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Mission & Policies

Collection Development Policy

I. Overview

The goal of the Collection Development policy is to facilitate free access to print and non-print materials for all library users. In order to meet this goal the library collection will:

  • Represent viewpoints in accordance with the Library Bill of Rights
  • Include a variety of formats to meet changing community needs
  • Respond to trends in popular materials

The Library Director holds final responsibility for allocation of funds, and selection and purchase of library materials.

II. Selection Process

Library staff contribute to a selection process overseen by Library Administration. The library collection is patron-driven, with additional materials selected to supplement diversity of materials, anticipated community needs, and popular trends. Allocation of the library materials budget is based on public demand, usage statistics, relevance, and available resources.

General Criteria used to select materials such as Fiction, Nonfiction, Audiobooks, DVDs, CDs, Children’s materials, and more (listed in alphabetical order):

  • Availability of materials from other Minuteman Libraries or via InterLibrary Loan
  • Contribution to the diversity of the collection
  • Literary merit
  • Local importance
  • Patron interest
  • Relevance of subject
  • Suitability, durability and ease of access of format
  • Timeliness of material

Bookmobile: The Bookmobile collection consists primarily of Large Print materials and Speed Reads purchased through the generous support of the Friends of the Morse Institute Library. Other collections and materials are included in response to community needs as determined by the scheduled stops.

Library of Things: This collection originated through a joint venture with the Town of Natick's Office of Sustainability to help build and promote a sharing economy. "Things" are kits made up of non-traditional library materials such as tools and pieces of electronic equipment and their peripherals that can be shared and reused frequently. Selection is based on community interests and needs while taking into consideration the ease of packaging, portability, sustainability, and available storage space within the Library.

Literacy/ELL/ESOL: The Literacy Program provides free, student-centered instruction and materials to adults learning English as an additional language, as well as adults requiring basic literacy skills. In addition, support services for volunteer tutors and trainers are provided. The Literacy collection supports this program.

Local authors: Local Natick authors who want their book included in the Library collection are requested to present the library with one copy of their book for inclusion in the collection. The Library will make the final determination as to where in the collection donated materials can be found.

Multiple copies: The number of copies of a particular title is determined by patron demand. In general, multiple copies will be purchased based on patron demand as determined by internal reports.

Speed Read/Views Collections: This collection is funded through the generosity of the Friends of the Morse Institute Library and is used primarily to provide extra copies of popular books and AV materials that have lengthy reserve lists.

Veterans’ Oral History Project: The library collects all DVDs recorded by the Natick Veterans’ Oral History Project. The library purchases materials on military history and other related topics in a variety of formats to support this special project, as funding allows.

Donations of books or other materials: Gifts of books or other library materials in good condition are accepted with the understanding that they become the property of the Library. Items donated to the library are received with the understanding that they are subject to the same selection, evaluation, and deselection criteria as materials acquired for purchase. The library cannot guarantee the permanence of an item donated to the collection. Items which are not added to the collection will be disposed of at the discretion of the Library.

Donations of technology, furniture, artwork, or any other non-traditional library materials are only accepted on a case-by-case basis as evaluated and determined by library leadership or administration.

The Library cannot provide an appraisal of donated materials, but receipts for donations are available upon request at the Circulation Desk.

Resource Sharing: The Morse Institute Library is a member of the Minuteman Library Network, whose network of public and academic libraries offer additional resources for Morse Institute Library users. Selection of materials for the library is done with regard towards the special strengths and the immediate availability of these other library collections. In the case of electronic collections, group cooperative purchases allow access to these products for all member libraries and their users.

Archives and Local History: A separate Special Collections Manual covers Archives and Local History collections.

III. Intellectual Freedom

The Morse Institute Library follows the guidance of the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read Statement. The Library showcases the diversity of its community by maintaining a robust and inclusive collection.

The Library’s collection is available to the public; however, it is not expected that the entirety of the collection will appeal to everyone. The Library supports the right of individuals to choose resources that they find suitable for themselves or their family members. The Library also upholds the right of every individual to obtain resources of interest, even if the content may be controversial, unorthodox, or unacceptable to some.

Requests for reconsideration: The Library recognizes that a diverse collection may result in some requests for reconsideration. In order to ensure that they are handled in a consistent manner, requests for removal of items from the collection must be made using the following procedure:

  • Natick residents may request reconsideration of any item in the Library’s collection by completing the Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials form (online or in print).
  • Completed requests are evaluated by the Library Director and by the appropriate professional staff. Incomplete requests will not be considered.

The Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials, and the Library Director’s written response to it, become a part of the public record. In the case of disagreement, a Natick resident may appeal a selection decision to the Library Board of Trustees.

Reconsideration of digital content in the Minuteman Library Network collection may be made via the MLN’s Request for Reconsideration form.

IV. Collection Maintenance

Deselection of library materials is necessary in order to provide easy access to relevant, current, and diverse information. Before being withdrawn from the collection, items are considered in accordance with the following guidelines (listed in alphabetical order):

  • Age
  • Condition
  • Number of copies in Minuteman Library Network
  • Number of copies owned by Morse Institute Library
  • Relevance

Approved by the Board of Trustees, Morse Institute Library January 8, 2013

Amended on October 2, 2019; Amended on October 11, 2022

Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials