Self-Audit: Reconsideration Procedure
Your library’s Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials Procedure provides guidance for the library staff and board on how to handle requests for reconsideration. It should provide enough detail to define the steps of the process, but have flexibility to handle unique situations and circumstances. Ask yourself the following questions about your existing or draft Reconsideration procedure:
- Does your Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials procedure clearly identify who is involved in the reconsideration process, and to what extent? (e.g., the Library Director, a review committee, the Board of Trustees, the library user, etc.)
- Does the procedure reference the library’s collection development policy? Does it reinforce that decisions about library collections ultimately remain the purview of the Library Director and Board?
- Does your procedure reaffirm the library’s goals, mission statement, and the intellectual freedom rights of all library users? Does it comply with Wisconsin Statute § 43.001, which recognizes “the importance of free access to knowledge, information and diversity of ideas by all residents of the state”?
- Does the procedure outline the step-by-step process through which a library user can request reconsideration of a material? Does it require the library to communicate the outcome of the process with the library user?
- Does the procedure include flexible guidelines for how long each step of the reconsideration process may be expected to take? Does it include reasonable limits on the process to avoid reconsideration requests interfering with the normal operation of the library?
- Does the procedure encourage the library user to discuss their concerns with the library director or other appointed staff member in an attempt to resolve the concern before filing a formal request?
- Does the procedure allow the library director or a collection development committee to review the item in light of the library’s collection development policy as the first step of a formal review? Does the library board offer an appeal process if the user is unhappy with the outcome of the initial review? If so, is that process explained?
- Is the procedure easy to understand? Is it written in ‘plain language’?
Self-Audit: Reconsideration Form
Your library should have a Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials Form to gather information needed from the library user to move forward with their request.
The library may place reasonable restrictions on the filing of Request for Reconsideration forms to prevent such requests from interfering with the normal operations of the library. For example, the library may require one form per item/title, may require responses to each question in the user’s own words, and may choose not to accept attachments to the form.
Information requested in the form may include, but not be limited to:
- The user’s name, contact information, and the date of the request
- The title, author/creator, and format of the resource
- Whether the item is part of the library’s physical collection, was obtained through interlibrary loan, or is a digital resource
- Whether the user has reviewed the item in its entirety
- Questions to assess the user’s concerns, such as “What brought this item to your attention?” and “To what in this item do you object?”
- Any suggestions the user may have for alternative materials to the content in question
- What action the user would like to see be taken with regards to the item, including potential options such as “Do not lend it to my child,” “Refer to the library director and/or board of trustees for reevaluation,” and “Other: _____”.
- A reference to the library’s Collection Development policy and criteria for the user to review if they wish, and a place for the user to explain how, in their opinion, the resource fails to comply with the policy
- A reminder that the form may be subject to public record requests
- A signature and affirmation from the library user that they are submitting the request on their own behalf
Writing a Reconsideration Request Procedure
Many Request for Reconsideration procedures include a purpose statement to help the library board, staff, and general public understand why the library has a formal reconsideration process, how it relates to the library’s Collection Development purview, who is expected to be involved in the process, and how to navigate the process as a library user.
A purpose statement could include the following topics:
- Language that highlights the value of transparency and open dialogue as related to the library collections and patrons’ use of them, reinforcing the importance of offering a Request for Reconsideration pathway
- The rights of library users to request that items in the library’s collection be reevaluated in light of the library’s Collection Development policy
- A reminder of the responsibilities and decision-making authority outlined in the library’s Collection Development procedures (e.g., that the library considers broad community interests and needs when selecting materials and choosing what to offer, but collection decisions are ultimately made at the library’s discretion)
- A viewpoint disclaimer, which states that inclusion of an item in the library’s collection does not imply the endorsement of views by the library staff, library board, or the municipality that supports the library
- An affirmation of intellectual freedom: the library’s collection development policy recognizes intellectual freedom as a constitutional right for all library users, outlines the library staff and board’s responsibility to uphold it, and acknowledges parental/user responsibility. Consider including references to any ethical statements that your library board has subscribed to, such as ALA’s Freedom to Read Statement or Library Bill of Rights, and any locally adopted board resolutions.
Key points to address in your Request for Reconsideration procedure:
- Describe the step-by-step process that will be followed when reconsidering an item, including the status of the items during that process. If the process includes the possibility of more than one review or allows the library user to appeal the decision at any step, provide the information you and your staff need to move a request consistently through the process.
- Clearly identify the library representatives involved in the review and provide a brief description of each step in the process. This may include a description of the responsibilities the library user is expected to adhere to in good faith as a part of the process and information on what resources, guidelines, or criteria the library will use when reviewing the item.
- Explain how and when a reconsideration request might end, e.g., if a user withdraws the request or does not respond to necessary communications, or when the decision about the item has been made. The policy may stipulate that once the review process is complete, the same item or title will not be reviewed again for a certain time period, such as one year.
- Establish reasonable limits on the reconsideration process to ensure that it does not interfere with the library’s normal operation. For example, the library may adopt a policy that no more than a certain number of items will be actively before the committee or library board for review at any given time, with other pending requests held in a queue until the first are completed. Library users may be required to submit one form per item/title and complete the form in their own words, and the library may reject “bulk requests” featuring lists of titles. The library board should decide whether they will require that requesters be cardholders or community residents.
- Include a reminder that the reconsideration process is subject to public records requests, including the submitted Request for Reconsideration form.
Other things to consider
It’s important to balance the right of library users to request the reconsideration of library materials with the rights of other users to access library services and the items in your collection. Materials should remain available to other library users during the review process.
When debating whether to place limits on who can make reconsideration requests, such as requiring residency or cardholder status, library boards should be aware that such limits may have intellectual freedom considerations. Developing this procedure and form can be an opportunity for a library director to have important conversations with their board about what is important to the library and how they can best structure their policies to serve the entire community.
Your library may also offer access to third-party products or platforms that you do not directly control, each governed by its own reconsideration policies—such as the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium digital collection. If your library includes these types of collections, it's important to be informed of their reconsideration processes.
Sample Policies
We’ve collected some sample Request for Reconsideration procedures and forms for you to review as you work on your procedure. Other examples may be found in some of the Collection Development policy samples provided last month.
Visit the Public Library Policy Resources WISELearn Group for more discussion. Please consider uploading your library’s procedure/form for discussion or as another example for the library community to learn from.
Additional resources
What’s next?
In November, our Policy of the Month club will focus on Disasters and Emergency policies. Visit the Public Library Policy WISELearn group to share your policies for discussion!
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