Riverside Regional Library
Statement of Philosophy, Principles, and Purpose
Library Purpose and Function
The library exists to acquire, and provide access to materials and
information which facilitate informal self‑education, limited scholarly
and educational research, subject reference, and recreation to all
members of the defined service area.
The library facilitates the location and delivery of information
remotely stored using a variety of delivery systems, such as
interlibrary loan and electronic databases.
The library acts as a clearinghouse for various community information
endeavors as well as providing community meeting space.
The library will encourage library and information use by all members of
the community; promote broad dissemination of ideas and information; and
support educational, civic, and cultural activities within the
community.
The library has concurrent responsibilities to provide materials and
services to the individual citizen, to community organizations, to
governmental and social agencies, and to business and industry.
Its resources and services must be available to the entire
population regardless of age, sex, physical condition, or economic,
ethnic, religious, or political status.
The board believes that a democratic society must have informed
citizens; that people can better achieve enrichment and fulfillment
through the use of available information and knowledge; and that the
public library is the focal point in the community for both formal and
informal association with information and ideas.
The board is aware that the economic order, social structures, and
attitudes of society are subject to change.
As a public service institution, the library must adapt to change
to retain a relevant role in society.
Its services must assist people in adapting to constantly
evolving situations in their lives.
In achieving its purpose, the library must seek an active partnership
with other public and civic organizations and institutions.
Through cooperative effort, the correlation and reciprocity of
services and access to combined resources, wherever located, can benefit
the entire community.
The library should involve citizens in the identification of information
needs and should develop programs to meet those needs.
It has an obligation to create
broad awareness of library resources and services to stimulate their
use.
The library endorses principles affirmed in statements by the American
Library
Association such as the Library Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read, Freedom
to View, and Intellectual Freedom. These documents support the guarantee of freedom of the press
as stated in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the
broad principles are affirmed:
1.
Censorship in selection should not be practiced.
Materials should not be excluded because of the creation entity's
views or background.
2.
Materials should represent all points of view, restricted only by
accessibility and budgetary limitations.
Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan
or doctrinal disapproval or censorship attempts.
3.
Recognizing the advancing role of technology in
information/entertainment dissemination, and in tune with community
needs, the library should attempt to acquire diverse collections and
access to remote collections, basing selection on prescribed criteria
and the overall suitability of the media for imparting knowledge.
4.
A person's right to use the library should not be denied or abridged
because of origin, age, background, or views.
Library
To provide information, education, recreation, and inspiration.
Objectives of the Library
It is the purpose of Riverside Regional library to make available to all
individuals, groups, governments and business within the library
district an organized collection of materials which will meet the needs
of patrons of all conditions and interests, subject to necessary
physical and financial limitations.
Library service makes accessible the recorded knowledge and
experience of our civilization.
It is the aim of Riverside Regional Library to motivate persons
of all ages to use the available materials and facilities; to point out
reliable, authoritative material; and to draw attention to the new, the
critical, and even the unorthodox.
Riverside Regional Library intends to be an active, dynamic force
for enlightenment and enrichment of the lives of the citizens within its
sphere of service.
To achieve these aims requires the library board to work with the
librarian and staff to determine the broad roles of the library.
The following roles have been chosen for
1.
2.
In cooperation with local community information networks, the library is
a clearinghouse for current information on community organizations,
issues, and services. The
library expects to maintain a high profile as a source of information
about community services.
3.
The library assists students of all ages in meeting educational
objectives established during their formal courses of study.
This may include students in all schools, community colleges,
colleges and universities, technical and vocational schools, as well as
continuing education, literacy or adult basic education.
The library offers tours for classes and instructs students on
using library tools. In
cooperation with local schools and teachers, the library will reserve
special materials to meet classroom assignments.
To assist faculty, the library may supply supplementary materials
for classroom use.
4.
The library supports individuals of all ages pursuing programs of
learning independent of any educational provider.
These individuals set their own learning objectives to meet such
concerns as citizen education, self-improvement, job-related
development, hobbies, cultural interest, and lifelong learning.
5.
Popular
One of the most important services a public library provides is making
available recreational materials in all formats.
The library features current high demand, high interest materials
in a variety of formats for persons of all ages and actively promotes
and encourages use of its collections.
6.
Preschoolers' Door to Learning
The library encourages young children to develop an interest in reading
and learning through services for children, and for parents and children
together. Parents and other
adult caregivers can locate and use library materials.
Cooperation with other childcare agencies in the community is
ongoing. The library
promotes reading readiness from infancy and provides services for
self-enrichment and for discovering the pleasures of reading and
learning.
7.
Reference Library
The library actively provides timely, accurate, and useful information
for community residents in their pursuit of job-related and personal
interest. The library
promotes on-site and telephone reference/information services to aid
users in locating needed information.
The library participates in interlibrary loan, cooperative
reference services, and access to local and remote databases to meet
patrons' need for information. |