Introduction

The purpose of this Policy is to provide information to the public about the principles that direct the selection and management of all public library resources, acquired, and shared by libraries within the system. The library makes available a broad and relevant collection of materials in a variety of formats for information, education, and recreation.

The library affirms the public’s right of free access to a diverse and balanced spectrum of reading, listening and viewing materials in a variety of current and emerging formats. In keeping with the professional standards and best practices of all public libraries, the Citrus County Library System has adopted the following supporting documents from the American Library Association’s (ALA) guidelines for public access to library resources:

 

Libraries: An American Value

Libraries in America are cornerstones of the communities they serve. Free access to the books, ideas, resources, and information in America’s libraries is imperative for education, employment, enjoyment, and self-government.

Libraries are a legacy to each generation, offering the heritage of the past and the promise of the future. To ensure that libraries flourish and have the freedom to promote and protect the public good in the 21st century, we believe certain principles must be guaranteed.

To that end, we affirm this contract with the people we serve:

• We defend the constitutional rights of all individuals, including children and teenagers, to use the library’s resources and services;
• We value our nation’s diversity and strive to reflect that diversity by providing a full spectrum of resources and services to the communities we serve;
• We affirm the responsibility and the right of all parents and guardians to guide their own children’s use of the library and its resources and services;
• We connect people and ideas by helping each person select from and effectively use the library’s resources;
• We protect each individual’s privacy and confidentiality in the use of library resources and services;
• We protect the rights of individuals to express their opinions about library resources and services;
• We celebrate and preserve our democratic society by making available the widest possible range of viewpoints, opinions and ideas, so that all individuals have the opportunity to become lifelong learners – informed, literate, educated, and culturally enriched.

Change is constant, but these principles transcend change and endure in a dynamic technological, social, and political environment.

By embracing these principles, libraries in the United States can contribute to a future that values and protects freedom of speech in a world that celebrates both our similarities and our differences, respects individuals and their beliefs, and holds all persons truly equal and free.

Adopted February 3, 1999, by the

Council of the American Library Association

“Libraries: An American Value”, American Library Association, June 30, 2006

 

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.

“Library Bill of Rights”, American Library Association, June 30, 2006

 

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 that our 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.

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 that our 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.

“The Freedom to Read Statement”, American Library Association, July 26, 2006

Freedom to View Statement

The FREEDOM TO VIEW, along with the freedom to speak, to hear, and to read, is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. In a free society, there is no place for censorship of any medium of expression. Therefore these principles are affirmed:

• To provide the broadest access to film, video, and other audiovisual materials because they are a means for the communication of ideas. Liberty of circulation is essential to insure the constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression.
• To protect the confidentiality of all individuals and institutions using film, video, and other audiovisual materials.
• To provide film, video, and other audiovisual materials which represent a diversity of views and expression. Selection of a work does not constitute or imply agreement with or approval of the content.
• To provide a diversity of viewpoints without the constraint of labeling or prejudging film, video, or other audiovisual materials on the basis of the moral, religious, or political beliefs of the producer or filmmaker or on the basis of controversial content.
• To contest vigorously, by all lawful means, every encroachment upon the public’s freedom to view.

This statement was originally drafted by the Freedom to View Committee of the American Film and Video Association (formerly the Educational Film Library Association) and was adopted by the AFVA Board of Directors in February 1979. This statement was updated and approved by the AFVA Board of Directors in 1989.

Endorsed January 10, 1990, by the ALA Council

 

ALA Code of Ethics

Ethical dilemmas occur when values are in conflict. The American Library Association Code of Ethics states the values to which we are committed, and embodies the ethical responsibilities of the profession in this changing information environment.

We significantly influence or control the selection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of information. In a political system grounded in an informed citizenry, we are members of a profession explicitly committed to intellectual freedom and the freedom of access to information. We have a special obligation to ensure the free flow of information and ideas to present and future generations.

The principles of this Code are expressed in broad statements to guide ethical decision making. These statements provide a framework; they cannot and do not dictate conduct to cover particular situations.

• We provide the highest level of service to all library users through appropriate and usefully organized resources; equitable service policies; equitable access; and accurate, unbiased, and courteous responses to all requests.
• We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources.
• We protect each library user’s right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted.
• We respect intellectual property rights and advocate balance between the interests of information users and rights holders.
• We treat co-workers and other colleagues with respect, fairness, and good faith, and advocate conditions of employment that safeguard the rights and welfare of all employees of our institutions.
• We do not advance private interests at the expense of library users, colleagues, or our employing institutions.
• We distinguish between our personal convictions and professional duties and do not allow our personal beliefs to interfere with fair representation of the aims of our institutions or the provision of access to their information resources.
• We strive for excellence in the profession by maintaining and enhancing our own knowledge and skills, by encouraging the professional development of co-workers, and by fostering the aspirations of potential members of the profession.
• We affirm the inherent dignity and rights of every person. We work to recognize and dismantle systemic and individual biases; to confront inequity and oppression; to enhance diversity and inclusion; and to advance racial and social justice in our libraries, communities, profession, and associations through awareness, advocacy, education, collaboration, services, and allocation of resources and spaces.

Adopted at the 1939 Midwinter Meeting by the ALA Council; amended June 30, 1981; June 28, 1995; January 22, 2008; and June 29, 2021.

 

Philosophy

The library collection, taken as a whole, will be a diverse source of information, representing as many viewpoints as possible. The library, as a tax-supported institution, does not support any particular viewpoint.

The library recognizes that some items may be considered controversial and that any given item may offend patrons. Selections are not made on the basis of any anticipated approval or disapproval, but solely on the merits of the work in building a balanced collection and serving the interests or needs of the library patrons. Materials dealing with controversial views, language, or images are judged as entire works, not on isolated passages or sections.

Parents and legal guardians have the right and responsibility to guide and direct the reading, listening, and viewing choices of their own minor children, and only their children. Parents or guardians who wish to limit or restrict the use of library materials by their own children should personally oversee their selections.

Responsibility

The Citrus County Library Governing Board annually approves the library’s budget, as developed by the Library Director with recommendations from the Citrus County Special Library District Advisory Board (LAB). The annual budget allocates resources to ensure that the collection meets the needs of the community. Priorities are set to purchase materials and resources that support the library’s mission, strategic goals, and key initiatives.

The ultimate responsibility for the growth and maintenance of the Library’s collection rests with the Library Director

General Selection Criteria

The following general criteria are indicative of, but are not exhaustive of, the matters considered in material selection:

• Popular interest
• Contemporary significant or permanent value
• Currency of information
• Accuracy
• Local emphasis or relevance to the community
• Readability or ability to sustain interest
• Treatment of subject for the intended audience
• Reputation and qualifications of author, performer/composer, publisher, producer, or illustrator
• Creative, literary, or technical quality
• Reviews in professional literature
• Attention of the public, critics, or recognition of material by other general interest media outlets
• Format and its ease of use
• Use of similar works as monitored through the integrated library system (ILS)
• Cost and availability
• Relation to existing materials in the collection

Patrons may also recommend materials for the library using the purchase suggestion feature in their account on the library’s catalog website; though there is no guarantee these suggestions will be purchased.

Materials may be removed from circulation due to age, cost, accessibility, limited demand, poor suitability of format for use by public, or lack of documentation. Materials not found in the collection may be available through Interlibrary Loan (ILL).

Collection Evaluation

Library collections are constantly changing. Maintenance of the collection through constant evaluation and assessment by library staff ensures its usefulness and relevancy to the community. The library adheres to professional collection review and weeding practices including the use of:

• Statistical reports
• CREW Method (Continuous, Review, Evaluation, and Weeding) to identify items for consideration for retention or withdrawal.
• MUSTIE Method – includes six undesirable factors that increase the likelihood of withdrawal:
  M = Misleading (and/or factually inaccurate)
  U = Ugly (worn and beyond mending)
  S = Superseded (by a new edition or a material with better coverage of the subject)
  T = Trivial (no longer of discernable literary or scientific merit)
  I = Irrelevant (to the needs and interest of the community)
  E = Elsewhere (found expeditiously through another resource, other format, or ILL)
• Shelf space
• Sustainability of format
• Number of copies in the collection
• Circulation statistics
• Poor condition due to missing pages, markings, water, or mildew damage

Replacements

The library does not automatically replace materials withdrawn or lost from the collection. Need for replacement is considered in relation to several factors including: the number of remaining copies of the title in the system; existence of newer or better material on a subject; budget constraints; and availability (out of print materials are rarely replaced).

Donation of Materials

The library does not necessarily accept all donations but does accepts donations in reasonable physical condition that support and further the mission, goals and objectives of the library. Upon request, library staff will supply a donation receipt for income tax records to the donor, who may fill it out if desired. Library staff does not make recommendations, estimates, or appraisals on the value of donated materials.

Donated materials become property of the library upon receipt and will be considered for addition to the collection in accordance with the selection and assessment criteria described in this Policy. Donated items will not be accepted on the condition that they are returned to the original owners if they are not added to the collection. Materials not included in the collection will be transferred, discarded, or recycled following established procedures for disposition. Materials may be given to approved recipient organizations including, but not limited to designated Friends of the Library groups, which may be sold to benefit the library.

Policy 12 – Issued: 4/01/1996, Revised: 5/23/2022, BOCC Adopted: 7/26/2022