Stock selection policy
Stock is selected and managed on a countywide basis. Individual library collections aim to reflect the needs of the local community as closely as possible.
Staff at every level have a valuable role to play in the selection and management of stock to ensure the best experience for the customer and the most efficient use of resources. Every library has an allocated Stock Champion to assist in providing a high-quality stock service and all staff are encouraged to feedback on local need and gaps in stock which is vital to ensure individual library needs are addressed.
The following points apply to all library branches:
- Stock should be attractive, relevant and well displayed. Lists of dead stock and over-used (grubby) stock can be produced in libraries to aid this
- Location of less popular/more expensive material is normally limited to larger libraries. Nevertheless, access is possible to all lending items on the library catalogue, via reservation, from any library
- Paperback books are preferred to hardback as they are more popular with most users and provide better value for money. Hardbacks are still bought where they are the only format available for requested titles, and in anticipation of demand
- Hardback titles are also bought for non-fiction items where there is a considerable delay for the paperback version, or when it is unlikely that a title will ever appear in paperback
- Requested titles are bought according to a ratio of copies per hold, which ensures that customers do not have to wait an unreasonable length of time.
- Large Print books are bought for adults (in both fiction and non-fiction). It should be noted that there is very limited publication of large print books for children. An alternative source for large print stock can be obtained via our e-book stock. E-book readers allow the user to adjust text size to suit the user's needs.
- Specialist stock for the following collections is also bought:
- Reading Well
- Quick Reads and Everyone's Literacy
- LGBTQ+ stock
- Diverse stock supporting coverage of protected characteristics
- Stock to support people new to the UK (Library of Sanctuary).