Acquisitions and Collection Development

Responsibility for Collection Development

The library has a system of shared responsibility for the selection of library materials. Each of the academic departments receives an allocation to purchase materials in its specific subject areas. The library staff also selects materials they deem appropriate for inclusion to the general collections. Both of these groups of selectors are guided by the Collection Development Policy Statement. Material falling outside the scope of these policies is acquired only in extraordinary circumstances. The library, rather than participating in extensive approval plans, relies on review materials for selection decisions. Selectors use a wide range of reviewing sources in making informed choices. The journals Choice and Library Journal remain the foundation review sources for the book collection. A liaison system for collection development expedites the handing of faculty requests, and informs and advises the faculty on collection development matters. To maintain a collection that is timely, it is essential to purchase materials as they are published rather than retrospectively. Preference will always be given to current publications over dated ones. At all times, the library retains the final right and responsibility of selection for all materials to be housed in its facilities.

A department-based liaison program, consisting of librarians and faculty, collaborate to select and guide the growth of the collections by discipline. The Collection Development Committee comprised of the entire professional staff and the Library Dean, meets monthly to create policy, discuss issues and make final decisions on all matters concerning the collections.
Materials covered by collection development include traditional print formats of serials and monographs, microforms, electronic databases and audio-visual resources, particularly video and audiocassettes and sound recordings. All library materials purchased by the library are housed in the library building. There are no satellite collections.