Collection Policies

PURPOSE

This plan provides guidelines for the acquisition of information resources by the Billington Library at Johnson County Community College. It is intended to inform library users about the library collection and provide criteria used in the selection and deselection of resources. This document remains dynamic and is subject to change.

INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM

The Library recognizes its responsibility to provide a resource where individuals can examine issues freely and make their own decisions. Johnson County Community College Library adheres to the American Library Association’s policies on intellectual freedom, including the Bill of Rights, and the Freedom to Read statements. Faculty librarians will strive to ensure that diverse viewpoints are represented in support of academic offerings and the varied backgrounds of the campus population. The Library does not endorse nor will it censor opinions expressed in its collection.

SELECTION GUIDELINES

In keeping with the philosophy of Johnson County Community College, the Library, through its application of the Billington Library Mission, recognizes its responsibilities to serve as an instrument of the college’s total instructional program and as an important community academic resource. The primary objective of the JCCC Library is to support the approved programs of the college through acquisition of resources appropriate to each field and level of instruction. Special effort also will be made to acquire academic works that are broader in scope than any particular discipline or field of interest defined in the curriculum.

Acquisition Responsibility

While final decisions regarding acquisition expenditures are made by the Library Budget Administrator, the responsibility for the selection of library resources lies with the entire college community.

Librarians assume responsibility for systematically reviewing current and retrospective information sources and initiating selections. They also are responsible for coordinating the collection as a whole, for providing the faculty with bibliographic assistance, and for making judgments as to the format, degree of completeness, and the number of copies to be acquired.

Faculty and staff members, individually or through department representatives, are encouraged and invited to complement the selection process and to recommend purchases pertinent to their teaching fields or areas of interest by contacting the librarian responsible for a collection area.

Students may recommend purchases by speaking with library staff or through the Library’s suggestion box.

Selection Criteria

Selection criteria include:

  1. Relevancy of subject matter to collection
  2. Scarcity or underrepresentation of resources on subject
  3. Timeliness or permanence of resources
  4. Authoritativeness
  5. Author’s reputation and significance
  6. Reputation of publisher or vendor
  7. Price

Resources with a price of $500 or greater will go through a library faculty approval process before purchased.

While the Library budget is not sufficient to routinely purchase multiple copies of physical items, additional copies may be acquired if the needs of students and continued demand for a title become apparent. This will be considered on an ad hoc basis involving librarians and appropriate faculty.

Media collections currently consist of a wide variety of media materials including documentary, instructional, and feature films, musical performances, classical music, operas, jazz, rock and world music. Digital or streaming media is the preferred format when available. In instances when it is not, physical formats will be purchased instead. The choice between circulating or non-circulating status for physical media items will be determined before media acquisition orders are placed. Library staff may move media items from one category to another as necessary per faculty/departmental requests, usage, cost, or other factors.

DESELECTION GUIDELINES

In order to ensure the quality of the collection, librarians will periodically and systematically remove physical materials from the collection when they no longer support curriculum or contain outdated material. Materials will be discarded in accordance with defined procedures. Additionally, electronic resources and database subscriptions may be withdrawn and/or cancelled when they are incompatible with or no longer beneficial to the collection or curricular areas.

Deselection Criteria

Deselection criteria include:

  1. Circulation statistics/usage
  2. Age/copyright date of the material
  3. Physical condition
  4. Relevancy to the curriculum
  5. Faculty input
  6. Availability of updated materials
  7. Multiple copies of seldom used titles
  8. Changes in technology
  9. Duplication of content
  10. Availability of space
  11. Price

GIFTS

Gifts to the Library will be accepted through the JCCC Foundation, in accordance with procedures established by that office. Gifts of materials, or money to purchase them, will be accepted only if they meet selection criteria and there are no restrictions attached. The Library may dispose of any materials that are not needed or are in highly deteriorated physical condition or contain mold or mildew. The Billington Library staff will not make any monetary appraisal or valuation for tax purposes. If requested by the donor, gifts and donations will be acknowledged by the Director or appropriate subject area librarian via a letter.