Annually the Library Policy Manual revisions are submitted for City Commission approval. Please see the attached proposed John P. Holt Brentwood Library Policy Manual for use for the upcoming year. This version includes all of the revisions (in red) approved by the Library Board during the past year in order as they appear in the manual. These revisions will be helpful to the Library staff in providing better public service. The reason for each change is described briefly below, and the page on which it appears is cited. Once approved, the Table of Contents will be updated to reflect any necessary changes in page number sequence.
Policy Changes
I. Organizational Responsibility / C. Library Bill of Rights / 7., page 5.
The Library Bill of Rights was updated at the American Library Association Mid-Winter Conference; this insertion is that update.
II. Operational Guidelines/A. General Guidelines/1. General Rules of Conduct:, page 8.
The recommendation is to be more specific in special programming, like story times, that may be requested by the public.
II. Operational Guidelines, / B. Developing the Collections / 4. Brentwood Room Development Statement, pg. 13-15
4.a. Mission and Overview of the Brentwood Room/second bullet
The number of books were decreased by the water damage and by duplications in other historical collections; the staff wishes to focus upon Brentwood history and local authors.
4.c. Clientele Served by the Collection
The staff has statistics that demonstrate the clientele who utilizes the room and listed only those types.
4.d. Priorities and limitations of the Collection/1st paragraph
Specific terms were removed since they no longer reflect the collection.
4.d. Priorities and limitations of the Collections/bullet 1 and 2
Removed due to the focus of the collection has changed.
4.d. Priorities and limitations of the Collections/2nd paragraph
Coincides with explaining the specific terms to describe the level of collecting.
4.e. Present Identified Strengths
The sentence that follows “Present Identified Strengths” is not necessary.
4.e. Present Identified Strengths/bullet 1
Removed due to water damage, inconsistent sequence of volumes, and lack of use.
4.e Present identified Strengths/bullets 3 and 4
Removed due to lack of use due to
- Most newspapers and magazines are now online and available at any public workstation and at home via our webpages.
- The genealogy collection can be integrated into the circulating collection where they can be found and used, like the adult reference collection. Most census and other online resources are available at any public workstation and at home via our webpages.
- The military collection would have better use in the Library’s general collection since they covered more general history and more people would find them.
4.e Present identified Strengths/bullet 6
Authors are moving into the City and should not be penalized for not living here for five years.
4.g. Present Identified Weaknesses/bullets 3, 4, 6, and 7
- Maintaining information about country music, theater and other performing arts and artists, audio-visual recordings of research value, and digital archives are unnecessary. They can be found in other resources online and in the general adult collection. Also, with other archival collections within 30 minutes in Nashville, such as the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Nashville Public Library Special Collections (WSM radio), it would be duplication.
- As for the audio-visual recordings of research value, staff is looking to store them in another way online.
- Digital archives can be retrieved online at any workstation and/or home.
4.j. Forms of Materials Collected
Removal of audio-visual materials and Electronic records has been explained above in g. revisions.
4.m. Deaccessioning Policy
Removal of “offering to return material to the donors or heirs” and adding "discarding based on condition and/or relevancy" is in sync with all other donations submitted to the Library. Alphabet letters needed to be resequenced accordingly after omitting the statement.
II. Operational Guidelines/B. Developing the Collections/5.Gifts and Donations, page 15.
The two terms, “Gifts” and “Donations” were separated into two separate sections as to clearly define them, especially since the Library Board is required to vote on the City Gift and Donation Account whenever they meet. Due to the additional section, “Reconsideration of Materials and Censorship which follows this part of the manual had to be changed from “6” to “7.” Unnecessary to renumber the rest of the manual.
II. Operational Guidelines, / E. Programming, page 22-24
This section was updated in its entirety.
II. Operational Guidelines, /F. Meeting Rooms/1. Policies and Guidelines/a., page 27
Buffalo River Regional Library Director Marion Bryant, keeping the Buffalo Regional libraries aware of potential situations, sent information about several libraries in TN who have received requests to have programs in library meeting rooms. These programs were not sponsored by the Library, but used familiar terminology that libraries use, which can confuse the public to think the program is sponsored by the Library. This section was added to clarify that the Library does not endorse the views of the individuals or groups that may hold activities within meeting rooms, and that all users may express their own views as long as they are complying with the law.
III. Display of Artworks and Collectibles / A. Library Art Gallery and Friends of the Brentwood Library (FOBL) Display Case Guidelines / 10., page 32-33
The option for the artists to have a reception was removed from the policy as this option has not been used often and has tended to cause issues with booking of rooms and operations.
III. Display of Artworks and Collectibles / A. Library Art Gallery and Friends of the Brentwood Library (FOBL) Display Case Guidelines / 11., page 33; B. The John P. Holt Brentwood Library Gallery Exhibitor Agreement, page 34; and The John P. Holt Brentwood Library Art Gallery and Display Case EXHIBITOR APPLICATION, page 36
These updates were designed to help ensure that art donated to the collection is displayed during the artist’s showing, and correctly marked with the information that the staff will need for processing the piece into the collection.
IV. Appendices / Appendix A Bylaws of the Library Board / I. Meetings, section D., page 37.
The item on the agenda for the Library Board regarding a report from the Foundation was removed as the Foundation was dissolved.
IV. Appendices / Appendix A Bylaws of the Library Board / I. Meetings, section E., page 38.
This section was added to clarify the nature of the designated time for public comments and/or responses made in the Library Board meetings.
IV. Appendices / Appendix D / Request for Reconsideration of Library Program, page 46.
This section creates an appeal process for programming sponsored by the Library. Adding the appendix renumbered the "Notice Statement for Public Filings and Public Meetings to Appendix E.
Should you have any questions, please contact the Library Director. |