Purpose
The purpose of the acquisition policy is to serve as a reference for the library staff to follow when assessing potential acquisitions for the library collections, including print, non-print materials, electronic and other resources. The acquisition policy also includes guidelines for the acceptance and processing of gift resources.
Mission
The mission of the acquisition policy is to ensure that the selection of library resources support the educational needs of the students, faculty, administration and staff of the college.
Objectives
The library supports the mission of the College by providing library and learning resources in print, non-print and electronic formats through the following criteria:
Curricular (academic, technical, vocational) needs of the studentsand teaching faculty
1. Development of life skills and life long learning
2. General and cultural needs of students, faculty, administration, staff and the community
3. Acquisition / Selection Responsibility
The primary responsibility for the selection of library resources is with the librarians under the direction of the Head Librarian. The selection / acquisition process is a joint effort among faculty members and the librarians. Faculty, staff, administration and students are encouraged to make recommendations for the collection. The teaching faculty serve as subject specialists for their respective disciplines and are encouraged to assess the adequacy of resources, including participating in the weeding / deselection process of resources.
Selection Guidelines
The library acquires print materials (books, periodicals, pamphlets, maps, etc.), audiovisuals materials (microforms, audiocassettes, videocassettes, DVD, etc.) and electronic resources. The library acknowledges the continuous change and evolving process of information technologies and is open to new formats that support the mission of the library / college.
Criteria for Selection Evaluation
Reviews from authoritative sources and selection aids
Recommendations from faculty
Recommendations from students, staff, administration
Relevance to the curriculum
Adequacy of current holdings
Availability of resources from other sources
Relevance to professional growth
Historical / cultural value
Level of interest for faculty and students
Cost
Resources not normally purchased
Textbooks
Highly technical resources
Paperbacks with the following exceptions
Only format available and the title is needed to support the curriculum
Needed for a limited time frame to support a specific program
Copyright Compliance
The library makes every effort to comply with the Copyright laws when acquiring or duplicating resources. A copy of the Copyright Laws is available with this policy, at the Circulation Desk of Burton Library and an abbreviated version via the library web page.