Reconsideration Policy

Whitehall Public Library Reconsideration Policy

The trustees of Whitehall Public Library uphold the tenants of intellectual freedom and adhere to the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights. The purpose of the library is to provide resources that are of interest to, and provide information and enlightenment to the community it serves. Items shall not be excluded because of the background or origin of their creators or because they express a particular partisan or doctrinal viewpoint. (Library Bill of Rights, American Library Association, 2007.) The First Amendment’s right to freedom of expression includes intellectual freedom- which means that a person is free to receive information on a wide range of topics and viewpoints. It is the duty of the Whitehall Public Library to provide a diverse collection and a variety of viewpoints in order to ensure the intellectual freedom of our community.

This policy outlines the process of reconsidering an item for inclusion in the collection of the Whitehall Public Library.

Process
In order for an to be reconsidered, the following requirements must be met:

• Only one (1) Reconsideration per household will be considered at a time.
• Only one (1) item may be listed per Reconsideration form. Listing more than one item per form will void the form.
• All items designated for reconsideration will remain in the collection until a final decision is made.
• Reconsideration Form A must be filled out in its entirety, including a signature that signifies that the filer has read/listened to/viewed the item in its entirety; if the material in question is not fully reviewed in its entirety, and answers “no” to question 6 on Reconsideration Form A, no further action is needed.
• Reconsideration Form B must be completed in its entirety. Incomplete responses or no responses to questions will void the form.
• Reconsiderations Forms A and B must be submitted for review by the Trustees at the next regular meeting of the Library Board of Trustees.
• An accounting of the cost of the reconsideration must compiled, including, but not limited to:
  • Cost of the material for each member of the committee
  • Cost of the review (time to read/listen/view) by committee members based on salary for professionals and a base rate of $15/hour for community volunteers
  • Meeting time to review and discuss the reconsideration

  The cos of the reconsideration will be presented at the next regular library board meeting so that community members may have an idea of what a reconsideration costs taxpayers, and that information may be accessed through a Freed of Information Act request.

• A committee of no less than 7 members must be formed, including:
  • Members of the Library Board of Trustees
  • The Library Director
  • Community Members