Collection
Development Guidelines
Collection
Development Philosophy top
Providing
access to materials is the key component of the Mesa Community College
Libraries philosophy. Access is obtained through acquiring a core library
collection on site and making the widest possible use of all resources
available through networking with other MCCCD libraries, other Arizona
libraries, consortia, and all available on-line networks and resources
both national and international.
All materials acquired
by the Mesa Community College Libraries should reflect resource needs
of Mesa Community College. This basic principle will determine such
fundamentals as type, format, quantity, and scope of resources to be
acquired. In general the resource needs of the college will reflect
one or more of the following:
Curriculum
support
General
information
General
or special professional growth
Cultural
enrichment
Extracurricular
interests
Purpose
of the Guidelines top
The purpose of the Collection Development
Policy is to guide the selection of materials and equipment and to
inform the public about the principles upon which these selections
are made.
Overview
of College and Library top
A. Mesa Community College
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1.
Mission
The
mission of Mesa Community College is to promote excellence in
teaching and learning, preparing individuals for active citizenship
in a diverse global society. The college is a community resource
for transfer education, career preparation, developmental education,
economic development, and continuous learning. Our ultimate purpose
is to improve the quality of life in the community we serve.
2.
Campuses
Mesa Community College has two comprehensive campuses and extended
campus sites. MCC at Southern and Dobson, MCC at Red Mountain,
and Extended Campus sites serve the educational and learning needs
of a large service area in the East Valley- a total population
of over 800,000 residents. Over 120 different Internet courses
are offered through the Distance Learning program. In the 2004
fall semester, almost 28,000 students were enrolled in credit
courses college wide. The Red Mountain campus located in northeast
Mesa, welcomed 3,900 of those students.
3.
Programs and Degrees
Mesa Community College offers academic, career and technical,
and personal interest programs for students pursuing a wide range
of educational goals. |
B. The Libraries
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1.
Mission
The collective mission of Mesa Community College Libraries is
to:
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a.
Provide assistance and opportunities to students, faculty, staff
and community to meet their informational and educational needs
and to promote continuous learning.
b. Provide onsite and remote access to resources, instruction
and services that meets the diverse needs of our community.
c. Contribute to information competency and empower our community
to become critical and effective information users.
d. Provide functional facilities and virtual environments to support
teaching, learning and community needs.
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2.
Library at Southern and Dobson
The Paul A. Elsner Library and High Technology Complex opened
in the fall of 1999 as the focal point of the single largest building
program in the history of the Maricopa Community College District.
Designed and built with an emphasis on access to information,
collaboration, experimentation, and a commitment to flexible learning
spaces, the library and surrounding grounds blend with our mission
to serve students and the community. Open spaces, a balance between
old and new needs, and the focus on flexibility and change are
key design principles that guided the building program for our
learning community.
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3.
Library at Red Mountain
Red Mountain opened in the fall of 2001 as Mesa Community College’s
second comprehensive campus. The campus includes a library facility
which provides all services available at the Southern and Dobson
facility. The library’s design emphasizes the campus’
commitment to collaborative learning and respect for the natural
environment. Shelving units were selected to guarantee an unimpeded
view of our signature area landmark, the Red Mountain. Furniture
is of earth tones and lightweight, providing a soothing harmony
with the desert landscaping and flexibility for collaboration.
The Library works closely with the Business and Psychology departments
to provide access to key technology support services for students.
This model of collaboration expands our access to students and
hopefully will assist in our plans for infusing Information Literacy
across the MCC curriculum. |
Intellectual
Property/Copyright Compliance top
The libraries support the American Library
Association in the Library
Bill of Rights and its concepts of intellectual freedom.
In an effort to provide materials representing diverse sources of
information and the widest possible range of ideas and viewpoints,
some materials the libraries acquire may be considered controversial
by certain groups or individuals. The acquisition or use of any item
does not imply approval or endorsement of the content. In the event
that material is challenged, the user can refer to the XI Questioned
Materials section of this document.
The libraries comply with the Copyright Law of the United States.
Library services including reserve materials procedures, interlibrary
loan, photocopying, and acquisition procedures, must comply with the
U.S. copyright principles.
Responsibility
for Acquisition top
Selection responsibility and accountability
ultimately rests with the residential faculty librarians at the MCC
Libraries. Anyone within the user community may recommend purchase
of library materials. The Library reserves the right to make all final
decisions on purchases; however, every recommendation will be given
consideration. To be considered, the material must align with the
college curriculum. To request materials submit the Materials
Request web form.
Selection Criteria
top
A. General Criteria
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1.
Importance/relevance to the curriculum
2. General reference and research needs
3. Contribution to breadth or depth of the collection
4. Selection for review in relevant review media
5. Patron needs, including requirements of special population
6. Faculty recommendation
7. Value/cost/quality
8. Timeliness of information
9. Depth of coverage and adequacy of scope
10. Authoritativeness and accuracy
11. Appropriateness of format
12. Special features
13. Physical space requirements
14. Maintenance costs |
B. Criteria
for specific types of resources
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1.
Audiovisuals/videos/audios/slides/DVDs
MCC libraries use the following criteria to select these formats:
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a.
Curricular support
b. Technical quality
c. Cost effectiveness
d. Copyright/licensing
e. Format
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2.
Books
An emphasis on acquiring new or current titles is made, although
significant retrospective titles may be acquired if they reflect
the curriculum. In general, single copies of books are purchased
unless a topic is deemed very popular, in which case the library
will consider purchasing multiple copies. Books in alternate formats,
such as electronic books or e-books will be acquired under the
same criteria as print books. The library does not generally acquire
textbooks. They will be purchased only when they can provide a
good, general introduction to a topic or when no other general
book can be found. Faculty may place their own textbook copies
on reserve for student’s use, if they wish.
For each field in the curricula, the library will contain a collection
of books concerning:
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a.
the subject as a whole
b. narrower divisions of the subject where courses are offered
c. other important divisions of the subject.
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3.
Electronic Resources
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a.
Statement of Purpose
Mesa Community College Libraries collect electronic resources
to support the educational and instructional needs of Mesa Community
College students, faculty, and staff. For the purpose of library
collection development, "electronic resources" are defined
as resources that require computer access. Examples include, but
are not limited to: Periodical indexes, reference databases, Adobe
Acrobat PDF documents, and multimedia files. Data may be accessible
via the Internet, particularly the World Wide Web, online services,
CD-ROM, or diskette.
b. Selection Criteria
In addition to the General Selection Criteria in Section VI, A,
the following criteria will be considered in reviewing a new electronic
database:
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i.
Comprehensiveness: scope, subject coverage, time span, frequency
of updates.
ii. Functionality: Ease of use, quick load time; if Web site,
well maintained.
iii. Type of access, e.g. World Wide Web, local network, standalone
workstation, circulation from general stacks, circulation from
reserve room, etc. or other readily available means of access.
iv. Quality of indexing, search engine.
v. Preservation, storage, and archiving of data; stability of
Web-based resource.
vi. Anticipated number of users, based upon the specific courses
that will be served.
vii. Special attention should be given to authority and currency.
viii. Electronic books are considered when they provide the most
current and or cost effective format, or to support distance education
courses and programs. Selections will be based on the same criteria
as regular books.
ix. Consortium guidelines for purchase of electronic materials
set by the Maricopa Community Colleges District will be considered.
Materials will not be selected if the Maricopa Community Colleges
District resources provide adequate coverage.
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c.
Review of Electronic Resources
The procedure for reviewing and deciding the continuation or withdrawal
of electronic resources will be based on these criteria:
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i.
Circulation or use statistics generated from the vendor and from
other data collections methods.
ii. Availability of a better product based on evaluation methods
and criteria listed in this policy statement
iii. Current product becomes obsolete or cost prohibitive.
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d.
Subscription Databases
Guidelines for the purchase of subscription electronic databases
are as follows:
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i.
Service Factors
- Ease
of use
- On-screen
instruction
- End
results/Success of search
- Quality
of indexing
- Quality
of content/Text/Abstracts
- Links
to other searches/topics
- Ease
of printing/Downloading features
- Searching
features (Keyword/Boolean)
- On-screen
help/Commands
- Online
thesauri/Authority/Subjects
- Response
time
- Compatibility
with collection/Student needs
- Usage
statistics/Patterns
- Other
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ii.
Cost Factors
- Pricing
- Ownership
- Subscription/Leased
product
- Backfiles/Cost
and availability
- Remote
access/College-wide/Off-site
- Concurrent
number of users
- Frequency
of updates
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iii.
Technical Factors
- Technical/Customer
support
- Maintenance/Updates
- Storage/Back-ups
- Space
factors
- Hardware
needs
- Documentation/Guides
- Network
reliability
- Lifespan
(Longevity)/Portability
- Suitability
of graphics
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iv.
Coverage Factors
- Match
to collection(s)/Curriculum
- Complete
coverage (Cover to cover)
- Index/Abstract/Full-text/Image
or Combination Database
- Range
of years
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i.
Site is authoritative, credible, and non-commercial (exceptions
will only be made for sites of exceptional quality)
ii. Site supports general reference and research needs
iii. Preference is given to sites that are open to everyone and
do not require membership or fees
iv. Site is intuitive and easy to navigate
v. Site's purpose is clearly stated
vi. Information about the author, title and date of most recent
update is clearly identified
vii. Site employs navigation buttons or links, enabling the user
to locate a particular page easily
viii. Page is stable and does not move frequently or disappear.
ix. Web duplication of print resources is acceptable for free
Internet resources in order to provide an additional point of
access |
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4.
Government publications
Mesa
Community College Libraries are not a depository for federal
or state publications. Materials selected will meet the same
criteria as the general collection.
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5.
Leased Collection
Popular,
current books are leased by contract through the Baker and Taylor
Leasing Plan. Materials that receive substantial use are purchased
from the vendor at a discount for inclusion into the circulating
collection. Participation in the plan is dependent on overall
funding for library materials with priority given to titles
that support the curriculum.
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6.
Maps, atlases, globes
Maps are a part of the library’s reference collection. Additional
maps will be purchased as needed for classroom support or at the
request of an instructor. Atlases are included in the reference
collection also.
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7.
Microform
The
selection of titles in this format is limited to back files
of periodicals and newspapers.
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8.
Newspapers
see
Periodicals
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9.
Paperbacks
Hardbound
books are preferred for purchase. Paperbacks are purchased when
title is only available in that format.
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10.
Periodicals
Periodicals,
serials, journals, and newspapers are publications issues in
successive parts bearing numeric or chronological designations
and intended to be continued indefinitely. Serials are issued
in print, microform and electronic formats. All formats will
be considered in the libraries purchase and or access decisions.
Serials are acquired through subscriptions. Serials selection
is made with care since they represent an expensive, long term
commitment.
Most often it is more cost efficient to purchase electronic
access for serials instead of print subscriptions. Cooperative
acquisition of electronic serials is actively pursued. Electronic
serials subscriptions licensing contracts may limit access to
currently enrolled students, faculty and staff. Print and electronic
titles are reviewed annually.
In selecting periodicals the following additional criteria will
be considered along with the Library's general selection criteria:
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a.
Considered a core publication for disciplines taught at MCC
b. Supports current curriculum needs at MCC
c. Indexing in available databases
d. Full-text is not available from two or more of the database
vendors
e. Cost of the subscription
f. Scope, audience level
g. Past demand for requests through interlibrary loan
h. Provides a unique contribution to the collection
i. Availability at other district libraries
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11.
Textbooks
Textbooks
are not selected unless recommended by faculty as exceptional
resources. Exceptions are those titles that have earned a reputation
as “classics” in their fields, or which are the
only or best source of information on a particular topic, or
for a particular user group. Their high cost, frequent revision
and poor physical quality make them questionable for a library’s
permanent collection.
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Collection Assessment
and Maintenance top
The goal of collection assessment is
to evaluate the appropriateness of the library collection and to document
the progress of a collection-building program. At regular intervals
library liaisons undertake evaluation of the collection. This process
assists librarians in making informed collection development decisions.
Ongoing
collection maintenance activities include de-selection, preservation
and subscription cancellation.
Deselection
top
Deselection of library materials (process
of removing items from the collection) is essential for the maintenance
of a current, academically sound library collection. Deselection provides
quality control of materials by eliminating outdated, inaccurate and
worn out titles. Librarians are responsible for conducting an on-going
deselection project. Faculty members are consulted when specific items
are recommended for removal from the collection. Withdrawn materials
will be disposed of according to MCCD
policy.
Gifts top
The library welcomes gifts of materials
that are consistent with the collection development policy and provided
there are no restrictions attached as to their disposition. Because
all items added to the collection generate processing and storage
costs, materials received as gifts will be evaluated by the same criteria
as materials purchased. Gifts are accepted with the understanding
that materials not added to the collection will be disposed of in
ways most advantageous to the library. Acknowledgement of gifts will
be provided to the donor, but no value appraisal will be supplied.
Memorials and financial donations are also accepted. For more information
contact the Library Collection Management at (480) 461-7694.
Questioned
Materials top
The library does not add or withdraw,
at the request of any individual or group, materials which have been
chosen or excluded on the basis of stated selection criteria. Any
individual or group questioning the appropriateness of materials in
the collection should direct its question in writing to the Director
of Library Services (1833 West Southern Avenue, Mesa, AZ 85202) who
will consult with the MCC Library Committee and MCC Administration
and prepare a written response.
Policy Review
top
The Collection Development Guidelines
were reviewed and approved by the residential faculty librarians on
January 2005. This document will be reviewed every two years in terms
of the assessed information needs of Mesa Community College, the growing
profusion of electronic resources, and emerging technologies.
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