City of Camarillo
LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Section: Library Board of Trustees Date Adopted: July 13, 2022 Last Amended:
Subject:Camarillo Public Library Collection Development Policy Number: 13.06 Page 1 of 4
PURPOSE
To acquire and retain materials available to the public in the Camarillo Public Library. This Policy acts as blueprint for our collection, guiding staff in decision-making regarding the selection, management, and preservation of the collection. It informs the public of the principles guiding our collection development, and it states the Library’s commitment to intellectual freedom and to providing information expressing a variety of viewpoints.
POLICY
A. Collection Development
The Camarillo Public Library (”Library”) provides a range of materials in a variety of print and non-print formats to meet informational, cultural, educational, and recreational needs and interests. The Library develops procedures for selecting, evaluating, re-evaluating, and withdrawing materials to ensure that the collection reflects all points of view on current and historical issues, and that materials are available in diverse media formats. The Library endeavors to provide a range of opinions, majority, and minority, on all subjects, and does not exclude materials based on the author’s or producer’s point of view. The Library also attempts to avoid collections that reflect inordinate responsiveness to a single point of view.
Individual use of Library materials is a private and personal matter. All patrons are free to reject for themselves materials of which they disapprove; no patron may restrict the freedom of use and access for others. Responsibility for the reading, listening and viewing of Library materials by minors rests with their parents or legal guardians and not with the Library staff. Selection of Library materials is not inhibited by the possibility that materials may come into the possession of children.
Books and materials are selected according to intrinsic merit, subject treatment, community interest and contribution to a balanced collection. No single standard of suitability can be applied in all cases. Materials are selected to present a variety of opinions on a subject and are judged as a whole rather than on isolated passages.
In compliance with AB 1825 passing in 2024, the California State Library requires us to adopt the following practices and to include the following statements in our public library collection policies:
1. The collection meets the broad and diverse interests of the community and respects both the library’s autonomy and their specific community needs.
2. The public library serves as a center for voluntary inquiry and the dissemination of information and ideas.
3. Library materials should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people, and should present diverse points of view in the collection as a whole.
4. The right of the public to receive access to a range of social, political, aesthetic, moral, and other ideas and experiences is acknowledged.
Adopted 07/13/2022
Amended
Policy 13.06
B. Special Collections
The Russell Fischer Business Collection (“RFBC”) was established in 2012 and offers and exemplary collection of business resources including books, magazines, reference materials and online resources for the purpose of benefiting the business community and residents of the greater Camarillo service area.
The Camarillo Public Library, in partnership with the Ventura County Genealogical Society, houses an extensive genealogy collection. The Ventura County Genealogical Society began collecting items in 1976. The collection includes journals, family histories and Camarillo and California related books. The collection is available for browsing in the library.
Camarillo Public Library’s Local History Collection features descriptive and historical materials about Ventura County. The collection includes historical information on the cities of Camarillo, Oxnard, Ventura, Moorpark, Simi Valley, and Port Hueneme, in addition to general information about the Ojai Valley and Channel Islands. Highlights include resources on the Chumash, the history of farming in Ventura County, Naval Base Ventura County (“NBVC”), and local sports and attractions. A miniature replica of the historic Camarillo Ranch House is on loan to the collection.
C. Reconsideration of Materials
The Library welcomes expression of opinion by patrons about the collection or individual titles but will be governed by this Policy in making additions and deletions.
Patrons who request the reconsideration of a Camarillo Public Library material(s) must submit their request in writing by completing and signing the Request for Reconsideration of Materials.
After review, the Camarillo Library Director or designee will communicate a decision and the reason for it, in writing, to the patron who initiated the request for reconsideration.
The Library endorses the American Library Association (“ALA”) Library Bill of Rights, the ALA Freedom to Read Statement and the ALA Free Access to Minors Statement and interprets these statements to include all the Camarillo Library materials regardless of format. Responsibility for the selection and removal of books and other materials resides with the Library Director, who may delegate that responsibility to staff.
The following steps will be used when an individual feels that further action is necessary to address concerns about a library resource. For the duration of this process, the material in question will remain in circulation in the library collection.
1. A concerned patron who is dissatisfied with earlier informal discussion will be offered a packet of materials that includes the Library’s mission statement, selection policy, reconsideration form, and the Library Bill of Rights.
Adopted 07/13/2022
Amended
Policy 13.06
2. Patrons are required to complete and submit a reconsideration form to the Camarillo Library Director.
3. The Camarillo Library Director, with appropriate professional staff, will review the reconsideration form and the material in question to consider whether its selection follows the criteria stated in the Collection Development Policy.
4. Within 15 business days, the Camarillo Library Director will make a decision and send a letter to the concerned person who requested the reconsideration, stating the reasons for the decision.
5. The decision of the Library Director is final.
C. Weeding
Library materials are owned by the City of Camarillo. Outdated books, books no longer of interest or in demand, or worn or damaged copies will be removed. Staff will make every effort to transfer unneeded items in usable condition to Library support groups, or a vendor specializing in discards and donations from libraries that provide revenue in return for surplus materials. Unneeded items transferred to the ownership of a Library support group may be sold to benefit the Library programs and services.
Attachment: Addendum A: Request for Reconsideration Form Adopted 07/13/2022
Amended
Policy 13.06
Addendum A: Request for Reconsideration Form
The City of Camarillo has established a Collection Development Policy, which includes a process to request reconsideration of library materials. Completion of this form is the first step in that request. If you wish to request reconsideration of a resource, please return the completed form to the Camarillo Public Library Director. Within 15 business days, the Library Director will send you a response stating the decision and reasons for the decision.
Name:
Address:
City State/Zip:
Phone:
Email:
Do you represent self? Or an organization?
Name of Organization (if applicable):
1. Resource on which you are commenting:
Book (e-book) Movie Magazine Audio Recording
Digital Resource Game Newspaper
Other(describe)
2. What brought this resource to your attention?
3. Have you examined the entire resource? If not, what sections did you review?
4. What concerns do you have about the resource?
5. Are there resource(s) you suggest which provide additional information and/or other viewpoints on this topic?
6. What action are you requesting the Camarillo Public Library to consider?