Library

Collection Development Guidelines

Levels of Selection:

1. Comprehensive- An attempt is made to collect all significant titles

2. Study- Resources will support undergraduate work or independent study

3. Basic- Reserves will serve as an introduction to a subject

4. Minimal- Few selections are made beyond very basic works

Selection Considerations:
Selection considerations may be based upon, but not limited to the following:

  1. Honoring requests by library users
  2. Collecting current resources
  3. Balancing the recent purchases in a subject area
  4. Assisting with the development of a new program
  5. Preparing for upcoming accreditation visits

Standard Selection Tools:
The material selection tools include but are not limited to the following:

  1. Booklist
  2. Choice
  3. Library Journal
  4. New York Times Book Review
  5. Publishers Weekly
  6. Faculty/Staff recommendations
  7. Mail solicitation
  8. Publisher’s catalogs
  9. Online Bookstores

Evaluation Criteria:
Objective guidelines are used to select and acquire materials. Acceptance or rejection may be based upon the following:

1. Purpose, Scope, & Audience- Is the material relevant to the college’s needs?
2. Curriculum Support- Will the material support the college’s programs?
3. Difficulty- Is the material too technical for community college students?
4. Credibility of Author- Is the author considered an expert in the field?
5. Subject matter- Is this subject of interest to the Library’s users?
6.Timeliness- Is there a continuing need for this material?
7. Price- Can the budget support this purchase?
8. Demand-Is this item in high demand?
9. Format- What would be the most appropriate media?
10.  Language- Materials will be collected primarily in the English Language.

Special Ordering:
1. Videocassettes will be purchased in conjunction with the Tennessee Board of Regents Media Consortium when possible. The Library will purchase 1/2 inch VHS tapes only.
2. Compact disks are purchased to support the college's music courses and to meet popular demand.
3. Audiocassettes are limited to spoken word only.
4. Microforms are purchased to conserve space, and replace out of print or hard to find materials.
5. Periodical subscriptions will be based upon their curriculum support, cost and interest from faculty, staff and students.
6. Computer software will be selected based upon educational and professional purposes

Special Collections:
The selection and evaluation criteria set forth will be used in the acquisition of materials for the special collections below:

1. Recreational Reading. The Library will provide a recreational reading collection for the college community. Funds for this collection will be limited.
2. Pamphlets. Ephemeral materials will be ordered to supplement the existing collection in areas where available information is limited or hard to find.
3. College Archives. The Library will collect significant materials to preserve the history of the college.

Problem Areas:
1. Duplicates: The Library will purchase only one copy of any item per location.
Consideration for duplication will be made if particularly high demand warrants.
Duplicate material received as gifts will be added to the collection if warranted by heavy usage.
2. Lost Items & Replacements: Materials missing, lost or deselected are not automatically replaced. The decision to replace materials will be based on the following.
- importance of the item to the collection
- demand for the material
- availability
Lost items will be replaced with the latest edition if selection criteria are still met.
3. Paperbacks for the general collection may be acquired when hardback editions are not available or when there is a significant price difference.
4. The Library will not knowingly purchase textbooks for course study. Textbooks may be placed on reserve by faculty.

The following criteria will serve as a general guide to the selection of items for deselection:
1. contain obsolete content/data
2. duplicates no longer in high demand
3. materials which have superseded editions
4. physically damaged materials that cannot be repaired within reasonable 
    costs.

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