Collection Development Policy

Kaplan Family Library and Learning Center Collection Development Policy

I. Introduction

A. Mission

The mission of Kaplan Family Library is to create a dynamic, responsive learning environment by connecting people with information. The library facilitates teaching and learning, advances scholarship, and serves as a vibrant and welcoming gathering place for the Mount Saint Mary College community.

B. Objectives

The development of a collection that supports the mission of Mount Saint Mary College, as well as the curricular and research needs of students, faculty, and the community. The ultimate goal is to build a collection that supports academic excellence, diversity in intellectual matter, and independent study. Collection development is the selection and gathering of these materials through the collaboration of librarians and professors.

C. Responsibilities

The librarians are in charge of the overall balance and quality of the collection. Each librarian selects materials in all fields needed to support the college curriculum. Involvement by professors is also encouraged but is not mandatory. It is hoped that professors will recommend materials useful for course requirements and student research projects. The Collection Development Librarian should handle recommendations by professors. Students and staff are also encouraged to make recommendations for library acquisitions. The Collection Development Librarian will review all recommendations based on the selection guidelines explained further in this document.

D. Fund allocation

The fund allocation for the library materials budget is based on a collection development formula. The formula factors in four weights for each fund: student credit hours, number of undergraduate and graduate majors, and a discretionary amount assigned by the Director based on special needs. Special needs include new course offerings in the subject area and new levels of academic accreditation for programs.

II. Scope of Material

A. Formats Acquired

Books
Serials
Audio-visual materials
Electronic resources
Curriculum materials

B. Selection Criteria

1. Relevance to the curriculum
2. Usefulness to the college community (audience level, format, etc.)
3. Critical reviews in literature (Choice, New York Times Book Review, etc.)
4. Inclusion of the item in recognized bibliographies
5. Author/publisher reputation
6. Price
7. Accessibility of the title in indexes and electronic full-text databases (periodicals and newspapers)
8. Condition and durability
9. Currency, accuracy, organization, and scope
10. Language
11. Relationship with items in collection
12. Availability of materials on the subject
13. Projected use
14. Collection balance

C. General Guidelines

1. Highly specialized materials: The library does not purchase highly specialized, research-level materials which if needed can be requested through interlibrary loan.
2. Textbooks: Other than collecting textbooks for the Curriculum Materials Center, the library does not ordinarily obtain textbooks and accompanying student and instructor’s manuals for the main collection unless no other physical format can be found in the subject area. Current textbooks that support the curriculum are available in the Campus Bookstore.
3. Theses: Master’s theses and dissertations from other institutions are not purchased. One bound copy of MSMC theses from the Business and Nursing graduate programs are retained in the library.
4. Duplicates: Because of limited space and the need to provide the most diverse collection, duplicate works are not normally purchased except if it is a heavily circulated item and duplicate copies are needed.
5. Foreign language materials: Library materials are acquired only in those languages that are taught at the College.
6. Ephemera: the Library does not collect Leaflets, posters, pamphlets, and booklets.
7. Preferred format: Hardback books are usually purchased rather than paperback unless the hardback is out-of-print, the price is prohibitive, the projected usage of the item is low, or the information is updated often (computer science, nursing, etc.)
8. Video format: DVD and BluRay is always preferred over VHS tapes.
9. Out-of-print materials: If an out-of-print item is perceived to have long-term worth and there is no in-print alternative, the Library will try to purchase through an out-of-print jobber at a reasonable cost.
10. Retrospective materials: The library will purchase retrospective materials if it is deemed a classic or essential to the library. If there are more current editions of the item, they will be purchased instead.
11. Rare items: Rare items and manuscripts are not generally collected.
12. Recreational reading: Since selections for the recreational reading collection are not always of enduring value, the library selects based on high demand/potential use and current interest. Selection aids for recreational reading includes New York Times Bestseller List.
13. CD-ROMs or Music CDs: At this time, the library does not collect CD-ROMS or music CDs.
14. Lost or stolen items: Items are usually replaced after consideration is given to their significance in the collection based on past usage, availability, number of other copies held, and currency. Items will be replaced after 6 months except when there is an immediate need for the item.
15. Faculty publications: The library will attempt to purchase one copy of monographs by MSMC faculty.

D. Gifts

We accept gifts that complement and develop our collection. The Collection Development Librarian reserves the right to evaluate gifts to ensure that they are relevant to the collection and may refuse items that do not fit the library’s selection criteria or have processing costs that exceed their worth. The library does not accept textbooks and any materials highlighted, marked-up, outdated, complimentary desk copies/publishers’ samples, or items in poor condition. In addition, the library does not accept items already in the collection unless a duplicate copy is needed. Gifts not accepted into the collection will be donated to a library exchange program or disposed of. The delivery of gifts is the responsibility of the donor. The library provides the donor with a letter acknowledging gifts for tax deduction purposes by request. The library cannot legally estimate a donation’s value.

III. Weeding Guidelines

In order to maintain an up-to-date collection that serves the needs of the Mount Saint Mary College community, the collection needs to be weeded on a regular basis.

A. Criteria for removal

1. Poor or irreparable condition
2. Outdated or obsolete information
3. Outdated format
4. Low usage, especially for duplicate items. Before materials selected for removal are withdrawn from the collection, the library will make every effort to notify professors in the selected subject areas to review the materials. The professors are given one month to review the titles before the items are permanently weeded from the collection. Weeded titles will be donated to a library exchange program or disposed of.

IV. Curriculum Materials Center

A. Introduction

The Curriculum Materials Center (CMC) is a unit of the Kaplan Family Library. It contains books, media, and resources appropriate for use with children from early childhood through grade twelve. The CMC supports the education curriculum of Mount Saint Mary College.

B. Collection Formats

1. Textbooks: Textbooks in most K-12 curriculum areas are collected. The library makes every effort to obtain at least the teacher’s edition of a particular textbook or series. Highest priority will be given to obtaining texts in the areas that are taught at the college and locally used texts adopted by the Newburgh Enlarged City School District. Emphasis is on textbooks published within the last ten years.
2. Teaching activity materials: Lesson plans, activity books, and other classroom support materials are collected comprehensively, especially in the curriculum areas taught at the college.
3. Juvenile literature: Books suited for children from preschool through young adult are collected. Juvenile literature includes children’s classics, picture books, easy readers, big books, wordless picture books, folk/traditional literature, mythology, fantasy, science fiction, plays, poetry, realistic and historical fiction, factual works, biography/autobiography, transitional books for young adults, and books that reflect current trends (e.g. divorce, AIDS, divorce, alternative lifestyles, single parent homes, etc.)
4. Award books: Award winners and honor books are collected annually.
5. Reference: A small collection of children’s encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, atlases, and electronic versions of these resources are collected.
6. Non-print materials: Examples of non-print materials include: puzzles, maps, posters, flash cards, card sets, multimedia kits, realia, models, games, sound recordings, and computer software. Videos are not located in the Curriculum Materials Center but are made available in the Main library’s collection.
7. Standardized tests: Assessment and evaluation materials that support the curriculum are collected selectively.
8. Publishers’ catalogs: The Curriculum Materials Center collects publishers’ catalogs for use by faculty, students, and librarians.
9. Professional literature: The professional literature collection and books about educational theory, research, philosophy, and history are located in the main collection in the Main library.

C. Selection Criteria

1. Multi-ethnic/cultural: Materials should reflect a society of multiple ethnic, racial, religious, social, and sexual characteristics.
2. Reviews: The following sources are consulted for locating reviews: Booklist, Horn Book, and Childhood Education, School Library Journal, and School Library Media Quarterly, Language Arts, Reading Teacher, Science and Children, Science Teacher, and Teaching Children Mathematics