Christ the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

                                        Library Collection Development Policy  2007

The purpose of a collection development policy is to establish principles and practices for the development and maintenance of a library’s collection. It helps to prevent library accessions from being influenced by individual enthusiasms or from acquiring materials which may not support the mission of the church. The Collection Development Policy for the library at Christ the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church will guide the library committee in the selection of materials of significance and value for the library collection and in the removal of materials no longer needed. The Collection Development Policy will also inform library users about the principles upon which selections to and withdrawals from the collection are made. These policies are subject to revision as changes occur in the church.

The Library's Function

The church library is a teaching and learning tool, important for individual members, classes, ministries and the congregation as a whole. The library supports the mission of the church as well as the growth of individual members' faith.

A well-selected collection of books, periodicals, Internet resources, and other materials may be used to aid in the congregation's mission.

  1. Educational growth needs of the congregation.
    1. Make available appropriate study materials.
    2. Stimulate integrated lesson preparations.
    3. Provide books on how to teach.
    4. Provide information on mission areas as well as major service areas of this congregation. i.e.
      1. Visiting shut-ins, the sick, etc., lay ministries
      2. Social ministry and community outreach
      3. Christian education, for youth and adults
      4. Divorce and death recovery, family abuse situations and other family problems
      5. Youth projects and involvements
      6. Worship and Music ministry
      7. International Family Ministry
      8.  
  2. Stimulate and encourage reading by members.
    1. Provide books, study helps, inspirational materials, electronic / digital resources, and internet resources if possible.
    2. Supplement religious books and magazines of the home.
    3. Provide related materials for reading enrichment.
    4. Provide materials from various viewpoints
    5. Provide materials to help understand other faith traditions
    6. Provide materials to promote an understanding of the Christian faith in general and the Lutheran tradition in particular, especially for new members coming from other faith traditions
    7.  
  3. Books for children's reading.
    1. Provide value-based reading materials for children and young people.
    2. Provide materials for the children's teachers to use in class preparation, supporting various age-level understanding.
    3.  
  4. Resource materials for public presentation.
    1. Give devotional ideas.
    2. Assist preachers and teachers in their study.
    3.  
  5. A wide variety and format of resources.
    1. A variety of books and other materials arranged and catalogued so that they may be easily found.
    2. Provide vertical file and picture file materials.
    3. Catalog and coordinate media materials, including Internet resources.
    4.  
  6. Archives of congregational historic materials.
    1. Collect, sort, assemble and preserve documents pertinent to the history of CGS.
    2. Provide access to these materials.

The Collection

Quality in a library collection is much more important than quantity. One dozen good basic reference titles are preferable to a hundred poor choices. The church library fills a unique place and does not need to rival the public library.

  1. Books to add to the library
    1. Basic materials that support the ministries of the Church as stated above.
    2. Books whose content and condition make them worthwhile and useable. A quality collection involves selection.
    3. Do NOT add books that are:
      1. Beyond repair
      2. Too brittle to stand use.
      3. Out of date.
      4. Inappropriate in a church setting.
      5. Very small, hard-to-read type.
      6. Heavily marked with ink or markers.
      7.  
  1. Book selection sources

 .                       Selections of books and other materials will be done by the Library Committee with
`                     input from.

A.     The pastor, church leaders, teachers and individual members.

B.     Reviews in religious publications.

C.     Catalogs from publishers.

D.     Visits to bookstores and/or lectureships and other church meetings.

E.      Standard lists for church libraries, for ministers' libraries.

F.      Personal reading.

 

  1. Gifts and Donations

      Gifts of books are welcome and encouraged but will be accepted subject to review by the library committee and church staff. The library reserves the right to refuse gifts and donations that do not conform to its policy, including selection and retention criteria, or are inconsistent with the mission of  the Church. Donations made in memory or in honor of someone may be acknowledged through bookplates placed in the books. The library committee will maintain a “wish list” of books that we would like to add to the library in hopes that material donations to the library be selected from this list.  The Library will also only accept books with the agreement that only usalble titles that fall within the scope of the collection polic will be added to the coillection.  We will not accept worn and outdated books.  Books and other materials will be accepted with the understanding that the Library reserves the right to:

      1. Add them to the collection, as a new title.
      2. Add as a duplicate of a popular title.
      3. Trade for other titles.
      4. Sell in book sales.
      5. Discard or dispose of as the Library sees fit.
      6.  
  1. Retention Criteria.
        Materials will be systematically reviewed to maintain a current, active and useful collection.  Criteria of retention or removal of materials will be based on a combination of the following:      

       1.  Material content should be consistent with church needs.
       2.      Usage, as determined by circulation records, will be considered
       3.      Age and condition of the material will be considered
       4.      Obsolete or superseded editions will be removed
       5.      We will avoid unnecessary duplication of materials
       6.      Limitation of available shelf space will be considered
       7.      Availability of the material from other sources (e.g. local libraries) will be considered

 

V. Types of Materials Collected by the Library

1. Printed materials such as books and serials
            Hard cover books are practical for a library because they stand heavy use. However, paperback books are less expensive, which makes the budget go further. Paperbacks may need reinforcement to withstand a number of circulations.
            Serial subscriptions should be given careful thought as each title eventually takes up a lot of shelf space. The Library Committee may wish to recommend how many years worth, or how many volumes, of each serial title are to be retained in the Library.
            Pamphlet and other printed ephemeral material may be selectively collected.

2. Digital materials such as cd-roms, dvds.
            When acquiring these types of materials, care should be taken that the library has the correct kind of equipment so that users may make use of it. It is also fragile in nature and the Library will need to take into consideration how best to protect and extend the life of this type of material.

3. Videos tapes may be acquired although this medium is becoming outdated.

3. Internet sources.
            This type of material can be considered if the library has pcs with internet access.

      V.  A Basic Church Library Reference Collection, includes:

            1. The Bible in various versions
            2. Concordances
            3. Bible Dictionaries, handbooks, etc,
            4. Bible atlases
            5. Bible commentaries
                   6. Bible history
            7. Church History
                   8. Lutheran Church history and sources
                   9. Biography, including Martin Luther and other church leaders.

            10. Dictionaries and other basic reference tools.

  1. Materials Suitable for the Collection in general include but are not limited to the following:

1. Reference books (as specified above)
2. Books on theological topics generally.
3. Books on Church and denominational history, the Lutheran Church in particular
4. Books on non-Christian / world religions and their relationship to Christianity
5. Books on Christian life and prayer

6. Books on Christianity and culture – current issues

7. Classic works of the Christian faith
8. Books on ethics and philosophy that have been important in the development of religious thought
9. Books on spiritual development and spirituality generally
10. Books on leadership, especially church leadership
11. Books on specific areas of ministry and mission
12. Books on counseling
13. Biographies
14. Materials with a multicultural and feminist viewpoint should be given consideration
15. Books on families, relationships, marriage & parenting
16. Books on psychology and sociology
17. Books on the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender experience with particular regard to church relations

18. Some recreational reading, fiction appropriate to a church setting, especially books with a religious or spiritual theme.

 

   

      

 

                 .          

.