Site Selection Policy

The primary goal of the library's website is to provide the Lincolnwood community with a well-organized and easily accessible resource to assist residents in their pursuit of information, education, research, recreation, and culture. The website's Helpful Websites page provides links to a number of websites that the library's Website Review Committee has chosen to help meet this goal.

Given that (1) inclusion of a website link on the Helpful Websites page implies that the library recommends and endorses that website, and (2), the size and scope of library website must be limited in order to be easily navigated and effectively maintained, the Library Board has directed that website links be selected with care and kept to a reasonably small number.

The Website Review Committee will take the following considerations, as well as the Library Board's directive, into account when determining whether or not to include suggested links or retain existing ones on the Helpful Website page:

• The library's mission and goals. Is the website generally relevant to the library's mission and goals, and will its content clearly and significantly help the library fulfill this mission and these goals?
• The library's statement of Policies Governing Collection Development and Selection of Library Resources. Does the website meet relevant selection criteria and other requirements articulated in this policy statement?
• Quality of the website as determined by the Website Review Committee. Evaluation will include, but not necessarily be limited to, such concerns as whether or not: information on the site is provided by an authoritative source and is current and regularly updated; the site is well organized, easy to use, and quick to download; the site has a proven track record over time. Generally, site selection will also be supported by corroborative reviews from authoritative sources such as lii.org, Library Journal, Booklist, and Computers in Libraries.
• Usefulness of the website, taking into account: (1) the intended users of the library website (i.e., residents and other members of the Lincolnwood community); and (2) the perceived need for the site, especially given the sites already linked to on the Helpful Websites page as well as other resources available on the library website.
• Commercial vs. non-commercial nature and intent of the website. Generally, non-commercial sites shall be given preference over commercial ones. A site whose intent is largely commercial in nature shall be considered only if its content is deemed to be of overriding value to the residents and other members of the Lincolnwood community and no non-commercial site that provides similar content and value can be found. (Information regarding the author, organization, or other entity responsible for the website, as well as a statement of the site's purpose, should be included and readily apparent on the site itself.)