The resources and materials provided by Madison College Libraries are selected in accordance with the Libraries’ Collection Development Policy to meet the teaching, research, and service needs of the Madison College community. It is the responsibility of the Libraries to ensure that different points of view are represented in the materials and resources provided in the library collections. Inclusion of a particular resource does not constitute endorsement or advocacy of the ideas or statements found therein.
The Libraries adhere to the principles of intellectual freedom outlined in the Library Bill of Rights of the American Library Association (Appendix 1) and further explicated in the Freedom to Read Statement (Appendix 2), The Freedom to View Statement (Appendix 3) and the Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries (Appendix 4). Pursuant to these, the Libraries will not automatically withdraw duly selected materials from the library collections in response to a request from an individual or group.
The following procedures have been adopted for the handling of formal requests for reconsideration of materials in the Madison College Libraries’ collections:
1. Formal requests for reconsideration of materials should be submitted to the Collection Development Librarian and the Dean of Libraries and Academic Support Services using the Materials Reconsideration Form.
2. A copy of the form will be emailed to the requestor upon submission.
3. The Collection Development Librarian and the Dean of Libraries and Academic Support Services will review the request. If necessary, the library staff member(s) responsible for selecting materials in the subject area in question and/or faculty in the subject field and/or an outside administrator may be brought in for advice.
4. The Collection Development Librarian and the Dean of Libraries and Academic Support Services will review the request and submit a report to the requestor within two (2) weeks of receipt of the completed request form.
5. Should the person initiating the request not be satisfied with the decision of the Dean of Libraries and Academic Support Services, they may appeal the decision.
6. Any appeals will go first to the VP of Student Development and then to the College President.
7. The material under reconsideration will remain in the collection during the course of the review and any appeal.
In evaluating library materials in response to a Request for Reconsideration, the Collection Development Librarian and the Dean of Libraries and Academic Support Services will:
1. Determine how the material under review relates to the Libraries’ Collection Development Policy, and the policies and principles set out in the Library Bill of Rights, The Freedom to Read Statement, the Freedom to View Statement and the Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries.
2. Prepare a brief report on library holdings in the subject area in question, to be used as an aid in determining appropriate action.
3. Consult, as necessary, with other experts in the subject field (faculty or others) as part of the process.
4. Invite the person initiating the Materials Reconsideration Request to meet with the committee to ensure that the nature of the request is fully understood.
Subsequent to its reconsideration of the material, the Collection Development Librarian and the Dean of Libraries and Academic Support Services may recommend one or more of the following actions:
1. That the material in question be reclassified and shelved in a more appropriate part of the collection.
2. That the libraries strengthen their holdings in the subject area in question to ensure a balanced collection representing a variety of viewpoints.
3. That the challenged material be removed from the collection as no longer within the scope of the Libraries’ collection.
4. That no action be taken.
Appendix 1: Library Bill of Rights
Appendix 2: The Freedom to Read Statement
Appendix 3: The Freedom to View Statement
Appendix 4: Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries