Reconsideration of Materials Policy

The Palmer Public Library employs the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read Statement, Freedom to View Statement and the Labels and Rating Systems statement. Current copies of all of these are available on the American Library Association website (http://www.ala.org).

Selection of library materials is made in accordance with the Palmer Public Library Collection Development policy.

Only Palmer Public Library card holders may challenge Palmer Public Library materials. One challenge per person may be active at one time.

All challenged material shall remain in circulation until a final decision is reached, following the steps outlined in this policy.

Challenged material will be considered as a whole and not judged solely on excerpts.

An item will go through the reconsideration process only once within a three-year period. The start of the three-year period is the date that the Reconsideration of Materials form is submitted to the Library Director.

An item that is ultimately removed from the collection may not be repurchased by the library for a three-year period. The start of the three-year period is the date that the material was removed from the collection.

Only one material reconsideration request can be processed by the library at a time.

The procedure for reconsideration of materials is as follows:

1. A patron expressing concern over Palmer Public Library materials will first schedule an appointment to meet with the Library Director. The Library Director will listen to their concerns. A copy of the library’s Material Reconsideration Policy, the Library Bill of Rights, the Freedom to Read Statement, the Freedom to View Statement, the Labels and Rating Systems Statement, the library’s Collection Development Policy, and the library’s Reconsideration of Materials Form will be given to the patron.

2. Submitting a fully completed Reconsideration of Materials Form directly to the Library Director will mark the start date of the formal reconsideration process, and that submitted form will become part of the public record. Upon receipt, the Reconsideration of Materials Form will be date stamped as received to mark the starting date of the reconsideration process.

3. The Library Director will then review the fully completed Reconsideration of Materials Form. The Library Director will read, view, or listen to the entirety of the material to evaluate the work as a whole; locate available reviews, awards, and/or best-seller information; locate relevant case law regarding the material; determine whether the material meets the Collection Development Policy; and take any additional steps necessary to reach a determination on whether the material should remain in the collection, be reclassified within the collection, or be removed from the collection. The patron will be notified in writing, within 30 business days by certified mail. of the decision of the Library Director unless, due to unforeseen circumstances, the library finds it necessary to notify the patron in writing of an extension.

4. Within 10 business days of the receipt of the written decision from the Library Director, the patron may submit a written appeal directly to the Library Director requesting the establishment of a Reconsideration Committee.

5. A three-to-five-person Reconsideration Committee will be selected by the Library Director and the City Manager or his designee. Selected committee members will possess academic and/or professional knowledge of First Amendment rights and Intellectual Freedom.

6. Members of the Reconsideration Committee will read, view, or listen to the material under reconsideration in its entirety to evaluate the work as a whole. They will read and consider: the library’s Collection Development Policy, Material Reconsideration Policy, the Library Bill of Rights, the Freedom to Read Statement, the Freedom to View Statement, the Labels and Rating Systems Statement, the patron’s Reconsideration of Materials Form, written objections from the patron, the Library Director’s prior written decision to the patron and any other written information deemed relevant by the director, the library’s Mission Statement, and available reviews, awards, and/or best-seller information for the material under reconsideration.

7. Timeline for appeals with the Reconsideration Committee is as follows:

7.1. Within 10 business days of receipt of the Library Director’s decision, the patron may submit an appeal in writing directly to the Library Director. If the patron does not submit an appeal within 10 business days, their right to appeal is waived.

7.2. Upon the Library Director’s receipt of the appeal for a Reconsideration Committee, the patron will have 10 business days to submit their full written objection to the material. The full written objection must be submitted directly to the Library Director on or before this 10 business day period.

7.3. The Reconsideration Committee will convene subject to the availability of committee members. Committee members will sign and submit their decision in writing to the Library Director.

8. The patron will be notified of the Reconsideration Committee’s decision, in writing, within 30 business days of the Reconsideration Hearing. The library reserves the right to issue an extension in the event of unforeseen circumstances. The Reconsideration Committee’s decision will be considered the final determination of library material objections.