Library - More Info - Collections Policies
Purpose:
The Collection Development Policy is intended to serve as a statement establishing written guidelines for the acquisition and maintenance of Cumberland University 's library collections. The increase in demand for information in a wide variety of formats coupled with an increase in the amount of information produced necessitate a consistent collection policy with which to select materials within financial constraints. The policy is flexible and subject to review and will change as the information needs of the university change.
Goal:
The primary goal of the library's Collection Development Policy is to ensure that the library builds and maintains a collection attuned to Cumberland University 's undergraduate and graduate curricula.
Collection Development Responsibility:
Under the direction of the Collection Development Coordinator, both librarians and faculty members share responsibility for building and maintaining the collection. Librarians who participate in collection development serve as subject specialists and are assigned to appropriate academic disciplines. Librarians also serve as liaisons to faculty members participating in the program. As subject specialists, each librarian will be responsible for selecting material in his or her particular discipline, assessing and maintaining the collection, and keeping abreast of new information. Tools used in the selection of new material include book reviews (primarily from the magazine Choice ), publisher catalogs, and bibliographies. The Collection Development Coordinator supervises the collection develop process, including budgeting, selecting, and weeding.
Although librarians and faculty involved directly in the collection development process have ultimate responsibility, all faculty members, students, and staff may request that the library purchase new materials. The same standards apply to these requests. A form is available on the library's website for requesting items.
Allocation of Funds:
The materials budget is divided according to academic discipline based on the following five factors: circulation figures, number of students within a division, average cost of books in a discipline, number of courses within a division, and past purchases by division.
Selection Philosophy:
The library collects a wide variety of materials in a number of formats including printed books, printed periodicals, online databases, videos, compact discs, and newspapers. The library collection, with some exceptions, is based on quality, not quantity. As a small library, space and budget considerations preclude buying materials that do not meet the current needs of the school's curriculum. Also, duplicates will not be added to the collection unless heavy demand is expected. Because of the institution's emphasis on teaching over research, the library's philosophy for selecting materials to meet the immediate needs of the university community works very well. The library cannot accommodate the great amount of materials available that might possibly be of use for someone at some unknown point in the future. The library does provide interlibrary loan to students and faculty who require material for specific research interests.
Selection Guidelines
In addition to the general guidelines above, materials are judged according to the following standards:
The Collection Development Policy is intended to serve as a statement establishing written guidelines for the acquisition and maintenance of Cumberland University 's library collections. The increase in demand for information in a wide variety of formats coupled with an increase in the amount of information produced necessitate a consistent collection policy with which to select materials within financial constraints. The policy is flexible and subject to review and will change as the information needs of the university change.
Goal:
The primary goal of the library's Collection Development Policy is to ensure that the library builds and maintains a collection attuned to Cumberland University 's undergraduate and graduate curricula.
Collection Development Responsibility:
Under the direction of the Collection Development Coordinator, both librarians and faculty members share responsibility for building and maintaining the collection. Librarians who participate in collection development serve as subject specialists and are assigned to appropriate academic disciplines. Librarians also serve as liaisons to faculty members participating in the program. As subject specialists, each librarian will be responsible for selecting material in his or her particular discipline, assessing and maintaining the collection, and keeping abreast of new information. Tools used in the selection of new material include book reviews (primarily from the magazine Choice ), publisher catalogs, and bibliographies. The Collection Development Coordinator supervises the collection develop process, including budgeting, selecting, and weeding.
Although librarians and faculty involved directly in the collection development process have ultimate responsibility, all faculty members, students, and staff may request that the library purchase new materials. The same standards apply to these requests. A form is available on the library's website for requesting items.
Allocation of Funds:
The materials budget is divided according to academic discipline based on the following five factors: circulation figures, number of students within a division, average cost of books in a discipline, number of courses within a division, and past purchases by division.
Selection Philosophy:
The library collects a wide variety of materials in a number of formats including printed books, printed periodicals, online databases, videos, compact discs, and newspapers. The library collection, with some exceptions, is based on quality, not quantity. As a small library, space and budget considerations preclude buying materials that do not meet the current needs of the school's curriculum. Also, duplicates will not be added to the collection unless heavy demand is expected. Because of the institution's emphasis on teaching over research, the library's philosophy for selecting materials to meet the immediate needs of the university community works very well. The library cannot accommodate the great amount of materials available that might possibly be of use for someone at some unknown point in the future. The library does provide interlibrary loan to students and faculty who require material for specific research interests.
Selection Guidelines
In addition to the general guidelines above, materials are judged according to the following standards:
- Currency: The focus of collection development is on current materials. Exceptions include selecting materials that form part of a core collection in a subject taught at the university. The library also endeavors to replace lost or stolen items.
- Language: The library favors material published primarily in English. Exceptions include materials purchased to support courses in foreign languages.
- Reputation of Author and Publisher: How authoritative are the author(s) and publisher of the material in question?
- Strength of Present Holdings: Is the library already sufficient in the area?
- Suitability: Does the library possess the proper equipment to view or listen to the material?
- Cost: Does demand for an item justify the acquisition of a high-cost item?
- Lasting Value: Does the item have lasting value?
Books & Serials
Books
Serials
Unlike books, serial subscriptions require ongoing financial commitments. In addition to cost, serials require greater amounts of storage and must eventually be bound. Thus, serials tend to be scrutinized more carefully than other materials.
- Hardbacks/Paperbacks: When a choice exists between hardback and paperback books of the same item,hardbacks are purchased. If only a paperback edition is available, the library places plastic covers over the book to ensure a longer lasting value.
- Textbooks: Textbooks are not purchased as a rule. Exceptions would include items deemed "classics" in a particular field or otherwise relevant to the collection.
- E-Books: The library subscribes to NetLibrary which provides the full-text of over 35,000 electronic books on a variety of subjects.
- Juvenile Material: The library collects both the annual Newbery & Caldecott winning books and other juvenile and curriculum lab materials to support the needs of the Division of Education.
- Rare Books: The library does not select rare books.
Serials
Unlike books, serial subscriptions require ongoing financial commitments. In addition to cost, serials require greater amounts of storage and must eventually be bound. Thus, serials tend to be scrutinized more carefully than other materials.
- Periodicals: Librarians and faculty conduct periodic reviews of individual periodical titles. The criteria used in deciding to drop or add a particular title are as follows:
- Does the periodical support the curriculum?
- Is the periodical available in full-text in one of the library's online databases?
- Is the cost of the periodical becoming prohibitively expensive?
- Does usage warrant continuing the subscription?
- Newspapers: The library subscribes to a select number of local and national newspapers. Newspapers are retained for 2 weeks and are then discarded. Three newspapers, the Lebanon Democrat , the Wilson World , and the Mt. Juliet News are retained for permanent use.
- Back Runs: The library will rely on interlibrary loan to acquire articles from serials it does not hold.
- Online Databases: The library subscribes to a variety of online databases. Some contain the full-text of a magazine or journal article. The databases also serve as traditional indices for serials owned by the library.
- Standing Order Books: The library has a number of standing orders that are updated annually.
Other
Government Publications:
The library is not a depository for either state or federal documents. However, the library does purchase materials published by governmental agencies. These consist mainly of statistical books and other reference material.
Microforms:
The library does not select microforms. Only serials that are converted to microform are retained.
Maps and Atlases:
The library will repair or replace atlases already existing in the collection. Maps are not selected.
Special Collections: Stockton Archives
The library contains an archive of materials associated with Cumberland University . Cumberland staff, students and alumni donate most of this material. However, the library may purchase documents relevant to the university's history.
Tennessee Collection: Dissertations & Theses:
The library does not collect any dissertations or theses. However, materials written by Cumberland faculty are accepted on donation and placed in the Stockton Archives.
Telephone Books:
Due to the availability of free telephone books and listings on the Internet, the library does not collect these materials.
College Catalogs:
Since a great number of colleges provide copies of their catalogs on the Internet, the library does not collect these materials.
Indexes:
The library's old paper indexes have been replaced for the most part by online databases (see above under "Serials"). Exceptions include the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature, which is a standing order.
Audio/Visual Materials:
Videocassettes and CD-ROMs are actively selected. The criteria for selection are identical to that of books. Audiocassettes are usually not selected.
Weeding Policy:
Librarians assess the relevance and physical condition of materials in the collection on a continuing basis. Materials deemed outdated or otherwise irrelevant for the university curriculum are removed. Materials judged to be in poor condition, but still useful, will be repaired or replaced, if possible. Also, materials superceded by newer editions will be replaced. Particular attention is paid to the areas of health sciences and computer information. Material that is older than five years or two editions is removed from the collection.
GiftsGifts are accepted if the items meet the library's collection development criteria. No conditions as to their disposition will be honored. The library reserves the right to dispose of the materials for any reason.
PreservationThe library endeavors to preserve materials as best as possible. Items are evaluated on a continuing basis. The main priority is that the materials remain in good condition for regular library use. However, with the exception of items in Special Collections, the library makes no effort to preserve material for perpetuity.
The library is not a depository for either state or federal documents. However, the library does purchase materials published by governmental agencies. These consist mainly of statistical books and other reference material.
Microforms:
The library does not select microforms. Only serials that are converted to microform are retained.
Maps and Atlases:
The library will repair or replace atlases already existing in the collection. Maps are not selected.
Special Collections: Stockton Archives
The library contains an archive of materials associated with Cumberland University . Cumberland staff, students and alumni donate most of this material. However, the library may purchase documents relevant to the university's history.
Tennessee Collection: Dissertations & Theses:
The library does not collect any dissertations or theses. However, materials written by Cumberland faculty are accepted on donation and placed in the Stockton Archives.
Telephone Books:
Due to the availability of free telephone books and listings on the Internet, the library does not collect these materials.
College Catalogs:
Since a great number of colleges provide copies of their catalogs on the Internet, the library does not collect these materials.
Indexes:
The library's old paper indexes have been replaced for the most part by online databases (see above under "Serials"). Exceptions include the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature, which is a standing order.
Audio/Visual Materials:
Videocassettes and CD-ROMs are actively selected. The criteria for selection are identical to that of books. Audiocassettes are usually not selected.
Weeding Policy:
Librarians assess the relevance and physical condition of materials in the collection on a continuing basis. Materials deemed outdated or otherwise irrelevant for the university curriculum are removed. Materials judged to be in poor condition, but still useful, will be repaired or replaced, if possible. Also, materials superceded by newer editions will be replaced. Particular attention is paid to the areas of health sciences and computer information. Material that is older than five years or two editions is removed from the collection.
GiftsGifts are accepted if the items meet the library's collection development criteria. No conditions as to their disposition will be honored. The library reserves the right to dispose of the materials for any reason.
PreservationThe library endeavors to preserve materials as best as possible. Items are evaluated on a continuing basis. The main priority is that the materials remain in good condition for regular library use. However, with the exception of items in Special Collections, the library makes no effort to preserve material for perpetuity.
