6. Collection Development

The Springfield Town Library Board of Trustees declares as a matter of policy that the materials comprising the Library collections are its primary resource in providing library and information services to meet the needs of the community. In accordance with 22 V.S.A. § 69, the Springfield Town  Library adopts this collection development policy which includes selection criteria (section 6.3), procedures for the reconsideration (section 3.8), and collection maintenance (section 6.4). 

The Board of Trustees strongly supports the principles of intellectual freedom and the right to read.   It accepts and adheres to the "Library Bill of Rights" and the Freedom to Read and Freedom to View Statements, adopted by the American Library Association, which are made a part of this document (Appendices A-C).

Springfield Town Library recognizes its obligation to provide as broad and diverse a collection as possible. The Library will attempt to provide a balanced collection presenting a broad spectrum of materials, opinions, and viewpoints.

Particular attention will be given to providing accurate, up-to-date information resources and popular materials for all ages and reading levels in appropriate print, non-print, and/or digital formats. As a Sustainable Library, the Library also maintains and grows a collection of non-traditional items in our Library of Things.

Overall, the collection will be aimed at a general audience and will not normally include textbooks or highly technical, academic, or specialized materials.  While the Library does not attempt to develop a comprehensive research collection, every effort will be made to develop as complete a collection as possible of materials pertaining to the Springfield area, books written by local authors, genealogies of local families, and other regional Vermont history.

Any new acquisitions will be added to the appropriate category within the established collection.

The Library participates in the Vermont Interlibrary Loan network and the Catamount Library Network.These networks allow member libraries access to the materials and resources of each other’s collections. Borrowing libraries are responsible for the safe return of all materials loaned to them through the networks.

Initial Adoption Date: May 3, 1976
Modification Date(s):

  • January 8, 1980: Paragraph one, changed to read, "The Board of Trustees of the Springfield Town Library recognizing the varied backgrounds, interests, and needs of the community, declares as a matter of selection policy that:"
    *Paragraph two, the word "his" was deleted.  *Paragraph three, sentence one was changed to read, "The Board of Trustees supports the principles of intellectual freedom and the right to read. Sentence two was changed to read, "It accepts and adheres to" 

    *Paragraph four, the first sentence was deleted; and the paragraph was changed to read, 'Material shall be chosen to further the objectives of the library. Every effort shall be made to develop a complete collection of materials relating to the Springfield area, books written. by local authors, genealogies of local families and Vermontiana.”

  • 2014: Changes to be determined after further research

  • November 13, 2024: Removed extraneous language and updated text to match current practices

  • February 12, 2025: Added preamble language based on VT Department of Libraries Model Policies