REPORT TO BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES
SUBJECT
Title
Action on Revised Santa Clara City Library Collection Development Policy
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Enhance Community Engagement and Transparency
BACKGROUND
The State of California passed Assembly Bill (AB) 1825, the California Freedom to Read Act (Act), on September 29, 2024. This bill requires public library jurisdictions to establish and maintain a publicly accessible and compliant collection development policy by January 1, 2026.
The Board of Library Trustees has approved a collection development policy (“Policy”). Updates to the Policy were made as recently as November 4, 2024. The updates to the Policy included clarifying the material reconsideration policy and creating appropriate appeal procedures in the event a request for reconsideration is denied. In addition, the updates aimed to provide greater transparency around the deselection or “weeding” part of the overall collection management process.
Based on a review of the City’s collection development policy for compliance with AB 1825, the City Attorney’s Office recommends adding certain acknowledgements that are required by the statute.
DISCUSSION
The California Freedom to Read Act requires that every public library that directly receives any state funding to establish, adopt, and maintain a written and publicly accessible collection development policy by January 1, 2026, and shall submit such policy to the State Librarian. The collection development policy shall, at a minimum, do the following:
• Establish a process for community members to share their concerns regarding library materials and to request that library materials be reconsidered for inclusion in the library’s collection.
• Guide the selection and deselection of library materials.
• Contain the following acknowledgements:
o The library’s collection meets the broad and diverse interests of the community and respects both the library’s autonomy and their specific community needs.
o The library serves as a center for voluntary inquiry and the dissemination of information and ideas.
o Library materials should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people, and should present diverse points of view in the collection as a whole.
o The right of the public to receive access to a range of social, political, aesthetic, moral, and other ideas and experiences.
The Santa Clara City Library, as a public library that receives state funding, is required comply with the Act. Based on a review of the current Policy, the Policy already contains two out of three of the required elements. The element that is missing are the acknowledgements. The acknowledgements include general principles that the Library already follows as a matter of policy and practice such as ensuring the Library collection meets the diverse interests of the community. However, the Act requires that the acknowledgements be expressly included in the collection development policy.
With the inclusion of the acknowledgements, the City’s collection development policy will meet all of the requirements of the State law and the California Freedom to Read Act Process and Checklist (Attachment 3).
In particular, the current Policy already has a process for community members to share their concerns regarding library materials and to request that library materials be reconsidered for inclusion in the library’s collection. Such process even includes appeal procedures in the event the request for reconsideration is denied. The process for reconsideration is as follows:
Request for Reconsideration
In order to represent the diversity of ideas within the City of Santa Clara community, it is vital that the Library’s collection contain material of differing points of view on public issues. Inclusion of a particular resource does not constitute endorsement or advocacy of the ideas or statements found therein.
The Library adheres to the principles of intellectual freedom outlined in the Library Bill of Rights of the American Library Association and the Freedom to Read Statement. Pursuant to these principles, the Library will not automatically withdraw selected resources from the collection in response to an individual or group.
The following procedures have been adopted for the handling of a formal request for reconsideration of a resource in the Library’s collection:
1. The Santa Clara Library user completes a Request for Reconsideration Form.
2. Within thirty (30) days upon receipt of the form, the Assistant Librarian(s) will appoint a committee of at least four (4) Library staff members to consider the request.
3. The committee will evaluate the material based on the Standards for Selection in this Policy and will make a determination on the request and respond to the requester in writing.
4. The requester may appeal the committee’s decision to the City Librarian. The appeal request must be in writing and shall include copies of the original request for reconsideration and the written determination by the review committee.
5. The City Librarian shall review the request for reconsideration and the committee’s determination to ensure that the committee followed the Standards for Selection. Within ten (10) days of the appeal request, the City Librarian shall either affirm the committee’s determination or remand the matter back to the committee with instructions on how to apply the Standards for Selection policy.
6. The committee's determination shall remain in effect for five (5) years.
7. Throughout this process and until the final decision is made on the material, the item will continue to be accessible to the public.
Secondly, the current policy also guides the selection and deselection of materials. Materials selections are based on the Standards for Selection described in the Policy. The Policy also separately addresses the Selection of Electronic Resources. In addition, the Policy describes the process for Deselection. The Library uses the Continuous Review, Evaluation, and Weeding (CEW) guidelines to identify materials that will be deselected from the collection.
With the Board’s approval of the updated Policy, Library staff will submit the Policy for review by the California State Library and upload the Policy to the Library’s website. If the Policy is approved, the State Library will update the tracking spreadsheet to show that the library is fully compliant. If the State Library determines that the Policy is not in compliance, it will return the Policy and indicate why its deficient.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) in that it is a governmental organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact other than staff time.
COORDINATION
This report was prepared in coordination with the City Attorney’s Office.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Board agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov <mailto:clerk@santaclaraca.gov> or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve the draft Santa Clara City Library Collection Development Policy (Attachment 1)
Staff
Reviewed by: Sami James, Management Analyst
Approved by: Patty Wong, City Librarian
ATTACHMENTS
1. Collection Development Policy - Draft
2. Collection Development Policy - Redline
3. California Freedom to Read Act and Checklist