Collection Development Policy

Kellogg Community College
Emory W. Morris LRC/Library

This document provides an overall plan and specific guidelines for the development of the collections of the library. It seeks to make the best possible use of the resources currently available to meet the instructional and research needs of KCC students and faculty. The guiding principles are derived from the Learning Resource Center Mission Statement and Objectives.

The policy will also serve as a guide for collection analysis. Levels of collecting may be established for every subject area identified by the Dewey Decimal classification system.

The policy statement was written by the LRC Library Collection Development Committee of the Emory Morris Learning Resource Center in consultation with members of the faculty.

Library materials are print and nonprint instructional materials (e.g. books, periodicals, manuscripts, microforms, recordings, etc.) organized and housed to support the mission and goals of the College.

There are four line items established for library collection development. These are: Books, Serials, Multimedia Materials, and Digital Resources. The budget for each item is established through recommendations for funding submitted by the Director of Library Services before the beginning of each fiscal year. These recommendations are arrived at on the basis of estimates of funds needed to continue acquiring library material at the current level, plus estimates of additional funds needed to improve the collections in specific areas and estimates of the anticipated rise in prices. Each of these funds may be administered in different ways depending upon the requirements for the various types of materials.

Books
Of the book budget, approximately 60% is for the general library collection (e.g. reference, law reference, standing orders, general books, indexes, replacements) and 40% is reserved for the academic subject areas. Purchases in this category are for items that will be physically owned by the library. (Includes paper books, Playaways, books on CD, etc.)

Subject area funds are library funds designated for departmental order recommendations. Recommendations are encouraged from faculty, staff, and students. All recommendations are considered in accordance with the level of collection development established for each subject area.

Serials
This fund provides for the acquisition of materials issued in successive parts, consecutively numbered, and intended to be continued indefinitely. Selection is based upon faculty and library staff recommendations.The availability of online full-text serials may preclude the acquisition of the title in print format. The Director provides coordination.

Multimedia Materials (AudioVisual)
This line item provides for the purchase of various types of materials such as recordings, videos, and other nonprint format materials. Such media are selected with the same care as print materials.

Digital Resources
Digital Resources include ìonlineî indexes, bibliographies, abstracts, and the fulltext of serials, monographs and reference tools where access to these items is leased. Wherever possible, the libraryís resources will be directed to web-based resources. When purchasing access to these resources, the library will attempt to negotiate with vendors based on FTE rather than number of sites. Resources should be made available on the networks of all of the Collegeís sites. Consortial and groupbuys are the preferred way of purchasing these resources.

The responsibility for collection development rests with the library.The process of selecting material for the libraryís collections is a cooperative one involving faculty members and library staff. While there is not a distinct division of labor, it is assumed that individual faculty members will work with the library liaison assigned to their discipline to select appropriate library materials. The librarians depend upon the faculty to provide subject and bibliographic knowledge needed to help evaluate the library collection and select additional titles for acquisition. Faculty members should consider not only the specialized needs of their research and courses taught, but also the general needs of the collection within the discipline as a whole, in related disciplines, and interdisciplinary areas where they may have expertise.

The library staff is prepared to assist the faculty in this process. This may be done by checking specific bibliographies for current holdings, establishing the availability of particular titles or sets for purchase or examination on location in a nearby library, or providing a current awareness service of titles recently published or reviewed. Any of these or other support services can be set up to assist in the process of collection development. All librarians are responsible for taking an active role in initiating purchases.

Both faculty members and library staff may submit requests for purchase of all types of materials to the Director.

Requests are processed in order of receipt. Every effort is made to place orders within two to four weeks. However, there may be a delay with some orders since the sequence in which orders are placed depends to some extent on the desirability of batching requests so that a reasonably large order can be placed with a vendor to obtain the best discount. Consideration will be given to expediting orders for urgently needed materials.

Requests submitted simultaneously for large number of items as part of a special collection building project will be placed into the ordering schedule in a way which does not unreasonably delay the routine processing of departmental requests.

Verification with respect to library holdings and accuracy of bibliographic information must be made before any order can be placed.

Serials
Daily, weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, monthly, quarterly, triquarterly, bi-annual, and in some cases annual, publications are treated as serials.

Serials are selected and preserved to supplement the book collection with current material in various subject fields and to make them available for reference use on a longterm basis. Serials are not purchased on a trial basis. Back files of serial titles are selected based on the same criteria as current and new subscriptions and are purchased as teaching and research needs require and funds allow.

Michigan newspapers are chosen to achieve selective coverage of the state. National newspapers are acquired on a highly selective basis to give balanced geographical coverage. Priority is given to Battle Creek and other College district papers and consideration is given to the titles of regional interest. Selected newspaper files are usually retained 3-6 months or as shelving space permits.

Multimedia Materials (Audiovisual)
Non-print media is an effective alternative to print media for the dissemination of information in some subject areas. The selection of nonprint media is based on the same principles as the selection of books. In addition the following criteria are considered:

Paperbacks
Generally, hardbound editions are ordered for the library because they are more durable than paperbound editions. However, if there is a significant difference in price, a paperback may be ordered. Other considerations besides price in choosing between hard cover and paper editions include the following:

The reference collections are noncirculating and digital collections of materials designed to meet the basic research, verification, location, and information needs of the College community in many subject fields. Reference materials of all types and in various languages are selected in accordance with the criteria established for the selection of library materials. The works chosen for the reference collection supply as much reliable information as possible with a minimum of duplication. The reference collection supports the curriculum, degree programs and faculty research of the college.

1. Legal Collection (Law Reference)
   In addition to basic legal reference sources, the legal collection contains Michigan and federal law sources that support the curriculum specifically for the paralegal program, business law and tax accounting courses. New acquisitions follow general policies.
   
   
2. World Wide Web (WWW) Resources
   Due to the diversity and allinclusiveness of the WWW, there is a tremendous disparity between sites in terms of quality, reliability and appropriateness for academic research. With this in mind, the web resources made available on the LRC web site will be selected for their suitability to support the research that takes place in the various curricular areas offered by the College. Particular emphasis will be given to web sites that have received favorable reviews in professional publications, or selected by LRC staff in accordance with the criteria set forth in Thinking Critically about World Wide Web Resources (http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/help/critical/index.htm) from the UCLA College Library. Links to these resources on the LRC will be reviewed on an ongoing basis to ensure they remain active and correct.
   
   

1. Location
   Library materials paid for with library funds must be housed in the Learning Resource Center. The final decision about exceptions rests with the Library Director.
2. Multiple Copies
   Normally, only one copy of a title is purchased. Exceptions may be made to provide circulating copies of selected reference books when there is high demand or need for copies at more than one location or for reserve purposes. Reserve copies will be ordered in accordance with the objectives and criteria of the collection development policy. The various departments usually purchase additional copies.
3. Lost Items and Replacements
   Resources that are missing, lost, or withdrawn because of wear are not automatically replaced. Materials that are known to be lost are replaced based on the following criteria:
   1. importance of the item to the collection
   2. demand for the material
   3. availability
   
   A search for missing material is conducted for up to six months. Materials not found during that time period are declared lost and replacement is based on the above criteria. If there is a high demand for a missing item, a second copy will be ordered immediately while the search is continued.
   
   
4. Weeding
   It is the responsibility of the library staff, in cooperation with the faculty, to withdraw materials that are inappropriate or damaged. The decision to withdraw materials is based on the following criteria:
   1. to make room for materials which are more appropriate than current holdings
   2. to eliminate the ìdeadî items which make the collection unattractive and difficult to use
   3. to update the collection by identifying new editions to replace old ones
   4. to expand the collection by identifying and filling in gaps
    
5. Conservation, Preservation, and Restoration
   The library strives to maintain the physical integrity of materials in the collection through conservation measures such as temperature, humidity, and dust control.Where preservation of content is more important than the integrity of the physical format, materials are preserved by new binding, adding covers, or by microform.
   
   
6. Intellectual Freedom
   The staff of the library supports the concept of intellectual freedom. We endorse the Association of College & Research Librariesí statement, ìIntellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Librariesî. (as approved by ACRL, June 29, 1999; Adopted July 12 2000 by the ALA Council.) As long as they fit into the general collection parameters of the library, all points of view and subjects will be considered without prejudice or censorship when determining the balance of the collection.

With advances in electronic web resources and participation in library cooperative agreements and networks, it becomes apparent that no library can provide all the materials needed by its users. It becomes extremely advantageous to share resources. Online catalogs and web-based resources that extend beyond the individual library make cooperative collection development more of an alternative for the Learning Resource Center.

The collection development policy will be evaluated and changed as necessary by a committee appointed for that purpose by the Library Director each year prior to the allocation of funds.

June 26, 2008 (revised)

Appendix and URL Links Follow:

Appendix A – Challenge Form for Reconsideration of Materials
Curriculum Review Form: www.kellogg.edu/library/pdf/CurriculumReview.PDF
ACRL Intellectual Freedom Policy: www.ala.org/acrl

The Board of Trustees of Kellogg Community College has delegated the responsibility for selection and evaluation of library/educational resources to the Director of Library Services and has established reconsideration procedures to address concerns about those resources. Completion of this form is the first step in those procedures. If you wish to request reconsideration of library resources, please return the completed form to the Director of Library Services, Kellogg Community College, 450 North Ave., Battle Creek, MI 49017.

Name _____________________________________________________________________

Date ______________________________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________________________

City _______________________________________________________________________

State ___________________________________________________Zip________________

Phone _____________________________________________________________________

Do you represent self? ____ Organization? ____

1. Resource on which you are commenting:

____ Book ____ Textbook ____ Video ____ Display ____ Magazine ____ Library Program

____ Audio Recording ____ Newspaper ____ Electronic information/network

(please specify) ______________ ____ Other __________________________

Title ______________________________________________________________________

Author/Producer ____________________________________________________________

2. What brought this resource to your attention?

3. Have you examined the entire resource?

4. What concerns you about the resource? (use other side or additional pages if necessary)

5. Are there resource(s) you suggest to provide additional information and/or other viewpoints on this topic?