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The Little Library That Could

Collection Policy.

OSEYAD (Okumayı Sevdirme ve Yaygınlaştırma Derneği) and its book club program, The Little Library That Could, (collectively, the "Library") endeavor to ensure that a wide range of opinions, values and views are reflected in the Library’s collection.
  1. The Library shall acquire a diverse collection of books that serve the informational, cultural, and leisure needs of multilingual children living in Istanbul, along with their parents and caregivers. The Library shall build a diverse collection that reflects all communities that are served by the Library. 
  2. The Library is one of the only libraries in Istanbul devoted only to children’s literature, and is the only library in Istanbul providing children’s literature in English with such an extensive collection available to members.  As such, the Library strives to provide the families its serves with the broadest possible range of reading materials and programs as possible, in as many languages as possible.  To the extent possible due to space and budget considerations, the Library’s collection shall: (a) include books in all languages spoken in the community, and (b) contain books created by local authors and illustrators. 
  3. To the extent possible due to the conservative nature of the community in which the Library is located, diversity shall be represented in the Library’s books, by providing books that: (a) are inclusive (diversity in gender identity, abilities, socioeconomic backgrounds, sexual orientation and family compositions) and (b) are balanced in their representation of gender and race. 
  4. The books added to the Library’s collection shall be acquired with the intent of sparking a love of reading, supporting literacy and learning, and encouraging children to become confident individuals and pro-active citizens of the world.
  5. The Library is one of the only libraries in Istanbul devoted only to children’s literature, and is the only library in Istanbul providing children’s literature in English with such an extensive collection available to members.  As such, the Library strives to provide the families its serves with the broadest possible range of reading materials and programs as possible, in as many languages as possible.  To the extent possible due to space and budget considerations, the Library’s collection shall: (a) include books in all languages spoken in the community, and (b) contain books created by local authors and illustrators. 
  6. To the extent possible due to the conservative nature of the community in which the Library is located, diversity shall be represented in the Library’s books, by providing books that: (a) are inclusive (diversity in gender identity, abilities, socioeconomic backgrounds, sexual orientation and family compositions) and (b) are balanced in their representation of gender and race. 
  7. The books added to the Library’s collection shall be acquired with the intent of sparking a love of reading, supporting literacy and learning, and encouraging children to become confident individuals and pro-active citizens of the world.
  8. The Library strives to uphold the principles set forth by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions in its Statement on Libraries and Intellectual Freedom (dated March 25, 1999), as well as its Guidelines for Library Services to Children aged 0-18 (dated Second Edition, dated June 18, 2018).
  9. Selection criteria for books to be added to the Collection:
    -Community interest or demand;
    -Relevance to the community;
    -Representation of various perspectives and minority views;
    -Relation to existing collection;
    -Contemporary significance;
    -Enduring value;
    -Readability and style;
    -Treatment of subject for its intended audience;
    -Physical durability and attractiveness;
    -Creative, literary or technical quality;
    -Cost and availability;
    -Reviews in the professional and popular media;
    -Professional or literary reputation of the author, publisher or producer;
    -Circulation of similar materials in the Library’s collection; and
    -Relation to existing Library collection and other materials on the subject.
  10. The Librarian has sole authority to make selection decisions.
  11. Individual books that members or staff may consider to be controversial or offensive may be selected to be added to the Library’s collection, if it is determined that the inclusion of the book will contribute to the range of viewpoints available to members in the collection as a whole, and to the effectiveness of the Library’s ability to serve the community.
  12. To ensure a diverse and useful collection, Library members may complete the online Suggest a Title form to request that a book be added to the Library Collection.  However, suggested titles shall not automatically added to the Library collection.  All titles recommended by members shall be considered in conjunction with the Library’s Collection Policy.   Budget and space constraints shall also be applied in making a final decision about whether to add the book to its collection.
  13. The Library may accept gifts and donations of books for its collection that fall within needed categories (as determined by Library staff).  Gifted and donated books shall meet the same selection criteria as the Library’s purchased materials, and are subject to the following limitations:
    -The Library retains unconditional ownership of donated books.
    -The Library makes the final decision on the use, distribution or other disposition of the items.
    -The Library reserves the right to decide the conditions of display, retention and access to books.
  14. Maintaining the Library’s collection in a current and up-to-date manner requires the weeding and removal of reading materials that are no longer needed by the Library community.  The factors used to evaluate whether a book should be removed from the Library’s collection are the same ones taken into account when selecting of reading materials to be added to Library’s collection are the same ones taken into account in determining when removing a book from the Library’s collection. These include:
    -The book’s physical condition;
    -Whether the book has remained current;
    -The book’s usage by members;
    -Availability of other materials on the subject.
  15. The Collection Policy shall be reviewed at the end of each calendar year and revised in the event of changes in legislation, or changes in the needs of the community the Library serves.
  16. Any questions about the Collection Policy shall be addressed to the librarian.
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