Requests for Reconsideration

Policy:

It is the mission of the Council Bluffs Public Library to enrich, inform, and empower the community. Materials and services are provided at the library to support the mission using best practice standards and guiding criteria in the field of information and community services.  On occasion individuals or groups may seek a reconsideration of materials and the following procedure shall be followed.

Procedure:

• As a forum for ideas and information, the Council Bluffs Public Library provides a broad spectrum of opinion on a variety of topics in a multitude of formats and endorses the principles of intellectual freedom, the Library Bill of Rights, and the Freedom to Read and View statements.
• Selection of materials may be requested by library patrons. However, any requested materials shall be reviewed according to the criteria outlined in Library Collection Management Policy (2.1) with no guarantee of addition to the collection.
• The presence of an item in the library's collection does not constitute endorsement of the contents nor place a value judgment on that item by the library. There is no labeling of items or catalog entries to indicate a point of view or bias.
• Responsibility for the use of library materials by minors rests with parents or guardians.
• Objections about materials can be brought forward by library account holders. Objections about materials in the collection are received and referred to the library manager of the appropriate department. If a library patron is not satisfied after talking with the library manager, the patron will be given a "Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials" to complete and referred to the library director.
• Any "Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials” form filled out by a library patron will be given to the library director. The director will review this form with the appropriate staff members and respond to the complainant. If the complainant is not satisfied with this response, the library director may refer the complaint to the Library Materials Committee of the Library Board for action.
• No items shall be removed from the library collection without a court order, certified as valid by the city attorney, if the director and library board deem it was selected in accordance with this library collection management policy.

Adopted: November 2006

Amended & Reapproved: September 16, 2009; February 15, 2021; January 21, 2015; May 24, 2017; February 19, 2020; January 25, 2023; April 26, 2023