JMRL established the Local Voices Collection in 2017 to support and showcase the creativity of the local community. Local writers, musicians, filmmakers, and other creators are invited to donate their self-published or independently-published books, CDs, DVDs, or other items as approved for inclusion in the Local Voices Collection.
If you are the creator of a work you’d like to donate to the Local Voices Collection, find the submission form here. If you are a local author and are interested in using a meeting room to host a book-talk or event to promote your work, please contact programming staff.
Local Voices Collection Items in the JMRL Catalog
Local Voices Collection Guidelines
JMRL encourages any creator to contact staff if interested in having materials placed within the library collection. General guidelines for inclusion are below:
- Authors/creators will donate one copy of their work to the Library. This can be a book, CD, or DVD. The Library cannot currently accept donated electronic books or digital files for inclusion in the circulating collection.
- Authors/creators must have a JMRL library card and must currently reside in JMRL's jurisdictions.
- Item must be bound, published, or professionally produced, within the last five years. (i.e. self-published or print-on-demand is fine, but photocopied-and-stapled is not. Spiral or comb bindings are not acceptable. CDs and DVDs must have printed labels, not hand-written.)
- Because these materials are not typically reviewed in sources used by Library selectors, and to provide access to as broad a range of voices as possible, JMRL is not applying the Material Selection Policy criteria for these materials. Furthermore, the Library makes no comment, distinction, or endorsement of the quality, content, or opinions expressed in any work in this collection.
- Donations become the property of JMRL.
- The work will be held in the Local Voices Collection for at least one year. Items that are damaged or become excessively worn before a year is up may be withdrawn at any time. In this case, the author will be given the chance to donate an additional copy as a replacement.
- After one year, the work may be withdrawn according to guidelines laid out in the Collection Management Plan, based on circulation and/or condition. The Library bears no responsibility to notify the author/creator if the work is withdrawn after one year.
- If a work falls within JMRL Material Selection Policy criteria, the Library reserves the right to move the work to the permanent collection and/or purchase additional copies.
