The full document is available at: http://gepl.org/about/policies/collection-development-policy
THE GLEN ELLYN Policy, Procedures, and Plan document clearly lays out every section of materials selection and briefly describes the goals of collecting in each Dewey area. There are separate sections for various formats as well as a separate Youth policy. The Retention and Weeding and Roles of the Collection portions are reprinted here.
Retention and weeding in all areas of the library will be focused on retaining those materials and resources that meet the needs of the Glen Ellyn community.
Retention of print or electronic materials is based on the likelihood of a historical interest in the field as well as the timeliness of a title and its informational content. Member demand also has an impact on the retention or replacement of materials.
Weeding of print or electronic materials is done on an ongoing basis as needed. Weeding criteria for both print and electronic materials will be currency and demand for the subject matter. The physical condition of heavily used print materials will also be a consideration.
An essential consideration in retention of online database products is Member use. A subscription database that does not show substantial use considering the cost of the product over a time period of a year or more will be replaced or removed.
Titles of newspapers and magazines are kept for varying lengths of time, depending on space. The Glen Ellyn News is kept on microfilm dating back to 1912.
The collections of the Glen Ellyn Library serve the following purposes:
• Education support for high school through adult learners
• Popular materials center
• Reference library
• Education Support Center
The collection’s educational role is to support formal education from high school through adult independent learning. In addition, some material may be collected for Members for whom English is a new language (ENL) as determined by the community’s changing demographics.
Selectors will bear in mind the needs of students, particularly recurring assignments, in developing the collections. However, high school and college textbooks will generally not be purchased. The Library does keep a separate, non-circulating collection of textbooks provided by local schools. These are donated by the schools and the Library requests updates as needed.
In order to meet the needs of adult independent learners, the collections will provide a broad range of information in all subject areas. A basic selection of the principal works in each subject area and of classic fiction also will be maintained.
Interlibrary loan service will be provided on request to supply most professional and academic level titles for which there is no general demand.
Popular materials are those which are in demand by the community. Selectors will take into consideration demand as reflected by reserve/purchase requests and may consult community groups or subject experts regarding special needs for materials in specific subject areas.
Multiple copies will be purchased in various formats to meet Member demand. After initial demand has passed, most duplicate copies will be removed from the collection, due to lack of space.
A general collection of reference sources for use only inside the library will be maintained. The reference collection will cover all disciplines at a basic level and in a variety of formats. Where available, an encyclopedia or general overview and appropriate periodical indexes will be maintained in each broad subject area. The Library will provide electronic access to information which is most easily searched in that format.
Due to the nature of reference material, the reference collection cannot be comprehensive. More in-depth research materials can be found at the local academic libraries.
Reference materials which are in high demand and require extended use may be duplicated in the circulating collection.
A small collection of local history materials is maintained as Reference material. In general, questions of this nature are referred to the Glen Ellyn Historical Society.
Specific Book Collections
The availability of information on the Internet has increased our library’s access to timely information, necessitating a smaller more select print reference collection. This collection serves the general Member; thus, we do not have an extensive legal, tax or medical information appropriate for professionals practicing in these areas. The Reference Collection is continuously updated.
The Fiction collection encompasses general fiction, mysteries, and science fiction. Well-reviewed titles are given a priority. The replacement of tattered copies of classic fiction will be an ongoing expenditure. The majority of fiction purchases will be hardbound, but paperbound copies may be purchased as replacements. Every attempt is made to acquire and maintain books in a series written by a popular author. The number of copies purchased of popular fiction will be based on demand. Once an individual title is no longer popular the library will reduce the number of copies of that title.
The non-fiction collection of the Glen Ellyn Public Library is classified in the Dewey Decimal System and uses Library of Congress Subject Headings. Additional copies of popular nonfiction will be purchased based on demand. Once an individual title is no longer popular, the library will reduce the number of copies of that title.
Areas of special emphasis include:
Computer Science and the Internet, Journalism and Publishing, Reader’s Advisory: The computer book collection will address the needs of home computer users. Some titles on older software applications are kept, but the bulk of this section is devoted to newer software titles that are currently in widespread use.
Special emphasis will be placed on self-help materials and topics in demand for school assignments.
The collection will include a general overview of each of the major world religions. Mythologies of the world will be covered on a basic level.
Areas of special emphasis in the social sciences include:
• College guides/Test Prep; Finance/investment; Legal guides; True Crime.
Current information is crucial in most of these areas. Tax guides are kept for 7 years. Multiple copies are weeded after the current tax year.
The collection will include English grammar, usage, and etymological materials; a dictionary and grammar book for each major language; and materials meant for Members for whom English is a new language.
The English as a New Language (ENL) collection does include some textbooks and workbooks. This is a developing collection and will be periodically evaluated to ensure that it meets the needs of the Glen Ellyn community.
This collection will include books on natural history, mathematics and pure sciences for the layperson.
An emphasis is placed on materials for students, high school through basic college. This is another area where the library does purchase some textbooks, since they are frequently the best source for well-written overviews on physics, mathematics, astronomy, etc.
Areas of special emphasis in the 600s include:
• Health/specific diseases; gardening; cooking (including special diets and ethnic cuisines); business/jobs; parenting; home construction projects.
The subject area of medicine will consist of lay level books on specific diseases, systems of the body, and health encyclopedias.
Areas of special emphasis in the arts include:
• Hobbies and Crafts; Interior design and home decoration; Architecture; Performing Arts; Sports.
The collection will cover world literature on a basic level. Special emphasis will be placed on the following:
• Shakespeare plays and criticism; Drama; Criticism of works and authors; Poetry; Essays; Humor.
This collection will cover all areas of the world, with emphasis on major international and United States cities. Multiple copies of popular travel guides will be purchased.
Special consideration is made to balance the needs of students as well as the interests of those who simply enjoy reading history. The collection includes books on local history as well as basic books on genealogy.
Biographies commonly found at the classification number 920 will be separated out into their own section. Biographies and autobiographies of single individuals are here, with the exception of sports celebrities and artists, which will be found in the 700s. Biographies about more than one person are usually classified in the most appropriate Dewey area. The titles are classified by the name of the subject of the book.
Large Print titles are usually duplicates of popular interest titles held in the other collections, both fiction and non-fiction.
The mass market paperback collection is meant as a non-comprehensive, rotating collection of current, popular interest titles, including genre fiction. Only fiction will be purchased in mass market paperback format. Tattered copies with high circulation will be replaced.
The Graphic Novel collection consists of fiction and nonfiction titles in pictorial form using text and sequential art to tell the story. Preference is given to hardcover titles, although paperbacks will be purchased when that is the only available format. Selection criteria are the same as above but also include the quality of graphics.
The Library will maintain a collection of fiction and non-fiction books which appeal primarily to young people of high school age. The collection will include some classics commonly read in high school but will be primarily a browsing collection of popular materials for this age group. Every effort will be made to acquire books on local school reading lists. Age and interest-appropriate Graphic Novels will also be purchased for this collection. When appropriate, books will be purchased in paperback format.
The Newspapers and Magazine collection consists of approximately 250 titles, including reference serials. The collection includes popular titles in a broad range of subject areas.
The electronic collection will reflect the academic needs of students at the junior high level through college, as well as the reference needs of the general public.
When feasible, electronic sources are made available from remote locations as well as inside the library.
The library will continue to expand its collection of audiovisual formats. As new technologies emerge, older formats will be phased out, depending on Member demand. Shelving and storage options also have an impact on these collections.