TIMBERLAND REGIONAL LIBRARY

RESOURCES POLICY

COMPOSED OF THE

COLLECTION MANAGEMENT POLICY

AND

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES POLICY

Adopted by the Timberland Library Board of Trustees on December 20, 2000

 Table of contents

MISSION STATEMENT 4

RESOURCES GOAL 4

RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES 4

INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM 4

AREAS SERVED 5

COLLECTION MANAGEMENT POLICY 6

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION 6

Responsibility for Selection 7

Overall Principles of Materials Selection 7

General Criteria for Selection of All Materials 7

Specific Collection Areas: 8

Adult Fiction 8
Adult Nonfiction 8
Youth Materials 8
Audio and Visual Materials, Adult/Youth 9
CD-ROMs 9
Reference Materials 9
Microforms 10
Magazines and Newspapers 10
Free Publications 10
Materials in New or Emerging Formats 11

RESOURCE SHARING AND INTERLIBRARY LOAN 11

GIFTS AND DONATIONS 11

COLLECTION MAINTENANCE 12

Evaluation and Withdrawal 12

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 Mending, Binding and Replacement 13

COLLECTION REVIEW 14

Procedure 14

TIMBERLAND REGIONAL LIBRARY PATRON’S OPINION OF LIBRARY RESOURCES 15

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES POLICY 16

OVERVIEW OF THE RESOURCES 16

Electronic Databases 16
Internet 17
Internet Sites 17

TIMBERLAND REGIONAL LIBRARY INTERNET USE POLICY 17

ILLEGAL ACTIVITY ON LIBRARY COMPUTERS 17

APPENDICES 18

LIBRARY BILL OF RIGHTS 18

FREE ACCESS TO LIBRARIES FOR MINORS 18

FREEDOM TO VIEW 19

FREEDOM TO READ 20

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 Mission Statement

Timberland Regional Library was created by and belongs to the people it serves. The library exists
to advance intellectual curiosity, promote lifelong learning and enrich environments in which minds
can grow. It supports an active, informed community by providing all people with access to
resources in various formats representing diverse points of view.

Resources Goal

Improve and expand Timberland’s resources in various formats to meet the needs and interests of
Timberland’s service population.

Resource Development Priorities

Timberland’s Long-Range Planning Committee identified three roles the library plays in each of the
communities it serves. They are: 1) support for information-seeking and lifelong learning, 2)
support for the needs of diverse communities, and 3) support for popular interest subjects.

In order to implement the District’s three roles, Timberland:

• Promotes and defends the principles of intellectual freedom and citizens’ access to information,
and provides resources that represent a diversity of views and opinions in support of this
freedom.
• Provides resources to meet the educational, recreational, cultural, informational, and vocational
needs of present and potential users including business people and seniors.
• Develops resources that include a comprehensive range of formats utilizing the unique
capabilities and advantages of new and evolving technologies in delivering information.
• Provides resources such as Native American, local history, and genealogy, that reflect local
communities’ diverse social, economic, cultural, and intellectual history.
• Seeks to promote the community’s role in resource development by inviting purchase
suggestions, and gives consideration to their suggestions and ideas.
• Offers equal and effective access to all resources, provided by cataloging and indexing tools
and efficient materials delivery.
• Supports cooperative use and resource sharing with other libraries and organizations to
provide greater accessibility to a wider array of information sources.
• Evaluates its resources and formats for information delivery in response to the changing nature
and needs of its communities through regular assessment and resource maintenance activities.

Intellectual Freedom

Timberland Regional Library promotes and defends the principles of intellectual freedom based on
the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Library does not condone, condemn, or endorse

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opinions and views expressed in provided resources. Library resources will not be marked or
identified to show approval or disapproval. None will be sequestered except for the purpose of
protection against theft or injury. Parents are responsible for their children’s use of library
resources. The Library’s goal is to make available resources encompassing a diversity of views
and opinions. To support this goal, Timberland Regional Library Board of Trustees adopts the
following documents cited in full in the Appendix of this policy.
• Library Bill of Rights
• Free Access to Libraries for Minors
• Freedom to View
• The Freedom to Read Statement

Areas Served

Timberland Regional Library District serves a 7,000-square mile area comprised of 5 counties:
Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, and Thurston.
(Information based on WA Office of Financial Management & Woods and Poole data)
Grays Harbor - Libraries in Grays Harbor are situated in Aberdeen, Hoquiam, Montesano,
Amanda Park, Elma, McCleary, Oakville, and Westport. The current population is 64,430. Nine
percent are nonwhite/Hispanic. Native Americans make up the largest minority, although the
Hispanic population is growing. Young adults are leaving the area for education and jobs. The
median age is 38 and 21.4% of the population is under age 15. People over 65 comprise 15.3% of
the population, more than the statewide average of 11.3%. Lumber and wood products have
declined but are still important in the economy. The tourist industry, trade and service sectors are
increasing. Median income is $29,000. The jobless rate is 8.1% compared to the 5.8% state
average. Eleven percent of the population holds college degrees compared to 23% statewide, and
26% have not graduated from high school. Nineteen percent of adults read at the 4th grade level or
below..
Lewis County - Libraries in Lewis County are situated in Centralia, Chehalis, Mountain View,
Packwood, Salkum, and Winlock. The current population is 64,040. Median age is 37.5 and 22.4%
of the population is under age 15. Six percent of the population is nonwhite/Hispanic, the lowest in
the five counties. Ages 65 and older comprise 14.8% of the population. The county is in a period of
transition from a rural, resource-based, goods-producing economy to an urbanized service-
producing economy. Median income is $31,244 and unemployment is under 7.9%. Non-high
school graduates make up 24.6% of the population and college graduates make up 11.8%.
Eighteen percent of adults read at the 4th grade level or below.
Mason County - Libraries in Mason County are situated in Hoodsport, North Mason , and
Shelton. The current population is 48,600. The median age is 39.3 and 20% of the population is
under age 15. Those 65 and older comprise 16.6% of the population. Ten percent are
nonwhite/Hispanic. The county is a favorite area for retirement or commuter homes. The economy,
dominated by the timber industry for decades, is diversifying. Greatest growth has been in trade
and government services. The unemployment rate is 5.8% and the median income is $34,672.
College degrees are held by 13.6% of the residents, while 20.8% have not graduated from high
school. Nineteen percent of adult readers are at 4th grade level or below.
Pacific County - Libraries in Pacific County are situated in Ilwaco, Ocean Park, Raymond, South
Bend, and Naselle. The current population is 21,500. The median age of 42.5 is the oldest in the
state. Those under age 15 comprise 18.6% of the population. Twelve percent are

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nonwhite/Hispanic with an increasing Asian population. Those 65 or older comprise 21.2% of the
population, the highest of any county in the state. Not only are retired people moving in but the
young are moving out, especially the 20-29 year olds. Unemployment runs at 7.7%, and median
income is $24,569. College degrees are held by 11.3% of the population, and 25.8% have not
graduated from high school. Percent of adults at 4th grade or below is 22%, the highest in the five
counties.
Thurston County - Libraries in Thurston County are situated in Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater,
Tenino, and Yelm. The current population is 202,700. The median age is 36 while 21.4% of the
residents are under age 15. Those 65 or older comprise 11.4% of the population. Thirteen percent
are nonwhite/Hispanic, the highest of TRL but below 16% state average. It has become a regional
retail and service center. State government is the principal economic driver generating an
enormous number of jobs and income. Median income is $43,408 and unemployment is at 4.5%.
A comprehensive educational system from preschool to college also draws businesses and
consumers to the area. Those having graduated from college are 24.7% of the population and
13.5% have not completed high school. Adults at the 4th grade reading level or below comprise
13%, the lowest in the District.
(Timberland Map will Appear Here)

COLLECTION MANAGEMENT POLICY

Overview of the Collection

The total collection contains over 1 million items and includes adult and juvenile fiction, nonfiction,
and reference books, government publications, pamphlets, magazines, newspapers, maps, sound
recordings, video recordings, sheet music, CD-ROMs, and other electronically stored information.
Large-print books and closed-captioned and descriptive videos are also available. All libraries have
education and job information collections of print, audiovisual and computer-based resources to

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assist in local career choice, test preparation, resume preparation, and educational and financial
aid information.
Foreign language materials, primarily Spanish and Pan-Asian, are selected for libraries in
communities with a significant concentration of people whose mother tongue is not English. Some
French, German, and Russian titles are occasionally purchased.
The Aberdeen Timberland Library is a Washington State Select Depository Library and receives a
core list of Washington State publications on a regular basis.
Adult Basic Education materials for adults and families support workplace skills, recreational
reading, and English as a Second Language.
Circulating and reference Northwest and genealogy materials are housed at each Timberland
library. The largest genealogy collection resides in the Olympia Library. Local history materials are
collected for each community and housed in the individual libraries.
Vertical files are maintained in most libraries and include pamphlets and ephemera on local or
general topics to meet community needs.
All of these materials are considered to be one large collection spread out over 27 libraries and are
available to all Timberland patrons. Access to the collection is provided through the on-line catalog
available at all branches. In addition, patrons with a computer at home can use Timberland’s
Internet website to search for and reserve library materials, as well as search magazine and other
databases, print full-text articles, and explore the Internet.

Responsibility for Selection

Ultimate responsibility for the Timberland collection lies with the Board of Trustees. Responsibility
for materials selection lies with the Director, who delegates to staff members authority to interpret
and guide the application of the policy in making day-to-day selections. Unusual problems will be
referred to the Director for resolution.

Overall Principles of Materials Selection

Timberland Regional Library acquires and makes available materials which inform, educate,
entertain, and enrich persons as individuals and as members of society. In order to make choices
among the thousands of print and non-print items published each year, every library must employ
a policy of selectivity in its acquisitions. The library provides, within its financial limitations, a
general collection of materials embracing broad areas of knowledge. Included are works of
enduring value and timely materials on current issues. Criteria for selecting material include
recommendations from professional and commercial reviews as well as popularity and community
demand and demographics. In addition, qualitative selection standards have been developed for
specific materials and formats. Librarians evaluate material on the basis of these standards.

General Criteria for Selection of All Materials

All resources should meet one or more of the following criteria:
• Importance of the subject matter or point of view to the collection
• Accuracy and timeliness
• Community demand and interest
• Importance of title when compared with other works on the subject
• Clarity of presentation and ease of use

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• Scope and depth of coverage
• Enrichment and supplementation of school curricula
• Need for retrospective coverage
• Insight into human and social conditions
• Importance as a document of the times
• Representation of ideas that are unique, alternative, experimental, or controversial
• Originality in content or approach
• Authority; reputation or qualifications of author, artist, publisher, or producer
• Attention of critics, reviewers and the public
• Relevance of format and content to the intended audience
• Effectiveness and suitability of format in communicating the content
• Inclusion of title in standard or special bibliographies or indexes
• Critical acclaim as demonstrated by awards, nominations for awards, and/or reviews
• Impact on materials expenditure plan

Specific Collection Areas:

Adult Fiction
Classic and standard novels and short stories form the basic core of the collection,
supplemented by current popular novels in the area of general and various genres.
Translations of foreign authors, small press publications, contemporary short stories and
experimental fiction are also represented. These materials are selected according to the
general selection criteria listed above.

Adult Nonfiction
Nonfiction books for the informational, educational, and recreational needs of the public are
acquired in many different subject areas. General material understandable to the lay reader
is emphasized but some scholarly and technical material is purchased to expand the scope
of the collection. These materials are selected according the general selection criteria listed
above.

Youth Materials
Materials are purchased for youth from infancy through 17 years. These fiction and
nonfiction books cover a wide range of developmental levels and include Picture Books,
Easy Readers, Juvenile fiction and nonfiction and Young Adult materials. Materials must
meet one or more of the following criteria:
• Able to meet the interest, understanding, and/or reading level of intended audience
• Fully integrated illustration and text
• Construction appropriate for physical development skills
• Wide range of subjects, themes, life situations and developmental tasks

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 • Index and/or bibliography where applicable
• Written in a tone which respects the reader
• Reflects the diversity of childhood experience
• Covers wide range of cognitive levels for mental and imaginative growth
• Historically/regionally significant in children’s literature
• Durable and safe

Audio and Visual Materials, Adult/Youth

Informational, instructional, cultural, educational and feature film videocassettes and
DVDs are purchased for home use and some for group use. The talking book collection
contains works of fiction, nonfiction, drama, storytelling, and poetry - most in unabridged
format. Music compact discs and audiocassettes are collected in the areas of Popular,
Country, Rhythm and Blues, Jazz, Folk, Alternative, Environmental, New Age, Comedy,
Musicals, Movie Soundtracks, Holiday, Sacred and Classical. Fiction and nonfiction CD-
ROMs are purchased in IBM-PC and Mac versions. Materials must meet one or more of the
following criteria:
• Significance of performance or diversity in interpretation
• Effective demonstration of the creativity, skill, competence, and purpose of the
performer, producer or director
• Presentation or experience that is special or unique to format and provides an alternative
to print
• Technical quality of audio and visual reproduction and presentation

CD-ROMs
• Titles selected are educational or “edutainment” (educational games)
• Ease of use
• Effective or innovative use of multi-media
• Availability of special access features for the deaf or visually impaired

Reference Materials
Each Timberland library has a ready-reference core collection to support the information
needs of its community. The six largest buildings (Aberdeen, Centralia, Lacey, Olympia,
Shelton, and Tumwater) have more in-depth collections to meet regional reference needs.
A large reference collection resides centrally to support District and Telephone reference
needs. Some libraries supply special collections on specific subject areas. All libraries
contain local community history. Materials must meet one or more of the following criteria:
• Accuracy
• Currency
• Comprehensiveness
• Reputation of compiler
• Scope and depth of coverage

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 • Ease of use
• Special information/data finding features
• Enhancement of a subject area lacking good tools
• Strengthening of a designated special collection
• Uniqueness, within the context of the entire collection
• Suitability as a guide to suggesting further sources of information
• Contents include useful and unique information difficult to replace
• Importance to independent researchers as a special, limited, or landmark edition
• Demands on a subject area which a circulating collection cannot meet

Microforms
Microforms must conform to one or more of the Reference criteria above and the following:
• Compatibility of format to available equipment
• Appropriate film type for permanent retention
• Image size, orientation, legibility, position, density and contrast.
• Quality of reproduction
• Availability of replacements
• Completeness, in correct sequence, of original document
• Compliance with industry standards and specifications
• Adequate bibliographic labeling
• Uniqueness of source

Magazines and Newspapers

The libraries provide magazines and newspapers on a wide range of subjects to meet
community and staff needs. Back files in buildings vary depending on need, space, index
availability, and reference use. Microform editions are acquired as needed to balance
space and use requirements. Timberland also provides online access to periodicals in
abstract or full text form. Materials should meet one or more of the following criteria:
• Information not available elsewhere
• Presentation of current thinking, points of view and developments
• Important source of community information
• Locally produced serials
• Selection aids for the acquisition of new materials
• Subscriptions based on local or regional value or demonstrated interest

Free Publications
Libraries may provide access to free publications that follow the criteria listed above.

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 The following guidelines also apply:
• The donor must have the library's permission to leave free materials.
• The distribution of free materials is done as a public service and in no way indicates
endorsement by Timberland Regional Library.
• By providing this material it is accepted that all people have the right to reject it, but do
not have the right to restrict it from others.
• Although the library is committed to availability of materials, it is constrained by workload
and space. Materials may be removed at any time.

Materials in New or Emerging Formats

Before adding new formats, they must be considered in light of:
• Demand for format in community
• Durability of format for public use
• Technical quality of production or reproduction
• Compliance with industry standards and specifications
• Suitability for circulation, access, and housing in a safe and convenient manner
• Capability for networked distribution
• Availability of suitable startup and continuing funding

Resource Sharing and Interlibrary Loan

Timberland Regional Library is committed to cooperative collection development and resource
sharing to provide accessibility to the widest array of information while reducing unnecessary
duplication of materials and collections. Timberland endorses the Washington State Interlibrary
Sharing Code and is a net borrower of materials. Most important to resource sharing is Interlibrary
Loan. If the library does not own a requested title, an Interlibrary Loan request may be initiated by
a patron at any library. There is no charge for patrons requesting this service
Interlibrary Loan is designed to be an adjunct to, not a substitute for, collection development.
Collection development staff reviews all requests for newer materials. After review, a decision may
be made to purchase the title for the collection. If the title is not purchased, the request proceeds
through the Interlibrary Loan process.

Gifts and Donations

Gifts:
Libraries may accept gifts of money to purchase materials. Donors may specify types of materials
to be purchased with the understanding that specific titles may not be available. Items purchased
with memorial and gift funds are selected by the local librarian and/or the selector, and assigned to
that library. They are made available to all patrons but will be housed in that particular branch
during their useful life. Memorial and gift items are neither housed separately nor treated
differently than similar items in the collection.

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Donations:
Timberland encourages and gratefully accepts gifts of books and other library materials, and
reserves the right to evaluate and to dispose of such donations in accordance with the criteria
applied to materials which are purchased. Donated items will be carefully reviewed for their overall
contribution to Timberland's mission and relevance to the collection. Items which are not accepted
may be sold at The Friends of the Library book sales
Priorities that the staff uses to add donations are:
• Good physical condition
• Extra copies of titles on the high demand list
• Nonfiction titles that supplement subject areas if material is current or still useful and the book
is in good condition
• Fiction and nonfiction titles that qualify as standards or classics, and paperbacks in pristine
condition
• Items judged as exceptions to these criteria are sent to the Selectors for their consideration.

Collection Maintenance
The systematic review and evaluation of library materials is a vital and ongoing part of building a
quality collection that meets community expectations and needs. The examination of material
removed because of poor physical condition, outdated content, or lack of use helps a Selector
evaluate the collection. Identifying areas where additional materials are needed, reviewing older
editions which need to be updated, and identifying subjects, titles and authors that are no longer of
interest to the community, are all ways to maintain a healthy and useful collection.

Evaluation and Withdrawal

Evaluation and weeding of the collections in individual libraries is the ongoing responsibility of the
building supervisors, the Regional Library Managers and the Selectors. Individual buildings may
evaluate their collections using various criteria including the role of their library in the community
and space constraints. However, all materials withdrawn locally are reviewed centrally according to
broader District-wide considerations:

• Accuracy

• Current or potential usage

• Obsolescence

• Physical condition

• Completeness (sets)

• Reference value

• Adequacy of coverage in the subject area

• Number of other copies in the system

• Availability of similar material

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• Local community needs

• Historical value

• Space in the local library

Copies of titles on current standard lists of recommended works for public libraries should not be
weeded because of lack of use. The following guidelines apply when a title is the last copy in the
Timberland Regional Library system.
Last copies will be retained if they:

• Contain useable information

• Are primary works in particular disciplines or topics
• Are listed in standard or authoritative up-to-date subject bibliographies regularly used by staff
and the public
• Represent an era, trend or movement

Last copies that do not fall under the above guidelines may be withdrawn if they are:

• Older editions of encyclopedias, almanacs, directories, yearbooks, and standard texts that are
not useful for historical or informational purposes

• Out-of-date and inaccurate accounts, unless they represent works that are reflective of the
controversies of a particular time or era

• Works containing information that has been superseded or presented in newer, more
comprehensive or more accessible formats

• Works (particularly those that are compilations of facts) for which there is no indexing or ready
access to contents

• Works that have no anticipated use

• Materials in irreparable physical condition

• Works that do not reflect the current collection goal for a particular subject

Withdrawn material is sent to Service Center Storage where it is reviewed by the selectors. This
enables them to note titles and subject areas in need of updating and standard titles needing
replacement.
Titles still considered useful are transferred to another library or held in storage. Materials no
longer of value or of interest to patrons are deleted from the online catalog and either recycled or
sold to Friends of the Library groups for book sales. No materials will be held for or given to
individuals.

Mending, Binding and Replacement

Damaged or worn materials still considered useful are either mended in the libraries or sent in to
the Service Center where they are evaluated by the selectors for repair, discard, replacement or in

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the case of books, rebinding. Only items of importance to the collection that cannot be replaced or
would be too expensive to replace are sent to the bindery. Replacement decisions are based on
cost, demand, the availability of newer materials on the subject, the value of the work to the
collection and the number of other copies Timberland owns.

Collection Review

Procedure
The Board of Trustees recognizes the right of individuals to question resources in the library
collection. The library will give serious consideration to each patron's opinion. Material under
consideration will remain available to patrons until a decision is made.
Any patron questioning resources in the library collection may ask the library staff about such
materials. Staff members will make every effort to reach resolution of the patron's concerns
through discussion, referring to this policy as needed.
At any time, a patron may state her/his opinion in writing on the "Patron's Opinion of Library
Materials" form. This will initiate the following process:
1) The form will be sent to the Director.
2) The Director will appoint an ad hoc staff committee for review.
3) The Committee will review the patron's concerns and make a recommendation to the
Director.
4) The Director will make a decision and respond to the patron in writing in a timely
manner, and send copies to the Timberland Board of Trustees.
5) Patrons who disagree with the Director's decision may express their concerns to the
Board of Trustees in writing.
6) The Board, after hearing from the patron and the Director, will decide whether the
actions taken have followed library policies.

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 TIMBERLAND REGIONAL LIBRARY PATRON’S OPINION OF LIBRARY RESOURCES
Name _____________________________________ Date _________________________
Address _______________________________________________________________________
City _____________________ State __________ Zip __________ Phone
__________________

1. Resource on which you are commenting:

_____ Book _____ Videocassette

_____ Displays
_____ Magazine _____ Compact Disc or Audiocassette _____
Programs
_____ Newspaper _____ Electronic information/network _____ CD
ROM
_____
Other__________________________________________________________

Title ___________________________________________________________________

Author/Producer/Presenter _________________________________________________
2. What brought this resource to your attention?

3. Did you read, view or listen to the entire work? _____ Yes _____ No

4. What concerns you about the resource? (Use other side or additional pages if necessary)

5. What action do you believe the library should take?

6. What other resource(s) might provide additional information and/or other viewpoints on
this topic?

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 ELECTRONIC RESOURCES POLICY

Overview of the Resources

In addition to print and nonprint materials in several formats, Timberland provides access to
various types of electronic resources.
Electronic databases provide a wide array of reference information. Among their uses are providing
help to students doing papers, helping people find business information, and helping readers find
out what to read next. Most databases are available in each building and also from home
computers.
The Internet is a telecommunications conduit for accessing types of information and also a giant
collection of ever-changing information of infinite scope. Timberland provides filtered and unfiltered
access to the Internet in each building and from home. Parents have the responsibility to make
access decisions for their children.
Individual Internet websites listed on the Timberland homepage are selected by the reference staff
to guide patrons to information in specific subject areas.
Timberland recognizes that the selection criteria contained in the Collection Management Policy do
not pertain to some current and future formats of resources including the Internet, Internet
websites, and electronic databases. The following criteria and policies apply to these electronic
formats.

Electronic Databases
Electronic databases should conform to one or more of the following criteria:
• Accuracy
• Currency
• Comprehensiveness
• Reputation of compiler
• Scope and depth of coverage
• Ease of use
• Special information/data finding features
• Enhancement of a subject area lacking good tools
• Strengthening of a designated special collection
• Uniqueness, within the context of the entire collection
• Suitability as a guide to suggesting further sources of information
• Contents include useful and unique information difficult to replace
• Importance to independent researchers as a special, limited, or landmark edition
• Demands on a subject area which a circulating collection cannot meet

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 • Timeliness of updates
• Expansion of information resources available
• Minimal impact on staff and equipment costs
• Availability of documentation, on-screen assistance, and customer support
• Availability of suitable licensing arrangements for networking and/or public access
• Logical operation and ease of use for public and staff
• Availability of high quality index or full-text keyword searching

Internet
Timberland has elected to provide access to the Internet as part of its mission to provide
resources which reflect the great diversity of interests and opinions in our communities. The
Internet is the medium incorporating the widest variability of ideas, coverage, focus, tone
and accuracy of any resource in history. (See policies below)

Internet Sites
Specific Internet sites highlighted on Timberland's web page are chosen to provide access
to general topics for patrons and staff. Criteria used for selecting these sites are:

• Authority
• Objectivity
• Currency
• Coverage of the site
• Local interest
• Patron demand

TIMBERLAND REGIONAL LIBRARY INTERNET USE POLICY

Timberland Regional Library offers Internet access to its patrons as part of its Mission to provide
resources which reflect the great diversity of interests and opinions in our communities.
Timberland Regional Library does not monitor and has no control over the information viewed
through the Internet and cannot be responsible for its content. As with other library materials,
parents or legal guardians are responsible for their minor children’s use of the Internet.
Originally adopted by the Timberland Regional Library Board of Trustees on April 26, 1995.
Revised and adopted by the Timberland Regional Library Board of Trustees on March 20, 1996.

ILLEGAL ACTIVITY ON LIBRARY COMPUTERS

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Timberland Regional Library prohibits accessing, viewing, or printing any illegal material on any
computer located in any facility.
Adopted by the Timberland Regional Library Board of Trustees on April 26, 2000.

Appendices

LIBRARY BILL OF RIGHTS

The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and
that the following basic policies should guide their services.
1. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and
enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be
excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
2. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and
historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or
doctrinal disapproval.
3. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide
information and enlightenment.
4. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of
free expression and free access to ideas.
5. A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age,
background, or views.
6. Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve
should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or
affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.

FREE ACCESS TO LIBRARIES FOR MINORS

An Interpretation of the LIBRARY BILL OF RIGHTS

Library policies and procedures which effectively deny minors equal access to all library resources
available to other users violate the LIBRARY BILL OF RIGHTS. The American Library Association
opposes all attempts to restrict access to library services, materials, and facilities based on the age
of library users.
Article V of the LIBRARY BILL OF RIGHTS states, “A person’s right to use a library should not be
denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.” The “right to use a library”
includes free access to, and unrestricted use of, all the services, materials, and facilities the library
has to offer. Every restriction on access to, and use of, library resources, based solely on the
chronological age, educational level, or legal emancipation of users violates Article V.
Libraries are charged with the mission of developing resources to meet the diverse information
needs and interests of the communities they serve. Services, materials, and facilities which fulfill

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the needs and interests of library users at different stages in their personal development are a
necessary part of library resources. The needs and interests of each library user, and resources
appropriate to meet those needs and interests, must be determined on an individual basis.
Librarians cannot predict what resources will best fulfill the needs and interests of any individual
user based on a single criterion such as chronological age, level of education, or legal
emancipation.
The selection and development of library resources should not be diluted because of minors
having the same access to library resources as adult users. Institutional self-censorship
diminishes the credibility of the library in the community, and restricts access for all library users.
Librarians and governing bodies should not resort to age restrictions on access to library resources
in an effort to avoid actual or anticipated objections from parents or anyone else. The mission,
goals, and objectives of libraries do not authorize librarians or governing bodies to assume,
abrogate, or overrule the rights and responsibilities of parents or legal guardians. Librarians and
governing bodies should maintain that parents—and only parents—have the right and the
responsibility to restrict the access of their children—and only their children—to library resources.
Parents or legal guardians, who do not want their children to have access to certain library
services, materials or facilities, should so advise their children. Librarians and governing bodies
cannot assume the role of parents or the functions of parental authority in the private relationship
between parent and child. Librarians and governing bodies have a public and professional
obligation to provide equal access to all library resources for all library users.
Librarians have a professional commitment to ensure that all members of the community they
serve have free and equal access to the entire range of library resources regardless of content,
approach, format, or amount of detail. This principle of library service applies equally to all users,
minors as well as adults. Librarians and governing bodies must uphold this principle in order to
provide adequate and effective service to minors.
Adopted June 30, 1972; amended July 1, l981; July 3, 1991, by the ALA Council.

FREEDOM TO VIEW
The FREEDOM TO VIEW, along with the freedom to speak, to hear, and to read, is protected by
the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. In a free society, there is no place
for censorship of any medium of expression. Therefore these principles are affirmed:
1. To provide the broadest possible access to film, video, and other audiovisual materials
because they are a means for the communication of ideas. Liberty of circulation is
essential to insure the constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression.
2. To protect the confidentiality of all individuals and institutions using film, video, and other
audiovisual materials.
3. To provide film, video, and other audiovisual materials which represent a diversity of views
and expression. Selection of a work does not constitute or imply agreement with or
approval of the content.
4. To provide a diversity of viewpoints without the constraint of labeling or prejudging film,
video and other audiovisual materials on the basis of the moral, religious, or political beliefs
of the producer or filmmaker or on the basis of controversial content.
5. To contest vigorously, by all lawful means, every encroachment upon the public’s freedom
to view.

This statement was originally drafted by the Freedom to View Committee of the American Film and
Video Association (formerly the Educational Film Library Association) and was adopted by the
AFVA Board of Directors in February 1979. This statement was updated and approved by the
AFVA Board of Directors in 1989.

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Libraries and educational institutions are encouraged to adopt this statement and display it in their
catalogs or libraries. The text of the statement may be reprinted freely; permission is granted to all
educational institutions to use it.
ORIGINALLY ADOPTED BY THE TIMBERLAND REGIONAL LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
DECEMBER 18, 1980.
UPDATED STATEMENT ADOPTED BY THE TIMBERLAND REGIONAL LIBRARY BOARD OF
TRUSTEES APRIL 22, 1992.

FREEDOM TO READ

This statement was originally issued in May of 1953 by the Westchester Conference
of the American Library Association and the American Book Publishers Council, which
in 1970 consolidated with the American Educational Publishers Institute to become
the Association of American Publishers.

(Adopted by the Timberland Regional Library Board of Trustees - 2/17/72)

The freedom to read is essential to our democracy. It is continuously under attack. Private groups
and public authorities in various parts of the country are working to remove or limit access to reading
materials, to censor content in schools, to label "controversial" views, to distribute lists of
"objectionable" books or authors, and to purge libraries. These actions apparently rise from a view
that our national tradition of free expression is no longer valid; that censorship and suppression are
needed to avoid the subversion of politics and the corruption of morals. We, as citizens devoted to
the use of books and as librarians and publishers responsible for disseminating ideas, wish to assert
the public interest in the preservation of the freedom to read.

Most attempts at suppression rest on a denial of the fundamental premise of democracy: that the
ordinary citizen, by exercising critical judgment, will accept the good and reject the bad. The censors,
public and private, assume that they should determine what is good and what is bad for their fellow
citizens.

We trust Americans to recognize propaganda and misinformation, and to make their own decisions
about what they read and believe. We do not believe they need the help of censors to assist them in
this task. We do not believe they are prepared to sacrifice their heritage of a free press in order to be
"protected" against what others think may be bad for them. We believe they still favor free enterprise
in ideas and expression.

These efforts at suppression are related to a larger pattern of pressures being brought against
education, the press, art and images, films, broadcast media, and the Internet. The problem is not
only one of actual censorship. The shadow of fear cast by these pressures leads, we suspect, to an
even larger voluntary curtailment of expression by those who seek to avoid controversy.

Such pressure toward conformity is perhaps natural to a time of accelerated change. And yet
suppression is never more dangerous than in such a time of social tension. Freedom has given the
United States the elasticity to endure strain. Freedom keeps open the path of novel and creative
solutions, and enables change to come by choice. Every silencing of a heresy, every enforcement of
an orthodoxy, diminishes the toughness and resilience of our society and leaves it the less able to
deal with controversy and difference.

Now as always in our history, reading is among our greatest freedoms. The freedom to read and
write is almost the only means for making generally available ideas or manners of expression that
can initially command only a small audience. The written word is the natural medium for the new idea
and the untried voice from which come the original contributions to social growth. It is essential to the

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extended discussion that serious thought requires, and to the accumulation of knowledge and ideas
into organized collections.

We believe that free communication is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative
culture. We believe that these pressures towards conformity present the danger of limiting the
range and variety of inquiry and expression on which our democracy and our culture depend. We
believe that every American community must jealously guard the freedom to publish and to
circulate, in order to preserve its own freedom to read. We believe that publishers and librarians
have a profound responsibility to give validity to that freedom to read by making it possible for the
readers to choose freely from a variety of offerings. The freedom to read is guaranteed by the
Constitution. Those with faith in free people will stand firm on these constitutional guarantees of
essential rights and will exercise the responsibilities that accompany these rights.

WE THEREFORE AFFIRM THESE PROPOSITIONS:

1. IT IS IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST FOR PUBLISHERS AND LIBRARIANS TO MAKE

AVAILABLE THE WIDEST DIVERSITY OF VIEWS AND EXPRESSIONS, INCLUDING
THOSE THAT ARE UNORTHODOX OR UNPOPULAR WITH THE MAJORITY.

Creative thought is by definition new, and what is new is different. The bearer of every new
thought is a rebel until that idea is refined and tested. Totalitarian systems attempt to
maintain themselves in power by the ruthless suppression of any concept that challenges the
established orthodoxy. The power of a democratic system to adapt to change is vastly
strengthened by the freedom of its citizens to choose widely from among conflicting opinions
offered freely to them. To stifle every nonconformist idea at birth would mark the end of the
democratic process. Furthermore, only through the constant activity of weighing and
selecting can the democratic mind attain the strength demanded by times like these. We
need to know not only what we believe, but why we believe it.

2. PUBLISHERS, LIBRARIANS AND BOOKSELLERS DO NOT NEED TO ENDORSE EVERY

IDEA OR PRESENTATION THEY MAKE AVAILABLE. IT WOULD CONFLICT WITH THE
PUBLIC INTEREST FOR THEM TO ESTABLISH THEIR OWN POLITICAL, MORAL OR
AESTHETIC VIEWS AS A STANDARD FOR DETERMINING WHAT SHOULD BE
PUBLISHED OR CIRCULATED.

Publishers and librarians serve the educational process by helping to make available
knowledge and ideas required for the growth of the mind and the increase of learning. They
do not foster education by imposing as mentors the patterns of their own thought. The people
should have the freedom to read and consider a broader range of ideas than those that may
be held by any single librarian or publisher or government or church. It is wrong that what one
can read should be confined to what another thinks proper.

3. IT IS CONTRARY TO THE PUBLIC INTEREST FOR PUBLISHERS OR LIBRARIANS TO

BAR ACCESS TO WRITINGS ON THE BASIS OF THE PERSONAL HISTORY OR
POLITICAL AFFILIATIONS OF THE AUTHOR.

No art or literature can flourish if it is to be measured by the political views or private lives of
its creators. No society of free people can flourish that draws up lists of writers to whom it will
not listen, whatever they may have to say.

4. THERE IS NO PLACE IN OUR SOCIETY FOR EFFORTS TO COERCE THE TASTE OF

OTHERS, TO CONFINE ADULTS TO THE READING MATTER DEEMED SUITABLE FOR
ADOLESCENTS, OR TO INHIBIT THE EFFORTS OF WRITERS TO ACHIEVE ARTISTIC
EXPRESSION.

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 To some, much of modern literature is shocking. But is not much of life itself shocking? We
cut off literature at the source if we prevent writers from dealing with the stuff of life. Parents
and teachers have a responsibility to prepare the young to meet the diversity of experiences
in life to which they will be exposed, as they have a responsibility to help them learn to think
critically for themselves. These are affirmative responsibilities, not to be discharged simply by
preventing them from reading works for which they are not yet prepared. In these matters
values differ, and values cannot be legislated; nor can machinery be devised that will suit the
demands of one group without limiting the freedom of others.

5. IT IS NOT IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST TO FORCE A READER TO ACCEPT WITH ANY

EXPESSION THE PREJUDGMENT OF A LABEL CHARACTERIZING IT OR ITS AUTHOR
AS SUBVERSIVE OR DANGEROUS.

The idea of labeling presupposes the existence of individuals or groups with wisdom to
determine by authority what is good or bad for the citizen. It presupposes that individuals
must be directed in making up their minds about the ideas they examine. But Americans do
not need others to do their thinking for them.

6. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PUBLISHERS AND LIBRARIANS, AS GUARDIANS OF

THE PEOPLE'S FREEDOM TO READ, TO CONTEST ENCROACHMENTS UPON THAT
FREEDOM BY INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS SEEKING TO IMPOSE THEIR OWN
STANDARDS OR TASTES UPON THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.

It is inevitable in the give and take of the democratic process that the political, the moral, or
the aesthetic concepts of an individual or group will occasionally collide with those of another
individual or group. In a free society individuals are free to determine for themselves what
they wish to read, and each group is free to determine what it will recommend to its freely
associated members. But no group has the right to take the law into its own hands, and to
impose its own concept of politics or morality upon other members of a democratic society.
Freedom is no freedom if it is accorded only to the accepted and the inoffensive.

7. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PUBLISHERS AND LIBRARIANS TO GIVE FULL

MEANING TO THE FREEDOM TO READ BY PROVIDING BOOKS THAT ENRICH THE
QUALITY AND DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT AND EXPRESSION. BY THE EXERCISE OF
THIS AFFIRMATIVE RESPONSIBILITY, THEY CAN DEMONSTRATE THAT THE ANSWER
TO A “BAD” BOOK IS A GOOD ONE, THE ANSWER TO A “BAD” IDEA IS A GOOD ONE.

The freedom to read is of little consequence when the reader cannot obtain matter fit for that
reader’s purpose. What is needed is not only the absence of restraint, but the positive
provision of opportunity for the people to read the best that has been thought and said. Books
are the major channel by which the intellectual inheritance is handed down, and the principal
means of its testing and growth. The defense of the freedom to read requires of all publishers
and librarians the utmost of their faculties, and deserves of all citizens the fullest of their
support.

We state these propositions neither lightly nor as easy generalizations. We here stake out a lofty
claim for the value of the written word. We do so because we believe that it is possessed of
enormous variety and usefulness, worthy of cherishing and keeping free. We realize that the
application of these propositions may mean the dissemination of ideas and manners of expression
that are repugnant to many persons. We do not state these propositions in the comfortable belief
that what people read is unimportant. We believe rather that what people read is deeply important;
that ideas can be dangerous; but that the suppression of ideas is fatal to a democratic society.
Freedom itself is a dangerous way of life, but it is ours.

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Adopted June 25, 1953; revised January 28, 1972, January 16, 1991, July 12, 2000, by the ALA
Council and the AAP Freedom to Read Committee.

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