Periodicals Selection & Retention

The Bigelow Free Public Library supports the cultural, educational, informational, and recreational needs of the community by providing quality materials. The Library strives to provide a balanced collection representing a range of viewpoints.  The following standards will be considered for all items for acquisition, whether purchased, requested, or donated:

  • Relevance to present needs of the community
  • Strengths and weaknesses of the existing collection
  • Currency and accuracy of information
  • Popularity and user demand
  • Limits of the budget and space
  • Local interest

Periodical Collection Maintenance & Retention

  • For monthly magazines, the Bigelow Free Public Library will retain one year’s worth of back issues.
  • For weekly magazines, the library will retain six months’ worth of back issues.
  • For daily newspapers, the library will retain two weeks’ worth of back issues.
  • The exceptions are The Item, which we will retain on paper until we receive the microfilm version from the publisher; and the Clinton Courant which has ceased publication, but we will retain it on microfilm.

Gifts or Donations

The library will not accept donations of used magazines, but if a patron would like to buy a subscription for the library, the library will acknowledge the gift with a mention in the next newsletter.

Approved by the Board of Trustees, November 20, 2014