Salinas librarians present updated collection development policy; state submission due Jan. 1, 2026

Deputy Librarian Tim Kolker told the Salinas Library and Community Services Commission that staff updated the commission’s collection development policy to reflect a State Library checklist and to explicitly include digital items and technology lending as part of the library’s collection.

Kolker said much of the new wording was prescribed by the State Library and California requirements and that the city must submit the policy for state approval by Jan. 1, 2026. "We do have to have it submitted and approved by the state by 01/01/2026," Kolker said.

Kolker told commissioners the revisions are mostly clarifying edits rather than substantial changes to policy. "No. In my opinion, there's no substantial change. There's just added clarity," he said.

Commissioner Joey Martinez asked whether the collection now includes indigenous-language sections and whether the policy would establish a process to identify the region’s language needs. Kolker said he was not immediately aware of a dedicated indigenous-language section and that "that is definitely something we can look into." The update notes the Cesar Chavez Library collection may contain Spanish-language and related titles but does not specify an established indigenous-language section.

Kolker and Kristen Lundquist are listed by staff as the primary authors of the revised document; staff said the changes largely follow the State Library’s checklist and draw from the 2019 policy. Once the policy is approved by the State Library, staff will present it to library employees, post it publicly (the state requires posting on the library website), and ensure staff can answer public questions about the policy.

Staff told the commission they do not anticipate needing additional resources to implement the changes. The update also explicitly recognizes that library collections now include technology items such as loanable laptops and similar devices.

The policy was presented for review; the commission did not take a formal vote on the policy at this meeting. Staff requested commissioners' feedback to incorporate before state submission.