Collection Development Policy
Introduction
The Collection Development Policy defines the processes and policies for materials selection, retention and deselection in the Sauk Valley Community College (SVCC) Learning Commons Library. The Policy is informed and guided by the Mission and Vision of the College and applies to materials of all formats added to the collection. The library will collaborate with academic departments to provide resources to support teaching and learning, and will also provide resources that meet the leisure interests of all patrons, ensuring a collection that will serve the academic and cultural needs of SVCC students, staff, and residents of the College district.
College Mission and Strategic Directions
Mission
Sauk Valley Community College is dedicated to teaching and scholarship while engaging the community in lifelong learning, public service, and economic development.
Shared Ethical Values
Sauk Valley Community College respects the worth and dignity of all people; stands for integrity and fairness; and encourages responsibility, accountability, and persistence in a caring, supportive environment.
Strategic Vision
Sauk Valley Community College will be a leader in student achievement while expanding access to higher education across the Sauk Valley region.
Library Vision
The library offers resources and services to students and employees of the College, as well as residents of the SVCC community, for education, information, and enjoyment. Library collection development efforts will conscientiously support the College mission by providing resources and services that contribute to a successful learning program, accommodating the full range of the needs and capabilities of the user population. In order to encourage community engagement, the library collection will honor the culture and the specific needs of populations residing within the SVCC district.
Collection Development Guidelines
Library staff are solely responsible for decisions about collection management. Resources that inform these decisions include reviews, bibliographies, publisher catalogs, curriculum reports, course assignments, and reference interactions. To meet the needs of all library patrons, staff will select appropriate materials that support the missions of the College and the library; work in cooperation with faculty to select materials that support the curriculum; seek input regarding the advantages of different formats of materials; and entertain suggestions from all patrons related to the acquisition of books and other materials, in order to maintain a collection that is balanced and useful.
Allocation of Funds
Funds are not allocated specifically for particular academic divisions or individual classes. However, faculty and staff members are encouraged as subject matter experts to provide advice, and acquisitions may include materials which are not associated with library research but which may support or supplement the curriculum.
Following are selection priorities for the allocation of funds:
- materials in formats that support the curriculum
- materials in formats that supplement the curriculum
- materials that meet the reading interests of library service populations
- materials for individual enjoyment or enrichment
General Selection Criteria
The library is dedicated to meeting the present and future information needs of faculty, staff, and students by conscientiously adapting to changes in the information landscape and use of information. Materials selections will be made carefully by adhering to selection criteria, consulting resource reviews, and determining the availability of materials via interlibrary loan.
Factors taken into consideration when selecting materials for the collection include suitability of format and content to their use in the curriculum; appropriate academic level for users; accuracy of information; authority of the creator or issuing body; reputation of the publisher; representation of varying viewpoints; timeliness, cost, and lasting value of the material; and addressing gaps in relevant areas of the collection.
Specific Formats
Books and eBooks
Print is the preferred format for purchases, and hardback copies are preferred to paperback copies. Purchase of new print titles and replacement of lost or damaged print titles will take into consideration the default lost item replacement fee in the Alma library services platform. Print titles are purchased to support and supplement the curriculum and to meet the reading interests of library patrons. Books in the circulating print collection are available for checkout to all library patrons.
The library collection includes eBooks from the CARLI eBook Program and subscription databases, as well as perpetual access titles that are purchased from vendors and hosted on vendor platforms. Perpetual access purchases are intended to support and supplement the curriculum. Books in the library eBook collection may be accessed by SVCC employees and students.
Periodicals and Newspapers
Magazines and journals are available in digital and print formats. Journals in digital format support student research, and most are included in subscription databases. A number of print periodicals for leisure reading are available in the library and may be checked out.
Local and national newspapers are collected in print and digital formats. Print editions of local newspapers are available in the library. National newspapers are collected as individual subscriptions or included in subscription databases, and are available to SVCC employees and students.
Multimedia
Materials in audiovisual or audio formats are available primarily through subscription databases, and are available to SVCC employees and students. Most physical multimedia materials have been removed from the library collection in response to the consumer preference for streaming services. A limited number of multimedia materials remain in the library physical collection to support or supplement the curriculum and are available to SVCC employees and students from library course reserves.
Removal, Disposal, and Replacement of Materials
The de-selection or weeding process is integral to collection maintenance. Materials are withdrawn in order to keep a current and useful collection which reflects the goals of the library. The principles that guide the selection of materials also guide the de-selection or weeding of materials. Library staff regularly evaluate the collection and withdraw materials that are outdated, no longer in demand, unnecessarily duplicated, or worn. Final decisions to withdraw are made by library staff on a title-by-title basis.
Library staff will determine the most appropriate method of disposal of materials weeded from the collection. All titles that can be sold via a third party will be packaged and shipped, and others will be made available at no cost to students, staff, and community members. Materials that cannot be repurposed are subject to disposal at the discretion of library staff.
As with selection, the faculty is encouraged to periodically review materials in their subject areas and to make recommendations for deletion and /or replacement of materials. The same general criteria used for selection should be applied when considering material for withdrawal. Other criteria for evaluating materials for withdrawal may include cost; physical quality; obsolescence; superseded editions; changes in curriculum; quantity and currency of past use; duplicates no longer needed; and subject availability in subscription databases and in other parts of the collection.
Policy Statements
Copyright and Licensing
In accordance with SVCC Board Policy 521.01, the library will comply with existing copyright laws and guidelines, or with vendor license agreements when these agreements differ from copyright law.
Intellectual Freedom and Inclusivity
The library supports academic freedom and the free pursuit of knowledge. Collection management decisions are made in support of discovery and learning, and with the intention of representing the diverse perspectives of our community. This includes populations, histories, and perspectives that have been historically diminished, marginalized or underrepresented. The library strives to ensure that resources and services are welcoming and supportive to all, and will address to the extent possible any barriers to their use.
Gifts and Donations
The library welcomes gifts and donations from the public that fall within the scope of collection guidelines. Materials that are accepted become the property of the library, and donors may not impose any restrictions on donations or their disposition. The library will utilize donations to best serve the College. On request, donors will be provided an acknowledgement letter for all accepted items. Staff members do not appraise gifts or assign dollar amounts for tax purposes.
Reconsideration of Materials
In spite of the care taken by library staff in the selection of materials for the collection, objections may arise to particular works. The Sauk Valley Community College Learning Commons Library prioritizes the intellectual freedom of its patrons, and will prevent censorship of its library materials, ensuring items are not withdrawn from its library collection solely because individuals or groups object to the material.
For questions about the Sauk Valley Community College Learning Commons Library Collection Development Policy please contact the Learning Commons Library Coordinator at 815-835-6270.
Drafted 09/21/2023