Please read and consider our Material Selection Policy before submitting a Statement of Concern.

Materials are selected for the library’s collection to meet the cultural, informational, educational, and recreational needs of the residents of the community. The Library Bill of Rights, The Freedom to Read Statement, and the Freedom to View Statement, which have been adopted by the American Library Association and have been endorsed by the Wamego Public Library Board of Trustees, are integral parts of the policy as it concerns materials selection and library collections.

The Criteria for Selection are as follow:

• The individual merit of each item (which may include literary merit, lasting value, accuracy, authoritativeness, timeliness), as determined by reviews, reputation of author (or publisher, in certain areas), and/or hands-on examination. Nonbook formats may also be evaluated for technical or production quality and ease of use, where appropriate.
• Popular appeal, as determined by patron demand, reputation of author, circulation history of similar materials, or promotion/discussion of the title in public media.
• Appropriateness of material for the library’s clientele. This refers not to the subject matter but to the scope and depth of the treatment of a topic. For example there is a tremendous amount of health information available, but a public library is likely to seek out materials meant for patients and consumers, rather than for medical researchers or health practitioners.
• Availability of materials through other libraries in the area.
• Budgetary and space limitations.

If you have concerns about materials that are available at WPL, you are welcome to fill out the form below to submit a Statement of Concern to WPL’s Director. You will be contacted within 3 business days to discuss the matter further with the Director.