It is the goal of the Santa Clara City Library to select, organize, and make accessible library materials in many formats to meet the expressed and anticipated needs and interests of the communities it serves. Access to these materials will:

• Provide insight into a wide range of human and social conditions and cultural heritages
• Support self-education and supplement formal education
• Meet the informational and recreational needs of the community
• Provide a variety of materials on matters of current interest
• Assist the individual to grow intellectually and culturally
• Reflect a broad range of opinions

Materials will not be excluded because they may cause concern to some individuals. They will not be excluded solely because they contain political, religious, or moral views that may be controversial, nor because of language or depictions if they meet other selection criteria. Any restriction of a child's access to materials is the responsibility of the parents.

The Board of Library Trustees endorses the following documents: the Library Bill of Rights, the Freedom to Read and the Freedom to View statements of the American Library Association.

Under the direction of the City Librarian, library materials are selected by professional librarians who use critical reviewing media, suggestions from patrons, and professional knowledge. Each proposed selection is evaluated on its own merit and in relation to the collection as a whole, using some or all of the following criteria:

• Cost
• Existing collection
• Popular demand by the public
• Current and future relevance to community needs
• Suitability of subject, style, and format for the intended audience
• Literary quality, artistic value, or importance to its genre
• Availability of the material elsewhere
• Importance of the author or artist
• Sustained interest
• Timeliness

Gifts of materials will be accepted at the discretion of the City Librarian according to the selection criteria listed above.