Reconsideration of Materials

Library Policies

Materials Selection Policy

Censorship

To evaluate the criticisms of persons or groups who wish to enter material in the public library, and to establish guidelines for acquisition of materials of potentially controversial nature, the following shall be the policy of this Library:

1. In areas where there is honest disagreement concerning the truth or the wisdom of particular issues, ideas, or beliefs, the Library shall make the effort to see that the printed, visual, or recorded points of view of the best spokesman of all sides of the issues, ideas or beliefs are represented in it's holding.
2. To make sure that the view points of the best spokesmen on all sides of controversial issues are represented in its holdings.

Selection Policy

1. Request for Reconsideration
   1. Any patron of the Library may formally challenge materials purchased by the Library on the basis of appropriateness.

   2. The Library will keep on hand and make available Reconsideration Requests forms. All formal objections to materials must be made on this form.

   3. The Reconsideration Form shall be signed by the complainant and filed with the Library Board.

   4. Within five business days of the filing of the form, the Library Board shall consider the material in question for re-evaluation.

2. The Reconsideration Committee
   1. The Reconsideration Committee shall be made up of the Librarian, and the Library Board Members.

   2. The procedure for the first meeting following receipt of a Reconsideration Request Form is as follows:
      1. Distribute copies of the written request form.
      2. Give complainant or a group spokesperson an opportunity to talk about and expand on the request form.
      3. Distribute reputable, professionally prepared reviews of the material when available.
      4. Distribute copies of the challenged materials as available.

   3. At a subsequent meeting, interested persons, including the complainant, may have the opportunity to share their views. The Committee may request that individuals with special knowledge be present to give Information to the committee.

   4. The Complainant shall be kept Informed by the Library Board concerning the status of his or her complaint throughout the Committee reconsideration process. The Complainant and known interested parties shall be given appropriate notice of the meeting.

   5. At the second or subsequent meeting, as desired, the Library committee shall make its decision in either open or closed session. The Committee's final decision will be:
      1. to take no removal action,
      2. to remove all or part of the challenged material from the collection, or
      3. to limit the use of the challenged material.
      The sole criteria for the final decision is the appropriateness of the material for its intended use. The vote on the decision shall be by secret ballot. The written decision and its justification shall be forwarded to the Complainant and to all interested parties.

Request for Reconsideration

In conjunction with the Materials Selection Policy of the Monticello Public Library, the following procedure will be followed by individuals or groups of individuals who have serious objections to materials included in any or all collections of the Public Library. This procedure is desirable in order to evaluate criticism in a fair and judicious manner and to effectively safeguard the opinions of all individuals served by the Public Library who are not directly involved with the selection process. It also provides a means to avoid the possibility of a biased or prejudicial attitude from consistently influencing selection.

All criticism shall be in writing (the "Request for Reconsideration Form"). This form along with a copy of the Materials Selection Policy may be obtained from any member of the Board of Trustees or the Director. The form, when completed, should be returned to one of these individuals. The form should be signed and identification given which will allow a proper reply to be made.

Following the return of such a complaint, the Director will appoint a Review Committee to re-evaluate the material(s) in question and make recommendations concerning it to the Board of Trustees. The committee shall consist of the Public Library Director, the President of the Board of Trustees, the Director of Media and Materials for the Monticello Community School system, a teacher from the appropriate subject area, and any other persons who might bring particular knowledge and competencies to bear on the specific complaint. The Review Committee will select its own chairman and adopt any rules necessary for conducting orderly business and discussions. The complainant will be notified of dates and times of committee meetings and may attend them.

Upon re-evaluating the complaint, the Review Committee will express its recommendations in writing and file the recommendations with the Director who will distribute them to the Board of Trustees at their next regular meeting.

Action taken by the Board of Trustees shall be considered final by all parties concerned.

CITIZEN'S REQUEST FOR RECONSIDERATION OF LIBRARY MATERIAL

Author:

• Hardcover
• Paperback
• Other

Title:

Publisher (if known):

Request initiated by:

Address:

City:

State:

Zip

Phone

Complainant represents:

• Himself                               
• (Name of Organization)                               
• (Identify other group)                               

(If objection is to material other than book, change wording of the following questions so that they apply.)

1. To what in the book do you object? (Please be specific; cite pages.)

2. What do you feel might be the result of reading this book?

3. For what age group would you recommend this book?

4. Is there anything good about the book?

5. Did you read the entire book?      What parts?

6. Are you aware of the judgment of this book by literary critics?

7. What do you believe is the theme of this book?

8. What would you like your library/school to do about this book?
   • Do not assign/lend it to my child
   • Withdraw it from all readers/students as well as my child
   • Send it back to the staff selection official/English department office for reevaluation

9. In its place, what book of equal literary quality would you recommend that would convey as valuable a picture and perspective of the subject treated?

Signature of Complainant:

(Adapted from a form developed by the National Council of Teachers of English)

Comments and Criticisms of the Collection

Because of the rich diversity of human experience and opinion, it is inevitable that some materials in the library's collection will be objectionable to some people in the community. The director and staff purchase materials daily which they find personally objectionable. The library, however, in a very real sense belongs to the whole community--to the minority as well as the majority. The library has a responsibility to serve the community in all its variety. That responsibility includes providing for the needs and interests that may offend a few or even a great many people.

The library attempts to represent all sides of controversial issues. In no case does the library take an official stand on any public question. The function of the public library is to provide materials from which people can make choices, not to make choices for people.

The library staff and the Library Board welcome comments and criticisms of the collection as a whole or of individual items. However, the Library Board believes that no citizen in a democracy has a right to prevent another from reading a specific book or using specific materials by demanding the removal of such from the library collection. In a democracy there is no book or item that is absolutely inappropriate for a public library. This board declares as a matter of firm principle that no challenged library material shall be removed from this library under any putative legal or extra-legal pressure, save after an independent determination by a judicial officer in a court of competent jurisdiction and only after an adversary hearing, in accordance with well-established principles of law.

Persons are welcome to meet with the Director or attend Library Board meetings to discuss the statement of purpose, selection policy, library collection as a whole, and individual items in the collection.

Patron Suggestion-for-Withdrawal Information

PATRON SUGGESTION-FOR-WITHDRAWAL FORM

1. Author:

2. Title:

3. Have you read the entire book?   Yes   No

4. What is/are your objection(s) to the book? Please cite specific page numbers when referring to specific examples or type of content. Use reverse side of form if necessary.

5. Your name:

6. Your address:

7. Your telephone no.

Dear Library Patron:

The library selects books and other library materials on the basis of a Selection Policy. The following excerpts from that policy are intended to familiarize you with the broader considerations with which library materials are selected and to aid in the formulation of withdrawal suggestions.

From the CARNEGIE-STOUT PUBLIC LIBRARY ADULT BOOK SELECTION POLICY:

The Adult Services department, in executing its book selection duties, relies on professional reviewing sources; i.e. Library Journal, Virginia Kirkus Book Review Service, Wilson Library Bulletin, New York Time's Book Review, Chicago Tribune's Book World, Book World, Science - A quarterly Review, Reference Quarterly, Vertical File Index, the H.W. Wilson Company's library catalogs and supplements, and such other reviewing services as are at the library's disposal in the various disciplines - Wall Street Journal, Saturday Review of Literature, Scientific American, etc.

The primary objective in selecting books for library purchase is to gather materials of contemporary significance and/or permanent value. The library will be guided by a sense of responsibility to the community, financial circumstances, and miscellaneous other community consideration.

NON FICTION: Every book must meet such of the following criteria as are applicable to its inclusion in the collection:

1. Authority and competence of the author.
2. Accomplishment of its purpose.
3. Fundamental objectivity.
4. Clarity, honesty, and accuracy of presentation.
5. Relation to existing collection.
6. Relative importance in comparison with other books on the subject.
7. Need or demand.
8. Timeliness of subject matter.

FICTION: .... The novel has assumed importance as an educational tool, and is recognized as a medium for recording and molding public opinion and as an instrument for changing attitudes. The sound treatment of significant social and personal problems, or of racial or religious questions, through novels of wide appeal may contribute much to the betterment of the human condition.

The library recognizes that much material is controversial. Any given item may offend some. Material selection, therefore, will not be based on anticipated approval or disapproval, but primarily on the merits of the material in relation to the infinitely varied needs or interests of the community's citizens and to the building of the library collection.

The complete book selection policy, from which the above excerpts have been taken, is available at the library for examination.

The attached form is provided for your convenience in specifying the book and the reasons for suggesting the book's withdrawal from the library collection.

Thank you for your concern and opinion. The book will be thoroughly examined by library officials. Your suggestions will receive detailed attention and you will be notified of the library's actions and reasoning in the matter.

Sincerely,

Head of Adult Services

posted January 21, 2000