Collection Development Policy
Statement of Principle on Intellectual Freedom
The Grosse Pointe Public Library acts and educates in defense of intellectual freedom – the rights of library users to read, seek information, and speak freely as guaranteed by the First Amendment. We value and protect an individual’s right to access, explore, consider, and express ideas and information as the basis for a self-governing, well-informed citizenry.
Intellectual freedom encompasses many areas, including issues of academic freedom, Internet filtering, and censorship. Grosse Pointe Public Library opposes any restrictions to access, which may include banned books, book burning and challenges to literature; censorship and self-censorship by authors, editors or library material selectors; and measures that diminish net neutrality.
Not only does Grosse Pointe Public Library oppose censorship of materials, but we are also proponents of the accessibility to materials without prejudice to every member of the community. As the digital world continues to evolve, libraries help ensure that people can access the information they need regardless of age, education, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, language, income, physical limitations or geographic barriers.
*This statement is attributed to and summarized from the Michigan Library Association’s Statement of Principle. For more information visit www.milibraries.org/intellectual-freedom.
Objective
The objectives of selection are to meet the educational, recreational, and cultural needs of the library’s service area.
Responsibility for Selection
Librarians shall select materials that will appeal to the various age and ability levels, education, social and emotional needs of the library’s users. The library director has final responsibility for selection and supervises selection procedures.
Selection Criteria
The Grosse Pointe Public Library is a popular materials library. The collection contains up-to-date print and non-print materials and focuses on retaining items with lasting appeal. The collection includes a wide range of materials in print and non-print formats. In addition to standard collections, the library also has special collections like book club bags, STEAM kits, and a tool collection.
The following criteria shall guide the selection of materials:
- Demonstrated and anticipated user needs
- Reputation, authority, and literary skills of the author
- Timeliness of topic
- Existence of reputable reviews in professional journals
- Existing holdings in subject area
- Consideration of budget and physical space
- Availability through interlibrary loan
- Librarian expertise
Above all, the selection process will place principle above personal opinion and reason above prejudice in the acquisition of quality materials
Approved 2022
Revised Version Approved by Library Board 7_23_2026
Selectors
The responsibility of material selection is delegated to the youth, teen, and adult librarians respectively. They are guided by the principles set forth in this policy and overseen by the library director.
Selection Aids
Reviewing sources for materials selection include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following publications: Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, and School Library Journal.
Patron’s Request for Materials
All requests from patrons for specific titles or subjects will be considered based on the selection criteria listed above. Items older than 2 years won’t be considered unless warranted by demand or relevant subject matter.
Local Author Submissions
Items written by local authors wishing to add them to the library’s collection must meet the basic selection criteria listed above. Books for adults and children will be considered. Some works, especially non-fiction works, may not be considered without accompanying professional reviews. The library can only accept physical copies (books, CDs, DVDS). We are not equipped to accept digital books, music, or films. Items added to the collection will be identified with a special “local” sticker and interfiled in the appropriate collection. Review copies become the property of the library. Materials not selected for the collection will be donated to the Friends of the GPPL book sale. Materials with low circulation will be withdrawn according to the library’s weeding criteria, listed below.
Local Authors & Artists Materials Donation
Print on Demand
Print on demand titles, even though available via mainstream distributors, will not be added unless they meet the library’s collection criteria.
Multiple Copies
The library recognizes the need to provide patrons materials in high demand on a timely basis. The staff aims to provide one copy for every three to four holds for popular print titles. For digital materials, extra copies are added based on cost and hold ratio.
Replacement of Materials
The Library does not automatically replace all materials withdrawn from the collection because of damage, loss or wear. In deciding whether to replace such materials, the staff will consider the following factors: number of copies, existence of adequate coverage of a field, current and higher quality titles on the topic, and demand for the particular title or subject. Every effort will be made to replace important titles.
Gifts
The same criteria used to select purchased items shall be applied to donations of gift materials.
The library can accept only such gifts as will justify their inclusion in the collection. Inclusion will be based upon patron interest, processing costs, and availability of shelf space. Gifts and donations that are not accepted for the collection will be sold, donated to other organizations, or discarded unless the donor requests return of the same.
Budget Impact
Funds are allocated annually to each service area and library departments must make purchases within these budget constraints
Access
Processing and shelving of materials shall in no way reflect a value judgment of the materials. There will be no labeling of any item or of its bibliographic record to indicate a particular point of view or bias. The Library assures free access to its holdings.
All patrons are free to select or reject for themselves any item in the collection. Individual prejudice about a particular item or type of material in the collection shall not preclude its use by others. Materials for youth are kept together to facilitate ease of use. Children are not limited to use of the youth collection and have access to the entire library.
Selecting Controversial Materials
The Library shall make available materials reflecting the widest diversity of views and expression, including those which are unorthodox or unpopular with a majority or minority group. Materials will not be proscribed or removed from the library because of partisan or doctrinal interests. In no case will materials be excluded from the library collection because of the race, nationality, religious views, personal history or political affiliations of the author.
The Library will not remove or restrict library materials solely because of frankness of language and content or because of the possibility that materials may inadvertently come into the possession of children. Parents or legal guardians are responsible for what their children are reading.
The Library Board of Trustees respects the diversity of beliefs and values within the community which it represents. A process exists for those individuals who may raise what they consider to be legitimate objections to the library materials selected for use in the public library.
Patron’s Request for Review of Materials
A library patron who verbally questions the inclusion of materials in the collection shall be referred to a librarian. The librarian will discuss any concern and will provide a verbal explanation of the library’s selection policy. If the concern cannot be resolved through discussion, the patron will be asked to complete the “Citizen’s Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials” form. Reconsideration request forms will only be accepted from library card holders or those eligible for a Grosse Pointe library card.
The Assistant Director will appoint two or more librarians to review the material in question. They will submit independent reports to the Assistant Director with a recommendation regarding the disposition of the material. The materials will remain in circulation until a final decision is made by the Assistant Director. The Assistant Director will notify the library patron of the decision in writing.
Citizens who are not satisfied with the response may request that the Director of Libraries review their request. The decision of the Director is final.
Artificial Intelligence
The library respects the intellectual property of human authors and creators. The library will make reasonable efforts not to purchase AI-generated content, or AI-generated audio editions of human-created works. AI-generated content inadvertently added to the collection will be labeled as such in the catalog record but will not be weeded unless it meets one or more criteria for weeding (poor circulation, damaged, superseded, etc.). AI-assisted content is permitted in the GPPL collection, subject to the same requirements and criteria as wholly human-authored works. AI-assisted content is work that is written by a human but for which the author uses AI tools to edit, refine, or error-check the work.
Approved 2022
Revised Version Approved by Library Board 7_23_2026
Fiction - Materials are chosen based on popularity, interest, literary merit, and lasting appeal. The library purchases fiction in many categories to satisfy a wide range of tastes.
Non-Fiction – The library’s non-fiction collection covers a broad range of subject areas. This general knowledge collection is kept as up-to-date and reliable as possible.
Youth Materials – Selectors choose items that foster the enjoyment of reading for families and children. The collection includes a wide range of knowledge, reading levels, and interests. The illustrations in books for young people are given as much critical attention as the literary quality of the writing.
Media – Media is evaluated based on the same criteria as printed materials. As new technologies develop, the library will assess the benefit and appropriateness of new formats for the library.
Digital Materials – Digital items such as eBooks and eAudiobooks will be selected using the same criteria as printed materials.
Online Databases – The library makes a variety of online resources available to patrons of all ages. They are intended to supplement and enhance the library’s collection. They are evaluated based on usefulness, ease of use, cost, and ability to meet patrons’ information needs.
Approved 2022
Revised Version Approved by Library Board 7_23_2026
Withdrawal of Library Materials
Materials added to the library collection, over time, may lose their value to the collection and library users. Library materials need to be continually evaluated for their usefulness and may be “de-selected” under the following guidelines:
- Materials are physically damaged or worn out
- Information contained in materials may be inaccurate or outdated
- Duplicated copies of titles may no longer be needed
- Materials have not circulated for a designated period of time
- Space limitations
Copyright
Copyright laws shall be obeyed with respect to the purchase and use of all library materials.
Library Law
Library materials and access to information are protected under the laws of the State of Michigan.
(See: Library Law Handbook: State Laws Relating to Michigan Libraries)
United States Constitution
The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the role of public libraries to ensure freedom of speech and expression as well as freedom to learn.
Approved 2022
Revised Version Approved by Library Board 7_23_2026
Tagged as: collection development policy, material selection
