Library Collections
Purpose and Scope of the Collection
The East Hampton Public Library serves as a vital community resource—encouraging education, fostering a love of reading, and promoting intellectual freedom through open access to a broad range of information and ideas. The Library provides materials that support the interests, information needs, and enlightenment of all residents.
In keeping with its mission to reflect the diversity of the community it serves, the Library curates a collection that represents a wide range of varied and diverging viewpoints. It recognizes the public library as a place for voluntary inquiry, the dissemination of information and ideas, and promotion of free expression and free access to ideas by residents.
A. Collection Development
Responsibility of Selection
Librarians are professionally trained to curate and develop a collection that provides residents with access to the widest array of library and other educational materials. Selection of library resources for the East Hampton Public Library is the ultimate responsibility of the Library Director. Other staff members, however, may be delegated selection and/or acquisition responsibility.
Selection Criteria
The selection of library materials will be evaluated using the following criteria:
- Positive reviews in standard library reviewing sources such as Library Journal, School Library Journal, BookList, Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly and other professional publications.
- Patron demand as well as the needs and interests of the community.
- The timeliness, accuracy and quality of the information and/or the item.
- The value of the item to the collection as a whole.
- Budgetary considerations.
Not all criteria are applied to each selection decision.
All library materials are evaluated and made available in accordance with the protections against discrimination set forth in Section 46a-64 of the CT State General Statutes, including, but not limited to, discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.
This policy is in accordance with Public Act 25-168 Sec. 322, An Act Concerning School and Public Libraries.
Purchase Requests
The East Hampton Public Library encourages community input on collection selection. Persons seeking a specific item or items on a particular subject should submit a Purchase Request Form.
A request for purchase may be considered when:
- The item fits within the Library’s Collection Development Policy.
- That item is not owned by the East Hampton Public Library or another LION library.
- The copyright date is within one year of the request date and the work has received good reviews in professional journals or the title is widely considered to be classic or core as identified in The Public Library Core Collection: Non-Fiction, Fiction Core Collection, or Children’s Core Collection.
- The library does not have an item on the same or similar subject.
If the library purchases the requested material, the patron who made the request will be placed on hold for the requested item. If the material is not purchased, the library will attempt to borrow the item from another library in Connecticut.
Gifts and Donations
The Library welcomes gifts of books and other materials for the collection and applies to them the same standards of selection that govern purchases. Gift materials are accepted with the understanding that those that meet the Library’s selection criteria may be retained and those that do not may be redistributed to the Friends of the East Hampton Public Library or other non-profit organizations. See the Library’s Gifts and Donations Policy for more information.
Digital Collections and Databases
Wherever possible, the Library makes electronic information available in the Library and remotely. In choosing to purchase or license electronic databases, the Library applies the same standards for selection as for print materials. However, the Library recognizes that it does not have the same control over digital collections and electronic databases as it has over its in-house print materials.
Intellectual Freedom
The East Hampton Public Library does not promote or endorse any beliefs or viewpoints. The East Hampton Public Library has adopted the standards set forth in the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read Statement, and Freedom to View Statement.
American Library Association 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.
- 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.
- 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.
III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.
- Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.
- A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.
- 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.
Adopted June 19, 1939, by the ALA Council; amended October 14, 1944; June 18, 1948; February 2, 1961; June 27, 1967; January 23, 1980; inclusion of “age” reaffirmed January 23, 1996.
B. Collection Maintenance
The East Hampton Public Library’s collection is reviewed and evaluated on an ongoing basis in order to maintain its usefulness, currency, and relevance. Items may be kept, redistributed, repurchased, withdrawn, or preserved for long-term retention.
Staff rely on a set of criteria to guide their decisions to withdraw items from the collection:
- Format or physical condition is no longer suitable for library use
- Content is available in multiple formats
- Obsolescence – information that is no longer timely, accurate, or relevant
- Insufficient use or lack of patron demand
- Little or no relevance to current trends and events
- No long-term or historical significance
- Space limitations
- Sufficient number of copies in the collection
- Easy availability in other collections locally or nationally
Not all criteria are applied to each withdrawal decision.
Items withdrawn from the collection may be offered for sale with proceeds returned to the library, donated to a non-profit agency or recycled.
C. Material Review and Reconsideration
The Library recognizes the importance of hearing from the public regarding material selection. Library staff seriously consider suggestions made by East Hampton residents and taxpayers. The completion of a Material Reconsideration Form form does not guarantee either accession to the collection or removal from the collection but does ensure the attention of Library staff to user opinion, interests, and concerns. The library limits consideration of requests to reconsider materials, displays or programs to residents of East Hampton. Please see our Library Material Review and Reconsideration Policy and form for further information on this process.
(Approved by the Library Advisory Board 9/8/25. Approved by the Town Council 9/9/25.)
Material Review and Reconsideration Policy
Any patron residing in East Hampton who objects to the inclusion or exclusion of any material in the East Hampton Public Library’s collection may do so by completing a Material Reconsideration Form. Reconsideration requests are not considered confidential patron records under section 11-25 of the Connecticut general statutes. It is the responsibility of the Library Director to evaluate the completed form, read the challenged material in its entirety, and review the material against the Library’s Collection Development and Maintenance Policy. The Library Director shall make a written decision on whether to remove or retain the challenged material not later than sixty (60) days from the date of receiving the request and shall provide a copy of this written decision to the individual who submitted the form.
If the Director’s decision is not acceptable to the patron, the individual may appeal in writing to the Library Advisory Board. The Board shall evaluate the challenged material under the Collection Development and Maintenance Policy, consult with (i) the Library Director, (ii) the State Librarian or the State Librarian’s designee, (iii) a representative of the cooperating library service unit as defined in section 11-9e of the general statutes, (iv) the President of the Connecticut Library Association or the President’s designee, and (v) the President of the Association of Connecticut Library Boards or the President’s designee for their respective feedback, which feedback shall be received in thirty (30) days. Within sixty (60) days of a written appeal, the Library Advisory Board shall deliberate on the request, provide a written statement of the reasons for the reconsideration or refusal to reconsider the material, and issue any final decision that is contrary to the decision of the Library Director. The patron will be informed in writing of the Board’s final decision regarding the material of concern.
While the material is under review or appeal, it shall remain in the collection. Once a decision has been made by the Library Director or the Library Advisory Board, the material cannot be subject to a new request for reconsideration for a period of three (3) years. The Library Director may consolidate any requests for reconsideration of the same material.
Any librarian or staff member of a public library who, in good faith, implements the policies described in this section shall be immune from any liability, civil or criminal, that might otherwise be incurred or imposed and shall have the same immunity with respect to any judicial proceeding that results from such implementation.
This process shall neither favor nor disfavor any person or group based on protected characteristics, including but not limited to race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. Materials will not be removed from the collection because of the creator’s origin, background, or viewpoints expressed. No material shall be removed, excluded, or censored solely because an individual finds it offensive. Materials will only be removed for legitimate pedagogical purposes or for professionally accepted standards. For example, materials may be removed if they are inaccurate, outdated, unsuitable for the intended audience, or do not meet professional guidelines for library collections.
Digital materials may be held by a consortium and may have been selected by other libraries. Only materials selected by the East Hampton Public Library shall be subject to reconsideration under this policy.
All library materials are evaluated and made available in accordance with the protections against discrimination set forth in Section 46a-64 of the CT State General Statutes, including, but not limited to, discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, gender identity, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.
This policy is in accordance with Public Act 25-168 Sec. 322, An Act Concerning School and Public Libraries. The Library neither approves nor disapproves of the views expressed in materials included in the collection. Responsibility for the use of materials in the collection by children or adolescents rests with their parents or legal guardians.
(Approved by the Library Advisory Board 9/8/25. Approved by the Town Council 9/9/25.)
Local History Collection Development Policy
Purpose and Scope of the Collection
The purpose of the East Hampton Public Library Local History Collection is to preserve documents of historical relevance to East Hampton, Connecticut and its residents and institutions.
The collection consists of primary and secondary source material for the purpose of local history research and to further the understanding of the civic, social, religious, cultural, political, and economic life in East Hampton, past and present.
Selection Criteria
The Local History collection may collect books, documents, maps, memorabilia, genealogical records, newspapers, identified photographs, and other items relevant to East Hampton. Three-dimensional objects and electronic and digital formats will be considered if they fit within the mission of the collection and can be stored properly. The Local History Collection does not serve as a legal repository for any material, including municipal material, and is not responsible for selecting, retaining, or providing access to any material required by law to be kept as official documents or archival records.
The Library Director and/or their designee is responsible for selection and deselection of materials for the Local History Collection. The selection of materials for the collection will be evaluated using the following criteria:
- Relevance to the history of East Hampton
- Uniqueness and historical value of the item
- Physical condition of the item
- Space constraints and other considerations for proper storage of the item
Donations
The library welcomes donations to its Local History collection. All donated materials must be free of dirt, mold, moisture, and pests and should be in good condition. Three dimensional objects may be accepted if they fit the purpose and scope of the collection and do not require special storage and preservation needs. The donating agency or individual is responsible for determining the legal status and value of any and all donations to the East Hampton Public Library. Materials that do not fit within our collection policy will be referred to local historical societies. The library reserves the right to decline any gift offers.
Due to HVAC and physical space limitations, the Local History Collection cannot serve as a climate-controlled archive for valuable or delicate items. Items that require specialized storage cannot be accepted.
Items that will not be accepted:
- Unidentified photographs, letters, or documents
- Items unrelated, or only peripherally related, to the history of East Hampton
- Duplicate materials, unless in better condition than those currently in the collection
- Formats that are obsolete or that require transfer to up-to-date format to facilitate access. Examples include (but are not limited to) VHS tape, 8 mm film, floppy disks
- Government records, such as meeting minutes
- Items that have restrictions on use
- Items that are in poor physical condition
- Items that require conservation or storage that the East Hampton Public Library is unable to provide
Collection Maintenance
Local History materials, when appropriate and whenever able, will be preserved in acid-free folders, enclosures, and containers. The collection will be maintained in a clean, safe, and secure environment.
Materials in the Local History Collection may be scanned and placed on the Internet for viewing, may be moved to another location within the library, and may be withdrawn from the collection if deemed no longer appropriate to the collection.
East Hampton Public Library reserves the right to withdraw materials that do not fit within the scope of the Local History Collection. Withdrawn items may be returned to donors, offered to other depositories, or discarded.
(Approved by the Library Advisory Board 8/5/24. Approved by the Town Council 8/13/24.)