Request for Reconsideration of Materials

The Chappaqua Library welcomes comments and suggestions regarding the continued appropriateness of materials in the collection, especially with regard to outdated materials. Suggestions and recommendations will be considered and used by the library in the ongoing process of collection development.

Individuals may take issue with library materials that do not support their own views or values on a subject or that is not compatible with their beliefs. Staff is available to discuss concerns and to identify alternate materials that may be available. If a patron’s concern is not satisfied through discussion with staff, a formal, written request for reconsideration of materials may be submitted to the library director. Copies of this form are available at the reference desk or from the director’s office.

For a request for reconsideration to be considered, the form must be completed in full. The patron submitting the request must be a resident of the Chappaqua Central School District and hold a valid borrower’s card. The library staff and the director consider each request in terms of the criteria outlined in the library’s materials selection policy and the principles of the ALA Library Bill Of Rights and related statements, printed reviews, and other appropriate sources.

The director will respond, in writing within 30 days of receipt, to the patron’s request for reconsideration. The response will indicate the action to be taken and reasons for or against the request. An item will be evaluated for reconsideration only once in a 12-month period.

The Chappaqua Library is not a judicial body. Laws governing obscenity, subversive materials, and other questionable matters are subject to interpretation by the courts. Therefore, no challenged material will be removed solely based on a complaint of obscenity or any other category covered by law until a local court of competent jurisdiction has ruled against the material. No material will be knowingly added to the library collection that has been previously determined to be in noncompliance with laws.

Form:

Adopted: November 2010

Revised: January 22, 2024