October 2024

General criteria for selection

Each type of material must be considered in terms of its own merit and intended audience. All selections, both purchases and donations, must meet some of the following criteria:

1. Appeal to the interests and needs of individuals in the community, including racial, ethnic, cultural groups
2. Accuracy, objectivity, or contemporary significance
3. Presentation of original thought or controversial point of view
4. Artistic excellence
5. Entertaining presentation
6. A format that is suitable for library use
7. Skill, competence, qualifications, or reputation of the author, artist, or publisher
8. Receipt of, or nomination for, major awards or prizes
9. Production quality of book and alternate format materials
10. Usefulness in meeting the needs of non-reading individuals and those with low reading abilities
11. The cost is reasonable considering the demand and the use it may receive from patrons
12. Available from a library or other reliable vendor
13. Essential for reference and research in serving library patrons

Format note:

The library collects materials in multiple formats, including print, audiovisual, and digital. E-content and print selectors do not coordinate purchasing efforts. We may buy a title in digital format that is not purchased in print (and vice versa) for a number of reasons. We try to cater to the needs of users of each format. Sometimes a title is not available to purchase digitally (or not available to purchase in print) and that is why we do not have it. Titles that have gone out of print in physical format, for example, may still be available to purchase digitally. A format may be retired when the use of that format dwindles below a certain threshold or equipment needed to use that format is not widely available.