NON-PRINT AND OTHER COLLECTIONS
Video Recordings
Overview: Materials in audio-visual are collected in order to provide the community with a diversity of informational, educational and recreational options in this powerful and popular format. The available format of these materials will change as technology and marketplace preferences change. The Library aims to provide materials in an audio-visual format that are informational and culturally important. The physical format to this material may change over time, so selection is based on content, rather than the system of delivery. Currently the Library prefers to purchase material in DVD formats, but continues to loan VHS tapes while they are still useful.
Selection Criteria for Resources for Subject Areas: In addition to the “General Selection Criteria” established for all materials, the staff will apply the following criteria in determining selections for the video recording collections that serve needs that are oriented to specific subject areas:
The subject of the production appeals to a significant constituency of patrons in the community, or provides information in a subject area for which there are recurring requests that are compatible with the formally adopted roles of the Library; and,
- The quality and authoritativeness of the production is at least satisfactory, based on reviews when available or, in the case of unreviewed works, on the reputation of the publisher and with due consideration for the range of materials available in this format on a given subject.
- The title is an important example of genre, era, style of film, or represents popular culture. It is a major contribution in the history of film or television based on reviews, awards, and critical recognition over time.
Scope for Resources for Subject Areas: Video recording collections can in theory encompass a range of subjects as broad as the non-fiction print collection. However, because of the size of the collection, and the funds available for it, coverage is highly selective and heavily based on patron interest and the criteria outlined above. Emphasis is placed on productions that are primarily educational, informational or cultural, with the limitation that “instructional courses”—multi-part works with in-depth instruction comparable to what would be provided in formal school coursework—are not acquired. The collection includes video recordings for all age groups.
Selection Criteria: Reviews of video recordings in the areas of interest to the Library are frequently unavailable. When available, they are relied on. Generally, however, the staff must make selections based on their knowledge of video recording producers; or when the item is subject oriented, on the reputation of the individual or organization creating or producing the work. When the staff does not have reviews or knowledge of the publisher to aid in the process, selections must sometimes be made based almost entirely on the need for materials in a given area. While it is recognized that this is not the ideal method,
it is necessary to maintain a broad subject base in the collection, given the current state of the video recording marketplace and the lack of reviews.
Selection Criteria for Film, Theatrical Works and Television Productions: In addition to the “General Selection Criteria: established for all materials, the staff will apply the following criteria in determining the Library’s selection among films and movies in the video recording formats:
- Within the limits of a selective collection: a) based on awards, reviews and critical recognition, the title is an important work in the history of film or television, or represents a significant genre or style of film or the work of a significant actor, producer or director; b) the title adds to a collection of quality films selected for their long-term value as entertainment with determination for selection based on reviews, awards and honors, and staff evaluation of continuing viewing interest among patrons, or c) over time the work has been elevated in status by popular acclaim or representative of popular culture.
- For television productions, the work is considered to be high quality, is judged to be of probable enduring interest, or is a significant contribution in the history of television; and, for theatrical works, the filmed version has high production values both in sound and cinematography, and represents the original work in both performances and filming.
Scope for Films, Theatrical Works and Television Production: In these formats, the goal of the Library is to build collections that would provide an interested patron with the opportunity to explore the history of film, film genres, television and theater, and to draw on a collection of quality films for personal and family entertainment. At the same time, however, the Library strives to add to the total range of materials available in the community, and provide access to titles that have become clearly established as valuable contributions to the history of film or television, or are of demonstrated continuing long-term interest for viewers in the general public. Accordingly, selection among feature film and documentary titles that have had wide commercial release in theaters will favor those that have been available for a minimum of two years, or those that have a production date at least two years prior to purchase. (Revised April 28, 2009; revised November 19, 2013)
Special efforts may be made to acquire DVDs that include supplementary or documentary information. The Library will also favor video recording versions that include closed-captioning for the hearing impaired, provides supplementary material that enriches and educates, and provides captioning or audio-tracks in different languages.
Selection Criteria: Video recordings in the areas of film, theatrical and television productions are selected based on reviews, on evaluation of awards and recognitions, on the place the work has in the history of film, television or theater and on staff evaluation of long-term interest as entertainment for the general public served by the Library.
MPAA Ratings and TV Parental Guidelines: The Library does not itself rate or label video recordings based on content. However, the Library views ratings assigned by the Motion Picture Association of America and by broadcast and cable stations using the TV Parental Guideline system as valuable information intended to assist viewers in making selections for their own use. Generally the MPAA rating for a commercially released film is indicated on its cover. However, films produced before ratings were introduced or films the Motion Picture Association of America did not rate are generally identified with the words “Not Rated” on the cover. Further, special features included on some DVDs of commercially released films are also not rated. The Library provides no additional labeling on such unrated items.
Indications of TV Parental Guidelines ratings assigned by broadcast and cable networks are less consistent especially for television productions prior to 1997. To assist patrons in making selections among such unrated materials that are appropriate for their personal preferences, the Library will make patrons aware, through signage and publications, of a variety of print and website sources that provide information, when available, about individual productions and series. The Library will also make patrons aware of the availability of staff members to directly assist them in accessing such information while they are in the branch and as they make their selections. Consistent with the effort, the Library will make patrons aware of the availability of TV Parental Guideline information. The Library will also make available to patrons information regarding the meaning of the rating codes used by the Motion Picture Association of America and other similar national or international codes when available, and for TV Parental Guidelines. The Library provides no additional labeling on items for which TV Parental Guidelines rating cannot be identified or labeling to supplement assigned ratings.
Revised April 2005; revised April 2006; revised January 24, 2012; revised November 19, 2013
Video Recordings for Children and Young Adult Collections
The purposes for collecting videocassettes and DVDs for the Children’s and Young Adult collections are consistent with those used as the basis for these items in the Adult Collections. As with print material, the purpose of the Children’s and Young Adult video recording collections is to serve the informational, educational and recreational needs of patrons in these age groups. However, materials in this format are also collected because of their wide appeal, the unique information they make available and their ability to convey information through a medium that supports well the learning styles and developmental needs of children and young adults.
The “Selection Criteria” and “Scope for Resources” for subject area video recordings for Children and Young Adult remain identical to those established in the general policy for items in these formats. The criteria for subject area resources in this format are modified only to specify that all items selected will be appropriate to the age groups served by the collection into which they are cataloged.
For the “Selection Criteria for Film, Theatrical Works and Television Productions,” the following criteria are added to the “General Selection Criteria” established for all materials, and will be applied by the staff when selecting films and movies in the video recording format for the Children’s and Young Adult Collections:
- The title is determined to be appropriate, in terms of visual images, level of language and sophistication of information and presentation, for the age group served by the collection into which it is to be cataloged. Appropriate ages are from pre-school to age 12 for the Children’s collections, and age 13 through 16 for the young adult collection; and,
- Within the limits of a selective collection,
a) the title is widely recognized as a classic or standard work for the age group or, in the case of a title for which multiple versions are available in film formats, is recognized as notable in terms of quality of production, performances or authenticity to the original source;
b) the work is of at least satisfactory overall quality and is judged to be of wide and probable enduring interest to the age group of patrons for which it is intended; or,
c) the title is judged to be a significant contribution to the history of television production for children or young adults and is judged to be of probable enduring interest to patrons in these age groups.
Scope for Films, Theatrical Works and Television Productions: The Library’s goal is to build collections that provide young patrons and their parents with a wide opportunity to explore the world of information and enjoy entertainment and recreation through works created specifically for children and young adults in the powerful and popular video recording formats. It is also a goal of the Library to provide patrons with an opportunity to examine the history of film, television and theater specifically produced for children and young adults. This means seeking out quality material that is produced both for commercial outlets and for television, with special consideration given to those items that add to the total range of materials available for these age groups in the community.
To advance these goals, selection of video recordings for the Children’s and Young Adult collections will emphasize quality, but will also take account of popularity and patron demand.
Accordingly, selection among feature film and documentary titles that have had wide commercial release in theaters will favor those that have been available for a minimum of two years, or those that have a production date at least two years prior to purchase.
Revised April 28, 2009; revised January 11, 2011; revised November 19, 2013
For materials produced for commercial distribution, selection will favor those titles that have been available for a minimum of two years, or those that have a production date at least two years prior to purchase. For materials originally aired on television, the staff will evaluate availability as well as original airing date as factors in the selection process.
Special efforts may be made to acquire DVDs that include supplementary or documentary information beyond that available. The library will also favor video recording versions that include closed-captioning for the hearing impaired or audio track in different languages.
Selection Criteria: Selection of video recordings in the areas of film, theatrical and television productions for the Children and Young Adult collections are based on reviews, evaluation of awards and recognitions, the place of a given title in the history of productions for these ages groups, and patron demand or, in the absence of these indicators, the professional judgment of the staff based on their understanding of the collection and the potential value of a given title to the development of the collection.
Revised September 26, 2000; December 11, 2001; May 2003; revised January 18, 2011; revised November 19, 2013
Recorded Books
Overview: The Library collects recorded books in two formats: CD and electronic downloads. Collections are developed in order to provide patrons with access to works of fiction and nonfiction in formats compatible with their preference for receiving information in an oral medium or with their special physical needs. Consequently, the Library develops these collections based on the understanding that while they serve the needs of a clientele which may include users of print works, they also serve users for whom recorded books provide their preferred avenue of access to fiction and nonfiction works. At the same time, the Library recognizes that factors particular to the recorded books formats, such as cost, require that these collections be very selective and that diligence be exercised to assure that items purchased for the collections will be those most likely to meet the on-going demands of patrons. Finally, the Library also recognizes and takes into account in its selection and evaluation of recorded books that they are not simply artistically neutral renditions of the printed works from which they derive. Rather, they also involve professional interpretation in an oral medium, and, as a result, place the user in a different relationship to the work as a listener of both text and performance than he or she would experience as an individual reader.
Selection Criteria: In addition to the General Selection Criteria established for all materials, the staff will apply the following criteria in determining selections for recorded books in CD formats:
The work meets the selection criteria for the type of material in print format e.g., adult fiction, adult nonfiction, children’s fiction, etc. from which it derives;
The work is determined to be of both immediate and long-term interest to users of the recorded books collections;
The quality of the production is at least satisfactory based on reviews when available or on the reputation of publisher, with preference given to publishers who make available replacement copies of individual CDs that may be lost or damaged.
Scope: While efforts are made to create collections of recorded books broad enough to meet a diversity or patron needs and interests, for a variety of reasons these collections cannot be as extensive as the Library’s print collections. First, recorded books in their unabridged form are significantly more expensive than print copies. Second, only a fraction of books published in print form are subsequently published in a recorded books format and many of those are published only in abridged editions. Third, some books-on-tape in particular in unabridged format can be difficult to manage physically due to the number of tapes involved. However, while understanding these considerations the Library also recognizes the high level of demand for recorded books in CD formats and dedicates a commensurate portion of its materials budget to expanding this collection in all branches.
Selection Criteria: The selection of a work for the Library’s print collection is a threshold consideration of selection for inclusion in the recorded books collections. Consequently, for a recorded book it is not required that the staff undertake a separate selection process from that undertaken for the same work in print form if the staff has clear reason to believe that the work meets the criteria established above that is, for example, that demand for the item is clear and that the reputation of the publisher assures a quality production. At the same time, however, the staff is not required to include in the recorded books collections a work that the Library owns in a printed version. The determination to purchase a work in a recorded books format will be based on whether demand for the item is likely to be high, whether a recorded version of satisfactory technical quality can be identified and whether in the judgment of the staff the oral version when considered as a whole, including the elements introduced by oral interpretation, meets the “General Selection Criteria” established for all materials.
Format Consideration: As noted above, the Library collects recorded books in CD format. Funding and space considerations make it impossible for all works to be acquired in both print and recorded formats. The Library exercises judgment, based on anticipated demand, funding and space considerations, regarding how many versions and in which formats it would acquire a particular title. In doing so, the Library recognizes that patrons with preferences for CD or print versions may not be able to access a given work in their preferred format. However, the Library also recognizes that expenditures on multiple versions of one work reduce the funding available to purchase additional titles. Consequently, the Library attempts to arrive at a balance between these competing demands for differing formats on one hand and a broad range of titles on the other. On balance, the Library favors increasing the range of titles based on its evaluation of patron demand. Revised November 19, 2013
Electronic Formats
The Davis County Library makes books in e-book and audio formats available to patrons through electronic downloading protocols. Such materials may be selected on a title-by-title basis by library staff members or may be made available through digital collections selected by the Utah State Library. Those titles made available through the Utah State Library, or additional copies of them purchased to meet demand, are not subject on a title-by-title basis to the Library’s Materials Selection Policies. However, all Davis County Library Materials Selection Policies apply to those titles selected by library staff members.
Approved by Davis County Library Board January 24, 2012
Sound Recordings
Overview: Sound recordings are collected to meet the community’s need for music, spoken-word, such as poetry and plays, language instruction, and other types of information in various sound formats. The collection is not intended to be exhaustive. Rather, it is intended to:
- represent the major styles, eras, composers and performers of music and musical theater;
- complement the Library’s print collection with a selective collection of spoken-word materials in addition to items included in the audio-books collections; and,
- provide patrons with the opportunity to explore the vast world of music, including music from other times, cultures and countries.
Sound recordings are collected primarily in the compact disc format. Recordings may be purchased in the standard-speed audiocassette format when appropriate given the type of work and the use to which it is likely to be put, e.g., foreign language study tapes.
Selection Criteria: In addition to the “General Selection Criteria” established for all materials, the staff will apply the following criteria in determining selections for the sound recording collection:
- The recording is a major work determined to be of long-term interest to the community; represents a significant type of music or musical theater, era of music, performer, composer, or contemporary trend; or satisfies patron demand for informational or recreational material in the spoken-word format; and,
- The quality of the recording is at least satisfactory, based on reviews when available or, in the case of unreviewed works, on the reputation of the performer and publisher.
Revised April 28, 2009
Scope: Due to budget limitations, priority is given to recordings that are judged to be of on-going interest to the community and likely to generate consistent demand. Given the scope of recorded music available when compared with the Library’s resources, the Library may base selection on a plan to develop the collection systematically by category, such as composer, era, contemporary trend, performer, musical style, etc. Consequently the scope of the collection, though defined by policy to be broad, may expand in practice only gradually. Accordingly, the Library may not be able to respond consistently to patron requests to acquire specific sound recordings as it focuses instead on expanding and improving the collection as a whole.
Selection Criteria: Reviews are relied on for selecting sound recordings whenever available. In addition to reviews in periodicals, the staff relies on bibliographies of outstanding recordings and guides for building collections of sound recordings. Selection may also be based on the reputation of publishers and performers when reviews are not immediately available, and on research conducted by staff members to create orders that address needs to improve the collection in specific categories, and to meet patron demand, as noted above. Revised April 28, 2009
Children’s Sound Recordings: Sound recordings for children are selected based on the criteria, scope of collection and method defined above, with the added guideline that all Children’s music titles selected will be appropriate to the age group served by the Children’s collection generally—that is, from infancy through age 12.
Revised November 19, 2013; revised November 19, 2013
Periodicals
Overview: The number of periodicals published increases yearly. At the same time, many periodicals target very specific interests, disciplines and points-of-view. Patron demand both for periodicals of general interest and those that focus on very specific topics compels the Library to be highly selective. In making choices, the Library attempts to balance between the need for current information the desire of the public to browse a collection of periodicals that covers a wide range of high-interest subjects, and the need for a collection from which information can be easily retrieved through indexes to meet specific patron requests. The Library attempts to meet all three aspects of public needs and interests, favoring those periodicals that are well established and well known to the general public and, when selecting to address a high-interest topic, those that appear to be among the most popular and authoritative in a given field.
Selection Criteria: In addition to the “General Selection Criteria” established for all materials, the staff will apply the following criteria as factors in determining selections for the periodical collection:
- The periodical is determined to be a recognized national leader in providing information on general current events, or on a specific topic of high general interest to patrons;
- The periodical is indexed in “Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature” or an electronic periodical indexing service to which the Library has online access, is either of current or long-term interest to a significant constituency of periodical readers in the community, and contributes to a collection which covers a broad range of subjects and represents a variety of points-of –view; or,
- The periodical is of particular local interest, or fills a significant need for information which is not well filled by an indexed periodical, or has achieved a high level of popularity on a topic of high interest to patrons.
- The periodical is of particular local interest, or fills a significant need for information that is not well filled by an indexed periodical, or has achieved a high level of popularity on a topic of high interest to patrons.
In developing the periodicals collection as a whole, and in evaluating an individual title for inclusion in the collection, the staff will consider all of these factors understanding that those periodicals that meet multiple criteria will be given higher consideration. In many cases, given the limited resources of the Library, patrons will necessarily be referred to on-line periodicals databases or to other libraries to meet their specialized or highly focused information needs.
In addition to periodicals emphasized by the above criteria, the Library subscribes to a limited range of newspapers, which may include major local dailies, weeklies published in the county, local papers of special interest, and non-local papers that are generally recognized as "national" newspapers or newspapers-of-record.
Scope: The periodical collection includes magazines, journals and newspapers. The collection serves general reading interests rather than specialized or academic needs. Most magazines and journals are purchased with the intent of being retained for a period of at least two years after publication, with some titles being retained longer due to their value as an information source with access to their articles provided by standard indexing services. A very limited number, primarily for children, are circulated. Local newspapers are given high priority; major national newspapers are subscribed to on a highly selective and limited basis.
Special Notes: Retaining periodicals for long-term use poses special problems due to limited space. The decisions regarding how long to retain periodicals are made on a branch-by-branch, title-by-title basis. The Library does maintain a very selective collection of periodicals on microfilm, with highest priority given to newspapers published in Davis County and a limited number of major national news magazines.
As there is limited space for periodicals, both for display of current issues and storage of past issues, and as the addition of a periodical title may imply to some patrons the promise that the title will remain available in future years, the Library does not accept donations of periodical subscriptions from organizations, publishers or individuals.
CD-ROMS
Overview: CD-ROMs, also frequently referred to as multimedia CD-ROMs, are collected because of their unique capacity to convey information in a single integrated print, image and sound format. Further, CD-ROMs permit the user to highlight and draw out information, tailoring it to their personal needs, in a manner not duplicated in any other format. However, CD-ROMs also have the drawback of requiring specialized computer equipment, with the added difficulty of competing technical formats, primarily MacIntosh based or IBM-compatible based. Nevertheless, while recognizing these technical complexities, the Library makes materials available in this format because they offer informational opportunities of value to a growing segment of the community.
Selection Criteria: In addition the “General Selection Criteria” established for all materials, the staff would apply the following criteria in determining selections for the CD-ROM collection:
- The subject of the CD-ROM is particularly suitable to the format and takes advantage of the opportunities the format presents;
- The subject of the production has appeal to a significant constituency of potential patrons of materials in this format; and,
- The quality and authoritativeness of the production is at least satisfactory, based on reviews when available or, in the case of unreviewed works, on the reputation of the publisher and with due consideration for the range of materials available in this format on a given subject.
Scope: the CD-ROM collection can in theory encompass a range of subjects as broad as the nonfiction collection. However, because of the size of the collection, and the funds available for it, coverage is highly selective. Emphasis is placed on productions that are primarily educational, informational or cultural. The collection includes materials for all age groups.
Selection Method: Reviews of CD-ROMs in the areas of interest to the library are relied on when available. Recommendations from librarians in other systems are also used as a basis of selection.
Revised April 2002; May 2003; October 2003