Writing Collection Policies

One aspect of library ethics is related to how items in the collection are chosen and, conversely, not chosen. The ALA provides a list of resources to aid librarians in developing their collection policies.


The list provides some interesting examples of the policies in force in a variety of library types. The Germantown Academy school library (Germantown, PA) specifically directs those who would complain about a particular item in the library to the "Students' Right to Read," published by the National Council of Teachers of English. It was good to read that the Academy's library policy is directed towards providing information on multiple sides of controversial issues.

The Students' Right to Read is fascinating and worth of a post in its own right.