Lending Collections

1. Guiding Principles

The Libraries will provide collections in a range of formats that reflect our diverse communities. Emphasis will be put on developing and maintaining popular and relevant collections which meet the present and anticipated needs and interests of Hamiltonians. The Libraries will exercise fiscal responsibility in all aspects of collection development.

Collections will:

• support the recreational interests of our communities

• support customers in their need for lifelong learning and the development of skills and knowledge

• be accessible and appealing

• engage children and young people in reading, learning and discovery

• be regularly measured to ensure the usage of collections is delivering value for money

• be provided in a variety of formats.

 2. Selection Criteria

The focus for titles selected will be as follows:

• responding to customer and community demand and local interest

• relevance to the Hamilton community

• emphasis on a current lending collection rather than the retention of items just in case of future demand

• anticipated demand

• relationship to existing material

• suitable library format

• quality of the item 

• cost.

Multiple copies and new editions are selected based on customer demand and anticipated popularity.

3. Collection Evaluation

The Libraries aim to have collections that are attractive and appealing to customers. Regular assessment will be undertaken using the following criteria:

• relevance to users

• currency of content

• physical condition

• usage

• age of item.

Popular material will be replaced whenever appropriate

4. Request a Purchase

Customers are encouraged to recommend items for purchase, and:

• all recommendations are considered in accordance with this policy and the individual collection profiles

• up to 15% of the collection budget is designated for customer requests

• priority is given to recent material, of broad appeal, in a durable format.

5. Collection Donations

• Donated materials may be accepted for addition to the collection provided they fall within the criteria of this policy and the underpinning collection profiles.

• Donated material is accepted on the basis that it will be sold or disposed of if not required.

• Donations, once added to the collection, are managed like all other material and are subject to the same conditions of loan, use and retention.

• Library staff have the delegated authority to decline a donation.

6. Unsolicited Items

Some authors, publishers or suppliers send items with an invoice, which have not been ordered. Material received on this basis is rarely accepted unless it fills a genuine need in the collection and satisfies the same criteria as resources actively sought by the Library.

7. Deselection and Disposal

Library staff have the delegated authority to dispose of library collection items. Deselection of lending collection items is carried out to keep collections up-to-date, prevent shelf crowding, and to ensure that the contents of shelves look fresh and attractive. Deselection is based on the following criteria:

• age and condition render the item unappealing

• customer demand no longer requires multiple copies

• low usage levels

• new editions have become available

• cost effectiveness of repair

• information contained is out-of-date

• content is no longer relevant to the Hamilton community.

Deselected collection items will be:

• sold to the public at book sales

• sold or donated to other institutions such as rest homes and schools

• recycled.

Return to Collection Management Policy.