Collection Development Policy

Purpose

The Santa Fe College Library Collection Development Policy is designed to provide a policy for the systematic development of Library collections. Since the nature of information dissemination, networking, and library resource sharing is undergoing revolutionary change, collection development issues are no longer limited to physical collections and must now be considered within the framework of global access to information in all formats.

This policy is intended to define a collection development program to meet the following objectives:

• To assist librarians in providing current, diverse, balanced collections of materials to support the instructional, institutional and individual needs of students, faculty and staff.
• To ensure faculty participation in collection development.
• To provide faculty, staff, and students integrated access to collections of materials in paper, electronic and media formats in the most cost-effective manner.
• To assist with short-range and long-range fiscal planning.

Selection Responsibility

The library professionals work cooperatively to recommend and select materials for purchase. Final responsibility for selection lies with the library director; however, the director delegates to the library professionals the authority to interpret and guide the application of policy in making day-to-day selections.

Responsibility for the selection of library materials involves the entire college. Library faculty, acting as subject specialists, are primarily responsible for selecting materials for purchase by the Library. They rely on the input of faculty, staff, and students, and consult recognized selection tools, such as Resources for College Libraries and the Collection Development Policy. Subject specialists are expected to establish and maintain regular contact with their specific departments and to encourage faculty participation in the selection process.

Faculty, staff and student requests for materials will be reviewed by the appropriate subject specialist to ensure that the item requested follows the Library's Collection Development Policy.

The Library supplies an online request form that is accessible by all users. Materials requested should be related to specific educational programs offered by Santa Fe College. The Library cannot place free review copies from publishers into its collection.

The reference staff is responsible for determining specific items to be added to the reference collection. These choices are made through the use of established selection tools, such as Choice, and by following the guidelines established in the Collection Development Policy.

General Criteria for Selection of Materials

General factors to be considered in adding specific materials to the library collection include the composition of the present collection and collection development objectives. Additionally, the following factors may be considered, as appropriate to the type of material:

• Relevance to the curriculum and appropriateness to the user
• Availability of material in cooperative libraries
• Comprehensiveness or depth of information for the intended audience
• Accuracy of information
• Inclusion of title in special bibliographies or indices
• Diversity of viewpoint
• Timeliness and lasting value of material
• Reputation of the author, issuing body, and/or publisher
• Presentation: style, clarity, reading level
• Aesthetic considerations: literary, artistic, or social value; appeal to the imagination, senses, or intellect
• Special features: detailed, logical, accurate index, bibliography, footnotes, pictorial representations
• Physical and technical quality: paper, typography, and design; physical size; binding; durability
• Ease of access or user-friendliness
• Suitability of the format for library use
• Depth of current holdings in the same or similar subject
• Demand, including frequency of interlibrary loan requests to borrow similar materials from other libraries
• Cost of material relative to the budget and other available material

No materials will be excluded from consideration because of the race, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, political or social view of the material, the author, or the intended audience. Individual items, which in and of themselves may be controversial or offensive to some patrons, may appropriately be selected if their inclusion will contribute to the range of viewpoints and effectiveness of the library collection as a whole.

Types of Materials Collected

The library collection supports the research needs of the Santa Fe College curriculum through various types of materials. Online materials are considered when they provide the most current and/or cost-effective resources.

• Books/monographs are collected in clothbound editions unless cost is significantly higher than a paper edition. eBooks and graphic format nonfiction are selected when fiscally responsible or appropriate to programs within the curriculum. eBooks are available online through the library catalog. Additional eBooks are available through the core set of eResources available to all 28 Florida state colleges. Current selection criteria apply to eBooks.
• Reference materials include, but are not limited to, encyclopedias, dictionaries, maps, atlases, directories, indexes, bibliographies, statistical compilations, handbooks and Internet resources. In addition, core academic reference works published in other subject areas are also selected when they provide fundamental bibliographic access to, or an introductory overview of, an academic discipline. Items in the Reference Collection do not circulate.
• Serials/periodicals/journals/newspapers are publications issued in successive parts bearing numeric or chronological designations and intended to be continued indefinitely. Serials are issued in print, non-print, and electronic formats and are acquired via subscription. All formats are considered in the Library’s purchase and/or access decisions. Since it is more cost-efficient to purchase electronic access for serials, this method of delivery is chosen when fiscally prudent. Cooperative acquisition (regional and statewide) of electronic serials databases is actively pursued.
• Databases provide subscription access to online resources that enhance the breadth of the Library’s collection and extend access to distance learners through remote access. Core subject area databases are provided through Florida Academic Library Services Cooperative (FALSC) and are available to all 28 Florida state colleges. The Library may purchase supplemental databases to support the SF curriculum.
• Media materials including DVDs, compact discs and audiobooks are purchased by the Library on a limited basis as funds permit. The Library does not typically secure public performance rights (PPR) with video purchases. However, many distributors of educational videos include PPR, which can be shown under conditions specified by the license. Where PPR have been purchased, there will be a statement in the notes field on the record in the catalog. Individuals or organizations are responsible for obtaining PPR for public viewing.
• Popular fiction in print, graphic novel, media, or electronic format is purchased in limited quantities. Preference is given to prize winners, established literary works and new works receiving critical acclaim in the literary field. Fiction materials are primarily selected for programs that require literature to support the curriculum such as Education, English, English as a Second Language, and High School Dual Enrollment.
• Classroom Collection materials support classroom instruction. Using the online form, SF faculty may request media from the Classroom Collection for in-class use.
• Course Reserves consist of materials placed in the Library by faculty to provide greater access during the term a course is taught. It is the responsibility of the faculty member to obtain copies and copyright permission before placing materials on reserve.
• Textbooks are not selected. Exceptions are those that have earned a reputation as "classics" in their fields or that are the only or best sources of information on a particular topic.
• English-language materials are selected primarily. Non-English language materials may be purchased in support of SF’s foreign language curriculum.
• Duplicate materials are added only when warranted by heavy usage of copies already held by the Library. The Library participates in several resource sharing cooperatives, and may decide not to purchase some materials that are available from participating libraries. The intent of these arrangements is to supplement the resources available to the faculty, staff, and students of the college.
• External websites may be listed in research or resource guides on the library website. These websites are selected using the same collection development criteria listed in this document, and link suggestions via email are not considered.

Accessibility of Electronic Resources

The Lawrence W. Tyree Library is committed to accessibility of materials, products, and services for all its users. Accessibility is a criterion that is considered for all electronic resources. Prior to purchase, the Library will request and review a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) and/or accessibility statement from the vendor. For products that are not WCAG 2.0 AA compliant, a timeline for the remedy of inaccessible content may be requested.

For purchased products that do not meet usable and accessible standards but have unique and necessary content, library staff will work with the Disabilities Resource Center and/or other appropriate campus stakeholders to provide the information in a format that is accessible as needed.

Detailed Analysis of Subject Collections

This section describes the breadth and depth of subject collections. The Lawrence W. Tyree Library uses the following categories for collection development levels to describe collections appropriate for the support of a state college curriculum. Librarians determine level assignments for each classification area based on the following considerations:

• Degree level of courses supported by the subject area
• Number of courses supported by the subject area
• Number of students enrolled in courses supported by the subject area
• Special status (e.g., general education, writing-intensive, articulation requirements, etc.) of courses supported by the subject area
• Cross-discipline relevance of the subject area
• Level of current research appropriate for state college students in the subject area

A = Study level

A collection that supports undergraduate course work, or sustained independent study, and is adequate to maintain knowledge of a subject required for limited or generalized purposes of less than research intensity. It includes a wide range of basic monographs, complete collections of the works of important writers, selections from the works of secondary writers, a selection of representative journals, and the reference works pertaining to the subject.

B = Basic level

A highly selective collection that serves to introduce and define the subject and to indicate the varieties of information available elsewhere. It includes major dictionaries and encyclopedias, selected editions of important works, historical surveys, important bibliographies, and a few major periodicals in the field.

C = Minimal level

Few selections are made, but basic authors, some core works, or a spectrum of ideological views are represented.

Santa Fe College provides degree and certificate programs at the Associate and Bachelor degree levels, and therefore does not endeavor to collect at the research level, which describes a collection which includes the major published source materials required for dissertations and independent research, nor the comprehensive level, which includes all significant works of recorded knowledge for a defined field.

Special Collections

Special collection materials may be purchased with targeted, non-recurring funds (e.g. grants, special initiatives) to create a core collection in support of specific programs and initiatives. Materials are selected by library faculty in consultation with teaching faculty and college staff as appropriate. Development of the collection will use criteria based on the needs of a specific program or initiative. Criteria may include:

• Audiences served by the specific program or initiative which may expand outside the immediate college community.
• Currency guidelines may deviate from established policy depending on the needs of the program.
• Level of scholarship may deviate from theoretical and scholarly works normally collected. Practical materials of a popular nature may be more appropriate for the goals of the program or initiative.
• Topics may not always directly support college programs of study but may foster student development and lifelong learning.

Donations

The Library does not accept donations of materials. For a local option, please consider donating your materials to the Friends of the Library in support of the Alachua County Library District.

Preservation and Replacement of Materials

Library staff have training in the proper care and handling of library materials. Temperature and humidity controls are essential for the maintenance of library materials. Decisions are made regarding the replacement of lost, damaged, missing, or worn-out items, based on the following criteria:

• Does the item meet the material selection criteria?
• Does the frequency of use justify replacement?
• Is the item on reserve for a class or on a faculty recommended reading list?
• Is the item listed in Resources for College Libraries or other selection tools?
• Can the item be rebound and remain useful, or is replacement cheaper?

Deselection (Weeding)

Deselection of library materials (the process of removing items from the collection) is essential for the maintenance of a current, academically useful library collection. Deselection provides quality control for the collection by elimination of outdated, inaccurate, no longer needed, and worn-out materials. Librarians are responsible for conducting an ongoing deselection effort. Faculty are regularly consulted when items are identified for deselection.

The Lawrence W. Tyree Library is not an archival library. As with selection, the depth and breadth of each subject area are considered in deselection. Materials that no longer meet selection criteria are removed from the collection.

Print and Media Resources Deselection

The deselection guidelines utilized by the Lawrence W. Tyree Library are based on the American Library Association approved "CREW Guidelines for Weeding Your Collection."

The MUSTIE criteria are applied during the deselection process:

• M = misleading and/or factually inaccurate
  U = ugly, worn beyond and/or unworthy of mending (moldy, poor binding, torn)
• S = superseded by a truly new edition, duplicates, or a better book on the subject
• T = trivial, of no discernible literary or scientific merit
• I = irrelevant to the needs and interests of patrons (no longer supports curriculum)
• E = easy to obtain the material elsewhere (through interlibrary loan or reciprocal borrowing)

In addition to the MUSTIE criteria, the following date and circulation history guidelines are applied:

* Within certain fields (e.g., law and medicine) financial, managerial, historical and philosophical works are not as time sensitive and may be retained in the collection for more than 5 years from the publication date.

Additional deselection policies for print and media resources include:

1. Materials which cannot be repaired or rebound or for which the cost of preservation exceeds the usefulness of the information contained are deselected.
2. If a title has not circulated at least three times in the last fifteen years, it is deselected. Exceptions to this policy include:
   • Items considered classic works in their field (as determined by listing in Resources for College Libraries) that have long-term value.
   • Items that contain valid content that cannot be replaced by newer sources. In these instances, the items will be kept in the collection despite lack of use.
3. The title may be retained if it is included in Resources for College Libraries.

When appropriate, withdrawn materials will be sent to Better World Books or recycled. Withdrawn materials may not be given to individual faculty or departments.

Online Resources Deselection

Ongoing deselection of Internet resources is a necessity because of the dynamic nature of such resources. In the following instances, an online resource will be deselected:

• The Internet resource is no longer available or maintained.
• The currency or reliability of the resource's information has lost its value.
• Another website or resource offers more comprehensive coverage.
• The cost of purchase or maintenance of the resource is prohibitive.

Serials Deselection

• Incomplete and short runs of a title may be withdrawn, particularly when the title is not received currently.
• Annuals, biennials, and regularly updated editions of guidebooks, handbooks, almanacs, and directories have a deselection pattern established depending on the value of the information contained in earlier editions. Often current editions are located in the Reference Collection and one or two earlier editions placed in the Circulating Collection.
• Serials that no longer support the curriculum are discarded.
• Magazines and journals have automatic discard patterns of one, two, or five years based upon the following criteria:
  • Level of work (e.g., popular, trade, academic, peer-reviewed)
  • Availability of equivalent online content
  • Usage for specific assignments in courses
• Magazine and journal titles may be held for periods of time other than the discard patterns under special circumstances, as decided by a consensus of the librarians.

Copyright

The Lawrence W. Tyree Library complies fully with all of the provisions of the U.S. Copyright Law (17 U.S.C.) and its amendments. The Library supports the Fair Use section of the Copyright Law which permits and protects citizens' rights to reproduce and make other uses of copyrighted works for the purposes of teaching, scholarship, and research. All video and audio media are purchased for individual viewing. The Library does not purchase viewing rights to films.

Intellectual Freedom

The Lawrence W. Tyree Library supports the American Library Association's Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read Statement and Access to Electronic Information, Services, and Networks: an Interpretation of the LIBRARY BILL OF RIGHTS. The Library acquires materials that represent differing opinions and without censorship in regard to controversial issues. The Library does not add or withdraw, at the request of any individual or group, material which has been chosen or excluded on the basis of stated selection criteria. An individual or group questioning the appropriateness of material within the collection will be referred to the library director.

All requests for reconsideration of materials will be handled as follows:

1. The patron requesting such action will complete a Reconsideration of Library Materials Request Form. This form must be completed before any action is taken by the library staff.
2. The completed request form will be forwarded to the library director within one working day of its receipt by library staff. The director will review the challenged materials in light of the criteria set forth in the Collection Development Policy. Where appropriate, the director will seek advice from the librarians and/or faculty.
3. Within one month, the library director will formulate a recommendation and send a written response to the patron explaining the Library’s position and the action that will be taken.