The Collections Management Policy establishes guidance, within budgetary and space limitations, for the selection, de-selection and management of materials which meet the needs and interests of the Thunder Bay community. It reflects the Library's values and defines the scope and standards for the Library collection. Thunder Bay Public Library is committed to continual assessment and improvement and adapts its collections to reflect relevant, diverse, and emerging areas of interest and concern.

The ultimate responsibility for the Library's collections lies with the CEO acting in accordance with the general policies established by the Library Board. In practice, this authority is delegated to the Collection Development Librarian.

Given the diverse nature of the community which the Library serves, it is possible that any given item may be regarded as offensive by some persons on racial, political, religious or moral grounds. However, if the Library is to fulfill its obligation to the community as a whole, it must provide a balanced collection or materials which represent varied points of view, including those of a controversial nature. The presence of an item in the Library collection does not indicate an endorsement of its contents by the Library.

The Library Board, in establishing a Collections Management Policy, was cognizant of the Constitution Act, 1982, Part 1, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Section 2b, which guarantees everyone the following fundamental freedoms; freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication. TBPL endorses the Position Statement on Intellectual Freedom and Libraries adopted by the Canadian Federation of Library Associations in 2016 and the Statement on the Intellectual Rights of the Individual adopted by the Ontario Library Association in 1998. At the same time, other considerations, such as the current strategic directions of the TBPL may override this statement, particularly with regards to children's books. Responsibility for selection policy lies with the Library Board. The Board delegates to the CEO or designate the authority to interpret and guide the application of this policy.

The CEO or designate may authorize other staff to utilize this policy in developing the Library collections.

All staff working in collection management.

Selection

Items are elected:

• to meet the recreational needs and interests of the community
• to enrich human understanding by celebrating the diversity of our community through inclusion of various cultural, ethnic, religious and philosophical backgrounds
• to educate and support lifelong learning
• to recognize and accommodate a range of education levels and abilities
• to inspire a love of reading, learning and creativity
• to collect and preserve materials which illustrate the growth and development of the City of Thunder Bay, that celebrate its history and heritage or that pertain in whole or in part to activities within the geographic boundaries of the City of Thunder Bay and region

Criteria for Selection of Materials:

• suitability of physical and/or digital form for library use
• relation to existing collections and other materials on a subject
• accessibility of materials in other libraries, for free via the internet, or from other easily and freely accessible resources
• interests and composition of the community
• popular and/or anticipated demand and current trends
• attention of critics, reviewers, and the public
• quality, clarity, comprehensiveness and scientific accuracy of the work
• reputation, skill, competence and purpose of the originator of the work
• special value as a contribution to social questions and problems of continuing or topical interest
• timeliness or permanence of the work
• availability of funds and space
• balance of viewpoints in the collection including those considered extreme or minority
• self-published materials are acquired when they meet standard

selection criteria and are readily available via designated vendors

• local significance of the author and/or content

Organization and Accessibility

 The Library makes its collection accessible by:

• not restricting physical access except for the express purpose of protecting an item from damage or theft. Library customers of all ages shall have open access to all the Library's collections
• Determining and adapting methods for classification and organization of materials which best suit the needs of the community and which respect the culture, age and demands of various users
• Contributing to the Interlibrary Loan system to provide for difficult to source materials and support of same

Deselection and Collection Maintenance

Collection Maintenance Guidelines are available for guidance for staff and the public on the maintenance and pruning of the collection. These are regularly updated in order to maintain the collection's currency, appearance, and relevancy and to enable ongoing additions of newer material and a balanced collection.

The following criteria may be considered in the de-selection process:

• Newer edition available
• Out of date or inaccurate information
• Physical condition of the item The item is worn, soiled, or damaged
• Circulation data indicates that the item is little used, is likely to be unused in the future or may be better utilized at another location
• Overabundance of an item or subject as interest wanes
• Item has been challenged by community members or other agencies such as authors, publishing companies and foundations, and the challenge has been deemed valid Item is considered to be inconsistent with TBPL values, vision, purpose and strategic direction

These criteria may not be equally relevant for all collections. For example the Local History collections are exempt from standard deselection decisions as the scope is broader and the intent is to preserve and make available local works and material about the City and region.

Materials withdrawn from the Library will be handled according to the Withdrawn Materials

Request for Removal of Items

 TBPL recognizes the right of individuals to express opposition to author or artists' ideas or to their creative expression in items selected by the Library. While people have the right to reject for themselves items of which they do not approve, they do not have the right to restrict the freedom of others to use these items. TBPL is a resource where many points of view and modes of expression can be examined without hindrance. No ideas or opinions have universal acceptance and the use of language or visual depiction, either descriptive or expressive, can in itself stimulate controversy.

TBPL complies with any law enacted at the federal, provincial or municipal level, and therefore does not collect or maintain items which have been judged obscene or pornographic, or have been banned by the courts. The relevant sections of the Criminal Code of Canada are: sedition, hate propaganda and obscenity.

The presence of an item in the collection does not indicate an endorsement of its contents by TBPL, but rather is an affirmation of the principle of intellectual freedom as embodied in the Canadian Federation of Library Associations' Position Statement on Intellectual Freedom and Libraries.

The following will not cause an item to be automatically included or excluded from the collection:

• race, religion, nationality or political views of an author
• frankness or coarseness of language
• controversial content
• endorsement or disapproval of an individual or group
• language in which the work is written or spoken

If a patron feels that an item in our collection falls outside the criteria outlined in this policy, they are invited to complete a Statement of Concern about Library Materials.