X. Specific collections and formats
The following narrative statements describe each collection area and include the collection development level goal.
1. Print
a. Adult Fiction [Advanced interest level]
The Library's collection of fiction for adults includes classic literature, best sellers and genre fiction. Works originally written in English and English translations of representative or popular works in other languages are included. Works by new authors may be selected on the basis of favorable reviews and anticipated community interest. Since the primary purpose of this collection is to satisfy the heavy demand from recreational readers, selection is primarily limited to newly published titles and multiple copies are purchased when warranted by demand. In order to maintain an excellent collection for a community with diverse fiction interests, the focus of this collection is broad and eclectic. A core collection of classic literature is maintained, and every effort is made to find hardcover replacement copies of these titles as needed.
b. Adult Non-fiction
000 - Generalities [Advanced interest level]
The major focus of the material in this subject area is on computers and communications. In order to meet the demand for information pertaining to new computer hardware, software, systems, and services, the most popular material in this area is selected. However, since some customers still use older hardware and software, requested material relating to these subjects is retained. Priority is given to materials which help general users understand, select, set up, and use computer technology. A limited number of materials on computer languages and software development are also selected. Books including software in read-only formats may be acquired. Books on library science and related fields are limited to major works and titles selected specifically to support the management and operations of the Monterey Public Library. Material on journalism and book collecting is acquired to meet general interest inquiries.
100 - Philosophy [Advanced interest level]
The area of the collection pertaining to philosophy consists of work by and about major philosophers and philosophical traditions, and new philosophical works of general interest. The area of the collection pertaining to psychology includes works on the history of psychology, works by and about classic psychologists, and popular works which help people understand and solve psychological problems. Current, popular, self-help titles are a high priority. Classic works are retained although new editions or improved translations may be purchased to replace earlier editions. Astrology, metaphysics and the occult are popular topics and general interest material is purchased in these areas.
200 - Religion [Advanced interest level]
Histories, devotional literature, classic works, sacred texts, and commentaries on all major religions are included in this collection, along with significant or requested titles on new religious movements and ideas. Material of lasting value is retained or replaced with new editions. Titles are selected to represent a wide variety of religious topics and beliefs.
300 - Social sciences [Advanced interest level]
The multifaceted social science collection generally consists of material written for the non-professional. Popular titles reflecting diverse viewpoints on current social, political and public policy issues are included. Books on law, economics, finance, investments and taxes are selected to meet a wide range of information needs. Currency is important in these areas and outdated material is regularly replaced with new titles on these subjects. Books on education, colleges, scholarships, vocations and related testing also require current information. Multiple copies of study guides for civil service and educational tests are purchased to meet demand, and replaced with new editions as they are published. Other social sciences topics are generally covered by popular works, and new material is selected to meet general interest inquiries. Materials relating to the local area may be selected for the Civic Information Center and/or the Local History Collection.
400 - Language [Advanced interest level]
This section includes material on linguistics, the history and development of languages, the English language, its history, structure, and acquisition, and instructional materials primarily for English speakers. Books for learning English and other languages are selected for the Language Instruction Collection (X.A.3.)
500 - Pure sciences [Advanced interest level]
This collection consists of a range of information on all the sciences. Field guides on local flora and fauna are included. Selection is generally limited to popular material and, since currency is important, outdated material is consistently replaced with current titles.
600 - Technology [Advanced interest level]
This area of the collection covers a wide range of topics including popular how-to information in many fields. Medical titles make up a significant segment of this collection and currency in this area is essential. Outdated material is replaced with new titles on a continual basis. Popular material is preferred, but professional material may be selected when popular titles do not meet customer needs. Books on diet, nutrition, and exercise are selected based on community interest in these popular topics. A variety of cookbooks are selected to include popular titles as well as basic recipes and techniques. Business titles provide current information on career planning, job searching, accounting, small business, and management.
700 - The arts [Advanced interest level]
This collection includes material on both popular and fine arts as well as books on sports, games and handicrafts. Visual and performing arts are a significant community interest and a priority area of the collection. Material on recognized arts and artists from a wide variety of traditions is retained while in good condition, since currency is not an issue and most of the art books in the collection are not superseded by new editions. Selection of material on new artists and works is based on customer requests and community interest. The selection and quality of reproductions of visual artworks are important selection criteria. Material on artistic techniques and methods is updated based on anticipated demand. Material in other areas of this collection is selected on both an introductory and an advanced level. Collections of popular and traditional music are generally selected to meet the needs of nonprofessional musicians and listeners. Books on collectibles include identification and price guides.
800 - Literature [Advanced interest level]
This collection consists of practical works on writing style and writers' publishing information as well as poetry, short stories and plays. Classic literature is an important facet of this collection and every effort is made to find hardcover replacement copies of these titles as needed. The emphasis is on American and British literature, but classic and contemporary authors from other nations are also represented. This collection also includes criticism of major authors and works to support school assignments. Materials on literary criticism are selected to complement information available in the reference and electronic resources collections.
900 - Travel, biography and history [Advanced interest level]
The travel, biography and history collection includes titles of historical and contemporary interest and works by both scholarly and popular authors. The travel section of this collection is heavily used and travel guides in this area must remain current. Travel material on popular countries and a limited number of titles devoted to specific cities or regions in these countries are included. Travelogues and similar materials are selected on a limited basis for this collection. Biographies are an important part of this collection for recreational and educational reading. Material on historical personalities and current celebrities are selected. The history collection emphasizes areas and periods of community interest in both U.S. and world history, as well as research topics assigned in local schools. Basic works on other areas and periods are also selected. General works on the history of the local area are included. Popular works on the local area may be selected for the Monterey Collection. Specialized and scholarly titles on the local area are selected for the Local History Collection.
c. Adult Large Print
In order to provide library materials for visually impaired clients, the Library maintains a large print book collection which duplicates, for the most part, material already in the Library in standard type. Books that are either oversized or in soft cover format are generally not selected.
i. Fiction [General interest level]
The large print fiction collection consists mainly of popular and genre fiction, including mystery, romance, adventure, and some science fiction and western titles. Selection is generally limited to titles newly published in large print format and only those titles with lasting value are retained.
ii. Non-fiction [Basic level]
The emphasis of the large print non-fiction collection is on biographies, travel memoirs, self-help books, medical books, humor and assorted other popular works and selection of new material is normally limited to these areas. Only those titles with lasting value are retained.
d. Adult Language Collection [Basic level]
Works of fiction and nonfiction in designated languages most commonly read in the community or requested by Library customers are included. A small selection of popular magazines and/or newspapers is included. Audiovisual materials may be acquired to meet identified community needs. Foreign films with English subtitles or English-language films with captions or voice-overs in other languages are usually not acquired for this collection. Selection criteria for English-language selection areas are considered for non-English materials, with an emphasis on the requests and interests of local readers of each language, including students. Both materials originally written in each language and translations of popular English-language titles are included. New material is added to the collection to replace material which is outdated or no longer used. Bilingual materials may be selected for this or other collections to meet the needs of English and non-English-language readers with coordination between the assigned selectors. If staff resources and available selection tools do not permit evaluation of individual titles, groups of appropriate titles selected by qualified vendors may be acquired.
e. Adult Graphic Novels [General interest level]
Graphic novels are book-length collections of sequential art containing a single story or a set of interrelated stories. Collections of comic strips are included. Other illustrated books, as well as non-illustrated books featuring superheroes or cartoon characters, are not included.
The Adult Graphic Novel collection consists primarily of fiction designed to meet the recreational reading needs of adults. Main characters are generally adults or older teens and adult themes are included. The collection may also include non-fiction and classics in the graphic novel format and illustrated works about graphic novels. The needs of readers whose first language is not English are considered. Selections are based on professional reviews, customer requests, and the popularity of styles, authors, characters, and series. With limited funds, however, representative titles from many different series are acquired rather than a large number of titles in just a few series. Materials which are not constructed to withstand normal library use and circulation are generally not acquired.
f. Adult Reference [General interest level]
Reference materials are used in the Library only except as authorized by Policy 122: Special Loans. Reference titles are selected to provide specific information to customers and to staff members answering customer questions. Materials meeting high-school students' homework and general information needs are included. Information which is more accessible, accurate, cost-effective, or up-to-date in electronic sources may be excluded from the print collection (see section X.D.4 below).
i. General reference
The general reference collection includes practical, popular and general academic resources. The purpose of this collection is to provide current and historical information on a broad range of subjects of interest to customers, and to provide a more extensive range of material where community interest is particularly high. Material is selected on the basis of accuracy, clarity, organization, and ease of use by staff and customers. In the areas where currency is an important consideration, new material is selected regularly to replace outdated information or standing orders are maintained.
ii. Business reference
The business reference collection includes a limited number of business directories, guides and investment publications selected to serve the business community and the individual investor. The currency of this collection is important and titles are generally retained for no more than five years.
iii. Reference Ephemera
The ready reference file is a very limited collection of pamphlets and other ephemeral publications providing needed information not quickly obtained in electronic sources or other reference works. Local adult education schedules and Library publications are included. Material is not usually purchased for this collection and material is discarded as soon as it is no longer relevant.
g. Adult Periodicals
i. Magazines [General interest level]
The magazine collection includes popular and local interest titles selected to provide current information and recreational reading. Scholarly and professional journals are selected only for the Local History Collection or if there is a clear demand for advanced material in the subject area. A small selection of popular non-English titles is included in the Adult Language Collection. Most magazines are displayed for a limited time for browsing and checkout. Magazines with reference value are acquired through electronic reference sources whenever possible. Print magazines with continuing reference value which are unavailable in electronic form may eventually be restricted to Library use and retained in paper format or on microfilm as long as they are useful to the community. Magazines indexed in Library periodical databases are preferred if their full content is not also included in electronic format or the print format is more appropriate for the information provided.
ii. Newspapers [General interest level]
The newspaper collection includes a small number of local, national and international newspapers selected to provide up-to-date information on current events and contemporary topics. Newspapers which are available only by postal delivery are not selected when currency is a priority. Newspapers with reference value are acquired through electronic reference sources whenever possible. Existing microfilm collections for newspapers of long-term reference value to the community are maintained. Microfilm copies of primary local newspaper(s) are acquired and maintained unless permanent electronic access can be ensured.
h. Adult Ephemera
i. Paperbacks [Basic level]
A collection of paperback books is maintained for those who want to read popular titles in mass-market format. This collection consists mainly of genre and general fiction although a small quantity of popular non-fiction is included. Some items in this collection may duplicate holdings in the permanent collection but no attempt is made to replace specific titles once they have been discarded.
2. Non-print
a. Adult compact discs and audiocassettes
i. Spoken word [General interest level]
This collection includes both audiobooks and other spoken word recordings in disc or tape format. The majority of titles are fiction. Although some popular and more promptly released abridged material is selected, unabridged audiobooks are preferred. Materials for learning languages, including English as a Second Language (ESL) are located in the Language Instruction Collection (X.A.3.)
Other informational, instructional and entertainment material is included when the auditory experience enhances appreciation or understanding of the content. Most titles are purchased in CD format. Audiocassettes may be selected based on anticipated use, demand, availability and cost.
ii. Music [Basic level]
The music section of the compact disc and audiocassette collections present a wide range of musical styles. Community needs, customer requests, reviews, and awards are considered in selection. Musical styles, artists, and titles popular with teens are a popular part of the collection. A small selection of music for ceremonies such as weddings is also maintained. Audiocassettes are no longer purchased and may be eliminated based on customer demand. CD singles are generally not acquired.
b. Adult DVDs and videocassettes
The collection consists of a mix of educational and entertainment programs in DVD and/or VHS format. Preference is given to programs which are closed-captioned for the hearing impaired. Foreign language films with subtitles are preferred to titles with dubbed dialog, and original black and white films are preferred to colorized releases. The collection is intended for home use and not for curriculum support. Most titles are purchased in DVD format. VHS videocassettes may be selected based on anticipated use, demand, availability and cost.
i. Entertainment [General interest level]>
Feature films and other entertainment programs which are deemed to be of particular interest to the community, to have lasting value, to be examples of the best of the art of filmmaking or of their genre, or to be important in the history of film are included in this collection. Films which display superior acting, directing, writing, cinematography, and technical achievement are selected. Awards and reviews are considered in selection.
ii. Educational [General interest level]
The educational DVD/video collection consists of material designed to meet the general informational, educational, and recreational needs of the community. Special emphasis is placed on subjects that can best be conveyed visually, rather than by the printed word. Materials for learning languages, including English as a Second Language (ESL) are located in the Language Instruction Collection (X.A.3.)
3. Adult Language Instruction [Advanced interest level]
The Language Instruction Collection is a multiformat circulating collection of resources designed to teach languages to adults. Materials are interfiled by language, rather than by media. Audio and audiovisual formats are recognized as the most effective media for language instruction. Audio and audiovisual materials that introduce a language and provide basic and intermediate language instruction are selected. Comprehensive programs that serve as curriculum support are generally not included. A strong core collection of dictionaries, grammar texts, and textbooks is maintained. Bilingual phrasebooks and other resources for specific needs are included. English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction is an important part of this collection, and ESL materials are selected at the beginning and advanced levels. English language reference materials and instruction for English speakers are not included. Instructional materials in American Sign Language and Signed English are included; works on other forms of manual and nonverbal communication are not included. "Readers" including literature with comprehension questions are selected for the language collection rather than the language instruction collection. Languages are added based on community needs and interests.
