Materials Selection Policy

Brooks Memorial Library Collection Development Policy

Selection process and criteria

It is the vision of the Brooks Memorial Library (the library) that all members of the community engage with the library to spark curiosity, enrich lives and achieve aspirations. To further this goal, the library provides free and open access to materials, resources and tools to advance individual and collective exploration and collects materials in accessible formats (print, non-print and electronic) to reflect the world at large.

More information on the library’s vision, mission, values, & plan is available on the library’s website.

Introduction & Purpose

The Collection Development Policy outlines the general considerations upon which the Brooks Memorial Library bases the selection of the materials for its collection and the guidelines used by the staff to establish specific criteria for acquiring materials.  There is a financial cost associated with every item in the collection, from processing and cataloging to an annual fee for inclusion in the online catalog, therefore staff weighs multiple considerations prior to each addition.

Library materials are selected for a wide variety of ages, abilities, and reading levels, based on public interest, educational opportunities, and entertainment, while reflecting a broad range of perspectives and opinions. Acquisition decisions are made by trained, professional staff: the Information Services Librarian, the Technical Services Librarian, the Youth Services Librarian, the Teen Services Specialist, and the Library Director.

The library serves as the center for individual, independent inquiry. Therefore, the library strives to build a collection representing multiple points of view that reflect the community’s varied people and history, including a diversity of race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, religion, and political beliefs and a diversity of authors, creators, and media.

The library’s collections reflect a commitment to intellectual freedom. Compliance with the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Vermont laws prohibiting discrimination in places of public accommodation shall underpin the practices and practical processes of maintaining the library’s collections. The library affirms the principles in the Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read Statement of the American Library Association.

The library does not voice particular beliefs or views, nor is the selection of any given item equivalent to endorsement of the viewpoint of the author expressed within. The library selects resources based upon the principle of open access to materials by all. Materials will not be marked or identified to show approval or disapproval of the contents, and no cataloged book or other item will be sequestered, except for the express purpose of protecting it from damage or theft.  Responsibility for a child’s reading and access to materials rests with the parents and/or legal guardians, and selection will not be influenced by the possibility that an individual’s parent or guardian may object. Materials are not excluded due to frank or controversial content. The selection process does not discriminate based on the demographics of the issuing body of the material.

Materials Selection Policy

Multiple factors determine what materials are included in the library’s collections: funding, space, staffing, and ongoing maintenance needs. Library staff weigh the following criteria when making collection decisions:

• Alignment with the library’s mission and strategic plan
• Review in a standard reviewing source and/or reviews and discussion in national newspapers and magazines, local publications, broadcast media, and reputable online sources.
• Community interests, demand, and suggestions
• Currency of content
• Representation by and of diverse individuals and groups
• Significance and relationship to the local community and State of Vermont
• Authority and qualifications of the creator(s), publisher(s), and/or producer(s)
• Price and availability
• Accessibility of format and content

The Board of Trustees, recognizing the varied backgrounds and needs of the community, supports the following considerations in materials selection:

INTEREST AND ACCESSIBILITY: The library’s collection reflects the recreational and cultural interests of the community by including standard works, classics, and popular, timely titles in fiction, nonfiction, media and electronic formats for a wide range of reading levels.

EDUCATION AND RESEARCH: The library facilitates the exploration of multiple viewpoints so that individuals may establish their own. To this end, the library provides materials representing a variety of approaches to a variety of topics.

The library recognizes its obligation to provide reference and research materials in response to questions and for continuing research. Such materials are accessible through the general collection, learning opportunities, databases, and special collections. Highly technical and academic, scholarly materials (including textbooks) are not generally collected unless specifically addressing local history or culture. Specialized materials can be procured through the robust interlibrary loan service.

The Library’s Archives and Special Collections focus on the history of the places currently known as Brattleboro, Windham County, and Vermont. They include unique materials, such as scrapbooks and hand-written documents, and published materials, such as books and government documents. Through cataloging and reference services, the library makes special collections available to the public while keeping them secure. The library accepts donations for special collections if they meet selection criteria and fill a collection need. Because of space limitations, the library cannot accept multiple copies of items that are already in the collection.

ENTERTAINMENT: The Library is committed to acquiring materials that are engaging, spark curiosity, and encourage the exploration of cultural and recreational pursuits.  The library encourages library users to recommend items for inclusion in the collection.

Suggested and/or donated materials, including self-published work, will be evaluated by library staff prior to being included in the library’s collection and must meet the library’s selection criteria. The library does not add privately made copies of published or produced works to the collection (e.g. photocopied texts or personally copied or recorded CDs or DVDs), nor does it accept printed copies of electronic files or documents for inclusion in the catalog.  Formats that will not withstand repeated circulation (e.g. zines, pamphlets, etc.) will not be processed or added to the catalog, with the exception of selected historical items that meet criteria for inclusion in the library’s special collections.

The library may provide access to subscription databases and shared online collections. The library may not have direct control over the inclusion or exclusion of specific titles within those shared collections. 

In accordance with 22 V.S.A. § 69, the Brooks Memorial Library adopts this collection development policy on January 13, 2026

The library remains committed to securing professional services, including legal counsel, as necessary to ensure that its collection development activities comply with the State and federal laws identified herein.

Adopted by the Board of Trustees upon third reading, January 2026