Library Policies

Section 5: Collection Development  

5.1. Introduction

The Olathe Public Library’s(OPL) Collection Development Policy guides the selection and continuous evaluation of library materials that reflect OPL’s mission.

OPL provides materials in a variety of formats that meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • Responsive to community needs and relevant to residents’ lives
  • Empower citizens to explore diverse opinions and conduct research on topics of interest
  • Inspire people to learn, create, and discover
  • Highlight the history and culture of Olathe

Selected materials are chosen to serve as many people within our service area as possible, including the diversity of interests, viewpoints, and beliefs of individuals of every age, educational and ethnic background, economic status, and occupation.

5.2. Objectives

OPL seeks to develop the most outstanding collection possible through good stewardship of tax dollars. The library strives to provide materials reflecting a variety of perspectives and interests, with an emphasis on new and popular materials.

Materials purchased for the collection are not an endorsement by OPL of either the content or viewpoint presented therein.

5.3. Responsibility

The collection development librarians, under the oversight of the collection development manager, are responsible for the selection and deselection of materials for the library’s collection. OPL Library System Officers (LSOs) oversee the appearance of the collections within their facilities and are encouraged to give input to the collection development manager regarding any perceived collection needs. Ultimate responsibility for the collection rests with the LSOs.

5.4. Selection Criteria

The following general criteria are used to evaluate potential additions to the collection. It is important to note that not all criteria must be met, and no one criterion will be decisive:

  • Relevant to community needs and interests
  • Favorable attention of critics, reviewers, or the public
  • Inclusion in lists such as the New York Times bestseller lists, prize winners and other book lists, prize winners and other book lists generated by recognized authorities
  • Reputation/qualifications of author, illustrator, artist, publisher and/or producer without regards to political, religious, or other affiliations
  • Artistic merit, literary value, and/or recognized award recipient
  • Local or national significance
  • Quality of presentation in relation to content and audience, quality of artwork and/or readability of type
  • Date of publication
  • Timeliness
  • Value of material in relation to cost
  • Suitability of physical format for library shelving and circulation, including binding, paper quality, packaging, and/or specialized equipment needs
  • Evaluation of titles in relation to current holdings, available shelf space, customer demand and/or budget
  • Availability of same materials from another library
  • Legal, licensing and/or publisher-imposed restrictions or copyright issues
  • Availability from preferred vendors, where possible
  • Representative of various cultures, viewpoints, and/or interests

Items generally excluded from selection include:

  • Scholarly and technical materials that are carried by academic or special libraries
  • Textbooks and curriculum-related works unless they are considered useful to the general reader as an introduction to a subject and their presentation is superior to other sources
  • Items having removable media such as memorabilia, patterns, stickers, or toys, unless the book remains usable without these items
  • Materials that are publicized solely through infomercials or personal websites and lack authoritative and evaluative information about them

5.5. Additional Collections

5.5.1. Local History

Housed in the Olathe Downtown Library, the local history collection provides access to non-circulating published and unpublished print resources that contribute to the knowledge of Olathe and its environs. The collection includes, but is not limited to, books, pamphlets, maps, and photographs.

Materials are collected that contribute to the knowledge of the social, civic, educational, religious, economic, and cultural life of Olathe, past and present.

The library is mindful of the special preservation needs of many historical materials and reserves the right to refuse offered donations that it cannot properly store, display, or care for.

As a local federal repository, items provided by the federal government for archival purposes will also be housed in the local history collection.

5.5.2. E-Formats

E-formats include downloadable books, audiobooks, magazines, videos, and music. Selecting and deselecting e-formats are arranged with Johnson County Library (JCL) under the JCL/OPL Interlocal Agreement. Selection of e-formats follows the selection criteria of OPL and JCL.

Not all titles are available in all formats.

5.5.3. Electronic Databases

The electronic database collection consists of authoritative databases, which can be used by customers and library staff to provide or supplement reference services. Scope, subject coverage, time span, frequency of updates, authority and currency are considered in selecting electronic resources. These databases are jointly selected with JCL under the JCL/OPL Interlocal Agreement.

5.6. Relationship to Johnson County Library

OPL shares its online catalog with Johnson County Library (JCL). Materials are regularly shared and transported between the two libraries. Some materials are selected jointly with JCL in accordance with the JCL/OPL Interlocal Agreement. Currently, e-formats and databases fall in the category of this arrangement between OPL and JCL.

5.7. Donations

Gifted or donated materials are accepted on behalf of the Friends of the Olathe Public Library. Once an item is accepted, it becomes the property of the Friends unconditionally, and they may use their discretion to sell, recycle or discard the item, as necessary. No donated materials are added to the collection. Unsolicited paid or invoiced materials arriving at the library will not be acknowledged, returned, or paid for and will become the property of the Friends.

5.7.1. Monetary Donations

OPL accepts monetary gifts in support of library collections or programming. The library welcomes suggestions for titles or genres, however, reserves the right to make the final decision regarding materials. Materials purchased with donated funds are subject to the same selection and deselection criteria as other library materials. To donate, a Monetary Gift to the Library Form should be completed.

5.7.2. Other Donations

OPL will evaluate donations of items outside of traditional materials (books, AV, etc.) on a case-by-case basis. The decision to accept materials will be made by the Collection Development Manager and the Library System Officers. All donations must be given without reservation or expectation. Additionally, all donations will remain subject to the current needs of the library and may be removed from the collection as appropriate. A form for donation of nontraditional materials will be provided to donors whose proposed donation has been accepted.

5.8. Duplicates

The number of duplicate copies of a title that is purchased varies with the anticipated popularity of each individual title. Demand for individual titles is regularly monitored and additional copies are purchased to meet that demand if appropriate.

5.9. Recommendation for Purchase

OPL gives serious consideration to recommendations from the public concerning possible purchase of materials. Customers may submit recommendations using a form made available to facilitate this process. Completion of the form does not guarantee inclusion to the collection, as recommendations for purchase are evaluated by the same selection criteria that inform decisions on all other materials.

5.9.1. Local Authors

Books by local authors may be included in the collection, if they meet the selection criteria. Authors are encouraged to use the Suggestion for Purchase Form to request the purchase of their book. Completion of the form does not guarantee inclusion in the collection.

Donations are not accepted from authors. Titles meeting the selection criteria will be purchased by the library to add to the collection. Once added to the collection, they will be subject to regular evaluation. Items that do not circulate regularly, are in poor physical condition or meet other deselection criteria may be withdrawn.

5.10. Independently or Self-Published Materials

The library generally does not select independently or self-published materials unless they meet the selection criteria.

Chances of being selected for inclusion in OPLs collection are increased through reviews, though this is only one of many selection criteria considered. Reviews help inform selection and increase credibility for an item. Review sources specializing in independently published material include Foreword, Small Press Review, and Independent Publisher. A positive review in a recognized industry publications can also improve chances of for selection. These include publications like Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist and Publisher’s Weekly.

5.11. Film/TV/Music/Videogame Ratings

Voluntary ratings by private organizations such as the Motion Picture Association of America, the Recording Industry Association of America and Entertainment Software Rating Board may be considered. However, OPL is not bound by such ratings, any more than the library is bound by any other published review.

In general, special editions, boxed sets or premium content are not purchased for the collection when selecting for film, music, or videogame formats. If it becomes necessary to purchase copies including any additional features, the library may choose to circulate the item without these extras. In addition, the library will not provide access to any additional web-based content.

5.12. Deselection

The collection undergoes a continuous review process to maintain its relevancy and physical condition, as well as ensuring efficient use of shelf space. When evaluating materials for retention or withdrawal, OPL uses the guidelines set forth in CREW Manual: A Weeding Manual for Modern Libraries in addition to the following criteria:

  • Duplicate titles no longer in high demand
  • Underused or unneeded materials
  • Superseded editions
  • Poor physical condition due to damage or usage
  • Inaccurate, out-of-date information
  • Relevance/sustainability of format
  • Availability elsewhere, including other libraries, online or via Interlibrary Loan
  • System-last copies are only replaced for high demand, popular items based on availability
  • Classic and core titles which may circulate infrequently may be retained

Statistical data on demand and usage based on subject, location and audience is regularly obtained from OPL’s library information system. Such data is analyzed and applied in selecting and deselecting materials for the library and in allocating funds. 

5.12.1. Deselected Material

Materials withdrawn from the collection are given to the Friends of Olathe Public Library. At the Friends’ discretion, these materials may be sold, recycled, or discarded as necessary. No deselected materials may be given to the public, including newspapers or magazines. Requests for these materials for crafts or projects can be made directly to the Friends of the Library.

5.13. Requests for Reconsideration

The library selects books without bias to represent a broad range of ideations and life experience. Not all materials will appeal to all individuals. Library materials will not be marked or identified to show approval or disapproval of the contents, nor will items be sequestered or singled out by content or theme outside of established genre distinctions.

Customers with an active library card may request materials be reviewed or reconsidered. A review process for reconsideration requests has been developed to ensure that complaints about materials are handled in an attentive and consistent manner. Requests for reconsideration will only be reviewed if they are submitted in writing utilizing the Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials Form.

When a Request for Reconsideration Form is submitted, the collection development manager will have the material in question evaluated and will provide a written response within 30 days of receiving the request. It should be noted that OPL considers the value of each item in its entirety and within the context of the collection, not on specific passages or sections within the item itself. The request for reconsideration will consider only whether the collection development policy was followed in adding the item in question.

If the customer is not satisfied with the decision, a request for the Library System Officers to review the item should be submitted within 10 days of receiving the initial decision. Once a request for review is received, the Library System Officers will verify whether the collection development policy has been followed and provide a written response within 10 days of receiving the request. The Library System Officers’ decisions are final.

5.14. Censorship

 OPL has adopted the American Library Association (ALA)’s guidelines for public access to information:

Library Bill of Rights
Freedom to Read
Freedom to View

OPL believes in freedom of information for all and does not practice censorship. This principle applies to all formats included in the library ’s collection. Though some materials may be considered controversial, and any given item may offend some person, selections are not made based on anticipated approval or disapproval, but on the merits of the material and collection needs.

The library holds the position that customer choice of library materials is an individual matter. While anyone is personally free to reject books and other materials for oneself, an individual may not restrict the free choice of others.

5.15. Access for Minors

OPL has adopted the ALA’s Access to Library Resources and Services for Minors: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights.

5.15.1. Responsibility for Minors Access

Responsibility for materials selected and read, heard, or viewed by children and teens rests solely with their parents or legal guardians. Library selections are not influenced by the possibility that materials may be accessible to minors and places no age restrictions on the use of its collection.