Library Policies.

Adopted August 17, 2009 by Rehoboth Antiquarian Society Board of Trustees

• Use of the Internet is available to all Blanding Public Library patrons.
• The SAILS library network, from which we receive our Internet access, also has its own Internet Use Policy, which applies to patrons using the Internet in the Blanding Library.
• Only 2 people may use an Internet workstation at one time.
• The Blanding Library uses the PC Reservation system. Patrons will be allowed to use the Internet on a first-come-first-served basis for 60 minutes at one time, for a total of 120 minutes per day.
• Users may reserve time in person or by phone up to 1 day in advance. If a user has reserved time and does not appear within 10 minutes of such time or call to cancel the reservation, the library will cancel any other reservations made by the user.
• Workstations shut down automatically 15 minutes prior to closing.
• Printing is available at 25 cents per page to be paid at the circulation desk.
• Patrons must wear headphones while accessing audio files.
• Users are responsible for any damage to hardware or software.
• Children under the age of 10 must have an adult present while accessing the Internet. There is material on the Internet that may be offensive or controversial. Parents must monitor their child’s use of the Internet. The library does not monitor or censor access to materials on the Internet.
• Public library workstations are not private or secure. Library patrons use the Internet at their own risk.
• Sign-up records identifying Internet users will be kept, solely for purposes of ascertaining violators of the library’s Internet policy
• Internet resources are for legal and legitimate purposes only. Specific unacceptable uses are, but are not limited to:
• Tampering with computer hardware or software
• Disrupting equipment or system performance
• Libeling or harassing other users
• Violating federal, state or local laws
• Deliberately disseminating or displaying obscene materials or child pornography as defined by federal and state law (including but not limited to section 2256 of Title 18 United States Code, and MGL, Chapter 272 sections 29 and 31)

Approved July 8, 2025 by the Rehoboth Antiquarian Society Board of Trustees

Blanding Free Public Library provides story hours, desktop computers, printers and internet access, advice on books to read, a summer reading program, and other educational and entertaining programs for children from preschool age to young adulthood. The Children’s Library rooms have been designed for the use of children and their parents, guardians, teachers, and caregivers.

The Library encourages frequent visits by children and their caregivers, but Library staff cannot provide child care or assume responsibility for children’s safety. Parents, guardians, teachers and caregivers, not library staff, are responsible for the behavior and safety of children visiting the library. Staff cannot be placed in the position of supervising unattended children, and the Library is not responsible for any consequences of parents forfeiting their responsibilities.

Children under age 10 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times while in the Library or on the Library grounds. Supervising adults must be close at hand.

Children 10 and older may use the Library unattended as long as their conduct is acceptable in a Library setting; the Rehoboth Police Department will be notified if a child is left at the Library after hours.

Parents/guardians are presumed to be aware that their child is at the Library, and children must know how to reach an adult in case of an emergency. Children and adults need to be aware of Library hours.

Children are expected to behave in a manner conducive to maintaining an appropriate atmosphere in the building for all patrons. Children and their accompanying adults will be asked to leave the premises if proper behavior is not maintained. Children without an accompanying adult must contact their adult caretaker to arrange for transportation. The Rehoboth Police Department will be notified if no adult caretaker is available.

The Goff Memorial Hall Auditorium and grounds are available to members of the community for civic, cultural and educational activities of a non-profit nature. The premises are not available for private social functions or for-profit commercial activities. Activities which involve or lead to solicitation of attendees for commercial purposes are not allowed.

• A responsible member of the organization requesting use of the premises must complete an application to be reviewed and approved by the Director and/or the Board of Trustees of the Rehoboth Antiquarian Society (RAS). Any expansion or changes of use require a new application.
• The application must be received by the Director at least one week in advance. The primary function of the Blanding Public Library will take precedence when considering the application.
• Programs and events designed for youth under the age of 18 must be supervised by at least 2 qualified responsible adults.
• Smoking is prohibited on the premises.
• RAS is not responsible for any materials, supplies, equipment or personal possessions belonging to the group or attendees using the premises.
• Users of the premises must assume responsibility for any loss or damage to the buildings, contents and grounds. RAS, at its discretion, may require liability insurance from the user naming RAS as the insured.
• Permission for use of the premises does not constitute or imply an endorsement of the user’s policies, beliefs or programs. Premises are not to be used for any unlawful purpose.
• Rental fee and/or security deposit requirements for use of the premises are determined by the Board of Trustees of RAS and may be charged at their discretion.
• Users of the premises are responsible for clean-up. All trash must be removed from the premises.
• The Blanding Library’s address or phone number is not to be used as a contact on any publicity for the event or program.
• The premises may not be available for use due to inclement weather or an impending storm. Users are responsible to be in contact in advance to ascertain availability.

• Renters and attendees need to be aware that the facilities are part of a Library. Furniture, fixtures, equipment and collections of the Library should be treated with care.
• The entrance doors must be kept closed in order to maintain a constant temperature and prevent pests.
• Goff Memorial Hall may not be used as part of a mailing address for any non-RAS affiliated group or organization.
• Decorations may not be put up without the prior approval of the Library Director.
• Setup of tables and chairs is the responsibility of the user organization. All tables and chairs must be returned to their original placement. Floors are to be vacuumed, swept and mopped, if needed.
• Only light refreshments may be served in the Auditorium. No food or drink is allowed in the rest of the Building. All trash is to be removed from the premises.

Blanding Free Public Library strives to fulfill the informational, educational, and recreational needs of the Rehoboth community by providing access to quality materials and events. The Library endeavors to ensure every citizen’s freedom to access all library resources.

The collection development policy provides guidelines for acquisition and withdrawal decisions, the allocation of resources, and strategic planning in accordance with the Library’s mission statement in order to establish a collection of works that meets the informational, educational, and recreational needs of the community.

The library seeks to provide a welcoming environment, a qualified staff, a wide variety of materials in all formats, programs for patrons of all ages and access to current technology.  In so doing, the library subscribes to the principles in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, the Library Bill of Rights adopted by the American Library Association, and the Freedom to Read Statement of the American Library Association and the American Book Publisher’s Council. (See appendices.)

Blanding Free Public Library serves foremost as a community library for people of all ages who live and/or work in the Town of Rehoboth. The Library’s emphasis on collection development is to acquire materials of wide-ranging interest to meet the needs of this general public.

Blanding Free Public Library is a member of the SAILS regional library system, a consortium of more than 70 public, private, college and school libraries in Southeastern Massachusetts, as well as the Massachusetts Library System.  The Library recognizes the collections and resources of neighboring libraries and will not needlessly duplicate services or materials.  Rehoboth’s participation in these networks provides our residents access to the collection of other participating libraries on a reciprocating basis.

The Library seeks to provide a broad range of materials to meet the varied needs of its patrons.  Library materials and services routinely support more than one library goal.  The Library may maintain special collections in specific subject areas or formats. Separate policies may be developed exclusively for these collections.

Instructional and educational materials are collected on at least a basic information level. Basic information level collections serve to introduce and define a subject or author, to indicate the varieties of information available elsewhere, and to support the needs of general library users.  Area school, special and college libraries serve the more advanced instructional needs of patrons.

Therefore, the collection contains:

• A limited collection of scholarly monographs and reference works
• A limited collection of representative general-interest periodicals
• Access to a limited collection of owned or remotely accessed electronic journals, texts, bibliographic tools, and research databases

Basic information level collections are frequently and systematically reviewed for currency of information, and superseded editions and titles containing outdated information are withdrawn. Classic or standard retrospective materials may be retained.

Occasionally, popular and often-requested subjects or authors may be collected on a study or instructional support level. Study of instructional support level collections are more extensively developed and include works of well-known authors and selections from the works of lesser known authors.

Materials are purchased in the most appropriate format for library users within the Library’s budgetary guidelines and constraints. The Library monitors the development of new and emerging formats, and considers the feasibility and usefulness of new technologies when making selection decisions.

Ultimate responsibility for materials selection rests with the Director who works within the framework of policies as established by the Board of Trustees of the Rehoboth Antiquarian Society. The Director may delegate this responsibility to other staff librarians qualified by reason of education, training, and experience.

Materials will be selected to meet the informational, educational, and recreational needs and interests of the community. Materials will represent a variety of viewpoints on current and historical issues. Staff will select materials in a variety of formats using published reviews, professional and trade publications, and patron requests and recommendations.

General selection criteria for all materials includes:

• Anticipated and popular demand
• Accuracy and currency of information
• Appropriateness of subject and format for intended library users
• Cost
• Current and historical significance
• Literary and/or artistic merit
• Merit of the work as a whole, rather than on the basis of specific sections
• Significance of the author
• The strengths and weaknesses of the existing collection
• Stacks space and availability through other libraries or formats

These standards apply equally to all items considered for acquisition, whether purchased, requested, or donated. An item need not meet all of these criteria to be selected.

The library seeks to provide a balanced collection representing a wide range of viewpoints, including controversial issues that may be objectionable to some individuals. A work will not be excluded from the collection because of frankness of content. The purchase of controversial items by the Library does not constitute endorsement of the views expressed.

Collection maintenance optimizes the Library’s usefulness by ensuring that materials are appropriate to the library’s objectives, easy to locate, and attractive to users. The Library’s credibility is enhanced when the books and other materials are found by patrons to be up to date and relevant, and when the Library’s bibliographic records, such as the online catalog, accurately reflect the library’s holdings.

The ongoing process of collection maintenance accomplishes several purposes:

• Inventory control provides a more accurate volume count by identifying lost materials
• Analysis provides feedback on the collection’s strengths and weaknesses
• Weeding makes the collection more useful by systematically replacing worn materials, materials that are no longer appealing, and materials that are no longer accurate

On a regular basis, reports are generated listing items without current and/or recent activity. Shelves are checked to determine whether items are lost, in which case they are deleted from the library’s online catalog. If an item is located on the shelf, it is reviewed against criteria to determine whether it should remain in the collection.

On a regular basis shelves are examined to determine that books are in the correct order. Shelf reading also identifies errors in call number labels and locates books belonging to other libraries.

A strong collection requires ongoing evaluation and maintenance. Materials will regularly be weeded from the collection based on the following criteria: 

• Outdated or superseded
• Infrequent use
• Physical condition
• Relevance

Replacements and updated editions are purchased when warranted.  Discarded materials may be sold, donated, or recycled as the Library determines.  Those staff members who have a direct role in the selection of materials (i.e., the Director and senior staff librarians) conduct deselection, also known as weeding, under the general guidance of the Library Director in accordance with the CREW Manual (see appendices) and local weeding guidelines outlined in Appendix A.

The Library welcomes gifts of funds and materials to enrich the collection.  New or used donated materials are subject to the same criteria as purchased materials. Gifts of materials are accepted with the understanding that they may be utilized or disposed of at the Library’s discretion.  All or part of a donation may be kept or discarded.  Monetary gifts will be applied to the selection of materials by the Director in consultation with library staff and the donor as appropriate.

Once an item has been donated it is the property of the Library and is subject to the same processing, usage and disposal criteria as all Library materials. Upon request the Library can acknowledge receipt of donated items, but does not keep records of the disposition of donated materials. Library staff will not give an appraisal of donated material.  The appraisal of a gift to the library for tax purposes is the responsibility of the donor.

Anyone who wishes the Library to reconsider the acquisition or removal of an item must fill out a “Request for Reconsideration of Material” form (Appendix B). These forms are available at the circulation desk. The request is reviewed by the appropriate department head and the Director. The Director will issue a response.  If the complainant is not satisfied, the complainant may appeal to the Board of Trustees. The decision of the Board is final. Above all, the Board of Trustees has as its concern the fairness of such a hearing so as to protect the rights of all who are involved.

Blanding Free Public Library patrons may request reconsideration of library materials. Upon a request for reconsideration, this procedure is followed:

1. The patron will be directed to a Staff Librarian or the Library Director, who will give a copy of the selection policy to the patron if requested. If the patron wishes, the patron may fill out and submit a Request for. Reconsideration of Library Materials form (see Appendix B) to a staff librarian or the Library Director.
2. The completed form will be reviewed by one or more staff librarians and by the Library Director. The material will be evaluated to ascertain that the selection criteria outlined in this policy were applied in the selection of the material and the Library Director shall deliver a written response to the patron within 14 days of the date that the Reconsideration Form was submitted.
3. If the patron is not satisfied with the decision, the patron may appeal in writing to the Board of Trustees.  The Board will review the request employing the selection criteria outlined in this document, as well as reviews from professional journals, and comments by the patron. The material will be reviewed in full. Library materials are not removed from the collection during the review process. The Board will recommend an action to the Library Director within 30 days. The Library Director will inform the patron in writing of the final decision.
4. Results of the Reconsideration will be retained on file. Additional requests for the reconsideration of the same material will be reviewed after a period of three years.

Library Bill of Rights

Appendix A: Weeding Criteria by Dewey Decimal Classification
The following sections show coding in the form of a ratio.  These formulas are intended as guidelines only, and the Library recognizes there will be many exceptions.  The first number refers to the age of the material, or the number of years since the item’s latest copyright date.  The second number refers to the maximum number of years without usage.  An “X” in the place of a number indicates that no clear default number of years is applicable.

• 000 (Encyclopedias, Almanacs): 5/X
• 100 (Philosophy & Psychology): 10/5
• 200 (Religion & Mythology): 10/5
• 300 (Social Sciences): 10/3
• 400 (Linguistics & Language): 10/5
• 500 (Pure Sciences): 10/3
• 600 (Applied Sciences & Technology): 7/3
• 700 (Arts & Recreation): X/3
• 800 (Literature): X/X
• 900 (History & Geography): 15/5, except for Travel 4/2
• Biography: X/3
• Adult Fiction: X/3
• Juvenile/YA Fiction: X/3
• Large Print: X/3
• Mass Market Paperback: X/1
• Periodicals: Retained 1 year
• Audiovisual Material: X/3

Appendix B:  Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials
Download “Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials” form