Library and Resource Center

• Non-fiction (includes, but is not limited to)
  • Jewish Reference books
  • Religion, theology, Torah
  • Life cycle, holiday, Jewish calendar
  • Art, music, cooking, crafts
  • History, Holocaust, Anti-Semitism
  • Jewish communities in America and abroad
  • Social and family issues
  • Israel
  • Biography
  • Hebrew
• Fiction
  • Jewish themes
  • Jewish Book Clubs
  • Award winning books
  • Books recommended by local Jewish schools and professionals
  • Hebrew
• DVDs and Videos: Jewish characters, subjects or themes
• Items of Judaica

The Library is designed to meet the needs of the Jewish community of Greater Baltimore – children, teen and adult, including educators – representing all branches of Judaism. Users outside of the Jewish community are welcome to use all of the services of the library.

The collection is focused on materials of Jewish content in both English and Hebrew (as available) that support the educational and recreational needs of the community. We provide curricular support to local programs, e.g. Book clubs, summer reading lists. All selections must be consistent with the library mission and collection policy.

Materials are chosen for the collection based upon reviews by Association of Jewish Libraries, reviews in other journals and newspapers, e.g. Hadassah, library list-serv recommendations, PJ Library/Our Way and individual recommendations.

Selection Criteria:

• Items that meet the needs of the Jewish community
• Items of Jewish content and relevancy
• Items useful to the primary users of the library
• Items presenting a variety of points of view
• Items of lasting literary, social or historical value
• Fiction of Jewish content or relevancy
• Works on Jewish movements
• Works on local Jewish history or community

Once a year the collection will be evaluated and inventoried with an eye to fill in any gaps in any areas and to determine that materials still meet the needs of the community.
The library may not purchase materials that are more appropriately held by other institutions. Financial and space limitations will be considered in selection.

In conjunction with the inventory, materials will be removed from the collection in order to conserve space and to make room for new materials.

Deselection criteria:

• Material inconsistent with the mission statement and collection policy
• Unneeded duplicates
• Obsolete books
• Superseded editions
• Materials that are worn out, damaged or too expensive to repair

The Library supports the concept of intellectual freedom, i.e., the right of each individual to seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It is the opposite of censorship. This right is guaranteed in the First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution.

When questions, complaints or challenges about individual items in the collection arise, the complainant will be listened to with respect and will then be informed of the library’s policy on intellectual freedom. The complainant will be asked to present his/her objections in writing.

A committee including the librarian, staff, representatives of the board will evaluate the written complaint and reach a consensus on how to respond, which will be communicated in writing within 4 weeks of receipt of the complaint. The complainant has the opportunity to speak to the committee. Items objected to will not be removed from the shelves until a decision is made by the committee. All written complaints will be kept on file.