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FULL
MATERIAL SELECTION POLICY
The purpose of this policy statement
is to insure, insofar as is possible, that materials
selected for inclusion in the Church Library
collection will glorify God and aid the user
in worship of and service to Him.
In order to accomplish such a purpose,
selection criteria are essentially prescriptive
and are meant to fulfill the aims of the Mission
Statement.
With this is mind, the following general
guidelines will be observed in selecting books,
pamphlets, periodicals, audiocassettes, filmstrips,
videocassettes, slides, equipment, CD-ROMs,
other electronic media, and services, for purchase
with church funds, with memorial funds, and
in accepting or retaining all gifts from generous
donors.
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Titles dealing with Christianity, its history, beliefs,
theology, customs, and interpretation should
have an obvious Biblical foundation.
Those works that attempt to persuade
simply through opinion or by so-called natural
reason, or that present a one-sided, doctrinaire
Gospel should be carefully scrutinized and avoided,
if doubtful.
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Subject matter treated and the content therein are
vital considerations.
Responsible coverage of the material
is more important than the lack of a title on
that subject, no matter who the author may be.
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Permanency of content should override the popular
fad of the moment.
Materials selected for inclusion in the
collection should have enduring value in order
that future users be accommodated as well as
present readers.
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Care will be given to selecting items that appeal
to the various age levels and constituencies
of the church.
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Inclusion of materials not related to Biblical, spiritual,
and personal Christian development will be minimal,
although some discretion is needed here to supplement
the curriculum and Church administration needs.
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Book production, i.e., format, design, arrangement,
binding, illustrations, indexes, type, etc.,
requires careful evaluation and is a factor
in selection.
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Only in rare cases will duplicate titles be added
to the collection.
Space is at a premium and good stewardship
demands as broad a coverage as possible with
the funds available.
Popular subjects or titles may warrant
additional copies of a particular work, but
this should be accomplished through gifts or
judicious solicitation.
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Weeding is a characteristic of good selection and
should be on a systematic and programmed basis
using the standards set forth above.
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All audio-visual materials should be selected using
the same criteria outlines above, where applicable. Software should always be compatible with equipment available.
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All audio-visual and computer equipment should meet
industrial standards and have UL approved wiring
and/or electrical components.
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