Collection Development Policy

Purpose

The Tyree 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:

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

Selection Responsibility

The library faculty 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 faculty the authority to interpret and guide the application of policy in making day-to-day selections.

The process of selecting library materials includes input from 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. Subject specialists are expected to establish and maintain regular contact with their liaison 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. Requested materials should be related to educational programs offered by Santa Fe College. Due to copyright limitations, the Library cannot place free review copies from publishers into its collection.

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, such as style, clarity, reading level
• Aesthetic considerations, such as literary, artistic, or social value; appeal to the imagination, senses, or intellect
• Special features, such as detailed, logical, accurate index, bibliography, footnotes, pictorial representations
• Physical and technical quality, such as 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.

• Books/monographs are collected in clothbound editions unless cost is significantly higher than a paper edition. eBooks and graphic format non-fiction are selected when fiscally responsible or appropriate to programs within the curriculum. Additional eBooks are available through the core set of eResources available to all 28 Florida state colleges. Current selection criteria, set forth in this policy, 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 the Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC) and are available to all twenty-eight Florida state colleges. The Library may purchase supplemental databases to support the SF curriculum using current selection criteria set forth in this policy.
• Media materials, including DVDs, compact discs, streaming video, 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. Individuals or organizations are responsible for obtaining PPR for public viewing.
• Popular fiction in print, graphic novel, media, or online 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.
• 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. Course packs, consumables (such as workbooks), and materials not intended for sale (such as desk, complimentary, and review copies) may not be placed on reserve.
• Textbooks are typically 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 or to support programs as defined in the Special Initiatives section.
• 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 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 Tyree Library uses the following collection development levels to describe collections appropriate for the support of a state college curriculum. Library faculty 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

Collection development levels are defined as follows:

1. Basic Level – resources are supplemental to the curriculum or meet general interest. Selections limited to essential works.  
2. General Academic Research Level – resources support curriculum in lower division courses, certificate programs, or instructional support programs (e.g., ESOL). This may include major reference works, historical surveys, select books and media that cover current topics of interest/study, and a few major periodicals in the field. 
3. Research Intensive Level – resources support research-intensive courses or programs of study.  This level provides undergraduate resources that support current topics of study or relate to specific assignments. This may include a wide range of books and media, complete collections of works of more important writers, selections from the works of secondary writers, a selection of representative journals, and reference tools pertaining to the curriculum. 
4. Baccalaureate Level - resources directly support curriculum of baccalaureate courses. This level provides upper-division undergraduate resources that support current topics of study or relate to specific assignments in the course. This may include a wide range of books and media, complete collections of works of more important writers, selections from the works of secondary writers, a variety of representative journals, and reference tools pertaining to the programs of study. 

For the general collection, each of the following classification areas have been assigned to one of the first three levels:

Additionally, materials to support the College’s bachelor’s programs will be collected at level 4, the Baccalaureate level.

Special Initiatives

Materials may be purchased with targeted, non-recurring funds (e.g. grants, special initiatives) to create a core collection to support specific programs and initiatives. Materials are selected by library faculty in consultation with teaching faculty and college staff as appropriate and housed in Santa Fe College library facilities. 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.

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. Library faculty are responsible for conducting an ongoing deselection effort and consult with faculty for large weeding projects.

The 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: A Weeding Manual for Modern Libraries.

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 considered:

* 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:

• Materials which cannot be repaired or rebound or for which the cost of preservation exceeds the usefulness of the information contained are deselected.
• If a title has not circulated at least three times in the last fifteen years, it may be deselected. Items that may be kept longer 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.
• 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 resource is no longer available or maintained
• The currency or reliability of the resource's information has lost its value
• Another 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 library faculty.

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 (17 U.S.C. § 107),  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 typically purchase public performance 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 Digital Resources and Services: 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 individual or group 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 library and/or teaching 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.