Public Program Policy
Wicomico County Public Libraries (“the Library”) offers programs to meet the informational, educational, cultural and recreational needs of all Wicomico County residents. The Library provides a wide selection of programming inspired by the community, staff, Library-wide initiatives and other coordinated themes. Programs are intended to further the mission of the Library and promote the services and resources of the Library.
- Programs may be selected based on several factors including the quality of content, the needs of library users, and community interest which represents a wide range of information, views and ideas. The Library recognizes the diversity of community interests and needs and selects programs accordingly. Selection of any particular program does not represent the Library’s endorsement of any opinion, belief, or philosophy presented in that program.
- Programs are free and open to all. Materials may be available for purchase by a presenter (e.g. an author selling their books). In such cases, the financial transactions are between the presenter and the buyer and are separate from any Library finances.
- Programs seek to connect the Library to the community by highlighting collections, promoting an array of services, sharing knowledge and expertise, stimulating intellectual growth, enriching people’s lives and inspiring imagination.
- Programs are not used for commercial, religious or partisan purposes or for the solicitation of business. Exceptions that support library goals and initiatives may be made by the Library’s Executive Director. Organizations co-sponsoring a program may receive acknowledgement in the Library’s publicity materials. Some programs may require advance registration and/or completion of a liability release form before attendance.
- The ultimate responsibility for programming policy lies with the Board of Trustees (Board), the governing body of the Library system. The Executive Director has operational responsibility for selection of topics recommended by Library staff or others, and works with the Communications Manager and Events and Development Manager for planning and promotion of Library programs, subject to the terms and conditions of this Policy.
- The Executive Director will, subject to Board approval, develop procedures through which to receive and analyze program recommendations and share program information with the Board. The principal objectives of this process are to give the Board adequate prior notice of novel program subject matter and / or implementation plans; to maximize creativity and communication between Library staff, the Executive Director and the Board; and to minimize disruption in the program development process.
- The Library affirms and supports its customers’ freedom and responsibility to choose programs to attend according to their needs, individual tastes or family values. Customers apply those values to their attendance of library programs only for themselves and may not restrict nor interfere with other customers’ freedom to attend programs in any way. The Library does not assume the parental responsibility for children’s choices to attend library programs.
- The Library welcomes and considers suggestions for program selection, evaluation or reconsideration. The Library will make good faith effort to properly inform the public of programmatic content.
Approved by the Board of Trustees on December 17, 2019
Policy Type