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Collection Development Policy

Jefferson County Public Library (JCPL) develops and maintains a materials collection to serve our mission of building an educated and vibrant community. Library resources are provided for the interest and enlightenment of all people in our diverse community. This Collection Development Policy strives to guide selection practices leading to a wide diversity of materials available in formats and quantities that meet the needs of our residents and patrons. Our core values of innovation, accountability and excellence are demonstrated in our approach to implementing this policy. We use our expertise, data and community feedback to curate the best collection of materials possible for residents of Jefferson County, creating a library for all.

Our selection and retention of materials is also guided by and comply with the provisions of C.R.S. 24-90-122(2)(A) which requires libraries to follow these standards:

(a) A public library serves as a center for voluntary inquiry and the dissemination of information and ideas;

(b) The public has the right to access a range of social, political, aesthetic, moral, and other ideas and experiences through a public library;

(c) Each library resource is provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of the community and should present diverse points of view in the collection as a whole;

(d) A public library shall not exclude a library resource because of the ethnic origin, ethnic background, or gender identity of those contributing to the creation of the library resource or because of the topic addressed by the library resource or the opinions expressed in the library resource;

(e) A public library shall not proscribe or prohibit the circulation or procurement of a library resource because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval of the library resource;

(f) It is the responsibility of a public library to challenge censorship in the fulfillment of its responsibility to provide information and enlightenment;

(g) A public library shall consider the perspectives of marginalized groups, including those identified in section C.R.S. 22-1-104 (1)(a) that names American Indians, Latinos, African Americans, and Asian Americans, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender individuals and persecuted religious minorities;

(h) For a public library that provides facilities to the public, the library shall make the facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use; and

(i) A public library shall prohibit discrimination based on age, background, political or religious views, origin, disability, race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, national origin, or ancestry in the selection, retention, display, use, or reconsideration of library resources and public meeting spaces.

Collection Direction

The Collection Development policy for JCPL supports the library's Mission, Vision and Values.

JCPL recognizes that it is impossible to collect all library resources, from books to DVDs to e-books and e-audio, to online resources to technology devices and so much more. Limited physical space and a finite budget guide what we can purchase. JCPL selects diverse materials for our community for their interest, information and pure joy of reading, listening and viewing. JCPL regards its collection as one shared collection, distributed between its various locations and online and created to build an educated and vibrant community.

JCPL builds its collection with the principles stated in the following:

Intellectual Freedom and Material Selection

JCPL fully supports and believes in the freedom of information for all and therefore does not practice censorship. JCPL does not endorse the beliefs or views expressed in the materials selected. Selection of an item does not imply JCPL's endorsement of the viewpoints expressed. Materials may be controversial, and any given item may offend some person. The selection of material is not made based on anticipated approval or disapproval. The merits of the materials along with collection needs, drive selection. Materials may be excluded from the collection according to our general selection criteria. Materials may contain mature content, questionable and/or coarse language and different viewpoints.

JCPL respects each individual parent/guardian's right to supervise their children's choice of materials, but the library does not serve in loco parentis (in place of the parent). It is the parent(s) or guardian(s) responsibility to guide their own children in using and accessing library material. Selection of materials will not be affected or influenced by the possibility that materials may come into the possession of children. Material will not be marked, identified or sequestered to show approval or disapproval.

Comments from Jefferson County residents concerning JCPL's collection are welcome.

Scope of Collection

Our libraries have high-interest materials in various physical and digital formats supporting all areas of the collection. The materials available at each location may differ. JCPL's collection in its entirety is available to all residents of Jefferson County. A library for all has a collection for all, with the expectation that not every item in the collection will appeal to everyone.

Collection Selection

JCPL's Board of Trustees entrusts the evaluation, selection and curation of materials in its collection, both on our shelves and online, to designated staff. Staff use the Collection Development Policy along with their training, expertise and professional tools in the selection of materials in all formats. JCPL strives to curate a collection of diverse viewpoints and interests.

General Selection Criteria

JCPL seeks to develop and curate an outstanding collection that will fulfill the informational and recreational needs of Jefferson County residents. Customer use data influences what we select and retain in our collection. This data, combined with factors such as author reputation, content, currency and lasting value, guide our selection and deselection decisions. Additionally, we seek to provide materials reflecting a variety of perspectives, beliefs and needs. Not all the criteria listed must be met to select an item for the collection and no one criterion will be the deciding factor. Materials purchased for the collection are not an endorsement by JCPL of either the content or the authors' viewpoints.

The number of physical and digital copies of a title purchased varies with the interest in that title. Individual titles are monitored, and additional copies may be purchased to meet demand. The general criteria used to evaluate potential purchases of both physical and digital titles includes, but is not limited to:

  • Accuracy of content
  • Artistic merit, literary value or recognized award recipient
  • Author reputation and/or authority in the field
  • Availability through resource sharing
  • Binding
  • Cost
  • Ease of access for electronic formats and ability to access on existing platforms
  • High interest to the general Jefferson County population
  • Lasting value to the community
  • Local or national significance
  • Older materials of lasting value; may be replaced as needed based on patron demand and use
  • Online availability and accessibility to the general public
  • Past patron use
  • Professional reviews
  • Publication date
  • Publisher and vendor availability
  • Relationship to the existing collection
  • Relevant to the needs and interests of the community
  • Suitability of the physical format for library shelving and circulation and durability/quality of the format

Excluded from the collection (please note this is not a complete list):

  • Materials publicized exclusively through infomercials and personal websites
  • Puzzle books, pop-up books, workbooks, items with loose or dangling pieces and other consumable books
  • Scholarly and/or technical materials suitable for academic and/or special libraries
  • Textbooks and curricula

Library of Things

A Library of Things is a collection of non-traditional items that compliments the library's mission, vision and values. Overall selection criteria apply to the Library of Things in addition to the following criteria:

  • Cost
  • Does not require any washing
  • Durability
  • Ease of use
  • No consumable parts
  • Not worn against a person's body
  • Number of parts that require tracking
  • Recurring maintenance requirements
  • Safety and liability
  • Size and ability to fit into the library's courier bins for transportation between locations
  • Space for storage

Purchase Suggestions

Requests and recommendations for purchase of all types of materials are welcome and subject to the same selection criteria as any other item considered for the collection.

Patrons may also request items through our resource sharing partners or through JCPL's Interlibrary Loan service.

Collection Maintenance and Deaccession

The library's collection is under constant review to maintain relevancy, community interest and good physical condition. To determine retention or deaccession, staff use the following criteria based on common library standards:

  • Availability of item and/or information in other libraries or online
  • Condition: worn, water damaged, chewed, stained, ripped, mildewed, defaced, etc.
  • Current demand and usage statistics
  • Information: up-to-date, timely
  • Number of copies in the collection

Withdrawn physical materials are repurposed, resold, recycled or put to other uses.

Gifts, Donations and Memorials

The criteria for material selection and deselection also applies to gifts, donations and memorials. Once a gift or item is accepted by JCPL, it becomes the property of the library unconditionally. JCPL makes the final decision on acceptance, use or disposition. Gift materials not added to the collection will be repurposed, resold, recycled or put to other uses.

Any author or publisher that contacts JCPL directly to promote their material for inclusion in our collection will be directed to the JCPL's Purchasing Guidelines for Authors.

Memorials are created when money is donated to add books or other materials to the collection. JCPL welcomes suggestions for purchases but reserves the right to make the final decision regarding all materials added to our library collection. Memorial bookplates can be added to the items purchased as requested.

Local History and Government Materials

JCPL does not maintain any local history, special or archival collections. Any individual, municipality or group that would like to donate special, archival or historical material to JCPL will be referred to existing local historical societies, archives or museums.

JCPL may provide government documents for our residents that contain information concerning upcoming government projects. These types of materials will be held locally for the required duration.

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