Grossmont College Library
Collection Development Policy

Purpose

Mission Statement

Responsibility for the Selection of Learning Resources
Selection Guidelines for the Collection of Material

Deselection Guidelines

Formats of Materials Collected

Contacts

Preservation of Materials

Recommendations

Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries

Library Bill of Rights

Policy Review
Grossmont College Library
 

Purpose

The Grossmont College Library Collection Development Policy is the basis for the continual assessment, growth, and enrichment of the collection; print, audiovisual, and electronic resources.  This policy was created in accordance with the missions of both Grossmont College and the Library.

The Library provides the research materials for the information needs of our college community.  This policy establishes guidelines for the evaluation and selection of resources that will support and enhance the curriculum and instructional programs, promote scholarship, enhance student-life, and provide for the general information needs of students, faculty, and staff that comprise of the College’s community.

In summary, the maintenance of a comprehensive, relevant, and balanced collection of materials requires implementation of the collection policies which follow that accomplish those goals.

Mission Statement

The library is committed to providing convenient access to a broad range of information resources that support the educational and professional goals of students, faculty, and staff.  We support our College mission and initiatives in promoting educational excellence and valuing the diversity of our community.

Responsibility for the Selection of Learning Resources

The Dean of Learning and Technology Resources has overall responsibility for Library services, including collection development.  Although librarians are primarily responsible for the quality of the collection, the selection and withdrawal of materials are collection development activities shared with other members of the college community.  Teaching faculty, students, and other staff are encouraged to suggest additions to the collection.  To encourage active participation of faculty, administration, students, and community members in the selection process, as well as acquire resources that are both current and relevant to assignments and course offerings, each librarian is assigned liaison and collection development responsibilities with specific subject departments.

Selection Guidelines for the Collection of Material

General Guidelines

     Support of our college’s curriculum

     Probable need based on existing programs and collections

     Quality of content and scholarly worth or informational value

     Collection balance among subject areas according to the curriculum

     Collection balance among formats of information

Specific Guidelines

     Timeliness and lasting value of material

     Reputation of the author, producer, or publisher

     Presentation: style, clarity, reading level

     Creative considerations: literary merit, artistic, or social value; appeal to the imagination, senses, or intellect

     Special features: detailed, logical, accurate index, bibliography, footnotes, appropriate illustrations

     Physical and technical quality: paper, typography, physical size, binding, durability

     Ease of access or user-friendliness

     Presentation of alternative viewpoints

     Appropriateness of format based on intended use or suitability of content to form

     Relative cost in relation to the budget and other available materials

     Acceptability based on professional selection tools

     Demand, frequency of requests for materials on the same or similar subjects

     Program accreditation requirements

     General information for college community

     Coverage in library owned indexes

     Clearly identified sources of information

     The purchase of items in only one format – the most appropriate one

Special Circumstances

Copyright
Grossmont College library complies with all of the provisions of the U.S. Copyright Law (17 U.S.C.) and its amendments. The libraries support 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.

Duplication
One copy of any individual item in the circulating collection is considered sufficient unless high demand is anticipated.  If duplicates are available through gift sources, or new and authoritative editions are published, they may be added to the collection.

Foreign Language
Items written in languages other than English will be acquired when they support the Foreign Language curriculum requirements and English as a Second Language program.

Gifts and Donations
The Grossmont College Library reserves the right to accept or refuse gift materials.  The library will accept gift materials with the understanding that the subject area specialist reserves the right to catalog, discard, locate, and display gifts in the best interests of the collection.  If adequate storage space and processing time are not available, gift materials may be declined.  All gifts become the property of Grossmont College.  Please see library donation form in appendix 1.

A notification of a gift purchase will be sent to the donor.  All gifts become the property of Grossmont College.  Library personnel do not make appraisals of gift materials.

InterLibrary Loan
The Grossmont College Library will participate in mutually beneficial resource sharing agreements in order to expand depth and breadth of resources available to the faculty and students.

Out-of-Print
Out-of-print materials are rarely purchased.  The library recognizes the need for some out-of print purchases, primarily for replacement of heavily used items which are lost or withdrawn due to poor physical condition. However, in view of the difficulty and expense in obtaining rare, out-of-print, and reprinted material it is important to purchase current publications of long-term worth.

Replacement: Lost/Damaged/Missing
When considering a title for replacement, resources missing from the collection, declared lost, or those too worn for further circulation, may not be replaced automatically.  The same criteria in effect for the selection of new resources will be used.

Standing Orders (refers to materials not considered periodicals that are received on an ongoing basis).
Standing orders will be periodically evaluated as to whether the intervals and titles constitute an efficient use of the collection development budget. 

Deselection Guidelines

To insure the best use of library space and the maintenance of a collection that is both current and relevant to the curriculum, librarians, working with their liaison faculty, will engage in an on-going evaluation of materials in all formats.  Those materials that are no longer appropriate to the collection will be removed.

Criteria

     Materials which are obsolete or which contain inaccurate data

     Materials in formats that require equipment that is either obsolete, or not available in this library, or at Grossmont College

     Superseded editions

     Incomplete sets or multi-volume works of which the individual volumes do not meet selection criteria, or are no longer available

     Multiple copies of titles for which there is not adequate justification

     Worn, badly marked, or severely damaged materials

     Lack of use

     Appropriateness and relevance of the subject matter to the current collection or curriculum offerings of the college

     Expense of continuing subscriptions or continuations

•  Replacement by comparable product or material

     In the case of feature films, deselection will be based on 1) usage, 2) when item was last used, and 3) curriculum support – especially related to historic or literary value.  This criteria will be used whether or not we could replace these items using DSPS money.  However, if State or District administrators were in the future to require that our collection contain programs with Public Performance Rights (as does the SD County Consortium collection), then the feature films in our collection would need to be considered for withdrawal, since no feature film comes with Public Performance Rights.

Periodicals Retention List

Refer to appendix 2.

Deselection of Online Resources

To be addressed as needed.

Formats of Materials Collected

Archives

The archives consist of previously collected materials with historical value as they pertain to Grossmont College programs, activities, and achievements as well as the history of the surrounding area.  Materials include photographs, brochures, programs, accreditation documentation, community newspaper articles, audio taped interviews of local history, and ephemera.

The Library recognizes that it cannot function as a records management facility for the College; we lack facilities, funds, and staff.  Due to these restrictions future collecting will focus on Grossmont College course catalogs, class schedules, staff yearbooks, and student newspapers.  Included will be historically significant records and irreplaceable materials as determined by the librarians, which pertain to the library.  (e.g. cartographic material and blueprints created in the building of the College's Library and Technology Resource Center. (LTRC) / Photographic material of the LTRC).  Exception: items mandated by district administration.

Materials will be stored in the best feasible archival protective conditions that budget allows.  Retrieval provided through the on-line catalog will be made available when funds and staff provide.

Atlases

Atlases are collected selectively to support general reference and research needs, particularly for the departments of Geography and Geology.  Outdated atlases may be retained if they are of political or historic value or are out of print.  Road atlases are collected very selectively.

Audio Books

A small audio book collection is maintained.  At present, priority is not given to audio books.  When budget and demand permits ordering, primary focus will be on unabridged titles with abridgments considered when unabridged format is either unavailable or it is otherwise appropriate.   In addition to the general criteria for selection, the following criteria are taken into account when selecting recorded books: authority and competency of producer; artistic merit and reputation of the reader; technical quality, i.e. sound quality; and value for the price.

Audio Tapes

Audio tapes include music, language and lecture tapes and excludes books on tape.  In general, A-V formats including audio tapes are driven by current technology and are only collected upon faculty demand; otherwise, we are not collecting this format. 

Children’s books

Selected children’s books that support the Child Development program and the Child Development Center (pre-K) make up this collection.  Award-winning books are represented.

Compact Discs (CD)

CD’s are ordered primarily upon faculty request, and by librarians secondarily, as needs arise, using the general collection development criteria guidelines.

Databases

Databases are almost completely consortium-driven (CCL), due to negotiated savings.  Databases are added using the following criteria: support of the curriculum, ongoing need as replacement for previous print item (Examples: CQ Researcher, Opposing Viewpoints, print journals), quality of the interface, multi-disciplinary as primary need, accreditation needs and/or faculty recommendations.

Digital Video Disc (DVD)

DVDs are preferred over VHS, whether purchasing new or replacing.  Faculty requested DVDs are a priority for purchase.  Faculty requests will be considered using the following criteria: availability of funds, support of the curriculum, the balance in the collection, price, the presence of closed captioning, and its availability from the SDICCCA consortium. Pending availability of funds, librarians will also select DVDs for purchase using the general collection development criteria guidelines.

Additions to the DVD collection must be close-captioned.  Our existing collection is being converted to close-captioned by legal mandate.  Until then, non-close-captioned items will still circulate, as we make a good-faith effort towards conversion.

Since DVDs can be expensive, it is recommended that they first be previewed before committing to buy.  Additionally, DVDs can only be purchased for Grossmont if they are not already in the SDICCCA consortium, except by faculty request.  In general, A-V formats are driven by current technology.

Electronic Books (e-books)

At the time of this writing electronic books have mostly been purchased as collections through the CCL consortium, thereby limiting the choice.

The library collects e-books from authoritative organizations affiliated with cataloging who have generated a bibliographic record for the item.  However, we must exercise caution in choosing items that result in multiple vendors and therefore varying compatibilities.

An exception to the requirement for bibliographic record is when our library owns the material in print we may link to a credible website that contains the exact content.

Grossmont is careful to coordinate the collecting of e-books with the Cuyamaca College Library coordinating on vendors and acknowledging the need for different subjects to support our varying curriculums.

As we move into the future, Grossmont Library’s balance of e-books and print books will likely favor e-books  because they save shelf space, circulation problems are minimized, there is 24/7 access, keyword capability, and de-selection is not labor intensive.  Certain subject areas are more desirable in electronic format: materials that become outdated quickly such as computer and medical sciences.  A less desirable subject area would be fiction, where reading online could be difficult and keyword searching is not necessary.

Electronic Periodicals (e-periodicals)

Individual e-periodicals will not be collected until there is a more expedient way to provide access to the content of these journals, both on and off campus.  Currently, each journal requires a unique password to get access to that journal rather than allowing for universal authentication from a series of IP addresses.  Until this situation is changed, we don’t have the staff or budget to pursue e-periodicals.

Electronic Reference (e-reference)

All things being equal, e-reference is to be chosen over print reference because they save shelf space, there is 24/7 access, keyword capability, and de-selection is a not labor intensive.

At the time of this writing, electronic reference books have mostly been purchased as collections through the CCL consortium, thereby limiting the choice.

Our commitment is to collect electronic reference books from authoritative organizations affiliated with cataloging who have generated a bibliographic record for the item. However, we must exercise caution in choosing items that result in multiple vendors and therefore varying compatibilities.

An exception to the requirement for bibliographic record is when our library owns the material in print we may link to a credible website that contains the exact content.

Electronic Reserves (e-reserves)

Electronic reserve items are exclusively instructor generated.  E-reserves will be placed in the collection based on the determination that the item is appropriate under Grossmont Library’s copyright policies or that permission may be obtained at a reasonable cost.  E-reserves will be reevaluated each semester for copyright compliance and instructor needs, then deselected accordingly.  E-reserves are considered a service to faculty and are not part of the library collection.

General Collection

Clothbound editions are preferred over paperback; however, paperback editions are purchased if that is the only format available, if cost of clothbound is significantly higher than a paper edition, or when the useful life of the content is expected to be fairly short.

Microforms

The library does not actively collect microforms due to technological trends in information retrieval. 

Newspaper, Electronic

The library will subscribe to electronic newspaper databases as budget permits, with a goal of keeping retroactive access to the Big Five (Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post) in addition to the San Diego Union Tribune. Additional newspaper databases are welcomed as budget permits and because space is not an issue.

Newspaper, Print

Print newspapers are collected based on the curriculum and general interest.  Foreign language newspapers are collected based on instructor need and budget considerations.  Print newspapers are kept no longer than 6 months retroactively due to lack of space and the instability of the format.

Periodicals, Print

Print periodicals will only be subscribed to if they are not in the databases or they are contemporary, news sources, highly browsed or graphical in nature.  They may also be subscribed to if a faculty member would like the print version specifically to support the curriculum.  Print periodical subscriptions may be cancelled as more become available via electronic means.  As a general rule, print periodicals will be retained for 10 years, however, if the back issues are available in a database, the print issues may be weeded for shelving space and as staff time permits.  A periodical may be considered for cancellation and weeding if it is not indexed in a database and there is no other justification for keeping the subscription and back issues.  A reasonable justification would be periodicals that are browsed, graphical or faculty requests or selected historical content.  As space and staffing permit, move bound periodicals currently located in stacks to periodicals area on the first floor.  Decisions to move bound periodicals in stacks should be made in collaboration with other librarians with the ultimate goal of shelving all periodicals together on the first floor.

Print Indexes

The library does not actively collect print indexes due to technological trends in information retrieval.  However, to accommodate instructor needs, the library will purchase print indexes for disciplines where the instructor requests it.  In addition, a subscription to a general print index (Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature) will be maintained for educational purposes. Deselection of print indexes will be primarily decided due to space considerations.

Textbooks

The library does not purchase the specific edition of a textbook used in a college course; their high cost and frequent revisions make most textbooks a poor investment for the library's permanent collection, however, instructors may place copies on reserve.  Workbooks and study guides are not purchased.  Textbooks will be accepted as gifts.

Video Home Systems (VHS)

In general A-V formats are driven by current technology.  VHS is being phased out, in favor of DVDs.  Otherwise, the selection criteria is the same as books.  VHS’s are ordered first upon faculty request, and by librarians secondarily using the general collection development criteria guidelines.  See the DVD section for further information. 

Websites

Grossmont Library is not actively adding websites to the catalog, except as designated in the e-books and e-reference sections of this policy.  We will continue to review this policy as technology changes.

Contacts

For a listing of subject liaisons, please see appendix 3.

For the subject call number range, please see appendix 4.

Preservation of Materials

Library materials are expensive to purchase, process, and house.  Therefore, book repair is provided for damaged materials.  Due to cost, newly acquired paperbound books are not sent to bindery, rather in-house preservation techniques are implemented. Exceptions to outsourcing may be made when a back-log is anticipated.

Recommendations

We welcome recommendations for purchase via a purchase request form.  

Please note that recommendations may be rejected if they fall outside the selection criteria described in this document or on the grounds of cost; particularly when a continuing financial commitment, such as a subscription, is involved.

Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries

A strong intellectual freedom perspective is critical to the development of academic library collections and services that dispassionately meet the education and research needs of a college or university community. The purpose of this statement is to provide an interpretation of general intellectual freedom principles in an academic library setting and, in the process, raise consciousness of the intellectual freedom context within which academic librarians work. These principles should be reflected in all relevant library policy documents.

1. The general principles set forth in the Library Bill of Rights form an indispensable framework for building collections, services, and policies that serve the entire academic community.
2. The privacy of library users is and must be inviolable. Policies should be in place that maintain confidentiality of library borrowing records and of other information relating to personal use of library information and services.
3. The development of library collections in support of an institution's instruction and research programs should transcend the personal values of the selector. In the interests of research and learning, it is essential that collections contain materials representing a variety of perspectives on subjects that may be considered controversial.
4. Preservation and replacement efforts should ensure that balance in library materials is maintained and that controversial materials are not removed from the collections through theft, loss, mutilation, or normal wear and tear. There should be alertness to efforts by special interest groups to bias a collection though systematic theft or mutilation.
5. Licensing agreements should be consistent with the Library Bill of Rights, and should maximize access.
6. Open and unfiltered access to the Internet should be conveniently available to the academic community in a college or university library. Content filtering devices and content-based restrictions are a contradiction of the academic library mission to further research and learning through exposure to the broadest possible range of ideas and information. Such restrictions are a fundamental violation of intellectual freedom in academic libraries.
7. Freedom of information and of creative expression should be reflected in library exhibits and in all relevant library policy documents.
8. Library meeting rooms, research carrels, exhibit spaces, and other facilities should be available to the academic community regardless of research being pursued or subject being discussed. Any restrictions made necessary because of limited availability of space should be based on need, as reflected in library policy, rather than on content of research or discussion.
9. Whenever possible, library services should be available without charge in order to encourage inquiry. Where charges are necessary, a free or low-cost alternative (e.g., downloading to disc rather than printing) should be available when possible.
10. A service philosophy should be promoted that affords equal access to information for all in the academic community with no discrimination on the basis of race, values, gender, sexual orientation, cultural or ethnic background, physical or learning disability, economic status, religious beliefs, or views.
11. A procedure ensuring due process should be in place to deal with requests by those within and outside the academic community for removal or addition of library resources, exhibits, or services.
12. It is recommended that this statement of principle be endorsed by appropriate institutional governing bodies, including the faculty senate or similar instrument of faculty governance.

--Adopted by ACRL Intellectual Freedom Committee: June 28, 1999. Approved by ACRL Board of Directors: June 29, 1999.

http://www.ifla.org/faife/ifstat/acrlprin.htm

Library Bill of Rights

The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.

I. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

II. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

IV. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.

V. A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.

VI. Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.

--Adopted June 18, 1948, by the ALA Council; amended February 2, 1961; January 23, 1980; inclusion of “age” reaffirmed January 23, 1996.  http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/statementspols/statementsif/librarybillrights.htm

Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed and updated as necessary in order to reflect the changing information environment at Grossmont College.

Policy last updated May 2006. Deselection area slightly revised 9/2008.

Appendix 1

GROSSMONT COMMUNITY COLLEGE LIBRARY
DONATIONS

The library welcomes gifts and accepts them with the understanding that the materials will be evaluated according to the same collection development guidelines as purchased materials.  Donated materials are expected to meet the same standards of quality and relevance to the collection as new titles; they should support the college curriculum and the mission of the library, as well as meet the collection development guidelines.

Criteria for accepted donations are:

Donations that pass criteria but do not meet the collection development guidelines will be disposed of as the library sees fit; either through book sale, donation to charitable institution, or discard. The Library cannot accept donations with stipulations.

Please bring your donations for drop-off or mail to the library.  We appreciate your donation and ask you to keep the below receipt for tax purposes; unfortunately to stay in compliance with IRS regulations, the library is prohibited from assessing a monetary value of donated items.

Thank you for your donation to the Grossmont College Library.  Your support is greatly appreciated.

GROSSMONT COMMUNITY COLLEGE LIBRARY
DONATIONS RECEIPT
Thank You!

Please keep your receipt. The library does not keep records of donations from individuals.

07-0146-001W

Appendix 2

1. Print only (not in the database): 10 years retention
2. Online and print: don’t need print unless it’s a browser or graphical in nature, or very current like a newspaper/Newsweek.
3. As time permits, weed duplications in online/print versions, or they will be weeded naturally under the 10 year retention policy
4. If it’s indexed and we have it in print, but not in the database then 10 year retention
5. If it’s not indexed and we have it in print, it can be withdrawn if it is more than 10 years old.
    

DETAILS OF COLLECTION 2009