Kings County Library
Collection Development Policy
The California Education Code (Title 1, Division 1, Part 11, Chapter 6, Articles 119180) provides for the establishment of County Free Libraries in California to meet the mission of the Kings County Library, which is to support lifelong learning by providing books, information, and other resources to meet the educational, cultural, and recreational needs of the public we serve. Within the limits of budget, space and the availability of material, the library is therefore committed to identifying the public's needs in the communities it serves, provide comprehensive library materials and services, housed in resource centers suitable to each community, staffed with persons able to match materials and services to needs.
1.1 Purpose of the Collection Development Policy
The collection development policy is intended to provide guidance, within budgetary and space limitations, for the selection and evaluation of materials and formats which anticipate and meet the needs of the community. It directly relates the collection to the library’s mission statement.
As the community changes, the library will reassess and adapt its collections, formats, and technology to reflect new and emerging areas of interest and concern. The collection development policy will be periodically evaluated and revised as necessary to provide guidance for implementing changes in the collection.
1.2 Philosophy of Selection
Book selection is based on community interest but also the diverse perspectives of the community as well being representative of ideas, viewpoints and experiences not represented in the community. The library upholds the right of the individual to secure information. The choice of library materials is an individual matter. Responsibility for the reading materials of children and young adults’ rests with their parents or guardians. Materials available in the library present a diversity of viewpoints, enabling citizens to make the informed choices necessary in a democracy.
1.3 Criteria for Selection
All materials, whether purchased or donated, are considered in terms of the criteria listed below. An item need not meet all of these standards in order to be added to the collection.
- Popular interest
- Currency of information
- Local emphasis
- Appropriateness of subject to the needs of intended audience
- Reputation of author, publisher, producer, or illustrator
- Creative, literary, or permanent value
- Critical assessments in a variety of professional journals
- Format and ease of use
- Circulation as monitored through the automated system
- Cost and availability
- Relationship to existing materials in collection
- Relationship to materials in other area libraries
- Interests and needs of the community
- Representation of diverse points of view
The library strives to balance the collection with perspectives from all points of view and does not endorse or promote one perspective in the library collection. Requests are reviewed by librarians and held to the Criteria for Selection. Patron requests do not guarantee purchase by the library. Requests by patrons are always welcome and can be made by completing the Library Materials Request Form.
1.4 Collection Maintenance
The library holds to the principle de-selection (weeding) of materials is equally important as the selection of materials. Librarians and library staff use training, professional judgement and computer-generated reports when making the decision to weed books or other library material. Books and other library materials have an ending of usefulness to the collection. This ending is based on the following:
Inaccurate or our-of-date content
Physical Condition
Lack of circulation
Changing interest or community need
Weeded or discarded library materials will either be environmentally recycled for their paper or sold at Friends of the Library Book sales. When necessary, the library will replace or repair an item that is still deemed useful, current, or needed, but condition has been determined it is ending.
1.5 Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials
The library is committed to listening to the voices of the community it serves. Interest is always appreciated. To that end, if a citizen wishes to challenge a book held in the library, they may do so by completing the Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials Form (Please see attached).
Once the completed form has been submitted, the Library Director will appoint a review committee of library staff members with appropriate professional expertise. After a thorough review has been completed, the committee will make its recommendation to the Library Director. The Library Director will review the committee's findings and contact the requesting party with a decision. Notification of the progress or decision of this request will be provided within 30 days from the date the form is received by library staff. If the requesting party is not satisfied, and wishes to appeal the decision, the request will then be forwarded to the Library Advisory Board. The Library Advisory Board and the Library Director will have the final decision on any request for the removal of materials from the library.
1.6 American Library Association Guidelines
In support of its mission the Kings County Library fully endorses the principles documented in the Library Bill of Rights, the Freedom to Read, the Freedom to View and the Guidelines on Intellectual Freedom adopted by the American Library Association.
https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill
https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/freedomreadstatement
https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/freedomviewstatement
Reviewed by the Kings County Library Advisory Board on September 4, 2025
