East Orange Public Library

The East Orange Public Library helps people of all ages meet their informational, educational, and recreational needs by acquiring, organizing, and assisting in the use of print and non-print resources.

To support this responsibility, library materials are selected, organized, and made accessible in order to meet the diverse needs of East Orange citizens.

This policy establishes that the library shall develop collections of merit and significance, whether acquired by purchase or gift. Materials to be evaluated shall include both hardcover and paperback books, magazines, newspapers, audiobooks, digital resources (e.g., DVDs, CDs, e-books, databases), and other appropriate formats. Materials shall be evaluated according to objective standards, giving consideration to scholarship, appropriateness to the community, and popularity. Materials dealing with controversial issues will be acquired, including those that may present unpopular or unorthodox positions.

The library accepts donations and unsolicited gifts. These materials are evaluated for inclusion in the collection according to the library’s mission statement and the selection policy’s general standards. Material not added to the collection is sold in the annual book sale to benefit the library.

The library has established procedures for the public to request acquisition or reconsideration of any item. Suggestions from patrons are encouraged and given serious consideration in the selection process.

The Board of Trustees supports the ​American Library Association Bill of Rights, the ​Freedom to Read Statement, and the ​Freedom to View Statement.

Responsibility for Materials Selection

Authority and responsibility for the selection of library materials rests with the library director and, under his/her direction, with the Selection Committee.

Criteria for Selection and Deselection

The evaluation of materials considered for inclusion in the library’s collection is characterized by flexibility, fairness, and responsiveness to the changing needs of the citizens of East Orange. Materials are evaluated as a whole and not on the basis of a particular section or sections. Generally, a single standard cannot be applied to each potential item; therefore, materials are usually judged by a variety of appropriate criteria and popular demand.

To build a strong, diversified collection that will support the library’s mission, the following are the major criteria given consideration:

• Individual merit of each item
• Popular appeal/demand
• Existing library holdings
• Budget
• Reading level

Criteria for deselection include the following:

• Currency/relevancy of an item
• Whether funding to replace discarded material is available
• Condition
• Relationship of an item to others on that topic

Retention, removal, and replacement of essential materials is done on a systematic and continuous basis.

Local History Collection
The library attempts to maintain a comprehensive collection of city-related materials (historical, governmental, maps, directories, and newspapers). The library also maintains an extensive collection of yearbooks for the city’s high schools and the former Upsala College. Because of the archival nature of this collection, there are no discards.

For more details, visit the Local History webpage.

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Approved by the Board of Trustees on 12/13/2001
Adopted by Library Administration on 6/11/2020 and the Board of Trustees approved pending review.