Guide to Collection Development

Mission of Library Services

Library Services is dedicated to meeting the diverse informational, educational, and research needs of students, faculty, staff, and regional community. It maintains a commitment to excellence as it acquires, develops, and provides access to resources that promote educational achievement and life-long learning.

Purpose of Policy

The purpose of the collection development policy of the Roberts-LaForge Library, including the Instructional Resources Center, is to provide principles and guidelines for establishing priorities for the selection of library materials and the criteria for the withdrawal of materials from the Library collection.

Community Served

Delta State University is located in Cleveland, Mississippi, a prospering city in the heart of the Mississippi Delta. The Roberts-LaForge Library is situated on the eastern edge of the campus. The Library serves students from Delta State University as well as the regional community. The primary function of the Roberts-LaForge Library is to meet the library resource and service needs of the faculty and student body as these needs are related to the curriculum. The secondary function is to provide resources and services relevant to general research and informational needs, intellectual and professional growth, cultural development, and recreational activities. In developing the collection, the Library’s top priority will be purchasing material that directly supports the needs of the undergraduate and graduate curricula.

“The University offers undergraduate, graduate and continuing education programs of study leading to baccalaureate and master’s degrees in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, and the School of Nursing, as well as the Educational Specialist degree and Doctorates in Education and Nursing Practice. Emphasis is placed on excellence in instruction, followed by service and research in the creation of a community of scholars. With special attention to small classes, a friendly environment, and a broad liberal arts foundation, the University encourages significant student-faculty interactions. Delta State provides programs and services that promote intellectual, cultural, ethical, physical, and social development. Students from different cultural, socioeconomic, and ethnic backgrounds will develop the ability to respect and evaluate the thoughts of others; to develop, assess, and express their own thoughts effectively; and to use the techniques of research and performance associated with their disciplines” (Undergraduate Catalog, 2018, p.8).

The Library also recognizes its responsibility to respond to the needs of the administrators and staff members and to provide general information and recreational reading for all its users. Because faculty have recognized research needs, library services, such as interlibrary loan and computer database searching, will be utilized in assisting the faculty with their research.Naturally, due to the size of the University, resource sharing with larger campuses can be more fully met through collection development process.

Collection Development Responsibility

The primary responsibility for collection development rests with the faculty of Delta State University. Academic Council allocates the money to the Dean of Library Services, who in turn allocates the funds to the selected departments.

Each department selects a member of their faculty to be the departmental liaison. The library likewise assigns a library liaison to work with each department. Faculty and library liaisons work together to ensure appropriate resources are selected and all deadlines are met.

Definitions

A library liaison is a professional librarian that works with departments to select materials for the collection; serves as a point of contact for questions regarding orders, collection development, account balances, and general library inquires; and shares information about library services.

A departmental liaison is a faculty member that submits orders on behalf of an academic unit, department, or division; and serves as the main point of contact to communicate the information and service needs of the department.

Development and management of the Library’s collections are guided by this policy within the scope of available funding. The academic council allocates funds to the library for acquisition and processing of materials when possible.

Although all materials are selected and/or screened for appropriateness by librarian liaisons, platforms or publishers are determined by acquisitions. Materials are acquired through:

• Direct Orders through allocated funds from the Academic Council
• Gifts/Donations
• Government Documents Depository Programs
• Free Materials
• Memberships / Subscriptions

Working with Departments

1. Maintain regular contact with the departmental liaison each semester and foster a good working relationship with the department.
2. Keep faculty up-to-date with changes in library services such as new policies, procedures, resources, services, events, and programs.
3. Communicate library policies and procedures upon request.
4. Stress the importance of faculty input. It is only with their help that the library can provide the best and most appropriate services.
5. Remind departmental faculty that instruction sessions by a reference librarian can be catered to the specific needs of the instructor and students.
6. Teach faculty how to search the Library Catalog and other databases as requested.

Selecting Materials for the Collection

1. Forward relevant selection materials (i.e. catalogs, book reviews, journal articles, etc.) to the departmental liaison.
2. Recommend titles to the departmental liaison. Resources like WorldCat or even Amazon can be the best resources for departments in need of assistance.
3. Review donated items. Although Roberts-LaForge Library accepts many donations, not everything will be appropriate for the collection. Librarians will determine the suitability of materials in conjunction with departments and relevant faculty.

Evaluating the Collection

1. Evaluate portions of the general collection that relate to subject areas of your department. This evaluation would involve weeding irrelevant material or spotting gaps in the collection. Knowing what courses are taught and what each faculty member requires is an essential component of spotting gaps and weeding.
2. Consult affected departments before withdrawing any title from the collection. Email the list of titles to the Dean of Library Services and the department liaison for approval.
3. Materials that have been marked lost or missing will be reviewed by Library Administration in April of the spring semester. Items will be reordered when funds are available.

Preparing Orders

1. Check the catalog to ensure a submitted title is not already in the collection.
2. If any critical piece of information (title, author, ISBN, or price) is missing from the order, please find it using an online service like Amazon.
3. If the title is already owned by the library, alert the departmental liaison.
4. Request that departments prioritize the orders based on the needs of all faculty.
5. Keep a record (in Excel preferably) of all titles ordered.
6. Make sure that all deadlines are met.
7. If a balance remains, please work with the department to obtain more orders.
8. If catalogs, brochures, or other printed information is provided by the departmental liaison, please include it along with the order.

Working with Library Liaisons

1. Keep the library liaison up-to-date with:
   • Needs of the department, faculty, and students
   • New academic programs, courses, or requirements
   • Class assignments that require special resources or services
   • Changes in the department that are relevant to the library
2. Supply guidelines about accreditation standards and notify the library liaison of upcoming accreditation reviews and site visits.

Selecting Materials for the Collection

1. Make selections based on the guidelines set forth by your accrediting agencies (e.g. ACBSP, CCNE, CAEP, etc.).
2. Consider ordering materials based upon student library needs and the nature of class assignments made by your departmental colleagues.
3. Avoid placing duplicate orders by checking our holdings in the online catalog. Your library liaison can show you search strategies upon request.
4. Consider the research and teaching interests of your colleagues.

Evaluating the Collection

1. Stay abreast of accreditation requirements to ensure the library’s collection is up to standard.
2. Make the library liaison aware of any weaknesses or gaps in the collection.
3. Review materials marked for withdrawal and assist with weeding the collection

Preparing Orders

1. Please submit as much as information about each title as possible (typically: title, author, ISBN, and price). Also provide any other relevant data that may help the library identify your material.
2. Use the collection development form to submit orders for your department.

Types of Materials

1. Departmental allocations are to be used for the purchase of books, audiovisual materials, and related educational materials that will be added to the holdings of Roberts-LaForge Library. Most books are housed in the Roberts-LaForge Library, while various types of media are housed in the Instructional Resources Center.
2. No textbooks may be ordered, and duplicate copies of existing holdings will be ordered only in exceptional circumstances.
3. Hardbound books will be ordered whenever possible instead of paperbacks to increase the shelf life of the book.

Submitting Orders

1. Department liaisons should submit orders using Excel spreadsheets or by using the Collection Development online order form.
2. If necessary, additional information such as contact information or specialized order numbers may be required. If a catalog or flyer is available, please include it with the order.

Deadlines

1. Departmental liaisons should submit orders before any assigned deadlines to ensure the library’s Technical Services department has enough time to purchase and process the orders.

New Materials Ordered by Departments

1. Staff from the Technical Services Department will alert the Library Liaison once materials have been processed, cataloged, and are ready to circulate or be placed on the shelves (i.e. non-circulating materials).
2. The library liaison will contact the departmental liaison to notify them when new items are available.
3. The departmental liaison is responsible for informing their faculty about new materials.

Status of Materials

1. Notify the library liaison if you need an item that is unavailable for check out. The liaison will assist you with getting the item as soon as possible.
2. Contact the appropriate library liaison to inquire about the status of an item if it cannot be determined by searching the catalog.