Policies for Collection Acquisition and Maintenance | MCC

Student Resources

Policies for Collection Acquisition and Maintenance

Acquisition Policy

The purpose of the Acquisition Policy is to serve as a guide in the effort to develop excellent library collections for Madisonville Community College, which are responsive to the needs of the college community and accessible to all students and faculty regardless of instructional delivery method.

Library Materials are defined as print and non-print instructional and informational materials (e.g. books, periodicals, databases and other online resources, manuscripts, maps, aural and visual recordings, etc.) which are acquired, organized and made available by the librarians for use by the members of the college community to fulfill the aims and functions of the college and its curriculum.

Responsibility for Participation in Selection

The Director of Library Services has the final responsibility for the development and maintenance of the library collection, services, and facilities.

Participation in the selection process shall be a responsibility of the Director of Library Services and the librarians with input from teaching faculty.

Faculty members may be requested to act as subject specialists in their areas of expertise, and may be consulted by the Librarians regarding specific materials or sections of the collections. Departmental faculty shall bear primary responsibility for recommending materials to support the courses they teach. Requests are actively solicited by the librarians and are accepted throughout the year, examined in relationship to overall curriculum needs and selection policies, and approved as funding permits.

Student and staff recommendations for the purchase of materials are welcomed and solicited.

Priorities in Selection

Priorities for books and other library materials is given to those items which meet direct curricular needs in the courses offered, including items for class assignments; collateral readings; supplemental materials for term papers, reports, etc.; references made in text or reference books; and those bibliographic tools which will facilitate finding and using these materials.

After primary needs have been met, consideration may be given to materials which will give balance to the collection or meet vocational, avocational, cultural, or special needs of the student body and the faculty.

Periodical, Journal, and Electronic Database Subscriptions

Curricular and accreditation needs will be considered when making selections for subscriptions.

Inclusion in indexes and databases will be a consideration when making a selection of titles for subscriptions.

Cost of the subscriptions and near duplication by other titles will be considered when selecting periodical and journal subscriptions.

Availability in libraries within the KCTCS system and through Interlibrary Loan will be a consideration in selecting periodical and journal titles.

Faculty and student interests may be considered in placing subscriptions.

Duplication of titles within databases to which the library subscribes will be a further consideration in the selection of subscriptions.

When possible, periodical subscriptions will be entered to start at the beginning of the fiscal year or the beginning of the volume.

Audiovisual Materials Acquisition

Appropriate mediums for instructional use will be considered when acquiring audiovisual materials or access to streaming video or audio.

Cost and anticipated cost per use will be considerations in the selection of audiovisual materials for acquisition.

Gifts

Gifts to the college library will be accepted with the understanding that they will be added to the collection only after they have met the same evaluative requirements as materials which are to be purchased. Materials will be accepted only with the understanding that the librarians shall decide the disposition of those items not appropriate to the collection.

Intellectual Freedom and Requests for Reconsideration of Materials

In its collection of materials, the MCC Libraries subscribe fully to the American Library Association's Freedom to Read Statement, Library Bill of Rights, Intellectual Freedom Statement, and the Statement of Labeling.

All requests for reconsideration of materials will be handled in the following manner:

  • The staff member receiving the complaint will ask the patron to fill out the appropriate form.
  • When the completed form has been received, it will be submitted to the Director of Library Services.
  • The Director will locate as many reviews of the title as possible.
  • The Director will ask the members of the Library Committee to review the title in question.
  • Time for discussion of the title will be scheduled on the agenda of a called Library Committee meeting.
  • After the discussion at the Library Committee meeting, the members will submit their recommendations to the Library Director in writing.
  • The Library Director will take all factors under advisement and come to a decision. The decision will be communicated to the complainant and to the members of the Library Committee in writing.
  • Should the complainant wish to appeal the decision, it will follow regular institutional channels, going next to the Chief Academic Officer, and finally to the President of the College.

Collection Maintenance Policy

MCC Libraries are committed to a policy of collection development through careful selection and weeding. Spatial issues and specific criteria in each subject field will determine weeding. All weeding efforts will take into consideration funds available for replacements.

Criteria used in considering discard of a particular item:

  • Recency of usage (last ten years).
  • Classics, seminal works, or works of historical value will be weighed in the evaluation.
  • Badly damaged and worn-out materials may be discarded.
  • Books in the sciences, technologies, social sciences, and medicine that are three to five years old may be candidates for weeding following consultation with teaching faculty in the discipline.
  • Books in the humanities, arts, and music should not be weeded unless they are obviously superseded. Potential discards will be checked against standard bibliographies.
  • Materials supporting courses or programs that have been discontinued may be considered for discard.
  • Ephemeral works which are long past usefulness will be considered for weeding.
  • Older volumes or worn copies of books already updated will be discarded.
  • Items, (such as AV or realia) which are damaged, worn, or have missing parts that cannot be easily replaced or repaired, will be discarded.
  • Shelf space considerations will be weighted when discarding items.
  • Replacement costs of items will be considered before discarding, but will not be the most heavily weighted consideration.
  • Bibliographies may be consulted before discarding library materials whose physical condition does not require elimination from the collection.

Those items which are in bad condition, but that can be repaired, will be repaired locally. These books will be shelved in the repair area of the Tech Services Workroom.

While weeding and evaluating the collection, notes will be taken on gaps in the collection and those areas, which have a high percentage of dated materials. These areas will be considered for development as budgeted funds allow.