135 Main St., Montpelier, Vt 05602
802-223-3338 (phone and fax)
E-mail.
| Kellogg-Hubbard Library 135 Main St., Montpelier, Vt 05602 802-223-3338 (phone and fax) E-mail. |
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| The Role of the Library in the Community The Kellogg-Hubbard Library, at the heart of community, serves as a meeting place for the free exchange of ideas and for the pursuit of knowledge by people of all ages and from all walks of life. The role of the library is to actively provide for the educational, informational, recreational and cultural needs of the residents of Montpelier and surrounding towns. The library selects, acquires, organizes, preserves and makes available library materials and technological resources. We cooperate with other agencies and institutions in an effort to enhance and expand public awareness and access to information. We embrace the responsibility to uphold the principles of freedom of expression and the public's "right to know." | |
| Materials Selection Policy The public library is the institution in our society which is designed to provide a diversity of viewpoints on a wide range of topics of interest, including political, social and religious ones. We strive to make available a broad spectrum of opinion which will help community members make informed decisions and participate actively in our democracy. Therefore, the Kellogg-Hubbard Library chooses materials representing different points of view, limited only by our selection criteria, budget, and the space in our building. We support the Library Bill of Rights, and the Freedom to Read Statement of the American Library Association in providing free and open access to our materials for all age groups. Children are not restricted to particular areas of the Library. Our staff does not monitor the materials that children choose. The responsibility for the reading or viewing choices of children rests entirely with parents or legal guardians. We judge each book or other type of material on the basis of its overall content or style, not by isolated or random portions. | |
| How We Decide What to Buy The Library Director oversees the selection of materials for the adult collection, and the Children’s Librarian oversees selection of children’s and young adult materials. We have a Program and Policy Committee whose members make recommendations on selection priorities. Staff members who select materials are guided by the Materials Selection Policy in choosing what to buy. They consult various sources to determine the value of the material to the collection. The following criteria are considered when selecting materials:
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| How You Can Have a Say Suggestions and donations from people in the community are encouraged and are given serious consideration. We want to hear from you. All material added to our collection by suggestion or gift must meet the same criteria as ordinarily used in choosing items. From time to time, a person may be concerned about a particular book or other material in the Library. If a person wants us to reconsider an item that is in our collection, a "Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials" form may be requested from the staff. This form should be filled out and either returned to the staff member or mailed to the Library Director. A written response from the Director will be sent within four to six weeks. | |
| Maintaining the Collection Removing outdated materials from the library shelves is essential to keeping the collection accurate, useful and attractive. We go through our shelves systematically, removing worn or mutilated items for replacement, taking out duplicate copies of materials that are seldom used, and pulling materials containing outdated information so that we can replace them with more up-to-date resources. In library jargon, this is called “weeding.” Decisions on weeding are made by the library director, in consultation with other library staff. Materials pulled from the collection are put in the library’s quarterly fundraising book sales. | |
| Kids and the Library Your child is the proud owner of a library card; a passport to an exciting world of adventure. With it, your child can journey to every country in this world -- and out-of-this-world, too. Your child can visit yesterday, today and tomorrow. We even have a special Parenting Collection in the Children’s Library just for you; feel free to browse the special collection of books on parenting, discipline, child development, nutrition, health and more. There is additional material for parents in the general collection. As parent or guardian, you are responsible for what your child reads, and for materials checked out on your child's library card. Being a library cardholder is an excellent chance for your child to learn about responsibility: How to choose what to read, making sure library materials are returned on time and paying fines when materials are overdue. We hope you become involved with your child's library experience; you'll find it rewarding for you and for your child. The Kellogg-Hubbard Library makes a broad selection of library materials and information available for everyone, including children and teenagers. We have special areas for children and teens with materials that appeal to various ages and interests. We also offer a summer reading program, story times and other special programs for young people. Programs such as these help kids learn to enjoy libraries and to use them for their information and entertainment needs. Libraries must meet the diverse needs of everyone in their community. They cannot overrule the rights and responsibilities of individuals by deciding who does or doesn’t have access to library materials. Decisions about what materials are suitable for particular children should be made by the people who know them best -- their parents or guardians. Children mature at different rates. They have different backgrounds and interests. And they have different reading levels and abilities. For instance, one parent may feel a particular library book is inappropriate for his daughter, while the same book may be a favorite of her classmate’s family. These factors make it impossible for librarians to set any criteria for restricting use based on age alone. To do so would keep others who want and need materials from having access to them. Like adults, children and teenagers have the right to seek and receive the information that they choose. It is the right and responsibility of parents to guide their own family’s library use while allowing other parents to do the same. Parents should discuss rules regarding library use with their children. If you are concerned they will not respect your wishes, it is your responsibility to visit the library with them. Librarians are not authorized to act as parents. But they are happy to provide suggestions and guidance to parents and youngsters at any time. Adapted from the ALA pamphlet Kids and Libraries: What You Should Know. | |
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