Library Acquisitions Policy
as of October 2003
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- Introduction
- The goal of the Mt. San Antonio
Community College Library is to have a working, usable collection
that supports the college curriculum. Materials are selected to
provide intellectual stimulation and to satisfy intellectual curiosity
for library users. The library collection must include materials
on topics of current interest and on all facets of controversial
issues, as well as traditional literature in the subject and reference
areas.
General Library Objectives
- The Mt. San Antonio Community College
Library’s major objective is to be an active participant in
the educational program of the college by collecting, making readily
available, and assisting in the use of books, periodicals, media
and other materials needed by students, faculty, and staff. These
materials will be provided in a variety of formats, including media,
print, and electronic.It is of primary importance that
the Library provide materials to support the curriculum in a systematic
and comprehensive manner. In addition to supplementing the curriculum,
the collection shall include selected material in all major subject
fields. Materials on areas of cultural and recreational interest
shall be supplied for the use of students, faculty and staff in
a limited fashion due to the number of easily accessible public
and academic libraries in the college district.
- In order to keep the collection
current and useful, an active and continuing program of selection
for withdrawal, or weeding, shall be maintained.
Responsibility for Acquisitions
- The most important aspect of acquisitions
work takes place before materials are actually ordered. This work
involves the careful selection of items to strengthen the college's
resources for instruction and research. The importance of wise selection
has grown in proportion to the increase in the volume of available
materials, the cost of those materials, and the costs of acquiring,
cataloging, housing and maintaining the collection.
- Library staff shall encourage faculty
members to recommend material to assure the development of a comprehensive
collection. All librarians are responsible for systematically reviewing
current and retrospective bibliographies and review sources. Responsibility
for coordinating the collection as a whole, for aiding the faculty
with bibliographic assistance, and for making judgments as to format,
degree of completeness, and number of copies of materials to be
acquired rests with the librarians. Final decisions regarding acquisitions
are made by the Dean of Learning Resources, after consultation with
appropriate members of the faculty and staff.
Policies for the Selection
of Titles
- In striving to meet its objectives
within the limits of its resources, the Library shall follow these
general guidelines:
- A. To meet the needs of students
with different levels of ability, the library shall acquire material
ranging in difficulty from high school junior level to college senior
level. Students should be supplied with appropriate materials to
supplement their textbooks. It is the responsibility of students
to buy their own copies of assigned textbooks.
- B. In the acquisition of new titles,
the major emphasis should be on current publications, but both in-print
and out-of-print materials shall be purchased as required and available.
In the acquisition of periodicals, emphasis will be on full-text
periodical databases that are accessible both on- and off-campus.
- C. Before materials that are very
expensive, highly specialized, or rare are bought for students or
faculty engaged in research, the holdings of neighboring academic
and public libraries should be consulted to avoid duplication. Materials
from other libraries may be obtained through reciprocal borrowing
arrangements.
- D. Multiple copies of titles may
be purchased, as required, at the discretion of Library staff.
- E. Materials in foreign languages
which are used for teaching and exercises in language courses offered
at the college are highly desirable purchases for the library. Materials
for non-language courses which are published in languages other
than English, with the exception of dictionaries, encyclopedias,
and other reference tools, shall be bought only in those instances
where there is evidence of their immediate usefulness to students
and faculty.
- F. No materials should be excluded
or included from the collection because of the race or nationality
of the authors, or the political, moral, or religious views expressed
therein. All sides of a controversial issue shall be represented
in the collection.
- G. Recreational materials shall
be provided strictly in a limited fashion, due to the number of
easily accessible public libraries in the college district.
- H. Gifts of either materials or
money to purchase them will be accepted provided they fit into the
above policies and that there are no restrictions attached. The
Library must be free to dispose of any materials which are not needed.
- I. Weeding, the removal of obsolete
materials, shall be considered an integral part of the effort to
develop and maintain the collection. Excess duplicate copies of
seldom used titles or damaged copies shall be withdrawn from the
collection. Items shall be discarded if they contain outdated or
inaccurate information. When doing extensive weeding of any subject
area, advisement shall be sought from departmental representatives.
- Annual Review
- Since Mt. San Antonio Community
College is a dynamic institution serving a culturally diverse population,
the Library acquisitions policy statement must be responsive to
change. This statement shall be reviewed periodically by the Dean
of Learning Resources working with staff and faculty, and revised
accordingly.
Library
& Learning Resources - Mt.San Antonio College
1100 North Grand Avenue, Walnut, CA 91789
(909) 594-5611 x4260
Meghan Chen, Dean, Library
& Learning Resources |
This
page last updated 21-Apr-2008 |
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