COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY

Learning Resources Center Mission Statement
The Learning Resources Center is committed to providing open and equal access to an organized collection of information sources and instructional equipment to meet the varied informational, learning, and developmental needs of citizens in Southwest Oklahoma. The development of information retrieval skills is provided by qualified staff through the use of traditional resources combined with current technology.

1. Introduction
   In support of the above mission statement, the Library acquires information resources in a variety of formats: e.g., books, journals, newspapers, CD-Roms, video/audio tapes, DVD, and digital files. We also acquire access to information through direct licensing from authorized providers, establishing connections to free resources or making consortial agreements with publishers, libraries, or other organizations. This document will refer to these resources as the Library’s materials or collections, whether they are owned, leased, or borrowed, and whether or not they reside physically in the Library.
    
   This policy is proposed as a statement of the operating guidelines used by the Western Oklahoma State College Learning Resources Center in its acquisition and maintenance of materials. Rising costs, new technology, and expanding demand for information resources necessitate careful materials selection, soundly based on an understanding of the immediate and future goals of the Learning Resources Center and the institution and students it serves. A collection must be systematically shaped and developed in order to make the best use of the funds allotted it.
    
   In addition to collecting and developing resources, the Library is responsible for promoting their use among the college community through cataloging the collection as well as more focused outreach to potential users. We are also charged with ongoing maintenance and preservation of archive materials that may be of long-term usefulness for the college and the surrounding community. 
     
2. Purpose
   The purpose of this collection development policy is to guide the Learning Resources Center in assuring quality and relevance in the acquisition and retention of materials in a collection designed to support the mission of Western Oklahoma State College. Our intent is to obtain expertly selected books and materials to further the library collection, provide a plan for strengthening the breadth and depth of this Library’s collections and instructional programs, provide adequate detail to give clear guidance to individual staff members in selection and acquisition of materials, be general enough to offer the flexibility necessary for creative and imaginative educational decision making, and comply with all state laws governing library policy and activities.
    
3. Objectives
   It is our policy to select materials that enrich and support the educational curriculums currently in use. Our commitment is to provide a wide range of instructional materials within all subject areas with a diversity of appeal and different points of view. Our collection will recognize the importance of retaining basic materials of permanent or historic value as well as providing a current, updated collection of materials on current issues and educational topics.
    
   We will assist faculty and staff members and students in becoming effective users of ideas and information. Emphasis will be placed on the development of skills necessary for independent, lifelong learning, and on instilling an appreciation for reading. LRC staff members will provide opportunities to develop the abilities to locate, understand, evaluate, and communicate information and ideas effectively.
    
   We recognize that the cornerstone of library service is the book collection. We will strive to provide a vital book collection that supports the various curriculums, has meaning for the patrons served, and that will enrich the patron as an individual. We will encourage faculty, staff, administrative officers, and student recommendations for materials in order to accomplish these goals.
    
   We will provide access to the most current technology available within our budgetary constraints. We will strive to provide state-of-the-art equipment and programs for instructional purposes and student use in order to prepare our students for the future.
    
4. Clientele of the LRC
   The primary clientele of the LRC are the students, faculty, administrative officers, and staff of the college. The LRC collection is developed for these groups. Understanding the needs of these users is the basic premise in the philosophy of this collection development. Each title or material selected should fill a current or foreseeable need for some faction of this clientele. Our clientele mandates that the focus of the collection be academic materials.
    
   Services will be extended beyond this defined group, but materials will not be specifically acquired for individuals and groups where need does not overlap with the above defined clientele.
    
5. Responsibility of Selection
   Ultimate responsibility for selection of library materials rests with the Director of the LRC. The Director is responsible for the review and purchase of materials on a continual basis and must operate within the framework of policies that have been determined by the college.
    
   The Director delegates to staff members the authority to interpret and apply these policies in developing the library collection. All staff members assigned this responsibility are expected to apply these policies and their professional knowledge and experience in selection of materials. All LRC staff members are encouraged to review and evaluate materials and communicate needs for new materials that are currently lacking or that are outdated. All recommendations from the LRC staff must be approved by the LRC Director. 
    
   Faculty members are encouraged to make purchasing recommendations in their respective disciplines and to incorporate library/research materials into course development. Faculty members may be asked to review materials within their areas of study. Requests for materials should be submitted to the LRC Director. Reviews of the requested materials are encouraged. Request forms may be obtained from the circulation desk in the LRC or from any Division Director. Materials intended solely for office or private use should be purchased by the individual. Persons whose requests do not meet the requirements of this selection policy will not be filled. They will be notified of the reason/reasons their request was denied.
    
   Student requests for materials are also encouraged and will be considered based on the guidelines of this policy. Reviews of the suggested materials are requested. 
    
6. Intellectual Freedom
   It is the responsibility of the LRC staff to insure that all points of view relevant to the college mission are represented in the collection. The LRC endorses the American Library Association Library Bill of Rights (Appendix A). The principles of that document are an integral part of this policy statement. The LRC also supports the ALA Freedom to Read Statement (Appendix B), The ALA Libraries: An American Value Statement (Appendix C), and the ALA Code of Professional Ethics (Appendix D). 
    
7. Reconsideration of Material
   In the event that a member of the student body, faculty, or staff objects to material in the LRC, a form (Appendix E) is available to request reconsideration of material. The form, completed and signed, will be reviewed by the LRC Director and staff. The complainant will receive a written response. The merit of a controversial item will be determined by the consideration of the whole work, not of selected or random excerpts. All decisions made by the LRC Director and staff are subject to appeal through normal administrative channels.
    
8. Selection Guidelines
   Each piece of work shall be considered on its own merits and its relation to its intended audience. All additions to the collection, whether purchased, donated, or leased, shall be evaluated on anticipated usage and the following general criteria:
   1. Appeal and relevance to the interests and needs of faculty, staff, and/or students in supporting the college’s educational curriculum
   2. Quality of a title must be evaluated weighing several factors:
      1. Sponsorship
      2. Scholarship
      3. Level of creativity
      4. Accuracy
      5. Authenticity
      6. Thoroughness
      7. Documentation
      8. Lasting value
      9. Reputation of the author, illustrator and contributors
      10. Literary, artistic, or graphic quality
      11. Quality of construction
      12. Currency/Timeliness
   3. Degree to which the material provides viewpoints and subject coverage of special interest to the local community
   4. Bibliographic accessibility is necessary when evaluating user access, particularly in periodicals.
   5. Demand/Need
   6. Depth of the existing collection in the same and similar subjects is considered. Redundancy is avoided; however, duplicates can be purchased if high use is expected.
   7. Reputation of publisher in fulfilling his/her intent or purpose
   8. Appropriateness of the format and compatibility with college-owned equipment
   9. Reviews in professionally accepted periodicals are important sources for materials selection. Citations in professionally accepted bibliographies, indices, booklists, and useful subject-oriented publishers’ catalogs and selection guides are also considered.
   10. The majority of the selections are current publications. In view of the difficulty and expense in obtaining out-of-date print and reprinted material, it is most important to spend funds for valuable current publications of long-term worth.
   11. Specialized materials of limited interest are not ordinarily purchased. Library users making requests for such materials may be referred to other libraries or invited to use the interlibrary loan service. 
   12. Materials that are intended to market products and services are not added to the collection.
   13. Lost items are not automatically replaced. Materials will be replaced based on the importance of the item to the collection, demand for the material, and availability of replacement.
   14. When there is an option between paperbound and hardbound copies, preference will be given to hardbound; however, the choice will be based on expected use, lasting value of content, and cost differential.
   15. Materials will not be excluded because of the race, nationality, sexual, political, or religious views expressed, nor because of these aspects of the author’s background.
   16. Effort will be made to provide materials that present all points of view concerning the problems and issues of our times. Materials will not be prescribed or removed from the LRC shelves because of partisan or doctrinal approval or disapproval.
   17. The price must be considered when evaluating a purchase. When evaluating “free” materials, the cost of acquisitions processing, cataloging, shelving, and preservation must also be considered.
        
9. Selection Criteria by Format of Material
   Textbooks: Textbooks may be purchased when they provide a good, general introduction to a topic. The LRC does not purchase the specific editions of textbooks used in college courses; however, instructors or others may place copies on reserve. Workbooks and study guides are not purchased but may also be placed on reserve.
    
   Periodicals and Newspapers: Because of increasing subscription rates and limited funds, acquisition of a periodical or newspaper requires careful consideration. If the title is included in an electronic database format, it may or may not be purchased, depending on its demand. Other considerations include:
   1. Relevant titles that are indexed in services to which the LRC subscribes are given priority.
   2. The financial resources of the LRC related to the cost of the material
   3. Projected future use
   4. Reputation of the periodical
   5. Demand for the periodical
   6. Contribution to the college’s educational curriculum
   7. Availability of the title elsewhere in the area
   8. Similar materials in collection
   9. Reviews

   Microforms: Microfilm/microfiche is purchased as a way to preserve the information presented in newspapers and periodicals and to reduce shelving requirements. Materials will be selected for this format based on staff recommendation depending upon demand for the historical preservation and/or research use of each title.
    
   Government Information: The LRC is not a depository for federal or Oklahoma government publications. International, federal, state, and local government publications are selected according to the same criteria as other materials and are placed in the appropriate location within the collection. Foreign Language Materials: Items written in languages other than English are purchased when they support the college curriculum.
    
   Popular Works: Popular fiction is generally not purchased due to our academic focus and due to the fact that the public library has an extensive fiction collection. We do accept donations in this area and house them in our collection. We believe that reading for pleasure is an important aspect of student education.
    
   Electronic Resources: The same criteria for print media applies to electronic information resources. Other criteria to consider include: 

   1. Since materials in electronic format are frequently more expensive than print equivalents, selectors must determine that some value will be added by the electronic format or a definite need must be evident.
   2. There must be sufficient technology and staff to support the resource
      and it must be compatible with existing equipment/programs. Applicability for networking is also considered.
   3. Ease of use should be considered. Resource should include appropriate help screens, tutorials, index browsing and be user-friendly. 
   4. Whenever possible, access to the electronic resource must meet these goals regarding remote use:
      1. Support remote users of the LRC resources
      2. Deliver reliable remote access
      3. Be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with available support
   5. The confidentiality of individual users should be fully protected.
   6. The cost of the resource must be sustainable by the LRC budget for the foreseeable future.
   7. The LRC will participate in a consortial purchase for a resource when the agreement provides a significant price advantage over the cost as an individual institution.
   8. The following vendor and licensing considerations should be made:
      1. The vendor should be stable and reliable and offer technical support.
      2. A trial period of evaluation should be available before a final commitment is made. (Trial evaluation is always recommended prior to purchase.)
      3. Vendor license allows an appropriate number of users.
      4. The license must be in accordance with any college’s established electronic resource licensing policy.

   Children’s Collection: Some children’s materials will be purchased to support the Child Development Programs. A comprehensive collective of children’s materials will not be maintained. Books will be selected primarily from Award lists and recommendations.
    
   Videotapes, DVD’s and other media: These materials are purchased primarily to supplement the curriculum. Titles are selected from published reviews, recommended lists from recognized authorities, catalogs of respected publishers, and from in-house review of the materials. Faculty recommendation is highly used in selecting AV materials. The same criteria for print media applies to this media as well. Other considerations include:

   1. Format is compatible with equipment/programs in use
   2. Accuracy of factual content
   3. Quality of technical production
   4. Usefulness for the intended audience
   5. Present and potential relevance to college needs
   6. Balance in the point of view presented

   Other Materials: The responsibility for these materials rest with the LRC Director and staff in consultation with the faculty. Artwork, globes, and other similar items may be purchased to enhance the collection and environment.
    

10. Gifts
    The LRC welcomes gifts and accepts them with the understanding that the materials will be evaluated according to the same standards as items the LRC purchases. Gifts that are not suited to the collection because of age, format, topic, physical condition, or other factors will be given to other libraries or discarded. All gifts are acknowledged by the LRC, if requested. No lists of materials will be made. No records of individual donations are maintained. No monetary evaluation can be done, pursuant to Internal Revenue Service regulations. The LRC reserves the right to refuse a donation if the donor specifies special conditions, including retrieval from a donor’s home or special shelving requirements.
     
11. Collection Maintenance
    The withdrawal of materials is a constructive process that increases the LRC’s ability to maintain a high quality collection. The process is as important as selecting proper materials. LRC staff engaged in this systematic activity are well equipped to monitor changes in the library user’s research needs and collection use; to see what items are no longer being used; to request needed replacements, and to make suggestions for improvement in specific subject areas. We believe that a smaller materials collection that is timely and useful is a greater credit to the school than a large number of unused books.
     
    Evaluation of the LRC collection is undertaken as time and other duties permit. Faculty members are encouraged to survey their subject areas and recommend additions to and withdrawals from the collection. Seldom-used or damaged materials are withdrawn from the collection. These items and lost books are replaced at the discretion of the LRC Director/Staff.
     
    It is the responsibility of the library staff to withdraw materials that are inappropriate, outdated, no longer used, or damaged. The decision to withdraw materials is based on the following criteria:
    1. Low or no demand for the material
    2. Poor physical condition of the material
    3. Unreliable/outdated material
    4. Duplicate copy/ies no longer needed
    5. Superseded edition of work with no historical purpose
    6. No longer important to the collection and curriculum
    7. Extensive coverage of the subject within the collection/number and variety of similar materials and information in other formats
    8. Availability of more satisfactory or more current works
    9. Authoritativeness/Historical Value – works deemed as classics or standards will be kept. Histories and biographies in all classifications should be considered carefully.
    10. Changing focus of the collection
    11. Circulation record or use of the item