Library Mission Statement:
Embracing our core values of equity, collaboration, access, integrity, creativity, excellence, and diversity, the Library engages and challenges the Knox community by encouraging intellectual discovery, lifelong learning, and personal growth. Our collections, facilities, and services invite students to "pursue fundamental questions in order to reach their own reflective but independent judgments."
Reconsideration Guidelines:
Knox College does not acknowledge censorship attempts on the part of persons or groups outside the institution. Formal challenges to materials in our collections are handled on a case-by-case basis and may only be made by currently enrolled students and employees of Knox College.
To evaluate the concerns of Knox College community members and to establish guidelines for the acquisition of materials of potentially controversial nature, the Library follows this policy:
Seymour Library’s Collection Development Guidelines are based on the curricular and research needs of Knox College students and faculty. The library uses the American Library Association’s “Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries” and the “Freedom to Read Statement” (see Appendix A and Appendix B) as guides to ensure that a wide breadth of materials is available to the Knox College community. The Library has full confidence in the intellectual maturity and critical thinking skills of our students, faculty, and staff to evaluate information and learn from our library materials, including understanding multiple perspectives.
Request for reconsideration of materials follows the rigorous process below:
1. An individual completes the reconsideration form.
2. The request is reviewed by the Collection Strategies Librarian and the appropriate Librarian Subject Liaison.
3. These librarians submit a recommendation and the submitted reconsideration form to the Director of the Library for review.
4. The Director makes the final decision, ensures necessary actions are taken, and informs the individual in writing within 60 days of initial request, barring unexpected staffing changes.
NOTES:
a. The item being reconsidered remains available to the Knox College community during the review.
b. The Director’s decision is final.
c. The Collection Strategies Librarian maintains a file of all reconsidered items that includes the title, date challenged, date resolved, and disposition.
d. Please direct any questions about this policy to the Collection Strategies Librarian.
Date of adoption: 12/09/2025
This policy is adapted from “Academic Library Collection Reconsideration Policy” by Blair Solon et al., used under CC BY-SA 4.0. “Knox College Libraries Collection Reconsideration Policy” is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.