Collection Development Policy

1. PURPOSE

1. On September 29, 2024, the California Governor signed AB 1825, the California Freedom to Read Act, into law. The purpose of the California Freedom to Read Act is to protect Californians’ First Amendment rights to ensure access to a wide range of materials in public libraries, particularly those that discuss race, gender identity, and sexual orientation. The City must formally adopt a proposed policy through a City Council action (Ed. Code §19802(a)(1)) to comply with AB 1825. Additionally, the law also requires the City to submit the adopted policy to the State Librarian (Ed. Code §19802(a)(1)).

2. The Signal Hill Public Library (Library) is dedicated to providing free and equal access to information, knowledge, independent lifelong learning, cultural enrichment, and the joys of reading for our diverse community.  The Signal Hill Public Library also has the responsibility to preserve the informational resources unique to the City of Signal Hill through its special collections.

100. The Collection Development Policy is one of the Library’s fundamental policy documents.

500. The purpose of the Collection Development Policy is to serve as a guide for Signal Hill Public Library staff in regard to collection development, management, and selection of materials. It defines what comprises the collection, specifies the types of materials that are included, and explains the basis for making collection management decisions. The policy also serves to inform the public about the library’s collection and the principles that govern the selection process.

5. The goals and objectives stated in this policy will serve as a blueprint for the City’s collection, guiding staff decision-making regarding the collection, development, management, and selection of materials under budgetary and space limitations.

6. The Library will continuously work to curate a collection representing a wide array of people, cultures, ideas, and experiences. The process of curating, maintaining, and providing a diverse and equitable collection is an ongoing process that is considered during all aspects of collection management. The Collection Development Policy ensures that over time, the Signal Hill Public Library’s collection will remain on course and reflect the needs of Signal Hill’s community, while creating unique experiences of meaning and inspiration for the individual patron.

7. The California State Law AB 1825, passed in 2024, requires the following statements to be included in public library collection development policies.  In support of the Library’s mission, the Library endorses and has adopted the following statements used as guidelines for the development of the Library collections.

1. Establish a process for community members to share their concerns regarding library materials and to request that library materials be reconsidered for inclusion in the library’s collection.” (Ed. Code §19802(a)(1)(A).)

2. Guide the selection and deselection of library materials.” (Ed. Code §19802(a)(1)(B).)

3. Acknowledge that the public library’s collection meets the broad and diverse interests of the community and respect both the library’s autonomy and their specific community needs. (Ed. Code §19802(a)(1)(C).)

4. Establish that the public library serves as a center for voluntary inquiry and the dissemination of information and ideas.   (Ed. Code §19802(a)(1)(D).)

5. Acknowledge that library materials should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people, and should present diverse points of view in the collection as a whole.  (Ed. Code §19802(a)(1)(E).)

6. Acknowledge the right of the public to receive access to a range of social, political, aesthetic, moral, and other ideas and experiences. (Ed. Code §19802(a)(1)(F).)

2. COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND SCOPE

1. The primary responsibility of the Library is to provide a broad and diverse choice of materials to meet the informational, educational, cultural, and recreational needs of the community. Therefore, the Library’s collection is reviewed on an ongoing basis to meet current needs in varying formats to acknowledge the importance of books and newer technology as sources of valuable information. This policy supports the Library’s goals as outlined below:

1. Provide popular materials
2. Promote lifelong learning, exploration, discovery, and enrichment
3. Support diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility
4. Provide a space for community gathering

1. Patron use is one of the most powerful influences on the Library’s collection. Circulation, patron purchase requests, and hold levels are all closely monitored, influencing the purchase of new items and additional copies of high-demand items.

2. Inherent in the collection development process is an appreciation for each patron of the Signal Hill Public Library of all age groups. The Library provides materials to support all patrons and does not prioritize one patron’s needs or preferences over another’s. The Library upholds the right of the individual to access information, even though the content may be controversial, unorthodox, or unpopular with the majority.

100. Materials for children and teenagers are intended to broaden their vision, support recreational reading, encourage and facilitate reading skills, supplement their educational needs, stimulate and widen their interests, lead to recognition and appreciation of literature, and reflect the diversity of the community. The reading and viewing activity of children is ultimately the responsibility of parents, legal guardians, or caregivers who guide and oversee their own child's development. The Signal Hill Public Library does not intrude on that relationship, and the Library does not serve in loco parentis.

500. Selection of library materials and resources is the responsibility of the professional staff of the Signal Hill Public Library. Other staff members and the public may recommend materials for consideration. Library management retains the authority to reject or select any item contrary to the recommendations of the staff.

5. To support an informed public, the collection shall represent diverse points of view, and may include materials that some members of the public consider to be controversial in nature. The Library will provide free and equitable access to library collections to all users. In selecting materials, library staff will use professional reference resources, judgment, knowledge and experience to select these materials, and will proactively solicit advice from, as well as anticipate the needs and interests of, the community.

3. COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

1. The selection of any material or resource does not constitute an endorsement by the Library, City of Signal Hill, or its staff.

2. The Library recognizes that many materials and resources may be controversial.

100. Selection decisions are guided by the merits of the work, collection needs, and interests of a diverse collection which can support the roles of the library as a reference center, learning center, educational center, and community center for the City’s diverse community.

500. Selection decisions are not influenced by the possibility that material may be accessible to children. Responsibility for children's use of library materials and resources lies with their parents, legal guardians, or caretakers.

5. The Library selects materials of varying complexity, media, and format because it serves a public that includes a wide range of ages, educational backgrounds, interests, sensory preferences, and reading skills. When staff reviews and selects materials for purchase, they consider the needs of the entire community.

6. The Library may select materials that are to be used in the Library only. 

7. Library materials will not be marked or identified to show approval or disapproval of the contents and nothing will be sequestered except to protect it from theft or damage.

8. Each type of material must be considered in terms of its own merits and its intended audience. A single standard does not apply to all acquisition decisions; therefore, some material may be chosen to fulfill recreational needs of the community, while others may be selected because of their artistic merit, scholarship, or value to humanity.

1. Library materials that experience high-demand may or may not meet the general and specific criteria contained in this policy. Volume and nature of patron requests are a serious consideration for selectors. Additionally, as the community’s social and intellectual climate changes, materials not originally recommended for purchase may become of interest.

10. Materials donated to the Library are not automatically added to the collection. These items are reviewed by Library staff according to the selection criteria. The Library may add works produced by authors, printers, or publishers with Signal Hill connections that meet the purpose and objectives of this policy.

4. SELECTION CRITERIA

5. PATRON RECOMMENDATIONS AND REQUESTS

6. MAINTENANCE OF LIBRARY MATERIALS

7. COLLECTION MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW

8. RESPONSIBILITY FOR COLLECTION MANAGEMENT

9. CRITERIA FOR WEEDING AND WITHDRAWAL

1. Damage or poor condition
2. Number of copies in the collection
3. Relevance to the needs and interests of the community
4. Current demand and frequency of use
5. Accuracy and timeliness
6. Lack of local interest
7. Relevance to Signal Hill Public Library’s research collections
8. Availability elsewhere, including other libraries and online
9. Deemed to be of an enduring nature
10. Availability of improved or newer editions
11. Space availability
12. Outdated or harmful representations of groups of people

1. Curatorial or environmental requirements exceed the resources of the Library
2. Legal restrictions, possession of a valid title, the donor’s intent, along with any other considerations associated with its bequeathal
3. Relevance to the scope of the special collections

1. Number of copies in area libraries
2. Existence of adequate coverage of the subject
3. Demand for the specific title or for material in that subject area
4. Existence of a newer format as a replacement

10. COLLECTION AUDITS

11. GIFTS AND DONATIONS

12. SCOPE OF THE LIBRARY

13. SCOPE OF THE ONLINE COLLECTION

14. SCOPE OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

15. REQUESTS FOR RECONSIDERATION

1. The Signal Hill Public Library recognizes that at any given time, some materials may be deemed inappropriate or offensive by patrons. Selection of materials is based on the principles stated in this policy. Materials will not be identified to show approval or disapproval. No materials will be sequestered except to protect them from damage or theft.

2. The Library believes that censorship is purely an individual matter and declares that while anyone is free to reject for themselves books and other materials that they do not approve of, they cannot exercise this right of censorship to prevent other people from reading or using other library materials. The Signal Hill Public Library adheres to and supports the American Library Association Bill of Rights, the American Library Association Freedom to Read Statement, and the American Library Association Freedom to View Statement (See Appendices A, B, and C, respectively).

100. Responsibility for supervising children’s use of the Library and Library materials rests with parents or legal guardians. At no time will the Library staff act in loco parentis. The selection of Library material will not be inhibited by the possibility that materials may come into the possession of children.

500. Patrons requesting that an item be moved or withdrawn from the Signal Hill Public Library collection must complete a “Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials” form, a sample of which is included in the Appendix of this policy. Patrons must reside in the City of Signal Hill to have their request considered, and only one request per patron will be considered at a time. The request for reconsideration will be acknowledged in writing by the City Librarian within thirty (30) business days. The City Librarian will assign a panel of staff members to evaluate the item in question. Review will be completed in no more than thirty (30) business days of the initial request for reconsideration. The panel’s recommendations will be considered, and the Library Director’s final decision will be mailed or emailed to the patron. Once a title has been considered, it will not be reviewed again for a period of two (2) years.

This policy replaces any previous policy regarding collection development.  Reviewed by City Attorney’s Office December 30, 2025.  Implemented January 27, 2026.