1. Library Policy Development David Anderson and Lisa Bannister

2. What is Policy Development? Library directors and governing authorities must create policy documents to guide library operations Often these are broadly written guidelines—they do not necessarily specify what to do in every detailed situation These can cover such matters as collection management, community room use, expected standards of behavior, ILL, and internet usage

3. Why are these important? A library must have formal policies in place to help staff—and patrons—know what to do and what can be done Policies reduce the risk of staff making quick, rash decisions Policies can prevent confusion and waste of effort

4. A Practical Example of the Need for Formal Policies Crossett Public Library had no acquisitions policy and a history of accepting “gift subscriptions” from generous patrons A patron offered several highly partisan political periodicals Without a formal acquisitions policy, the library was in no position to decline the gift

5. How are policies made? The actual writing and drafting is usually the work of the library’s professional managers Consultation with other professionals helps to inform policy makers of best practices in the profession Policies must be approved by the library’s governing authority Negotiation is usually necessary before the final form comes to be in place

6. A Practical Example of Policy Making The library director studied model and actual acquisitions policies Input from the Arkansas state library helped to give an idea of best practices The director created a draft policy The library’s Board of Trustees considered the policy and suggested changes The Board approved the completed policy

7. The Role of Policymaking in Digitization Projects Plans and policies must be in place before the project actually begins There must be a clear idea of goals sought in the project There must be a clear idea of means of attaining these goals For this project, policies must address the small library setting, the cultural setting, and issues of digitization itself

8. Small Library Settings Small staff pool Limited funding Limited facility space Limited equipment Close community connections—a great asset, since community volunteers can supplement staff work on the project Community financial support can also be mobilized

9. Cultural Aspects to Consider The culture’s language Cultural values Cultural means and media of information exchange Purposes of information exchange in the culture Purposes of information preservation In all of these it is important to seek input from representatives of the cultural community—to understand what their goals and priorities are

10. Digitization Considerations Selection and prioritization of materials Preparation of materials Selection of digitization systems and standards Preservation of digitized items Provision of access to digitized items Again, having understood goals and policies in place is essential to avoid confusion, wasted effort, and foul-ups

11. Online Resources http://www.mrsc.org/subjects/infoserv/publiclib/li bpolicy.aspx?r=1 Information on general policies in Washington area librarieshttp://www.mrsc.org/subjects/infoserv/publiclib/li bpolicy.aspx?r=1 http://www.clir.org Council on Library and Information Resources articleshttp://www.clir.org http://ninch.org National Initiative for a Networked Cultural Heritage has an online Guide to Good Practice in the Digital Representation and Management of Cultural Heritage Materialshttp://ninch.org