The Annapolis Valley Regional Library’s purpose is to make recorded expressions of intellectual activity available to the residents of the municipalities of Annapolis, Kings and West Hants. The prime objective of the library is to meet the informational, educational, recreational, and cultural needs of the public with a well-organized collection of materials. Materials in the library’s collection represent manifold points of view on countless subjects, are in various formats, and are intended for audiences of many educational levels and all ages.

The Annapolis Valley Regional Library’s Selection Policy guides staff in choosing materials to be added to or withdrawn from the Library’s collection and informs the public about the principles by which selections are made. This policy was approved and adopted by the Annapolis Valley Regional Library Board.

All residents of the Library’s service area and all Library staff are welcome to recommend materials for inclusion in the library’s collection. Library Assistants and Librarians on staff regularly read reviews of available material and suggest items for acquisition. The Regional Librarian, operating within the Policies of the Library Board, is responsible for the ultimate choice of materials acquired and withdrawn.

Material is selected according to the needs and demands of the community. Published reviews, publishers’ advertisements, examination of the material, and requests from library users are  substantial factors in selection. Selectors consider each item as an individual whole, heedful of any or all of the following factors:

• Intended purposes
• Intended audience
• Attention of critics, reviewers, and the public
• Popular demand, present and anticipated
• Accuracy
• Permanent value and timeliness
• Presentation and intelligibility
• Importance to our collection
• Availability of similar material and information
• Suitability of format for library use
• Price

The resources of the entire collection are available to borrowers of all ages. Adults are responsible for guiding the choices of minors under their care and rejecting materials they find unsuitable.

A collection of materials for people up to 14 years old is maintained to foster skill development, and to support self-development, education and recreation for this age group. Some materials housed in the adult collection are designated as particularly suitable for teenagers.

All material is selected considering the factors listed above.