful ideas, including but not limited to misogyny, homophobia, racism, transphobia, and the like.

Responsibility for the initial selection rests with the Library’s professional staff, based on the criteria cited above. Primary responsibility for the collection at this time rests with the Adult Services Librarian and Circulation and Operations Librarian. 

Donations to the collection

You can submit your zine for inclusion in the collection by completing this form, and either emailing us a printable PDF of your zine, or dropping off a print copy. The form provides us with information about your zine and signifies your consent for us to include the zines in our collection. Please also review our selection policy above as well as our cataloging policy to ensure that your zine is a good fit for our collection.

All accessioned zines are cataloged so other library users can find them using the CWMars catalog. When library users search for your name (or nom de zine) in our catalog, they’ll find your zine!

You may also donate zines from your collection. Donations are welcome, though not all donations will be accepted. If you would like to make a donation please contact us first to arrange a time.