Public Library Policies

Compilation of statements of written policies, contributed by various libraries.

"Covering governance and organizational structure, management policies, and services relating to customers, circulation, information, and groups, this comprehensive how-to addresses each major library area. Follow these guidelines to: create sound and legally defensible policies; customize policies appropriate to your library's specific mission, customers, and size using proven work forms; serve customers more effectively by updating, clarifying, and communicating new and revised policies; address needs of a changing customer base; create guidance and contingency plans for emergencies; and add details and enforcement procedures for as many situations as possible."--Page 4 of cover.

Drawing on two decades of original research conducted by the authors, as well as existing research about the intersection of public policy, political discourse, and public libraries, this book seeks to understand the origins and implications of the current standing of public libraries in public policy and political discourse. It both explains the complex current circumstances and offers strategies for effectively creating a better future for public libraries. The main message is that there is a pressing need for public librarians and other supporters of public libraries to be: Aware of the political process and its implications for libraries; Attuned to the interrelationships between policy and politics; and Engaged in the policy process to articulate the need for policies that support public libraries. The style is both scholarly and accessible to general readers, with the goal of being useful to students, educators, researchers, practitioners, and friends of public libraries in library and information science. It will also be usefull for those engaged in areas of public policy, government, economics, and political science who are interested in the relationships between public libraries, public policy, and political processes. Building upon the discussion of the key issues, the book offers proposals for professional, policy-making, and political strategies that can strengthen the public library and its ability to meet the needs of individuals and communities. The discussion and analysis in the book draw upon data and real world examples from the many studies that the authors have conducted on related topics, including libraries’ outreach to increasingly diverse service populations and efforts to meet community needs through innovative partnerships. As the intersection of politics, policy, and libraries has grown in importance and complexity in recent years, the need for a book on their interrelationships is long overdue.

This book represents an ongoing effort to fill the void in the library literature relating to collection development policies. The authors, whose experience each spans four decades as library educators and practitioners, created the book--as well as a forthcoming companion volume devoted to school libraries--to assist both library school students and professionals in the field in the compilation, revision, and implementation of collection development policies. Cutting edge trends such as digital document delivery and library cooperation are also covered. Furthermore, given the premise that a well-rounded policy reflects all activities concerning the collection management process--including the evaluation, selection, acquisition, and weeding of information resources--it is hoped that this work will also prove useful to non-librarians possessing some kind of stake in high quality library holdings, such as library board members, politicians, and administrators directly responsible for library operations, and institutional patrons.