Policy for Materials Selection

The Board of Directors of the Newburyport Public Library has voted to adopt the American Library Association Library Bill of Rights, with the various attendant amendments, as the basis for the library's book selection policy. Copies of these documents may be had on request.

Responsibilities for all library policies is vested in the Board of Directors of the Newburyport Public Library. This Board delegates to the Head Librarian as its professional expert, authority to operate within the policies determined by the Board. This Board defends the principles of the freedom to read and declares that whenever censorship is involved, no item of library material shall be removed from the NPL unless under orders of a court of competent jurisdiction.

The Newburyport Public Library provides free library service to all MA residents. the library attempts to fill the informational, educational, cultural and recreational needs of its patrons and to this end seeks to provide materials old and new, classical and ephemeral, in many media. Purchases for the library are made on the basis of recommendations in professional and literary magazines, library journals, publishers, trade periodicals, newspaper review selections and recommendations from the public. The Newburyport Public Library collection seeks to offer the broadest available all recorded ideas for all people.

In the area of children's literature, it is the policy of Newburyport Public Library to leave to the parents the responsibility of determining what their children may view and read. Selection of materials for the adult and children's collections is not restricted by the possibility that children may obtain materials their parents consider inappropriate.

For in-library use only are the reference collection, a selection of basic information sources as well as supplemental sources on a wide variety of materials in both print and nonprint formats, the local history, archival paper materials and books. The Newburyport Public Library acknowledges a particular interest in and strength of its genealogy and local history collection, and in its works by local authors.  The purpose of this collection is to maintain as complete a record as possible of Newburyport's history.

In a free society, it is essential for all citizens to have access to all library material. Reaffirming the Newburyport Public Library's attention to this freedom and for reader's rights of privacy, the library will not disclose to anyone the names of, or other information regarding, readers, and will not identify materials called for or examined by them.

Donations

The Newburyport Public Library accepts donations of some materials excluding textbooks and very outdated encyclopedias. Newburyport Public Library staff will determine whether these materials can be added to either the main library collection or that at the branch. Should the donated materials not be needed for circulation, they will be offered for sale by the Friends of the Library.  Materials are kept when the library does not already own the item, when the library's copy is long overdue or not easily borrowed through the consortium, or as a multiple copy of a very popular title. When requested by the donor, receipts without dollar valuation, will be provided.

Donations of money are also accepted. They are deposited in a special account, "Friends of the library - Special Gifts". Such donations may be used to purchase specifically requested materials The Newburyport Public Library will make every attempt to comply with a donor's wishes regarding purchase (s) as long as they are in keeping with the selection policies of the library.

Weeding      

Items are regularly discarded from the library collection. Space, stack loads, the cost of replacement or mending, availability of materials throughout the consortium and the appearance of the collection are factors in the weeding process. Discards from the collection represent outdated items; items such as newspapers or magazines not practical to keep beyond a certain date; unusable or not useful duplicates; and items too worn for continued library use or repair. Materials withdrawn are removed from the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium database and are stamped discard or withdrawn; many discarded items are made available to the Friends of the Library (for the annual book sale).