Library Mission

The Chicopee Public Library embraces the spirit of Chicopee by providing all community
members with compassionate service, free access to materials, information, and instruction,
and opportunities for learning, leisure, and cultural enrichment.

Introduction

The Chicopee Public Library aims to fulfill its mission by providing the Emily L. Partyka Central
Library and its branches with quality materials in a variety of formats. Libraries have a profound
responsibility to promote access to information by making it possible for patrons to choose freely
from a wide range of offerings. The development and maintenance of library collections is
guided by the Collection Development Policy, which describes how materials are selected,
acquired, and maintained.

Objectives

This policy is designed to guide staff members in the purchasing of materials and to provide
information to the public about what is included in the Chicopee Public Library’s collections, how
materials are selected, and how these collections are maintained. In addition, the Collection
Development Policy outlines the Library’s policies for donations and reconsideration of
materials.

Selection of Materials

Professional staff, under supervision of the Library Director and Assistant Director, select
materials according to their department, job description, training, and experience. The Board of
Trustees approves overarching policies as the governing body of the Library. Materials selected
for the Library are intended to meet the informational, educational, cultural, and recreational
needs of the residents of Chicopee, within budget limitations. The Library seeks to meet the
current needs of its residents, as well as anticipate future needs by acquiring materials for a
range of interests.
Evaluation criteria for all acquisitions, whether purchased or donated, are listed below. Not all
criteria must be met for an item to be included. Materials included in our collections will be
judged based on their entirety, not by selected passages.

Relevance to the interest, demand, and needs of the community
Attention of critics and reviewers, award winners, or inclusion in bibliographies
Significance, accuracy, and timeliness of content
Representation of diverse points of view
Relevance to early literacy
Relationship to youth interest, scholastic support, and enrichment
Literary merit and contribution to the field of knowledge
Availability through other libraries in the C/WMARS network

The Chicopee Public Library appreciates patron input and invites patrons to recommend
materials for our collections. Patrons can visit the website, speak directly with a librarian, or fill
out a recommendation form (see Appendix).
Suggestions, like all other acquisitions, are evaluated according to the Collection Development
Policy and are subject to availability. Suggestions are not guaranteed to be purchased for the
collection.

Collections

Our goal is a robust and well-rounded collection which represents the variety of interests,
viewpoints, and perspectives as well as the cultural and linguistic diversity of Chicopee. We
continually assess areas which may be developed further in order to meet patron demand,
provide equitable access to information, and anticipate the needs of our community.
The Library will respond to trends in the community and the larger world and may add or
discontinue various collections as needed. New material formats will be considered based on
demand and accessibility and will be assessed for strengths and weaknesses.

Our current collection includes:

Children’s Collection
Young Adult Collection
Fiction Collection
Nonfiction Collection
Periodicals
Music CDs, DVDs/BluRay, and audiobooks
Online Databases
Digital Collections
Library of Things
Chicopee History Room

Local History Collection

The Local History Collection serves as an archive of Chicopee and the surrounding area. The
Library collaborates with local schools and organizations to collect materials to preserve
Chicopee’s history. The collection includes yearbooks, street listings, city directories, historical
objects, and digital archives of photographs and documents. The Local History Collection is
accessible during regular library hours; patrons seeking guided access to the collection should
make arrangements with the Reference Department ahead of time.

The Chicopee Public Library gladly considers donations of materials to the Local History
Collection which meet the criteria listed in the Chicopee History Room Donation Policy (see
Appendix).

Gifts and Donations

Chicopee Public Library gratefully accepts donations of materials in like-new or gently-worn
condition. Items may be added to our collection if they meet the criteria outlined in our Selection
Policy. Inclusion in the collection is based upon the condition of the item, literary merit,
duplication, and available space. The Library reserves the right to keep, discard, donate, or sell
any donated items. Donations become the property of the Library and will not be returned, even
if they are not added to the collection.
Donations should be brought to the circulation desk, not left in or around the book drop. Please
do not bring more than one bag or box at a time. The Library can provide a donor letter for tax
purposes but we do not assign monetary value to donated items.
The Library gladly accepts monetary donations to our general fund, including memorial gifts.
Monetary gifts may be used by the library to purchase materials, equipment, or to support
programming. Selection of materials will be made by library staff. Materials will be ordered in
keeping with the donor’s wishes if the request complies with the library selection guidelines.
Materials purchased will be given personalized bookplates if requested.
Other real or personal property donated to the Library will be accepted at the discretion of the
Board of Trustees. Please contact the Director or Assistant Director if you wish to make a
significant donation so they can assist you in making the most of your donation.

Collection Maintenance and Weeding

Continuous evaluation is necessary for a healthy collection. With the exception of the Local
History Room, the collections of the Chicopee Public Library are not archival. Materials are
regularly withdrawn (weeded) to maintain a current, accurate, and appealing collection and to
facilitate its ease of use.
Selection of materials for weeding is based on the CREW method of Continuous Review,
Evaluation, and Weeding. This system uses the acronym MUSTIE as a criteria for weeding:

Misleading and/or factually inaccurate
Ugly (worn out, torn beyond mending, stained, defaced)
Superseded by a new edition or a better source
Trivial (of little overall merit)
Irrelevant to the needs and interests of the community
Elsewhere (the material may be easily borrowed from another source)

Materials may be discarded based on the availability of physical space in the Library as well as
at the discretion of the librarians responsible for acquisitions.
Materials are discarded from our collection with an eye towards sustainability and reuse.
Weeded items may be sold through the book sale, redistributed, or recycled.

Collection maintenance also includes periodic reconsideration of how areas of the collection are
cataloged, with the goal of identifying any sections in which the arrangement could be made
more equitable and accessible. Library materials may be relocated at the discretion of library
staff.

Support for Intellectual Freedom

The Chicopee Public Library endorses the American Library Association (ALA) Library Bill of
Rights and the Freedom to Read Statement, which include the statements: “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.”
The Library values the power of books and other media to convey a wide diversity of thought
and expression. We strive to provide a collection that enriches the lives of our community by
providing many voices and views, and we select a wide variety of materials to satisfy the many
interests of our community. We uphold the right of the individual to secure those resources,
even though the content may be controversial, unorthodox, or unacceptable to some. The
Library’s varied collection is available to all even though it is not expected that all of the
collection will appeal to everyone. The inclusion of a particular perspective in the collection is a
representation of the Library’s commitment to intellectual freedom and does not represent an
endorsement of any particular point of view.
We believe that reading is an individual, private matter. Anyone is free to select or reject
materials for themselves, but cannot restrict the freedom of others to read and inquire. The
Library does not limit access to resources for minors. Parents and guardians have the
responsibility to guide their children’s – and only their children’s – use of library resources.

Reconsideration

Patrons from the Chicopee community who wish to request the removal or reclassification of
material(s) currently owned by the Library may speak with a supervisor on duty or request an
appointment with the Director or Assistant Director. The staff will listen to the patron’s concerns
and will inform them of relevant library selection procedures and policies. The patron will be
given an information packet that includes a copy of the Library’s Collection Development Policy,
the ALA Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read Statement, and a Request for
Reconsideration form. The patron may submit a completed Request for Reconsideration form if
they wish to formally pursue the issue. One Reconsideration form at a time may be submitted
per household and each form may request reconsideration for one title. The material(s) in
question will remain on the shelves and in circulation until a final decision is made.
Once a form is submitted, the following process will begin:

The Director and appropriate professional staff will review the Reconsideration form and
the material in question, to consider whether its selection follows the criteria stated in the
Collection Development Policy.
A written response stating the reasons for the decision will be mailed by the Library
Director to the patron within 21 days of receiving the Reconsideration form.
If the patron is not satisfied with the decision, a written letter of appeal may be submitted
to the Board of Trustees within 10 business days of the date on the Director’s letter.
If the Board plans to address the appeal at their Board meeting, the patron will be
notified of the time and date of the meeting.
The Board of Trustees reserves the right to limit the length of public comments.
The decision of the Board is final.

Policy Revision

This policy will be approved by the Library’s Board of Trustees before taking effect. As a part of
strategic planning, it will be reviewed and received following the approval of the next strategic
plan, every 4 to 5 years, to ensure it is a living document. Due to changing community needs,
library policies, or its mission, the policy may be reviewed and revised as necessary to provide
guidance for implementing changes in the collection.

Acknowledgements

The Chicopee Public Library would like to acknowledge the following libraries’ Collection
Development Policies as instrumental to the creation of this document: Boston Public Library,
Forbes Library, Springfield Public Library, and Worcester Public Library.
Additionally, the American Library Association Toolkit provided essential resources and
guidance which aided in the construction of this policy.

Additional Resources

ALA Bill of Rights
ALA Freedom To Read Statement
Access to Library Resources and Services for Minors: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of
Rights
The CREW Method
American Library Association Toolkit

Appendices

Approved by the Board of Library Trustees: June 6, 2022

Your Library Account

Collection Development Policy