Goals & Objectives

1. To acquire and maintain popular materials of various media which:
   
   -Help people to know more about themselves and their world
   -Supplement formal study and encourage informal self-education
   -Stimulate thoughtful participation in the affairs of the community by giving access to a variety of opinions on matters of current interest
   -Support the educational, civic and cultural activities within the community
   -Aid in learning and improving job-related skills
   -Assist the individual to grow intellectually, spiritually and to enjoy life more fully
   -Meet the changing information needs and interests of the entire community
   
2. To provide access to all library materials:
   
   -To classify and catalog most purchased materials
   -To process all other materials using appropriate cataloging and/or identifying notations
   -To maintain all public catalogs according to standardized MARC format
   
3. To provide materials not available in the local library:
   
   -By interchange of materials between affiliated libraries within the System and through interlibrary loan using sources outside the local service area such as those accessed via Georgia On-Line Database.

Selection Criteria & Considerations

Factors to be considered in selecting and adding materials to the collection are:

•     Availability of funds and space
•     Relationship and importance to entire collection (including books of regional interest, by local authors, etc.)
•     Author's reputation, significance and authority as a writer
•     Content - accuracy, readability, literary merit, permanent value, etc.
•     Availability of material in the region, via interlibrary loan, etc.
•     Community interest and public demand. Students of all ages need to be considered; no textbooks as a rule.
•     Timeliness - books of current interest and best-sellers must be chosen in time to meet demand. Some duplication may be necessary.
•     Format - high standards of print, paper, binding and format are regarded in all selections, but selection should not be limited when usefulness is a deciding factor
•     A favorable review from a reputable source
  

Other Considerations

Each library should have a well-rounded core collection of fiction and nonfiction. Current periodicals are selected to expand upon these basic materials. They should cover a wide range of subjects and should reflect community interest and demand.

Highly specialized materials are not purchased, but are borrowed through interlibrary loan.

Religious materials should be of a general or historical nature and be non-proselytizing.

Medical materials purchased should be sound and contain basic information on such topics as hygiene, nutrition, health, and common diseases. Should be updated frequently as often as every three years.

Materials containing sexually explicit references will be selected under the same criteria as other library materials: i.e., on the basis of good reviews, community and collection needs, and budgetary and space limitations.

No attempt will be made to build a collection of textbooks, but they will be purchased when they are the best or only source of information on a subject.

If a book is not chosen for the Library's collection, it has been excluded because it does not measure up to the Library's standards, because the Library already has adequate coverage of the subject, or because of budgetary or space limitations.

Replacement of Materials

The library will not automatically replace all materials withdrawn because of loss, damage or wear. Decisions will be based on the following considerations:

•     Demand for specific title
•     Importance and value of specific title
•     Number of copies held
•     Existing coverage of the subject
  

Weeding

On a continuous basis, obsolete and unused materials are eliminated from the collection. Weeding is done by professional staff at the headquarters and by library managers assisted by the regional coordinator in affiliated counties.

Materials to be weeded include:

•     Those of poor content which are outdated or badly written
•     Those which no longer serve the purposes of the library - duplicates or "shelf-sitters"
•     Those in poor physical condition - dirty, worn, and badly bound or badly printed volumes.
  

* For more detailed information, please see: General Considerations.