Library Internal Display Policy
SECTION: Library Internal Display Policy
NUMBER: 641
CREATED: February 12, 2024
EFFECTIVE DATE: February 26, 2024
Policy Overview
The Erie County Public Library (“ECPL”) maintains several library-initiated display areas/zones that showcase the ECPL’s collections, highlight cultural, educational, and local interests and aim to further ECPL’s mission. Displays provide opportunities for the community to learn about library collections, resources, and services and encourage lifelong learning, recreation, and entertainment.
Purpose
This policy for library-initiated displays furnishes a basis to assist ECPL staff with planning and implementation of exhibiting topics, resources, and related materials. It also seeks to inform the public about the principles and criteria that go into the planning process.
Responsibility
Library-initiated displays rely on ECPL staff expertise for planning. The Executive Director delegates the authority for display implementation to the ECPL department heads. The Executive Director, Assistant Director, and staff members of the ECPL’s Policy Committee shall review this policy as needed but no less than every two years.
General Criteria
ECPL will strive to curate displays that reflect the broad range of human experiences, knowledge, and perspectives. With their expertise, ECPL staff will create displays with at least one of the following goals in mind:
- To increase awareness about library collections, programs, resources, and services
- To consider community needs and interests
- To honor historical or cultural matters
- To bridge a connection between the ECPL and the community or between the community and another organization via a co-sponsored library display
- To promote literacy and life-long learning, including the five literacies of Pennsylvania Library Association’s PA Forward® initiative (Basic, Information, Civic & Social, Health, and Financial Literacy)
Staff will be mindful of the intended audience in the available spaces, accessibility of materials and resources, and the timely exchange of new topics. Displays highlighting new material shall be presented as space allows based on release date. Thematic displays are curated by library staff. Acceptance of a display or exhibit by the Library does not constitute endorsement by the ECPL of the content or views expressed in the display materials.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
ECPL strives to reflect the needs of our community and our national landscape as closely as possible. Library-initiated displays will not exclude topics, books, media, or other resources solely on the basis that they may be considered controversial. The ECPL will continuously work to curate displays representing a wide array of people, cultures, ideas, and experiences.
Displays will align with the Erie County Council Resolution 27-2023, To Prohibit the Censorship of Reading Materials in the Erie County Library System, or any superseding Council ordinance or resolution governing library displays.
Intellectual Freedom
The ECPL, to the best of its ability, strives to provide various displays and exhibits. Reflecting the importance of the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read Statement and Library Bill of Rights, the ECPL attempts to present a broad range of human experiences, knowledge, and perspectives. The inclusion of an item in a display does not imply the ECPL’s endorsement of the content or view expressed in the materials on exhibit.
Request for Reconsideration
ECPL welcomes citizens’ expressions of opinion concerning library-initiated displays and exhibits. Anyone who wishes to request a display to be reconsidered, in part or in whole, is asked to complete and sign the Request for Reconsideration Form. The form will be forwarded to the Assistant Director and reviewed by the Request for Reconsideration Committee. The display in question will be reviewed within ten (10) business days. When a decision has been made regarding the retention or removal of part or all of the display, a letter will be sent to the requestor with an explanation of the decision. The display will remain in place during the reconsideration process or until the staff deem it time to rotate in a new topic. Once a Request for Reconsideration has been reviewed and the Committee has decided on its retention or removal, that decision will stand for ninety (90) days regardless of subsequent Requests for Reconsideration of the same display.
Policy Implementation, Evaluation and Revision
This policy was approved by the Library Advisory Board on February 26, 2024, and will be reviewed annually by the Library Policy Committee and Library Director
Erie County Public Library
Library Internal Display Request for Reconsideration
