General Policies

Privacy and Confidentiality

It is the policy of the Harriet Hancock Center that employees, volunteers, and contractors may not disclose, share, or make accessible confidential information belonging to, or obtained through their affiliation with the Harriet Hancock Center, to any person – including relatives, friends, business professionals, or associates – other than those with a legitimate need for such information and who have been authorized by the Harriet Hancock Center.

Additionally, the library follows the American Library Association’s (ALA’s) stance on library users’ rights to privacy (see ALA Code of Ethics, #3). Unless there is risk of harm to self or others, patrons have a right to privacy and confidentiality with their library use, including but not limited to: 

  • account information
  • books, resources, and information they seek
  • books, resources, and information they receive
  • books and resources they consult
  • borrowing information

Patrons MUST show an ID with their name on it to access any account information, and may only be allowed access to information about their own account. Children and teens in 6th grade or older may check out books independently and have their own account. Parents and guardians may only be allowed access to a child’s account with explicit, written permission, which may be revoked at any time by the child or denied at the library coordinator or executive director’s discretion. 

Circulation 

Books check out for 30 days and can be renewed two times, for an additional 30 days each. Patrons can renew books in person, by emailing the library coordinator, or through their account in the online catalog. Patrons may place a hold on items through the online catalog, which will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Patrons will be given a minimum of seven days to pick up their items after they are notified that a hold is ready to be picked up. If an item is not picked up after seven days, the item may be returned to the shelf or offered to the next patron on hold. 

Fines and Fees

To make the library accessible, the Sam Nickles Memorial Library does not issue late fines or fees. Patrons will be asked to support the replacement cost of any items that are more than a month overdue or damaged to the point of unusability. Book replacement for lost or damaged books is decided on a case-by-case basis and is at the discretion of the library coordinator. Books that no longer fit the collection development policy and do not augment the library collection will generally not be considered for replacement. 

ALA Code of Ethics

The Sam Nickles Memorial Library follows the American Library Association’s (ALA’s) Code of Ethics (most recently amended in 2021). These are available on their website and are copied below for ease of reference. Because they are technical language heavy and most of the terms are not repeated elsewhere, most of the jargon is not defined in the vocabulary section at the end of this manual. If you have any questions, please reach out to the library coordinator (library@harriethancockcenter.org) 

  1. We provide the highest level of service to all library users through appropriate and usefully organized resources; equitable service policies; equitable access; and accurate, unbiased, and courteous responses to all requests.
  2. We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources.
  3. We protect each library user’s right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted.
  4. We respect intellectual property rights and advocate balance between the interests of information users and rights holders.
  5. We treat co-workers and other colleagues with respect, fairness, and good faith, and advocate conditions of employment that safeguard the rights and welfare of all employees of our institutions.
  6. We do not advance private interests at the expense of library users, colleagues, or our employing institutions.
  7. We distinguish between our personal convictions and professional duties and do not allow our personal beliefs to interfere with fair representation of the aims of our institutions or the provision of access to their information resources.
  8. We strive for excellence in the profession by maintaining and enhancing our own knowledge and skills, by encouraging the professional development of co-workers, and by fostering the aspirations of potential members of the profession.
  9. We affirm the inherent dignity and rights of every person. We work to recognize and dismantle systemic and individual biases; to confront inequity and oppression; to enhance diversity and inclusion; and to advance racial and social justice in our libraries, communities, profession, and associations through awareness, advocacy, education, collaboration, services, and allocation of resources and spaces.

Gifts and Donations

Due to limited space, gifts of books and other library materials are appreciated but can only be accepted within the general collection development policy of the Library and with the approval of the library coordinator or executive director. Gifts may not be accepted if there are limiting conditions or restrictions regarding their usage. Disposal of gifts is at the discretion of library staff. Items dropped off at the library without prior arrangement will be recycled. If you believe you have items of potential interest to the Library, please contact the library coordinator for consideration (library@harriethancockcenter.org). 

 

Collection Development Policy

The Sam Nickles Memorial Library supports the mission and vision of the Harriet Hancock Center by providing a thoughtful collection that “supports, educates, and empowers the LGBTQ+ community and its allies.” We also aim to cultivate an interest in lifelong learning and reading. 

The purpose of the collection development policy is to guide library staff in the selection of materials and maintenance of the collection. It also informs the community of the principles and procedures involved in this process.

Materials Selection

Materials are considered in terms of their value to the collection and community. Professional best practices are applied to material evaluation. 

SELECTION CONSIDERATIONS

  1. Alignment with the Harriet Hancock Center’s mission and values; 
  2. LGBTQ+ relation (author, characters, themes, etc) or relation to LGBTQ+ issues (such as book bans); 
  3. Relevance to the needs of the community; 
  4. Educational or entertainment value; 
  5. Contemporary or historical value (ex: Stonewall award winner or nominee, appearance in professional indexes/bibliographies/review sources); 
  6. Quality in writing or visual appeal; 
  7. Quality of information; 
  8. Good and accurate representation of various voices and identities; 
  9. Suitability for its intended audience (subject, style, vocabulary, level); 
  10. Use to fill a gap/augment the collection, or serve as a notable improvement in an area of the collection; 
  11. Availability nearby or online (and suitability for a print format). 

Collection Maintenance

The collection is managed and maintained primarily by the library coordinator. All questions, comments, and concerns should be directed to library@harriethancockcenter.org.

Withdrawal and discarding of library materials

Materials may be withdrawn and discarded from the Library’s collection according to professional criteria because they are:

  1. outdated, no longer timely, or inaccurate. 
  2. badly worn or damaged and cannot be mended. 
  3. no longer used by or not of relevance to the community. 
  4. deemed lost or missing.  

In most cases, attempts will be made to rehome or transfer withdrawn materials to other libraries, community centers, or individuals where they will be better used. Withdrawn materials that aren’t given elsewhere will be recycled or discarded. 

Replacement of library materials

Although we do not automatically replace all materials withdrawn because of loss, damage, or wear, an item will be considered for replacement if:

  1. There is no up-to-date coverage of the subject. 
  2. There is still demand for the specific title. 
  3. The title is a standard or classic work fitting our collection. 
  4. The title is of historical value to our collection.