Collection Development Policy

The Humboldt County Library strengthens our community by educating, inspiring, and connecting people.

The Collection Development Policy is one of Humboldt County Library’s fundamental policy documents. It has been reviewed and approved by the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors, County of Humboldt County Counsel, and the California State Library.

The purpose of the Collection Development Policy is to serve as a guide for Humboldt County Library staff regarding the development, management, and selection of collection materials. It defines what compromises the collection, specifies the types of materials that are included, and explains the basis for collection management decisions. The policy also serves to inform the public about the library’s collection and the principles that govern the selection process.

The goals and objectives stated in this policy are designed to assist library professionals in the selection process, but do not replace the judgement of library professionals.

The process of curating, maintaining, and providing a diverse and equitable collection is an ongoing process. The Collection Development Policy ensures that the Humboldt County Library’s collection continues to reflect the needs of the Humboldt County community and provides a wide array of people, cultures, ideas, and experiences.

In support of its mission, the Humboldt County Library endorses and has adopted the following statements from the American Library Association, to be used as guidelines for the development of the library’s collection, which are included in the Appendix section: 

1. Library Bill of Rights
2. Freedom to Read
3. Freedom to View

In addition, California State Library Law AB 1825, passed in 2024, requires the following statements to be included in public library collection development policies:

1. The collection meets the broad and diverse interests of the community and respects both the library’s autonomy and their specific community needs.
2. The public library serves as a center for voluntary inquiry and the dissemination of information and ideas.
3. 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.
4. The right of the public to receive access to a range of social, political, aesthetic, moral, and other ideas and experiences is acknowledged.

The primary responsibility of the Humboldt County Library is to provide our community a hub that brings people together and connects people to essential services and resources. This policy supports the Humboldt County Library’s goals as outlined below:

1. Meet the informational needs of the community
2. Provide learning opportunities and recreational experiences
3. Supplement formal and informal study
4. Reflect a variety of opinions
5. Support businesses, workforce development, cultural, recreational, and civic activities in the community
6. Stimulate self-understanding and growth
7. Enhance job related knowledge and skills
8. Increase knowledge of and participation in the affairs of the community, the country, and the world
9. Preserve local history
10. Build Community connections. Patron use is one of the metrics used to develop the library’s collection. The circulation of materials, patron purchase requests, and hold levels are closely monitored and help determine the purchase of new items and additional copies of high demand items.

The Humboldt County Library provides materials to support all of our patrons and does not place value on one patron’s needs or preferences over another’s. The Humboldt County Library upholds the right of the individual to access information, even though the content may be controversial, unorthodox or unacceptable to others.

Materials for children and teens 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 are ultimately the responsibility of parents, legal guardians, or caregivers who guide and oversee their own child’s development. The Humboldt County Library does not intrude on that relationship and does not serve in loco parentis.

The selection of library materials and resources is the responsibility of the trained collection development staff of the Humboldt County Library. Other staff members and the public may recommend materials for consideration; however, Library management retains the authority to select or reject any item contrary to the recommendations of the staff.

The Humboldt County Library will provide free and equitable access to library collections that represent diverse points of view, which may include materials that some members of the public consider to be controversial in nature. In selecting materials, library staff will use professional reference resources, judgement, knowledge, and experience to select these materials, and will proactively work to anticipate the needs and interests of the community.

The selection of any material or resources does not constitute an endorsement by the Humboldt County Library, the County of Humboldt, or its staff.

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

Selection decisions are guided by the merits of the work, collection needs, and interests of a diverse collection which support the role the Humboldt County Library plays in our communities.

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.

When Humboldt County Library staff members review and select materials for purchase, they consider the needs of the communities it serves, which include a wide variety of ages, educational backgrounds, interests, sensory preferences, and reading skills.

The Humboldt County Library may select materials that are to be used in the library only.

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.

A single standard does not apply to all acquisition decisions and each type of material will be considered in terms of its own merit and its intended audience. Some items may be selected to fulfill the recreational needs of the community while others may be selected because of their artistic merit, scholarship, or value to humanity.

Materials donated to the Humboldt County Library are not automatically added to the collection. These items are reviewed by library staff according to the selection criteria. 

The Humboldt County Library may add works produced by authors, printers, or publishers with connections to Humboldt County that meet the purpose and objectives of this policy.

Materials are evaluated as a whole and not on the basis of a particular passage or passages. A work will not be excluded from the collection because it presents an aspect of life honestly or due to frankness of expression. Materials are not excluded or included merely because of the race, nationality, political, or religious or social views of the author or producer.

Collection development decisions are based on staff judgement, training, knowledge, and expertise. Materials are available in a variety of formats, quantities, and titles. Selection criteria include but is not limited to the following general criteria for selecting new and donated materials for the collection:

1. Relevance to the interests and needs of the community
2. Extent of publicity, critical review, and current or anticipated demand
3. Current or historical significance of the author or subject
4. Local significance of the author or subject
5. Relevance to the existing collection’s strengths and weaknesses
6. Reputation and qualification of the author, publisher, or producer, with preference generally given to titles through examination of professional reviews (ex. Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, etc.)
7. Suitability of format to library circulation and use
8. Date of publication
9. Diversity of collections with a focus on being equitable in representation of subjects, authors, and protagonists
10. The price, availability, and physical quality of the material.
11. Space available in the library and within the library materials budget.

The Humboldt County Library does not purchase the following types of material: costly books of little demand, collectibles, or textbooks. Abridged, expurgated, or condensed materials are also generally not acquired.

The Humboldt County Library respects the intellectual property of human authors and creators and will make reasonable efforts not to purchase AI-generated materials, or AI-generated audio editions of human-created works. AI-generated content inadvertently added to the collection will be labeled as such in the catalog record but will not be weeded unless it meets one or more criteria for weeding (see Section 10: Criteria for Weeding and Withdrawal). AI-assisted content is permitted in the Humboldt County Library collection, subject to the same requirements and criteria as wholly human-authored works. AI-assisted content is work that is written by a human but for which the author used AI tools to edit, refine, or error-check the work.

Patrons may request items the Humboldt County Library does not presently own. Each request is reviewed for inclusion in the collection and will follow the collection maintenance guideline and selection criteria listed in this policy. Requests can be made in person or online. 

Library materials are processed in such a way as to ensure their maximum use under normal circumstances.

Damaged but still usable materials are mended according to an established set of procedures and best practices.

Materials that are worn, damaged, or in poor condition and cannot be mended may be withdrawn from the collection; replacements may be purchased based on the discretion of library staff based on the following factors:

1. Existence of adequate coverage of the subject, especially of more current material is available.
2. Demand for the specific title.
3. Availability of any specific title.

The collection of the Humboldt County Library is a dynamic entity that changes, grows and adapts to ensure its viability and usefulness to the community.  Library staff review the collection regularly, adding items and occasionally withdrawing items with regards to patterns of use, the capacity of each location and the holdings of other libraries that are accessible to library patrons. Great care is taken to retain and replace items that have enduring value to the community.

Implementation of the Collection Development Policy and management of the collection is assigned to the trained professional staff of the Humboldt County Library; the final authority for the library collection rests with Library management. The Humboldt County Library disposes of materials that have been withdrawn according to the criteria for weeding and withdrawal outlined in Section 10.

The following criteria are used in selecting materials for withdrawal:

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

Replacement of materials is not guaranteed. The following criteria are considered when determining the need for replacement:

1. Number of copies in Humboldt County Library branches
2. Existence of adequate coverage of the subject, particularly if more current material is available
3. Demand for the specific title or for material in that subject area
4. Existence of a newer format as a replacement.

Withdrawn items are donated to the Friends of the Redwood Libraries (or, when applicable, the Friends group associated with a specific branch) or to Better World Books to be resold to fund donations to the Humboldt County Library. Materials unsuitable for transfer are discarded or recycled. Requests to hold weeded materials for individuals will not be accepted. Donated items not added to the collection may be disposed of or given to the appropriate Friends organization to be sold.

Popular periodicals are kept for a set period as determined by the library branch. Materials of local interest, such as Humboldt County newspapers, will be archived as deemed appropriate by library staff.

The Humboldt County Library routinely performs a collection audit to identify gaps in subjects and equitable representation of voices. The results of the collection audit are used by library staff in making purchasing decisions that fill in gaps of the collection. The budget for these purchases is the standard annual collection budget unless a grant or other one-time funds are infused.

The Humboldt County Library accepts donations of books and other materials with the understanding that the same selection guidelines used for purchased materials (as outlined in Section 5) will be applied to donated materials. The Humboldt County Library retains the authority to accept or reject gifts. Library staff make all the decisions as to the use, housing, and final disposal of donations. 

Acceptance of donated items is subject to the discretion of the professional staff of the Humboldt County Library. Unused gifts may be offered to the appropriate Friends organization for public sale or discarded.

Collections of donated materials may not necessarily be kept together as a group and the Humboldt County Library may not be able to accept gifts with this requirement. The Humboldt County Library does not evaluate or appraise gift materials for tax purposes.

The Main Library in Eureka contains the bulk of the Humboldt County Library’s core fiction and non-fiction collections in multiple formats including, but not limited to, print, audio, and video formats and includes materials of an enduring nature as well as current-interest materials. The Main Branch collections represent the diverse viewpoints and interests of the community it serves. 

Branch libraries (including the Bookmobile) serve the needs of the communities in which they are located. Library staff regularly evaluate the collection to ensure its relevance. Branch collections concentrate on materials of high interest and materials that support the Humboldt County Library’s overall organizational goals. 

The majority of materials in the Humboldt County Library collection are shared among the various branches throughout the county to ensure access and availability to all Humboldt County residents. Some items, including those belonging to special collections (as outlined in Section 14), either can only be checked out at their assigned library branch or cannot be checked out at all due to their fragile condition, size, or because replacements cannot be obtained to help prevent damage to the item.

The online collection represents the diverse viewpoints and interests of the entire community the Humboldt County Library serves. This collection includes online databases; eBooks, digital audiobooks and digital magazines; learning resources and instructional platforms.

1. Humboldt Room
   The Humboldt Room, located in the Main Library, houses the collection of materials focusing on the history of Humboldt County and surrounding areas. The collection contains a variety of materials in various formats; all Humboldt Room materials are for in-library-use-only and cannot be checked out or transferred to another library location. The items in the Humboldt Room have been purchased through the library budget as well as have been donated by the public.
2. Library of Things
   The Humboldt County Library has created a Library of Things (LoT) located at the Kim Yerton Memorial Library in Hoopa. This is a collection of items, devices, and equipment that fosters exploration, learning, self-discovery and enrichment through participatory actions rather than just reading, listening, or viewing. Items include gardening equipment, hand tools, kitchen items, etc. that provide an experiential opportunity for patrons. With equity in mind, the LoT provides opportunities for people who may not have access to or the financial means to purchase this kind of equipment. Items from the LoT can only be checked out of the Kym Yerton Memorial Library and items cannot be transferred to other library locations. Patrons are required to agree to the terms of the LoT borrowing guidelines and sign the LoT Borrowing Agreement before checking out items from the LoT collection.
3. Assorted Special Collection Items
   On occasion the Humboldt County Library collection contains unconventional items including but not limited to telescopes, backpacks, and other items that are available to patrons. The availability of these items to be checked out and transferred between branches will vary depending on the item with regard to their fragile condition, size, or because replacements cannot be attained to help prevent damage to the item.

The Humboldt County Library selects collection materials using established criteria and with full consideration of the varying age groups and backgrounds of our community and patrons. Requests for the removal of items from the collection may be made by Humboldt County residents using a formal procedure outlined below:

1. The Humboldt County 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 it from damage or theft.
2. The Humboldt County Library adheres to and supports the Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read Statement created by the American Library Association (See Appendix). Censorship is an individual matter and while anyone is free to reject for themselves books and other library materials that they do not approve of, they cannot exercise this right of censorship to other people to read or use library materials.
3. Responsibility for supervising children’s use of the Humboldt County Library and library materials rests solely with the parents or legal guardians. Selection of library materials will not be inhibited by the possibility that materials may come into the possession of children.
4. Patrons requesting that an item be moved or withdrawn from the Humboldt County 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 Humboldt County to have their request considered and only one request per patron will be considered at one time. The request for reconsideration will be acknowledged in writing by the Library Director within ten (10) business days. The material will be reviewed by a panel of library professionals to evaluate the item in question. The 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.