St. Thomas' Library Collection Development Policy                                       

 

a)  The library collection will include:

•      inspirational and devotional material

•      reference materials such as concordances, Biblical dictionaries, commentaries, etc.

•      historical works about the Bible, Christianity, the Anglican Church, and other denominations

•      theological works about the Christian faith

•      specific Anglican resources, such as books on liturgy, rites, church history, etc.

•      materials on other faiths

•      materials on subjects of particular interest to the congregation, such as Native issues, Gender equality, Climate change, Ecology, Environment, and other social concerns

•      material to assist people at various stages of life, including marriage, raising children, coping with illness, and death

•      inspirational biographies and autobiographies

•      fiction on religious themes

•      materials for all ages

•      books, DVDs, CDs

 

 

b)  Selection Criteria                                                                                                        

 

St. Thomas' Church library is limited in budget and in the space available for housing it.  The following criteria will be considered in the selection of material to be purchased, or donated items to be accepted.

•      Does the item help fulfil the mission statement of this congregation?

•      Does it promote, or at least not detract from Anglican theology?

•      Does it help us learn about other faiths or beliefs accurately?

•      Does it fill a need in our congregation?

Other questions to be considered:

•      Which of the groups in our congregation will likely use it?

•      Do we already have something else like it?

•      Are the author and publisher reputable?

•      Has the item been reviewed in print by a credible source?

•      Is the item well written/produced?  Of interest to the average library user?  For fiction, are the characters well-drawn and the plot credible?

•      Is the print easy to read?

•      Are the illustrations of excellent quality, especially in children's books?

•      Is the cost reasonable for this item and for our needs?

 

c)  Weeding Policy    

 

Criteria for deciding whether to weed or retain include:

•      Physical condition – Is it tattered?  Are the pages yellowing or loose?

•      Circulation – Is the item being read? Are there multiple copies where one is enough?

•      Significance – Does the item have historical significance to the congregation, or local value due to a person, place or event?  Is it a “classic”?

•      Timeliness of information – Is it out-of-date? Is there a newer edition?  Is there a newer title that covers the same subject?