Collection Development Strategy
The purpose of Richmond Public Library’s (RPL) Collection Development Strategy is to uphold RPL’s Vision, Mission and Values and to provide guidance to library staff for decision-making related to library collections. It also serves to inform the residents of Richmond of the principles by which materials are selected for inclusion in the library’s collections and is guided by the Richmond Public Library Board Collection Policy.
This strategy supports the development of collections in all formats, both physical materials and digital resources, held by the Richmond Public Library, and includes items acquired by purchase or donated items that may have been added to the collection.
In order to fulfill the Library’s mission of “Creating opportunities to learn, connect and belong,” the Richmond Public Library develops and maintains collections that:
- Provide access to a wide range of informational, educational, cultural and recreational materials and resources in a variety of formats and technologies for all ages
- Respond to the public library needs of the community and are relevant and useful
- Uphold the public’s freedom of access to information
- Feature special collections unique to the community of Richmond
The collections support Richmond Public Library’s role as a popular lending library, a resource centre for lifelong learning, and a gathering place to build community and promote literacy and the enjoyment of reading.
Providing a collection is a vital and dynamic service that is developed according to RPL’s guiding documents, community needs, staff capacity, and financial and spatial considerations.
Guiding Principles
- RPL adheres to the Canadian Federation of Library Associations Statement on Intellectual Freedom and Libraries and supports and promotes the universal principles of intellectual freedom as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Richmond Public Library abides by these principles and considers freedom of access to information as a fundamental quality of a democratic society that is crucial for personal intellectual development and the overall health of the community.
- The Library respects a diversity of ideas and opinions. The library makes available a wide range of materials representing different points of view. Inclusion of materials in the library’s collections does not imply endorsement of their contents by the library.
- The Library respects intellectual property rights and copyright and advocates balance between the interests of information users and rights holders.
- RPL is committed to youth and families and selects materials to support literacy, encourage reading, and promote lifelong learning. The library upholds intellectual freedom and believes in the right of parents or legal guardians to maintain their own code of values within their family. The responsibility of a child’s selection and use of library resources rests solely with their parents or legal guardians.
- RPL is committed to supporting learning and action for Truth and Reconciliation by providing strong Indigenous collections by Indigenous voices and by working with Indigenous community to build the collection and support Indigenous publishers.
- The Library strives to provide accessible collections and services to facilitate equity of access to persons with disabilities.
- RPL recognizes the importance of language as a factor that shapes access to the information found in collection materials. To support this access and to reflect local linguistic diversity, RPL collects materials in a variety of languages based on the presence of population and community interest.
- The Library strives to serve the literacy needs of English Language Learners (ELL) of all ages and abilities.
- RPL encourages the submission of books by Richmond authors or books about Richmond for consideration in the collection. Selectors consider these items based on the same criteria as other collection materials and make the decision accordingly.
- RPL collects material in a variety of formats. The nature of these formats may change over time as technology and customer use change. Reduced demand and/or technological obsolescence informs the Library’s decisions to no longer collect or retain materials or resources.
- Where appropriate, the Library provides access to materials and resources through cooperative services with other library systems such as interlibrary loan and consortium purchasing.
Statement on AI Generated Materials
Collection Selection and Acquisition
RPL’s collection development strategy is supported by key roles in management and leadership in addition to a collections team that includes librarians and library technicians. All library staff have a role in providing recommendations and purchase suggestions to the library’s collections team. RPL’s collections are funded by capital and operating budgets in addition to donations.
Selection of RPL collection materials occurs based on the following criteria:
- Accuracy and reliability
- Available space
- Canadian, Indigenous and local authorship content or relevance
- Community interest
- Cost and availability
- Critical reception
- Currency
- Existence of other versions
- Existence of similar content
- Literary merit and contribution to field of knowledge
- Existence of digital or physical formats
- Popular demand and current trends
- Present and potential relevance of the material to community needs including library programming and early literacy
- Quality, competence, significance and purpose of the originators of the work
- Readability
- Relationship of the item to existing collection
- Subject, style and formats suitable for intended audience and use
- Suitability and durability of the physical format for library use
Selection criteria for digital resources also takes into consideration:
- Cost and pricing model
- Hardware, software and licensing requirements
- Demand (use patterns or anticipated use)
- Privacy
- Comparison of content with other available formats
- Networking capability
- Ease of access
- Staff training and customer assistance requirements
Selectors take many sources into account when deciding whether an item meets these criteria, including professional judgement, personal knowledge, community conversations, community requests, collection data, vendor suggestions, publishers, bestseller lists, and critical reviews. Not all criteria apply to a given item, and additional criteria may exist for items in specific collections. The Library does not purchase or add materials and resources that contravene the provisions of the Canadian Criminal Code with regard to distribution of illegal material.
Suggestions from library users for additions to the collections are welcome. Their suggestions for purchase are reviewed by library staff and may be acquired if they fit the Library’s selection criteria. AI-assisted content (i.e., work written by a human, but AI tools are used to edit, refine or error-check) may be acquired if they fit the Library’s selection criteria.
Collection Maintenance
To maintain a useful, relevant, and dynamic collection, RPL engages in regular, systematic, and ongoing review and weeding. This process helps to support current use and interests, maximize available space, find items for replacement or repair, and improve access to library materials. Decisions on whether to remove an item from the collection are based on the following criteria:
- Accuracy and reliability
- Circulation frequency
- Condition
- Currency
- Relevancy
- Existence of copies at other branches or systems
- Existence of multiple copies
- Existence of newer versions
- Existence of similar content
- Last Activity Date
- Request by Publisher
The library reserves the right to determine the method of removal for withdrawn items.
Item Reconsideration
Refer to staff guidelines for Request for Reconsideration. Community members may submit a written request for reconsideration of the specific items. A Request for Reconsideration form must be completed for each item. A formal staff review is initiated and a written decision will be sent to the person or organization making the request.
Gifts and Donations of Library Materials
Refer to Richmond Public Library Board Donation Policy. The library may accept select donations. All donations added to the collection are subject to the same selection criteria as purchased material.
Collection-Related Library Policies and Resources
- Collections Policy
- BC Human Rights Code
- Canadian Criminal Code
- Canadian Federation of Library Associations Statement on Intellectual Freedom and Libraries
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement
- Donation Policy
- Privacy Statement
- Staff Guidelines – Request for Reconsideration for Library Material
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action
- United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Last Updated: Jan 2026.