GLOBE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Introduction

II. Mission Statement

III. Purpose and Goals of Collection Development

a. Purpose

b. Goals

IV. Responsibility for Library Collection Development

V. Selection Guidelines

VI. Selection Tools

a. Books

b. Catalogs

c. Periodicals

VII. Periodicals

VIII. Computer Technologies

IX. Cataloging

X. Donations

XI. Collection Maintenance/Weeding

go to top

I. Introduction

This Library Collection Development Policy is a statement of the principles and guidelines used by Globe Institute of Technology (GIT) in its selection, acquisition, evaluation, and maintenance of library materials. It will be used in to provide consistency among those responsible for developing the collection and to communicate the library’s policies to the faculty, students, and staff of GIT. Since rising costs, increases in publishing output, new technologies and expanding demands for information necessitate careful material selection, soundly based on an understanding of the immediate and future goals of the Library and the Institution it serves, this document serves as a needed guideline. It is understood that as the programs and other information needs of the Institute advance and develop, so too will the Library Collection Development Policy in order to meet these needs.

go to top

II. Mission Statement

The Mission of the Globe Institute of Technology Library and Information Center is to anticipate and support the needs of its students, faculty and administration. The Library is committed to providing access to information services and to creating an environment conducive to research and study. Collection Development emphasizes print, electronic, and other nonprint materials. Academic and professional information services that support the needs of the school include Information Literacy, reference, circulation, weekday, evening, and weekend hours, tutoring, and the Job Information Center.

go to top

III. Purpose and Goals of Collection Development

a. Purpose

The acquisition and maintenance of the library collection is a primary function of the Library’s mission. Collection development refers to the process of building and maintaining the entire library’s resources both in print and non-print formats in fields such as computer science, business, accounting, finance, management, marketing, humanities, social and behavioral sciences, allied health, English language arts, literature, education, and the applied sciences.

go to top

b. Goals

The primary goal of this Collection Development policy is to build a collection that will support the needs of the students, faculty, and staff. The Collection Development policy will reinforce the goals that are stated in the mission statement of Globe Institute of Technology. The Library also recognizes its responsibility to respond to the needs of the students, faculty, and staff by providing access to services which include online databases and an electronic catalog, document delivery and interlibrary loan, library card privileges, access to computers, study areas, reference help, access to books and periodical literature. The Library at Globe Institute of technology will also encourage cooperative collection development agreements with other libraries in the metropolitan area and with libraries in the New York State region.

go to top

IV. Responsibility for Library Collection Development

The Library Collection Development policy is prepared by the Director of Library and Information Services, also known as the Librarian, or Library Director at Globe Institute of Technology. The Library Director is responsible for the development and maintenance of the Library collection, and is aware, through a needs assessment or use patterns of students, faculty, and staff, of the specific informational needs of its users, and of any imbalances within the Library collection.

go to top

V. Selection Guidelines

To meet the aforementioned goals, representative materials in the needed area of study will be collected in depth and will be a collaborative effort between the librarian and the faculty. The quality of content and fulfillment of academic curricular requirements are the first criteria against which any potential item will be evaluated. Specific consideration in choosing individual items include some or all of the following:

• Demand
• Need
• Lasting value of content
• Appropriateness of level of treatment
• Strength of present holdings in same or similar subject areas
• Suitability of format to content and compatibility with Institute-owned equipment
• Authoritative author or reputation of publisher
• Use of review sources
• Cost

Other guidelines include the following:

• Duplicate copies will be purchased if they are considered highly essential to the collection.
• The majority of the selections are current publications. The Library recognizes the need for retrospective purchases; however, it is more important to allocate funds for items of perceived long-term value.
• Popular fiction and titles on temporarily popular subjects will be collected sparingly. Requests for such materials will be met either through interlibrary loan, rental collections or referral to public libraries.

go to top

VI. Selection Tools

a. Books:

Collection Development titles that are basic to the selection process include:

• American Reference Books Annual
• Basic Business Library
• Choice’s Outstanding Academic Titles
• Reference Collection Development: A Manual by

  (RUSA) Reference & User Services Association

go to top

b. Catalogs:

Publishers’ catalogs, university press catalogs and small press catalogs are used for selection purposes.

go to top

c. Periodicals:

A wide range of periodicals are examined for selection purposes:

• American Libraries
• Booklist
• Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries
• Library Journal
• The New York Times Book Review
• Publisher’s Weekly

In addition, bibliographies, interlibrary loan requests, and suggestions from students, faculty and staff are also considered.

go to top

VII. Periodicals

Periodicals also known as (serials, journals, or magazines) represent an ongoing commitment to maintain a core academic collection. The funding and selection of periodicals differs from the funding and selection of monographs. Due to increases in subscription rates and limited funds, acquisition of periodical material requires more consideration than the acquisition of monographs.

Some or all of the following criteria will be used to evaluate the acquisition of or cancellation of periodical material:

• Support of the curriculum
• Collection balance
• Availability in electronic format
• Amount of current use or projected use
• Reputation of the periodical
• Cost and availability of funds 

go to top

VIII. Computer Technologies

Computer Technologies, in all formats (software, CD-ROMS, online databases), are essential to the collection. Resources that are available are as follows:

• Textual files
• Bibliographic files
• Graphic and multimedia files
• Courseware/instructional files
• Electronic journals or serials
• Online bibliographic or full-text databases
• Internet resources

These materials are evaluated on the same basis as monographs with the emphasis on the suitability of the format and the quality of the production.

go to top

IX. Cataloging

Globe Institute of Technology is committed to providing easy access to all its acquired materials.

The college’s policy on cataloging is follows:

• Search for a MARC record in OCLC
• Create and input original MARC records for items not found on OCLC
• Assign Library of Congress (LC) call numbers and subject headings
• Edit the record to meet local standards
• Inventory (barcode) the item
• Attach spine label
• Shelve the item in question

Glossary of terms commonly used in cataloging:

OCLC: Online Computer Library Center the international database for bibliographic records.

AACR2r: Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2 nd edition, revised. This is the basic rulebook for describing materials and assigning headings used in the English-speaking world.

LCCS: Library of Congress (LC) Classification System. A call number scheme devised and maintained by LC’s Cataloging Policies and Services Office for LC’s use. Widely used in the United States, especially in academic and research libraries.

A Generals works

AE Encyclopedias (General)

AI Indexes (General)

B Philosophy

BC Logic

BF Psychology

BL Religion

C Auxiliary Sciences of History

CR Heraldry

CS Genealogy

CT Biography

D History: General and Old World

DA Great Britain

DD Germany

EF History: America

G Geography, Anthropology, Recreation

GC Oceanography

GR Folklore

GV Recreation

H Social Sciences

HF Commerce

HG Finance

HV Social pathology

J Political Science

JF Constitutional history and administration

JX International law

K Law

L Education

LC Special aspects of Education

LD Individual institutions

M Music

ML Literature of Music

N Fine Arts

NA Architecture

ND Painting

P Language and Literature

PR English Literature

PS American Literature

Q Science

QA Mathematics and Computer Science

QB Astronomy

QC Physics

R Medicine

RC Internal Medicine

RT Nursing

S Agriculture

SD Forestry

SF Animal Culture

T Technology

TD Environmental Technology

TK Electrical Engineering

TL Automobiles

U Military Science

UD Infantry

V Naval Science

VD Naval Seamen

Z Library Science

LCSH: The Library of Congress Subject Headings, also referred to as the Library of Congress Classification System (LCCS), was created by the Library of Congress. These headings are constantly being updated, and are widely used in the United States.

MARC: Machine Readable Cataloging format. The format used to translate bibliographic records into a form readable by computers. Used internationally with slight variations.

go to top

X. Donations/Gifts

Donations and gifts are accepted, with the understanding that the library may dispose of or add them to the collection at its discretion, and in the same manner as purchased materials. Gifts are given to the Library Director who will make the initial decision to accept or decline the gifts. The Library Director will be notified of all gifts that require formal acknowledgement to the donor. As a general rule, gifts will be added to the collection following the same selection criteria as similar purchased materials. The library assumes no responsibility for appraisal of gifts, nor will the library accept gifts under restricted conditions.

When a gift is accepted, it becomes the property of the library, which will determine whether it is to be added to the collection or discarded. If a donor wishes to claim a charitable deduction for income tax purposes, the donor is responsible for providing a detailed inventory of the gifts, with a request for an acknowledgement from the Library Director. No member of the library staff will provide an appraisal. If a donor wishes to make a tax claim, the donor must determine the fair market value. If a gift is declined, it will remain with the potential donor, be returned to the donor, or disposed of by the Library Director.

go to top

• Material is in poor physical condition
• Outdated material
• Material superseded by newer or revised editions
• Unnecessary duplicate materials

go to top