Library Collection

Book / Material Selection

Responsibility for Selection & Maintenance of the Collection

The selection and maintenance of the library’s collection lies administratively with the Library Director, who delegates to appropriately trained and skilled staff members.

The Chesterfield County Public Library manages the selection of materials through a coordinated system of shared responsibility among a specially trained selection team. Selectors make choices based on a thorough knowledge of community interests, needs and current library holdings.

Selection Criteria

Selectors use their subject knowledge and expertise in combination with the standards listed below to select and evaluate materials for the collection. Gifts and purchases are selected for the collection using the same criteria.

Significance and/or usefulness to the community
Evaluation presented by critical reviews
Comprehensiveness and depth of treatment: clarity, accuracy, objectivity, and organization of information
Reputation and authority of author, artist, producer or publisher
The contribution the work makes to a diversity of viewpoints
Currency or timeliness of information
Production quality and suitability of physical format for library use, including issues related to durability and possible obsolescence of format
Relationship to existing material in the collection
Cost and availability
Popular demand as related to above criteria

In addition, electronic materials are also subject to the following selection criteria:

Accessibility, both in the library and remotely
Quality of access relating to product’s ease of use and availability of online help
Currency and frequency of product maintenance and updating

Suggestions for Purchase

The Chesterfield County Public Library welcomes suggestions from our customers for purchases of titles that are not currently available in the collection. Library staff will evaluate all suggestions, considering many factors including but not limited to budget, availability, space, and the scope of the collection. While we may not add your suggested title to the collection, we appreciate your input and value your contribution. If you are requesting an item for purchase, please include your name and the library branch you use most frequently while providing as many details about the item as possible.

The library encourages input from the community concerning the collection. A suggestion for purchase may be made online or in person. All suggestions are subject to the same selection criteria as other materials and are not automatically added to the collection. Please check the catalog periodically to see if the item you suggested has been ordered. If the item has been ordered, you may then reserve the title by placing a hold request in the library's catalog.

Suggestion Form
Fill out our online materials suggestion form.

Placement of Materials

Once materials are selected for purchase, the selector is responsible for determining the number of copies purchased and the branch placement of each copy. Due to budgetary and space constraints, a copy of each selected title cannot be placed in each branch. Placement of materials is determined using a countywide approach to create a comprehensive collection of materials system wide. Chesterfield County Public Library provides delivery services between branches to allow customer access to multiple branch collections.

Distribution Factors

Distribution of materials is determined using the following factors:

Significance and/or usefulness to the branch community
Previous demand in each branch for similar subject, genre or author
Anticipated demand for material based customer requests
Support of upcoming programs, advertising or other library-generated interest
Relationship to existing material in the branch collection

Items in good condition are subject to permanent transfer to other branches as the needs of each branch community and each branch collection evolve.

For more information on donations, visit our donations page.

Material Donations

Chesterfield County Public Library accepts donations of new and gently used materials at all locations. Donations are accepted on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Wednesday of each month.

We appreciate the following:

Hardback and paperback books that are not more than 10 years old
Books on CD
Music CDs
DVDs

A donation bin will be available at each location on the designated dates. Donations of up to 20 items are accepted. Remove donations from bags and boxes before placing in the bin.

You may request a receipt for your tax-deductible donation. Please estimate the quantity and value of your donations before bringing them to the library. If you would like to make a large donation, please contact your local library to make arrangements. For more information about material donations, please read through the Materials Donation Guide (PDF).

Friends of Chesterfield County Public Library

Once items are donated, they become the property of CCPL and are used at the discretion of CCPL. While some items are selected for addition to the collection, most donations are given to our Friends of Chesterfield County Public Library. The Friends offer donated items for sale to customers through book sales located within most locations (except Enon Library).

Proceeds

Proceeds from book sales are used to support library collections and services.

Loan Rules / Fines

Current Loan Periods & Overdue Charges

Loan Period	Item Type	Overdue Charges
42 days	Book Club Bags	$1.00 per day
21 days	Books / Audiobooks / Too Hot To Hold Items	$0.10 per day
21 days	E-books / Digital Audiobooks	no charge
21 days	F.U.N. Grant Game Kit and Trunks	$0.10 per day
21 days	Hotspots	$168 replacement fee
21 days	Music CDs	$0.10 per day
21 days	Smithsonian Human Origins Trunk	$1.00 per day
21 days	Toys	$0.10 per day
21 days	Ukuleles	$0.10 per day
21 days	War or History Traveling Trunks	$0.10 per day
7 days	DVDs	$0.10 per day
7 days	Power Monitors/Watt-hour Meters	$1.00 per day
7 days	Rock 'n' Roll Mole Kit	$1.00 per day
7 days	Virginia State Parks Passes	$1.00 per day

Borrowing Physical Materials

Present your library card or photo ID to borrow materials.
Borrow up to 30 items at one time, including up to 10 DVDs.
Renew eligible materials up to three times, as long as no one is waiting.
Have up to 15 items on hold at any time.
Receive email notifications when items are ready for pickup.
Items are due by close of business on the day they are due. Items returned overnight are credited the next business day.

Borrowing Digital Materials

Digital materials, such as e-books, digital audiobooks, and digital magazines have no fines. Most items return themselves at the end of the loan period. For specifics, please visit the Stream & Download page.

Damaged Items

If a library item has been damaged during the time you’ve checked it out, you may be charged for the replacement of the item. All replacement costs include the cost of the item plus a $5.00 processing fee. You may call (804)751-CCPL (2275) or visit your nearest location to discuss the replacement cost of the item or questions you may have, and a staff member will be happy to help you.