The Board of Watertown Public Library, recognizing the pluralistic nature of this community and the varied backgrounds and needs of all citizens, regardless of race, creed, or political persuasion, declares as a matter of materials selection policy that:

1. Materials selection shall be vested in the Library Director, and, under the director’s direction, such members of the staff who are qualified by reason of education or training. Any book or library materials so selected shall be held to be selected by the board.

2. The roles of the Watertown Public Library include Community Information Center, Popular Materials Library, Children’s Door to Learning, and Reference Library. These roles shall be realized through providing free and open access to the ideas and information available on all subjects and in all media. Watertown Public Library shall select and make available material for the enlightenment, cultural development, and the enjoyment of its public of all ages and levels of ability and interest. All materials shall be available to all.

3. Recognizing that budgetary and space constraints limit the library’s ability to purchase material, librarians shall evaluate material on the basis of their value of interest, information and enlightenment for all people of the community.

4. Qualitative standards shall be used, including recommendations from acceptable professional and commercial reviews. Popularity and community demand shall be among the major criteria for selecting material. Consideration shall be given to material which may be of interest to a few patrons as well as that of interest to many patrons.

5. No book or library materials shall be excluded because of the race, nationality, religion, political, or social views of the author.

6. The Watertown Public Library Board believes that censorship is an individual matter and declares that while anyone is free to reject for oneself materials, which do not meet with the individual’s approval, one cannot exercise this right of censorship to restrict the freedom of others.

7. The Watertown Public Library Board defends the principles of the freedom to read and declares that whenever censorship is involved no book or library material shall be removed from the library save under the orders of a court of competent jurisdiction, or by those vested with material selection authority.

8. The Watertown Public Library Board adopts and declares that it will adhere to and support the Library Bill of Rights. 9. Materials which are no longer useful will be weeded from the collection according to accepted professional practice. Such materials shall be disposed of at the discretion of the Library Director.

10. The Board encourages gifts of money, real property, and/or stock to be used to improve library services. Items donated for the library’s collection will be added or discarded at the discretion of the Library Director.

11. Complaints regarding any item in the collection will be handled according to the library’s Reconsideration Policy.

Complaints about any item(s) in the library’s collection will be handled as followed:

1. The concerned patron will be offered the opportunity to discuss her/his concern with the Library Director and/or staff person responsible for selection. If the patron is dissatisfied with this discussion and wishes to pursue the issue, she/he will be required to complete and submit a Reconsideration Form.

2. The Director will review the complaint and Reconsideration Form and will respond in writing.

3. If the issue is still not resolved to the patron’s satisfaction, the complaint will be taken to the Library Board, along with any supporting documentation from the patron and/or the Library Director.

4. The Board will prepare a written response to the patron.