Collection Development Policy

The goal of the Paul Pratt Memorial Library’s (the library) collection development process is to develop and maintain a balanced collection that meets the literary, educational, cultural, and informational needs of library patrons and is representative of diverse points of view.

Mission Statement

The Paul Pratt Memorial Library is a vibrant community hub that serves as an incubator of discovery and a catalyst for creative imagination and lifelong learning.

Statement of Values

Library staff, trustees, and Friends are committed to offering high-quality information, resources, and programming to the Cohasset community and beyond. We work to ensure that all citizens have equal access to information and that all persons are welcomed by professional staff dedicated to providing outstanding services.

Statement of Principles

The Intellectual Freedom Statement, the Library Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read, and Freedom to View statements of the American Library Association are guiding documents to the collection development policy and are endorsed by the Board of Library Trustees. Under no circumstances is any material excluded solely on the basis of race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation or political or religious views. The library will provide, whenever possible, materials that represent diverse viewpoints of controversial issues.

Individual Choice and Intellectual Freedom

We uphold the right of the individual to secure resources, even though the content may be controversial, unorthodox, or unacceptable to some. The library's varied collection is available to all, even though it is not expected that all of the collection will appeal to everyone.  The inclusion of a particular perspective in the collection is a representation of the library's commitment to intellectual freedom and does not represent an endorsement of any particular point of view.  

Selection

Due to space limitations and financial constraints, the collection is selective rather than comprehensive in scope. The Board of Library Trustees delegates responsibility for material selection to professional library staff members, with final authority for selection resting with the Library Director. The selection of materials is based on critical reviews in recognized sources. Other factors considered are the reputation and authority of the author and the publisher, purchase price and other budgetary factors, contribution to balance of treatment of a controversial subject, timeliness and accuracy of the information, relationship to the existing collection, space requirements, public demand, and interests and needs of the community. Patron requests are welcomed and are evaluated according to the standards as established by this policy.

Parent and Guardian Role and Responsibility

The library makes its collections available to all. The responsibility for a child’s reading, listening, or viewing rests with their parents or legal guardians. The selection of materials should not be inhibited by the possibility that books may inadvertently come into the possession of children. Parents, guardians or caregivers have the responsibility to guide and direct the reading and viewing of their own minor children. Children are not limited to the children's collections, which are kept separate from other library collections to facilitate use.  Library staff cannot act in loco parentis in permitting or denying access to any library materials to a patron based on age.

Resource Sharing

For patrons with needs beyond the Paul Pratt Memorial Library and the Old Colony Library Network, interlibrary loan allows access to materials in libraries throughout the Commonwealth and the rest of the United States through cooperative interlibrary loan agreements.

Withdrawal of Material

With the exception of our local history archives (see Archives Policy), the Paul Pratt Memorial Library is not a library of historical record. To ensure a vital collection of continuing value, library materials are regularly withdrawn for a variety of reasons, including space constraints. Duplicate copies of materials are discarded when there is no longer demand for them. Materials in poor physical condition are removed and may be replaced if deemed still relevant or necessary to the collection. Outdated materials are replaced with updated editions. Discarded materials are disposed of through library books sales or donated to charitable organizations when possible.

Because the library aims to represent diverse perspectives and ideas, not every event, service, or item in the collection will be for everyone. The library does not make decisions on the basis of protecting patrons from particular content or topics and expects that individuals using the library will determine which resources and services are right for them and/or their children. Cohasset residents with concerns about materials in the library’s collections may direct their concerns to any staff member, who will address it with their supervisor. If the resident wishes for a more in-depth assessment, a formal Request for Reconsideration may be submitted. Requests for reconsideration are reviewed only when made by a Cohasset resident. More information can be found in the library’s Reconsideration Policy.

Memorials

The library accepts memorial gifts from individual, organization, or foundations to purchase materials.  The donor may specify general subject areas or may leave the choice of purchase to the library.  Commemorative bookplates are affixed to all memorial gift materials, when requested.

Gifts and Donations

The library gratefully accepts donations of materials in like-new or gently-worn condition.  Items may be added to our collection if they meet the criteria outlined in our Selection Policy.  Inclusion in the collection is based upon the condition of the item, literary merit, duplication, and available space.  The PPML reserved the right to keep, discard, donate or sell any donated items.  Donations become the property of the PPML and will not be returned, even if they are not added to the collection.  

Portions of this policy were adapted from the policies of other public libraries shared through the Massachusetts Library System’s documentation. 

Adopted by the Trustees of the Paul Pratt Memorial Library, September 14, 2005. Updated May 14, 2025