Newcomerstown High School Information

The Newcomerstown Public Library plays an active and positive role in the community. The Board of Trustees, administration, and staff of the library are committed to these tenets: (1) that free and open access to information is necessary for citizens who think and make choices for themselves; (2) that by providing access to a wide variety of facts, opinions, and ideas the library helps to create a well-informed and enlightened populace. The library fulfills its mission when it selects and makes available materials for the education, recreation, entertainment, and enrichment of the public: that public includes patrons of all ages, of many levels of interest and ability, and of differing views and opinions. The library's collection should include both materials that represent topics of current interest, as well as those of enduring value. The Standards for Public Library Service in Ohio, 2010 Revision, states: "The library considers the diversity of community needs, interests and demands for titles and formats in the materials selection process. Material that inspires one patron may also sometimes offend another. However, by providing free and open access to diverse information and viewpoints, the public library may serve as a cornerstone of the principles of democratic society. Inclusion of materials in the library's collection acknowledges the importance of a diversity of views and interests; it does not represent an endorsement or imply agreement with any particular viewpoint, or suggest approval or certification of the content of any item. The library does not label materials except to aid the public in finding them in the library. Labels or ratings that provide assessments such as "This material contains language which some may find offensive" are not applied by the library. The responsibility for monitoring a child's reading, listening, and viewing rests with the parent or legal guardian. Selection of materials for the library is not restricted by the possibility that children may obtain materials that their parents or guardians consider inappropriate. Though the library is divided into age-appropriate areas and posits age-appropriate items in those areas, parents and guardians should be aware that all items in the library are available to everyone. Parents or guardians who want a child's borrowing privileges restricted should accompany child to the library. Library systems, staff, and administrators do not serve as surrogate parents or guardians. All libraries are likely to contain materials that some patrons may find objectionable. In addition, collections may not contain all materials that some patrons feel are important. In both cases, the library has established procedures to hear the voices of the community. (see below). The Newcomerstown Public Library's Board of Trustees supports the latest revisions to the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights and the interpretations of that document including: The Freedom to Read Statement; The Freedom to View Statement; The Statement on Free Access to Libraries for Minors; The Statement on Labeling and Rating Systems; The Statement on Expurgation of Library Materials; and The Statement on Diversity in Collection Development. Copies of these documents are in the appendices.