NBPL 2

The Library seeks to provide breadth and depth within the collection, various points of view, and differing formats. The Library endeavors to balance materials of permanent value with those of current interest. Materials are selected based on their content as a whole, not on selected excerpts. Race, nationality, or political, social, moral, or religious views of an author will not affect the selection of materials. Inclusion of an item in the Library’s collection does not mean the Library staff, Board of Library Trustees, or the City of Newport Beach endorses the contents, views, or objectives expressed in that item.

Collection Objectives

It is the intent of the Board of Library Trustees (“Board”) that the Newport Beach Public Library provides a contemporary, relevant collection of resources in order to meet the informational, educational and recreational needs of the entire community. The Library strives to meet these needs within the limitations of space, budget, and availability of items.

Selection is based on merit of the work; value of the work within the collection; and the needs and interests of the community. Consideration is given to specific types of material; to materials for specific age groups; to materials for special interests of patrons; and to differing formats of materials. These selection criteria will apply equally to materials purchased and to those accepted as gifts.

With respect to the Library’s children’s collection (the “Children’s Collection”), the desire of the Board and Library staff is to curate a Children’s Collection that serves the informational, educational, social, spiritual, and emotional learning needs, development, and recreational reading requirements appropriate for child patrons (through sixth grade) within the City of Newport Beach.

Responsibility of Selection

Ultimate responsibility for materials selection rests with the Library Services Director (“Director”), who operates within the framework of policies determined by the Board. The Director delegates the major responsibility of materials selection to the Librarians on staff.

The responsibility for material selection for the Children’s Collection ultimately rests with the Director, however, it is the desire of the Board that there be a staff member appointed as the Children’s Collection Coordinator (the “Coordinator”).  The Coordinator is responsible for developing proposed lists of materials for procurement for the Children’s Collection (“the Proposed List”) prior to acquiring any materials for the Children’s Collection. Each Proposed List will be provided to the Director for review and approval. Material that is on controversial topics must be read by the Director or Coordinator to determine whether or not they belong in the Children’s Collection prior to being put into circulation. In addition to the Director’s objective professional opinion and the criteria in this Policy, the Director will also take into account independent book reviews (i.e. non-paid reviews), literary awards and patron demand and interest. Once the Director approves items on a Proposed List, the Coordinator may proceed with procuring the Approved Materials.

For purposes of the Children’s Collection, the term “controversial topics” means material that addresses (either in written or illustrative form) material that may not be considered age appropriate, such as: violence, sexual relationships, and/or gender identity.

Guidelines for Materials Selection

Collection Development is based on these specific criteria:

• Community needs, interests, and demands
• Significance and compatibility of the work to the collection
• Recommendations of reviews from professional journals or publications of national repute
• Reputation and qualifications of the author, illustrator, publisher, or producer
• Availability of other information on the subject
• Literary, artistic, historical, scientific, or intellectual merit
• Suitability of format
• Author or creator already has popular works in the collection
• Significance of the author’s work to the Newport Beach area
• Suitability of subject and style to intended audience

The importance or weight of each of these factors will vary from one acquisition to another, others may be considered, and materials for adults, teens and children will each be judged differently. Additional guidelines for selection of children’s materials include the following:

• Subject matter is age appropriate, which is defined as material that is suitable to particular ages or age groups of children and adolescents, based on developing cognitive, emotional, and behavioral capacity typical for the age or age group. Further, for purposes of the Children’s Collection, the determination of whether or not material is “age appropriate” will not be based solely on reading level (e.g. whether a third party review has determined it appropriate for third through eighth grades) as such a broad age range does not take into account the fact that children have reached varied social and emotional maturity levels at different stages, nor does it take into consideration whether there is an alternative work on the same subject matter that may be more consistent with this Policy.
• Illustrations (visual literacy) should be age appropriate and evaluated just like the written word. Moreover, children’s books containing sexually graphic or violent pictures should be closely evaluated to determine whether there is a better alternative on the same subject matter absent such illustrations.
• Consideration is given to the need, contribution, and suitability of the material with regard to the informational, educational, social, spiritual, and emotional development of children.
• Take into consideration the varied interests, abilities and maturity levels of the children served.

The Children’s Collection should reflect diverse points of view and the materials purchased should create a balanced approach. For controversial topics, effort should be made to select material that is most age appropriate and the Coordinator along with the Director should review these materials prior to purchase or in the case of pre-purchase ordering once the material is received prior to placing it in circulation to determine whether or not it is consistent with the current Policy.

Patrons making requests that items be added to the permanent collection will be referred to the “Suggest a Title” form located on the Library’s website. Suggestions from Library patrons are encouraged and receive serious consideration.

Third Party Vendors

There is a preference for independent objective vendors. Any third party vendor contracted by the Library must be provided a copy of this Policy and contractually required to abide by the terms herein (meaning, this Policy will be attached to and incorporated into any contract for the provision of collection materials). Further, the Director will provide the Board with drafts of the staff’s request for proposals prior to them being sent out as well as copies of all responses. No binding contracts will be executed without the Board’s review of the vendor being contracted and the terms and conditions contained in such agreement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein with respect to third party contracting, contracting with third party vendors shall comply with all laws applicable to local public agencies related to contracting for services including Newport Beach City Council’s Policy F-14.

Library Displays, Programming, and Prizes

Children’s displays, programming, and prizes will follow the guidelines in this Policy. If the Director wants to deviate from this Policy, they will first present any such proposed deviation to the Board for approval.

Reciprocal Lending

Many items which are not in the collection are available to Library patrons, through established interlibrary loan practices. Concurrently, the Library participates in universal borrowing, established by the California Library Services Act, Article 4, California Education Code Section 18731, which states, “A California public library may participate in universal borrowing. A public library participating in universal borrowing shall not exclude the residents of any jurisdiction maintaining a public library.” This allows Newport Beach Public Library patrons direct access to materials housed in other participating public libraries in Orange County and throughout the State of California.

Patron Rights

The Library believes that the use of library materials is an individual and private matter. Parents and caregivers have the primary responsibility to guide and direct the use of library materials by the minor children under their care and supervision.

In support of the above principles, in general the Library endorses the Library Bill of Rights and The Freedom to Read Statement as adopted by the American Library Association Council.

Library patrons with concerns about a specific title in the collection shall be provided with a copy of this Policy and asked to complete the "Patron’s Request for Evaluation of Library Resources" form, Attachment I to this Policy.

Library staff shall evaluate the material, based on this Policy. A recommendation shall be forwarded to the Director who shall respond in writing to the patron (“Director’s Decision”). Once the Director has made the Director’s Decision, copies of the Patron’s Request for Evaluation of Library Resources and the Director’s Decision shall be provided to the Board at its subsequent regular meeting. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Policy, any materials in the Children’s Collection or Teen Collection considered not age appropriate by the Director will be relocated to another Library location or the Director may take other actions pursuant to the Collection Maintenance section in this Policy. If a patron disagrees with the Director’s Decision, the patron may appeal to the Board for final resolution. The appeal shall be filed on the “Application for Appeal of Evaluation of Library Resources to the Board of Library Trustees” (“Appeal Application”), and the Board’s final resolution shall be determined in accordance with the “Procedures for Patron’s Appeal of Evaluation to the Board of Library Trustees” (“Procedures”). The Appeal Application and the Procedures are set forth in Attachment II to this Policy.

The Board also has the right to call for review of any material contained in the Library and request the Director and/or any staff member to participate in its review.

Donations

The Library only accepts materials in useable condition. All donations become the sole property of the Newport Beach Public Library upon receipt and cannot be returned. The Library reserves the right to decide whether donated items are added to the collection and to determine the conditions of display, storage, and access.

All donated materials added to the collection must meet the same collection criteria as purchased materials. Donated items not added to the collection are given to the Friends of the Newport Beach Public Library for sale in their bookstore. Proceeds from the Friends of the Library Bookstore directly benefit the Library.

Collection Maintenance

The Library and the Director are continually evaluating the collection and, on their own initiative, may take actions with respect to the collection based on this Policy.

To maintain the quality and relevance of the collection, the Library regularly withdraws materials that are worn, outdated, superseded or obsolete. Space limitations require that duplicate copies no longer in demand also be withdrawn.

As materials become worn, damaged, or lost, replacement will be based on whether or not:

• The item is still available
• There is an ongoing demand or need
• Another item or format might better serve the same purpose
• Updated, newer, or revised materials would better replace a given item
• Another library system could better provide the item or a comparable item in the future

[Attachment I – Patron’s Request for Evaluation of Library Resources]

[Attachment II – Application for Appeal of Evaluation of Library Resources to the Board of Library Trustees and Procedures for Patron’s Appeal of Evaluation of Library Resources to the Board of Library Trustees]

Adopted - October 22, 1990

Amended - October 28, 1991

Amended - January 24, 1994

Reassigned - April 8, 2003

Corrected (Att. II) – October 10, 2006

Revisions Approved – November 16, 2010

Amendments Approved by City Council – September 27, 2011

Amended – August 20, 2018

Formerly I-16

Amended – August 17, 2020

Amended – August 15, 2022

Amended – September 18, 2023

Amended – October 16, 2023

Amended - January 16, 2024

Reviewed - May 20, 2024

Amended - June 17, 2024

This Policy will be periodically reviewed by the Board of Library Trustees on the first to occur of (i) as circumstances may require or (ii) every two years from the date of adoption, last amendment, or last review. Adopted, last amended, or last reviewed on June 17, 2024.