General Principles

 The following general criteria are applied to the selection of print and non-print materials:  

1. Selection priority is given to those materials which are of proven and potential interest to the people served by the library as determined by circulation statistics, requests for titles and authors, “holds” on books and other measurable indicators.
2. Currency,  accuracy, and authenticity of information, quality of presentation, along with authority, reliability, and competence of the author will be considered critical factors in the decision to select materials for the collection. Due to space limitations, in-depth collections on any one topic cannot be realized. To the degree possible, the library seeks to acquire minimally a general overview of a topic, through general guides, biographical sources, with better known writings added as budget allows. The library does not seek to establish scholarly research collections in any area of study, and recognizes the need to use interlibrary loan for requests that are beyond the scope of the collection.
3. Consideration will be given to materials that fulfill the mission and service roles of the library as outlined above.  The service roles selected are believed to be reflective of community library use based on past practice and local library development.
4. To aid in determining the suitability, availability and relevance of library materials, the librarians will use reviews and content descriptions from professional library publications that specifically address applicability and relevance to library collections  in their reviews. These include but are not limited to:  Library Journal, Booklist, Publishers’ Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Horn Book.  Materials may also be acquired on the basis of popular demand, through bibliographies and “best” lists, and at the suggestion of patrons, provided the materials meet selection standards.
5. Generally one copy of an item will be acquired except where demand is great and the needs of the Forsyth community would be better served by acquiring multiple copies. Two copies of all Rebecca Caudill Award books are automatically purchased as are two copies of the most popular dvd titles. Specific decisions are based on the number of  local patron requests.
6. The library collects non-print materials in various media, including audio books in tape, CD and digital format, DVDs, story kits, online databases and CD-ROM programs. Non-print materials must adhere to the same standard of quality as printed materials.  While children’s titles on VHS continue to be purchased, adult titles are no longer acquired in VHS format.
7. Textbooks are neither purchased nor added to the collection. An exception may be made in cases where a textbook provides the only available source of information on a topic. The decision to purchase or include a textbook in the collection will be made on a case by case basis.
8. Efforts are made to provide materials that represent a range of viewpoints,  interests, interpretations and ideas.  The selection of an item does not imply the library’s endorsement of the opinions expressed by its creator, nor does failure to purchase a particular item imply disapproval. Representing a variety of  views is a primary goal of the collection.
9. The majority of materials in the collection are written or spoken in the English language.  Foreign language collections will consist mainly of audio materials for learning foreign languages and some fictional works to enhance use of the language.  Spanish, French, and German will comprise the greatest numbers of materials.
10.  No attempt is made to collect the complete works of any particular author/performer/creator.  The library will attempt to purchase complete sets of titles in a series whenever possible.
11. The library will make every effort to collect any and all materials concerned with the Village of Forsyth and the immediate surrounding area, its history, culture, families and architecture.  These will be purchased from any source from which such materials are available.
12.  Collection decisions will be primarily based on favorable reviews, and when possible, examination of the material for format, durability and price in relation to the total budget.