Policies
(L4L)
General Information on Developing Policy
Library Policies
A list of resources available on WebJunction. Documents include sample policies, collection development policies, difficult patron behavior, gaming, homeless, and more.
Effective
Library Policymaking 
The chapter on policymaking from the Rhode Island Public Library Trustees Handbook [pdf] is organized into the following sections: Benefits of Policy, Who Makes Policy,
Review and Revise, Organizing a Policy Manual, Making Policy: Creating Tools
for Organizing and Managing, and A Policy List for Public Libraries.
Creating
Policies for Results: From Chaos to Clarity
A brief but excellent guide from a presentation given by Sandra Nelson and
June Garcia at the 2003 ALA Conference in Toronto. Content is still relevant, though the resource list is likely outdated.
Development
of Essential Policies for Public Libraries 
A training module designed for trustees that was done by Mike Cross at the
Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning.
Primer
on Library Policies
Taken from Trustee Corner, July 2000, a publication of the Library of Michigan.
This is an update of the Four Tests For A Legally-Enforceable Library Policy
published in 1994.
Policy
Making
A section of the 2005 Virginia Public Library Trustee Handbook . As some other sources
do, this makes a useful distinction between external and internal policies
and lists the policies each would include.
Resources on Developing Specific Policies
Collection
Development Policies
A section of the Collection Development Training for Arizona Libraries site
developed particularly for small and rural libraries. Identifies important
elements of the collection development policy with examples from policies posted
on the Web and offers suggestions for how to write a policy for your library.
Materials
Selection Policies: Eight Elements
Although this is several years old, it still contains a good overview, based
on the Michigan Library Association's Before and After the Censor: A Resource
Manual on Intellectual Freedom (1987).
Workbook
for Selection Policy Writing
From ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom. While it's directed to school libraries,
it includes much useful information for public libraries as well.
Internet Acceptable Use Policies
This document by OWLS' Gerri Moeller references suggestions and phrases from
the OWLSnet Internet Policy, ALA Guidelines (including the link below), and
an article by Bob Bocher to help you develop an Internet Public Use Policy
for your library. In addition, the page links to other resources and to some
sample policies.
Guidelines
and Considerations for Developing a Public Library Internet Use Policy
From ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom.
Children
and the Internet: Policies That Work
This is an electronic revision of ALA's 1998 publication Children and the Internet:
Guidelines for Developing Public Library Policy. It includes eight articles
addressing various aspects of policy making, as well as sample policies, quotes
from librarians about Internet policies, and an introduction that briefly
outlines the content of the site.
Four Commandments for Writing Policies for Public-Access Wireless Networks
An article available via EBSCOhost by Michael Sauers, written for the journal Computers in Libraries in 2006. Steps include introducing the service, listing technical requirements, spelling out disclaimers on access, assistance and liability, and alerting users to security concerns.
Sample Policies
OWLS
Sample Policies
A collection of policies from the libraries and the system that is continually
being updated.
Sample Library Policies for the Small Public Library, the work of the Small Libraries Committee of WLA as revised in 1999 by David Polodna.
Wisconsin
Public Library Policy Resources
This page includes sample policies from Wisconsin's public libraries, as well
as sample by-laws and a sample privacy policy (new in Spring 2003) for Wisconsin
public libraries.
Policy Model (Illinois State Library)
A wide variety of model policies that public libraries can adapt. Organized
into the following groups: Acceptable Use Policies, Board of Trustees, Financial
Policies, Legal Requirements, Patron Service Policies, Personnel Policies,
and Serving Our Public Policies. Some of the policies are specific to Illinois,
and many need to be adapted for use by Wisconsin libraries; but virtually all
provide an excellent beginning point, a list of possible points to address,
and useful wording.
FAQ: Parental Access to Library Records Law
From the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
PLA
Best Practices in Public Libraries
Includes a variety of model policy manuals and policies from individual libraries
and states (including Wisconsin).
Library Policies
An extensive collection of policies from San Jose Public Libraries and San
Jose State University.
AcqWeb's
Directory of Collection Development Policies on the Web
A collection of policies organized by type of library, including public, community
college, college, university, university special collections, national and
state libraries, and school libraries.
Sample
Policies, State Library of Ohio
Organized alphabetically by type of policy. Includes additional policy resources,
mostly from ALA and about Internet use.
Library
Policies on the Web
From the Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington. A collection
of sample policies primarily from libraries in the State of Washington, ranging
from comprehensive policy manuals to confidentiality policies, Internet use
policies, selection policies, and more.
Library
Policies of Morton Grove (IL) Public Library
A list of policies including Guidelines Governing the Use of the Library and
a World Wide Web Sites policy.
Library Use Policies
A tidy list of policies from the Seattle Public Library, including rules of conduct and unattended children policies.
Supporting public libraries in Outagamie and Waupaca counties