The St. Paul Public Library system doesn't have the money or space to hold onto every book, magazine or historical document it receives, leading some to question what's getting thrown away.

"We the public don't know what they have, but they're ditching things," said St. Paul resident Rich Neumeister, a self-described "open government" watchdog and library advocate.

At 2 p.m. Wednesday, library officials will shed some light on those questions during a regular meeting of the library board in city council chambers at St. Paul City Hall.

City council member Chris Tolbert, who chairs the board, has asked for a briefing on the library's collections policies. What's clear is that an emphasis on technology -- from public computer stations to teen tech centers -- doesn't always leave room or money for hard copies of, say, Life Magazine circa 1952.

An example of a book that was withdrawn from the collection is "The History of Cuba," published in 1926, said library director Kit Hadley. It didn't end up in the library's own book sales or a program that puts free books in locations like laundromats, she said. It was given to Network for Better Futures, which has job programs for men coming out of prison. Those workers try to sell some books and recycle the rest, Hadley said. Types of books routinely given to Network for Better Futures are outdated technological and scientific works and things like tax filing guides for previous years.

The policy itself is not being changed, Hadley said, but it is being rewritten in two parts. One, directed to the public, will give a clearer and shorter description of how the policy works; the other, directed to library staff, will be more detailed and specific.

The library's policy states that "budget and space restrictions preclude the library from duplicating the specialized and comprehensive collections that exist elsewhere in the region."

It goes on to say "the library is fully committed to providing access to these specialized materials through referral, cooperative agreements, and resource sharing through interlibrary loan."

The policy notes that staff identifies damaged items, materials that are no longer used much, and out-of-date materials, such as books replaced by a newer edition. Materials are "disposed of in the most appropriate manner," which could include sale to the public, donation to another organization, or in some cases, the trash pile.

"The library does not serve as an archive for the city of St. Paul or any organization," it states.

Debra O'Connor contributed to this story. Frederick Melo can be reached at 651-228-2172. Follow him at twitter.com/FrederickMelo.
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