— Our Mission —
Farnsworth Public Library serves nearly 10,500 people in the City of Oconto and its surrounding rural area. The mission of the library is to provide informational, recreational and educational materials for the residents of the community. To accomplish this, the library provides recorded knowledge in several formats including books, serials, microfilms, audio and video recordings, computer software, and online databases.


— Selection —
Final responsibility for materials selection rests with the library director as delegated by the local library board. Under the supervision of the director, other library staff members, who are qualified by reason of education, training, and/or experience, may aid in the material selection process as requested.

Standard aids such as book reviews, trade journals, bibliographic publications, and publishers' information may be used to help the librarian in materials selection. Popular demand will be considered valid criteria for selection as long as the materials fit into the general criteria for acquisition. Selection of materials may be influenced by many factors, including but not limited to the following:
  • budgetary consideration
  • physical limitations of the library building
  • present and potential relevance to community needs
  • suitability of the format and construction
  • the need for added materials in subject areas
  • availability of material through interlibrary loan
Criteria for the evaluation of works of information and opinion include: authority; comprehensiveness and depth of treatment; and objectivity; clarity, accuracy and logic of presentation. The above guidelines will apply not only to purchased materials but also to gifts of money and materials.
The library recognizes its responsibility to have available a representative selection of materials on subjects of interest to the community. The library will attempt to provide materials that present various points of view, within the limitations of space, budget, and availability. It is recognized that many materials may be controversial. Selection decisions are not made on the anticipated approval or disapproval, but are made on the merits of the work in relation to the collection and to the needs and interests of the community. The responsiblity for children's use of library material rests with their parents or legal guardians. The selection of materials intended for use by adults will not be inhibited by the possibility that they are accesible to use by children. Farnsworth Public Library supports the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights and its Freedom to Read Statements, which affirm that free and convenient access to ideas, information, and the creative experience, is of vital importance to every citizen.

 

— Collection Maintenance —
To maintain the quality of the library collection, materials may be repaired, replaced, or withdrawn from the collection. Materials may be withdrawn from the collection for the following reasons:
  • the information is outdated
  • the library owns more copies than it currently needs
  • the material is rarely used
  • the physical condition of the material is poor
If the information is outdated or the item is worn excessively, the withdrawn materials are discarded. Excess copies, rarely used materials, and some materials in poor physical condition are given to the Friends of the Library group for their semi-annual book sale, as are donated items that are not being added to the collection. Gift materials are treated under the same guidelines. Each section of the library's collection will be evaluated every three years.


Adopted by Farnsworth Public Library Board of Trustees—May 24, 2001