Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library: Collection Development Policies

GENERAL POLICY STATEMENT

INTRODUCTION

Fitchburg State College is an undergraduate institution offering thirty-one degree programs in thirteen academic departments. The college also offers degrees through the Graduate and Continuing Education Division which includes courses from the undergraduate program; a Masters of Education; a Masters of Science; a Master of Arts in Teaching; and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies program.

This collection development policy was developed and written to establish formal guidelines and to ensure consistence in the selection of materials for the Fitchburg State College Library. Gardner elaborates on a number of reasons as to why a policy is necessary. The main reason for the FSC policy is to provide consistency, accountability, and a rationale for the Librarians to use in making decisions for the development of the FSC library.

Each Librarian has been assigned a department(s) with which to work and material will be selected to meet the needs of the subjects taught in the departments. Library of Congress classification schedules will be used to assist in correlating holdings, selection and management.

In this liaison relationship, the primary function is to secure input and feedback in the selection of materials. The secondary functions will be to assist the library staff in anticipating new courses; keeping the faculty informed of new publications and recent research tools; and in general, acting as a trouble shooter for the faculty in library matters.

Each of the academic departments and the graduate programs will be assigned a specific level code of desirability for holdings. This level will be based on the collection development guidelines developed by the Resources and Technical Services Division of ALA, 1979.

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PHILOSOPHY AND GOALS

Collection development can be defined to include the following characteristics:

1. Planning a systematic program to define the needs of the college community and selecting the material to meet these needs.
2. Evaluating the collection to determine the relevance of all items in the collection.

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OBJECTIVES OF FSC AND THE LIBRARY

The general purpose of this Library is to make available material which will support the goals and objectives of Fitchburg State College, namely: the promotion of the welfare of the entire college community; the intellectual, esthetic, and moral development of students during their college years; assistance of students in identifying their own personal goals and in deciding their careers; acknowledgment of some responsibility touching on the life of the local, regional, state, and national communities.

Recognizing that our primary clients are the students we will also provide the necessary material for the graduate programs.

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SELECTION STATEMENT

The library director is responsible for managing the library and ultimately the material that is added to the collection. The librarians will meet as a committee once a month to decide on the selection of certain materials which will be added to the collection. This includes selections that will cost over $100; all standing orders; and all periodical suggestions.

Each Librarian will be responsible for developing and maintaining a liaison relationship with an academic department of their choosing. Each department will in turn designate one of their faculty as their liaison. In selecting material, each librarian will need to maintain a department profile which will explain the needs and requirements of the department, the classes within the department, and the needs of the faculty; a subject file or profile which will briefly summarize; the literature of the subjects covered by the departments; and finally a holdings profile which would summarize the holdings of the FSC Library for the subjects covered by the departments.

The Collection Development Policy also recognizes and adopts the Guidelines of the Resources and Technical Services Division of the American Library Association. The librarians have met and decided the levels of collection for each of the academic departments. See attached.

All requests for material should be channeled to the appropriate librarian, no matter who initiated the request. The librarians have responsibility for selection.

In selecting material it will be the responsibility of each librarian to use the standard or appropriate titles.

The Library staff also adheres to the American Library Association Library Bill of Rights and the statement on Intellectual Freedom.

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GUIDELINES

FSC is not a depository for government publications, however the librarians will select those federal, state, city, and local documents deemed necessary by the librarians.

Association membership and their publications should be recognized as a valid method of collecting materials.

Gifts will be accepted with the stipulation that the librarians have the final authority as to whether the materials fit the scope of the collection. Refer to Gifts Section for details.

The library will not regularly acquire textbooks.

The library will not regularly acquire video materials.

Dissertations will be treated as any other monograph and will be purchased if they fit the needs of the academic department.

Open entry sets, serials, standing orders, periodicals, etc. will be added to the collection only after the librarians have given a positive vote on the respective titles.

If an item costs less than $100 the individual librarian will make the decision on the selection. If the item costs more than $100 the Librarians will vote on the title where the majority rules.

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SPECIAL AREAS OF CONCERN

• Periodicals
• Reference Collection
• World Wide Web

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EVALUATION OF THE COLLECTION

In order to allow the collection to be alive and useful, an active and continuous program of weeding will be maintained. It is important to prevent the shelves from becoming cluttered with materials of questionable significance even though the items once had a value. In order to maintain consistency the Librarians will be responsible for their own subject areas and the following guidelines/factors will be taken into consideration:

1. Replacement - Does or is the new title an updated edition, revised edition, etc.? Place note on order slip if review indicates action to be taken.
2. Physical Condition/age.
3. Number of copies/previous editions in collection.
4. Circulation figures.
5. Is the subject/title covered in other types of materials?

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CODES

COMPREHENSIVE LEVEL: A collection in which a library endeavors, so far as reasonably possible, to include all significant works of recorded knowledge (publications, manuscripts, other forms) for a necessarily defined field. This level of collecting intensity is that which maintains a "special collection"; the aim, if not the achievement, is exhaustiveness.

RESEARCH LEVEL: A collection which includes the major published source materials required for dissertations and independent research, including materials containing research reporting, new findings, scientific experimental results, and other information useful to researchers. It also includes all important reference works and a wide selection of specialized monographs, as well as an extensive collection of journals and major indexing and abstracting services in the field.

STUDY LEVEL: A collection which supports undergraduate or graduate course work, or sustained independent study; that is, which is adequate to maintain knowledge of a subject required for limited or generalized purpose, of less that research intensity. It includes a wide range of basic monographs, complete collections of the works of important writers, selections for the works of secondary writers, a selection or representative journals, and the reference tools and fundamental bibliographical apparatus pertaining to the subject.

1. Advanced Study Level A collection which is adequate to support course work of advanced undergraduate and master's degree programs, of sustained independent study; that is which is adequate to maintain knowledge of a subject required for limited of generalized purposes, of less that research intensity. It includes a wide range of basic monographs both current and retrospective, complete collections of the works of more important writers, selections from the works of secondary writers, a selection of representative journals, and the reference tools and fundamental bibliographical apparatus pertaining to the subject.
2. Initial Study Level A collection which is adequate to support undergraduate courses. It includes a judicious selection from currently published basic monographs (as are represented by CHOICE selections) supported by seminal retrospective monographs (as are represented by BOOKS FOR COLLEGE LIBRARIES); a broad selection of the major review journals; and current editions of the most significant reference tools and the bibliographies pertaining to the subject.

BASIC LEVEL A highly selective collection which serves to introduce and define the subject and to indicate the varieties of information available elsewhere. It includes major dictionaries and encyclopedias, selected editions of important works, historical surveys, important bibliographies, and a few major periodicals in the field.

MINIMAL LEVEL A subject area in which few selections are made beyond very basic works.

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GIFTS

The Gallucci-Cirio Library welcomes gifts of appropriate materials from the community that may provide valuable additions to the library collection. All donated materials are expected to meet the same standards of quality and relevance to the collection as all newly acquired titles. Donations should support the curriculum and the mission of the library as well as meet established collection development guidelines and policies.

All gifts will undergo review by professional library staff in charge of collecting for the particular subject area that the material falls under. In the event a reviewer is unsure whether certain material should be added to the collection, other librarians and teaching faculty will be consulted for their views on appropriateness.

The library reserves the right to dispose of any gift materials that it considers not to meet the library collection needs and policy guidelines. The library may dispose of the unaccepted material in a variety of different ways, including: giving to other libraries; giving to local, nonprofit organizations; giving to academic departments; giving to individual faculty, staff, or students; as well as discarding/throwing away. If the donor would like to redeem any materials not being considered for addition into the collection, please indicate this preference on the form below.

If it is the wish of the donor, items that are added to the collection may be recognized as a gift with the attachment of a book-plate stating the donor's name.

***It is the responsibility of the donor to have a monetary appraisal of his/her gift done before it is given to the library, if it is assumed the gift has a large monetary value and if an appraisal is so desired by the donor. This is in compliance with the Tax Reform Act of 1984 and the American Research Libraries' Statement on Appraisal of Gifts.

***All gifts of money must first be discussed with the Library Director.

Please fill out a Donation Form and submit it along with any gift materials to the Gallucci-Cirio Library. You may print out a blank Donation Form (PDF).

PERIODICALS COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY

INTRODUCTION

This Policy is to be used as a set of guidelines for the selection of periodicals for the Periodicals Collection. It will be used in conjunction with the Collection Development Policy of the Library. As set forth in the Policy, the library director has ultimate authority on all acquisition decisions. All decisions for selection or weeding will be done in conjunction with the collection development committee. Preliminary investigation to determine applicability of selection criteria will be completed by the periodical librarians. Decisions for titles submitted for selection or weeding will be based upon the code levels as described in the Collection Development Policy.

The philosophy for the collection is to meet the needs of the academic departments and their subject areas.

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OBJECTIVES OF THE PERIODICALS COLLECTION POLICY

1. To establish guidelines for the subject scope of the periodical titles which are to be added to the periodicals collection.
2. To set procedures for selecting new subscriptions/titles, acquiring back issues, and weeding materials.

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SUBJECT SCOPE OF THE COLLECTION

The periodicals collection provides introductory, general, statistical, trade, and in-depth information periodical titles. These titles will be used to serve the FSC community consisting of undergraduate programs in the Humanities, Liberal Arts, Sciences, Education, Nursing, communication/Media, and Business. The department also serves graduate programs in Education, Counselling, Management, a Masters of Art in Teaching English and the Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study program.

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CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

A. Current Subscriptions

1. Title(s) must meet the appropriate academic code level as detailed in the Collection Development Policy. The collection aims to purchase the core journals in all academic programs.
2. Access to the journal articles has to be assured through library owned indexes, abstracts, or CD-ROMs.
3. Reviews and recommendations from the professional library literature sources such as MAGAZINES FOR LIBRARIES, CHOICE, and literature reviews from the subject area will be consulted.
4. The existing holdings in the periodicals collection shall be consulted to provide a profile of holdings for the subject area and to see if the title is relevant.
5. Interlibrary loan request statistics will be consulted to ascertain use and demand.
6. The various library owned union lists will be consulted to ascertain the availability of the title in the geographic area.
7. The price of the subscription will also be considered.

B. Retrospective Holdings

1. When finances permit we will annually purchase back issues of journals in microform to expand the library's holdings.
2. The retrospective issues need to be indexed in the library owned indexes, abstracts and CD-ROMs.
3. Generally, FSC will purchase two years of back issues as a minimum order.

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PRESERVATION

It is library policy to store and preserve all appropriate periodical volumes. Preservation will include binding and the purchase of replacement issues on microfilm.

Retention decisions can be made at the committee meeting when the title is discussed or it can be made when the first volume/year is completed. It is the responsibility of the periodical librarians to determine format. Microfilm will be used to replace newspapers, tabloid size periodicals, heavily damaged titles, titles subject to a high theft rate and most weekly Subscriptions. All other volumes will be bound.

In addition, certain titles will be kept for a specified period of time and then discarded. These include: newsletters, non-indexed journals used mainly for current information and newspapers.

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GIFTS

Gift journals or volumes will be accepted when they meet the following criteria:

1. The title meets the criteria for selection as listed in this policy.
2. They fill in missing volumes or extend the run of a journal title already in place, provided back years are deemed useful.

Gift journals/volumes will not be accepted when:

1. They do not meet the selection criteria as listed in this policy.
2. They are in poor physical condition.
3. They duplicate material already in the collection.
4. They represent dated or old journals where no current subscription is in place and where no index is available.

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WEEDING

Decisions for weeding will be based on the following criteria:

1. Applicability of the selection criteria as listed else where in this policy.
2. Non-current titles that are not indexed.
3. Gifts that did not prove useful.
4. Journals no longer needed due to shifts in the curriculum.
5. Physical condition of the volumes and the amount of volumes/reels held in relation to the beginning and ending dates of the subscription.

REFERENCE COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY

INTRODUCTION

This policy is to be used as a set of guidelines for the selection of materials for the reference collection. It is to be used in conjunction with the Collection Development Policy of the Library. As set forth in the Policy, the Library Director has ultimate authority on all acquisition decisions, but it will be the prerogative of the Librarians to decide which titles will be submitted for selection/purchase.

The selection philosophy for the reference collection is to meet the needs of the academic departments and their subject areas. We do not use dollar or mathematical formulas to determine the context of the 'reference collection. The idea is to collect the sources which will meet the educational and course needs of the students. The librarians will also select those types of items, i.e., encyclopedias and dictionaries recommended by the reviewed sources which are necessary for each subject area.

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OBJECTIVES OF THE REFERENCE COLLECTION POLICY

1. To establish guidelines for the type and subject scope of materials which are to be added to the reference collection.
2. To set procedures for acquiring new material and for weeding the reference collection.

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SUBJECT SCOPE OF THE COLLECTION

1. The reference department provides general, introductory, and in- depth information sources for a college community consisting of undergraduate programs in the Humanities; Liberal Arts; Sciences; Education; Nursing; communication/Media; and Business. The Graduate and Continuing Education division offers a Masters of Education, a Masters of Science, a Masters of Art in Teaching English and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study. It also offers undergraduate degrees in Business and Vocational Education.
2. The Reference collection will exclude purchasing in the following areas:
   • Travel guides
   • Genealogy
   • Coin and stamp catalogs, except if they are gifts
3. All primary and secondary sources dealing with the College will be kept as part of the Archives Collection.

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SIZE OF THE COLLECTION

The Reference department does not designate an absolute limit to the size of the collection. However, the Reference Librarians are mindful of the needs and assignments of each department and will select and weed materials as needed.

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TYPES OF MATERIALS INCLUDED IN THE COLLECTION

1. Guidebooks. Guides to the literature for every subject taught on campus will be purchased.
2. Encyclopedias. The Collection includes all the major English Language single and multivolume general encyclopedias. The department will attempt to purchase revised editions of:
   • ACADEMIC AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA
   • COLLIER'S ENCYCLOPEDIA
   • COMPTON'S ENCYCLOPEDIA
   • ENCYCLOPEDIA
   • ENCYCLOPEDIA AMERICANA
   • ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA
   • THE MCGRAW-HILL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
   • WORLD BOOK

   on a rotating yearly schedule. In addition the collection will acquire encyclopedias for all subject areas.

3. Handbooks. The Collection attempts to secure current and authoritative handbooks for all subject areas taught on campus.
4. Dictionaries. The Collection will provide abridged and unabridged English Language dictionaries; one and two volume foreign language dictionaries; and selected subject foreign language dictionaries. This section will include specialized dictionaries such as those containing slang, the history of words, and the usage of words. In addition the collection will acquire dictionaries for all subject areas.
5. Bibliographies. The collection should contain the general subject bibliographies and select only those individual subject bibliographies when it is determined they are necessary.
6. Almanacs and Yearbooks. The Collection will secure current editions of the major almanacs and will secure only those yearbooks such as Special Education and when deemed necessary.
7. Annual Reviews. These are treated, as part of the circulating collection.
8. Biography. The Reference Department collects comprehensive volumes dealing with professional, vocational, subject and current biographies.
9. Concordances. Only Concordances dealing with the Bible and major authors (Shakespeare) will be collected.
10. Directories. The Collection includes the current editions of directories in as many subject areas as necessary. The only city directory to be purchased will be the Fitchburg City Directory.
11. Geographical Sources. The Collection provides authoritative atlases, current and historical; maps; and gazetteers. It does not include topographical or geologic maps.
12. Legal Materials. The library collects monographs dealing with the Law and the Reference Collection includes legal dictionaries, the U.S. Code Service, ANNOTATED LAWS OF MASSACHUSETTS, The DECISIONS OF THE U.S. SUPREME COURT, and THE SUPREME COURT REPORTER, Laws, monographic indexes to U.S. Supreme Court decisions. We do not purchase regional Court Reporters.
13. Library Catalogs. The reference collection receives the Microfilm College Catalog Collection.
14. Indexes/Abstracts/CD-ROM Subscriptions. The collection will collect indexes and abstracts as deemed appropriate. CD-ROM subscriptions will be purchased provided they are appropriate for the various Graduate programs.
15. Plot Summaries. The Collection will provide comprehensive works for the Literature subject area.
16. Style Manuals and Report writing Guides. The Collection includes all major style manuals and report writing guides.
17. Telephone Books. The Collection will include only those phone books covering all cities and towns of Massachusetts.
18. Standards. The Collection will include those standards as deemed necessary by the academic departments.

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ACQUISITION OF NEW MATERIALS

1. The Reference Librarians have primary responsibility for pursuing a systematic program for developing the Reference Collection. However, all librarians will be responsible for selecting titles in their assigned subject areas.
2. The following principles will be applied in selecting a title:
   • Strength and weakness of the existing subject area collection.
   • Judged usefulness of the work.
   • Favorable reviews of the works.
   • Credibility of the author.
   • Adherence to the collection development codes.
3. The librarians search relevant professional literature to ensure that important works of each academic subject area are included in the Collection.
   • Securing reference review from the following journals include:
   • BOOKLIST
   • COLLEGE & RESEARCH LIBRARIES
   • CHOICE
   • JOURNAL OF ACADEMIC LIBRARIANSHIP
   • RQ
   • REFERENCE SERVICE REVIEW
   • Examining publishers pamphlets.
   • Reviewing annual lists.
   • Checking the subject guides to the literature.
   • Checking GUIDE To REFERENCE BOOKS and Wolford's GUIDE TO REFERENCE MATERIALS.
   • Appropriate Subject Journals.

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INVENTORY OF THE COLLECTION

The reference collection will be inventoried each summer and a report will be issued stating the area of loss.

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WEEDING

1. Weeding is an essential process for keeping the reference collection current and up-to-date.
2. Many realities enter into a decision and there is no absolute rule. The following guidelines should be kept under consideration:
   • The age of the publication.
   • Duplication of information in other materials.
   • The physical condition of the book.
   • The subject need of the information contained in the material.
3. The procedures for weeding are as follows:
   • Automatic weeding is done when a new edition of a work is published. (i.e., directories).
   • Weeding by the librarians is done on a periodic basis and during the summer session.
   • Material to be weeded will be set up on shelves in the Technical Processing area for review by the reference librarians.
   • The reference librarians will place a note in each volume, explaining its treatment as follows:
   • Return to reference
   • Return to circulation
   • Update
   • Discard
   • Where there are professional disagreements, the reference department will discuss each volume.

WORLD WIDE WEB

INTRODUCTION

Fitchburg State College Library maintains a Home Page on the World Wide Web to:

• provide information about the Library
• provide an online reference service
• provide access to the Library's catalog and paid online services/subscriptions
• meet the general informational and educational needs of the College community

This policy is consistent with the existing Collection Development Policies and the Library's goals and objectives for service to the College community.

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INFLUENCING FACTORS

Information about the Library is compiled by the Library Director and representatives of the various Library departments.

Online inquires are handled by Reference Librarians as part of regular reference service.

Links to World Wide Web sites from the Library Home Page are selected to broaden, enrich, and complement the Library's print and non-print collections. Sites are evaluated according to their credibility, quality, and usefulness in order to support the needs and interests of the Library's patrons and staff.

Selection of World Wide Web sites is based on reviews and recommendations in sources such as Internet World, Online, and Library Journal.

Evaluation of sites is based on such factors as:

Access

• Stable site
• How fees, if any, are paid
• Consistently available

Design

• Well organized
• Clear instructions
• Easy to use
• Uncluttered and cleanly designed
• Graphics that enhance the content

Content

• Authoritative
• Documented, accurate, verifiable
• Timely and updated regularly
• Preference given to educational, governmental, and non-profit organizational sites
• Appropriateness of subject matter

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DEVELOPMENT PLAN

The Fitchburg State College Library Home Page will continue to change in response to the ever-changing nature of the Internet. The Home Page should not grow beyond the number of links which can be maintained in a timely manner.

RETENTION AND WEEDING

Linked sites are reviewed periodically for access, design, and content. If a site no longer meets our selection criteria, or is inactive or out-of-date, it is removed.

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