Policy:

As with any public facility, users may have comments and concerns about materials within the Libraries holdings or to which the Libraries provide access. It is our policy to handle these comments courteously, expeditiously and in a fair manner. Above all, individuals making comments can be assured that their objections will be given serious consideration and that there is a defined procedure to consider their concerns. All comments and concerns will receive a response, and all decisions regarding the retention or disposition of materials will be communicated to the individual who initiated the comments.

Procedures:

The UT Arlington Library's procedures for handling concerns about library resources are as follows:

1. All concerns about library resources must be in writing and on the Libraries' "Request Removal of Library Resources" form. All forms will be forwarded to the Information Resources Coordinator, who will acknowledge receipt.
2. As soon as the concern or comments have been filed, the IR Coordinator reviews the form and forwards it to the appropriate content specialist responsible for the subject field of the material under consideration. The content specialist notifies the appropriate subject specialist and considers the comments in terms of the Libraries' collection development policy, the needs of users, and the principles espoused in the Library Bill of Rights. After this consideration, the content specialist makes a recommendation to the Information Resources Coordinator.
3. Upon receiving the form and the recommendation, the Information Resources content specialists and Coordinator will weigh the information and make a decision about the retention or disposition of the material. Once this decision has been made, the Coordinator will prepare a written response communicating the decision and the reasons for it. The Coordinator will also outline the appeal process.
4. If the individual is not satisfied with the decision, then he/she can appeal the decision to the Dean of Libraries. The Dean will consider the matter, make a decision, and communicate the decision in writing to the individual and Information Resources Coordinator.

Updated: 05.27.04