Collection Development Policy - 2025 Revision

I. Introduction

The collection development policy describes the principles used in developing and maintaining the collection and resources of the Carroll Community College Library.  It states the rationale for the selection and deselection of materials and resources acquired and/or licensed by the library in its efforts to foster information literacy. The primary role of the library is to promote learning and information literacy by providing pertinent materials, resources and services in support of the programs and curricula of the College.

 

II. Mission Statement and Goals

Carroll Community College Library provides instruction, tools, and resources to promote academic success and to strengthen the communities we serve. Our 5 Mission Goals in support of this Mission Statement are:

• Prepare students to think critically and provide tools and knowledge that promote the ethical consumption and use of information.
• Become a campus information hub, offer support and guidance to instructors, and promote academic excellence.
• Generate a welcoming environment that fosters a sense of belonging, inclusivity, empathy, and respect toward diverse ways of thinking.
• Maximize visibility and awareness of library services, resources, and programs.
• Offer services and programs that are vital to the campus experience and promote the College’s role as an integral part of Carroll County at large.

 

III. Intellectual Freedom

The library endorses the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights, The Freedom to Read Statement, Freedom to View Statement, and Intellectual Freedom Statement.  It is the responsibility of the library to:

• Make available a diversity of views and expression including those which may be unorthodox or unpopular,
• Oppose and challenge all attempts to impose censorship on the library,
• Preserve the constitutional right of freedom of expression.

 

IV. Diversity Statement

The library strongly supports the college's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement and the American Library Association's Policy Statement on Diverse Collections. It strives to create a safe space for all visitors and to develop collections that are reflective of the communities we serve. Library staff engage in many activities to assure that our collections and services are sufficiently diverse to meet the needs of the entire college community, including, but not limited to:

• Conducting diversity audits and other assessment activities to address gaps in content and representation
• Considering local, independent, and self-published materials
• Selecting materials that are accessible to all users
• Acquiring materials authored by and/or about oppressed, underrepresented, and underserved communities
• Participating in professional development activities to build cultural competence
• Collecting materials in languages other than English to support our international students and patrons

 

V. Organization of Collection Development

The responsibility for the selection of materials for the library is shared by professional librarians and other faculty.  Each of the professional librarians acts as a liaison between the library and an academic division. The Library Liaison Program page offers more information about the services provided by departmental liaisons. The library also encourages recommendations for the collection by college students and staff. Recommendations can be submitted by contacting the relevant liaison or using the Library Materials Suggestion Form. Final authority for selection and deselection decisions rests with the Director of Library.

 

VI. Selection Criteria

The library obtains pertinent library materials in accordance with the following priorities:

1.    Materials to support the College's curriculum, programs, and, in general, student learning.
2.    Materials to help faculty members perform teaching and research activities.
3.    Materials not directly related to College programs but of educational, informational, or recreational interest for an educated and informed College community.  

               

The selection of materials is based on the following list of criteria:

• Relevance to credit and non-credit curriculum
• Accreditation requirements
• Existing or projected demand
• Faculty, staff, and student recommendations
• Favorable reviews in professional literature
• Information is current, relevant, accurate, and authoritative
• Relevance to special events and/or monthly displays
• Format is appropriate to content, use, and cost
• Level of difficulty and scope
• Cost of materials (including processing and maintenance expenses) relative to projected use
• Access or licensing restrictions
• Technology required for access
• Contribution to a diverse, well-balanced collection representing multiple perspectives
• Availability at other Carroll Library Partnership locations (Hoover Library, Carroll County Public Library)

 

VII. Deselection Criteria

Deselection (or weeding) is the process by which librarians remove physical materials from the collection. Deselection adds value to the library collection by removing titles that are outdated, no longer relevant, damaged, or otherwise no longer suited for circulation. Reasons for weeding library materials include:

• The information within the item is obsolete
• A new edition has superseded the previous one
• The item is damaged beyond repair and is no longer usable
• Faculty no longer use the item in their courses
• Extended periods of low or no circulation
• Discontinued programs or courses
• Multiple copies are no longer needed

Deselected materials may be sold, donated, or disposed of, depending on the item's condition and anticipated demand.

 

VIII. Books

Book titles are purchased which primarily support the College's curriculum and student and faculty research. Special priority may be given to new programs or courses in order to support the curriculum and meet accreditation requirements. The library prefers to purchase hardbound editions when the material is considered to have long-term value or is expected to have heavy use.  Paperback editions are purchased if there is a temporary need for duplicate copies, a hardbound edition is unavailable, the hardbound edition is cost-prohibitive, or the subject matter is of a time-limited nature. Multiple copies are only purchased when demand is anticipated to be high.

 

IX. Ebooks

The library purchases eBooks in subscription packages and as individual titles through vendors such as ProQuest, Gale, and Salem. Preference is given to items available on existing library subscription platforms with a multiple user license when purchasing individual titles.

 

X. Textbooks and Textbook Reserves Collections

The library does not usually purchase textbooks adopted for classroom use for the collection.  The circulating collection does include some textbooks which have met the above criteria and are expected to remain relevant over time. The library maintains a textbook reserve collection which is based on faculty loans and donations.  This collection does not include the textbook for every class, nor does it include electronic access to companion websites. Textbook reserve loans are limited to library use only unless an exception is approved by the Director of Library.

 

XI. Reference

In general, the library relies on electronic reference resources, which include encyclopedias, dictionaries, statistical compendia, almanacs, etc. Only reference sources providing direct curricular support will be purchased. Print titles will be selected only in cases when a suitable electronic alternative is not available.

 

XII. Popular Books

The library maintains a Popular Books collection to encourage leisure reading and lifelong learning. The collection consists of a limited number of popular fiction and nonfiction books to meet the interests of a diverse academic community. Titles in the Popular Books collection represent genres of particular interest to college students and faculty, but do not attempt to duplicate collections found in other CLP libraries. 

 

XIII. Graphic Novels

The library's graphic novels collection primarily consists of classic titles, developed in collaboration with Arts faculty, and newer titles meeting the criteria described in section VI. Titles may be purchased to provide leisure reading for patrons or direct curricular support for students.

 

XIV. World Language Materials

The library will purchase world language materials to support the college’s curricular objectives, programs, and other needs as they arise. Examples might include language instruction classes, film, history, English-as-a-Second Language, and collections for members of the community who speak languages other than English. Specific faculty requests for world language materials will receive highest priority.

 

XV. Children's Books

The library purchases high-quality children's books reviewed in professional sources such as School Library Journal as well as those requested by faculty. The Juvenile collection supports the Early Childhood Education degree program and the Early Childhood Learning Center. 

 

XVI. Scores

The library maintains a small collection of scores to support students in the Music program. The collection focuses primarily on classical scores, operas, and American musicals.

 

XVII. Staff Publications

The library may purchase 1 copy of a CCC staff member's print publication for the general circulating collection. These copies may be signed by the author, but will not be restricted from circulation. Only staff publications that adequately meet the selection criteria discussed in section V will be considered for purchase or donation acceptance.

 

XVIII. Periodicals

The library provides access to a limited number of print newspapers, magazines, and journals to support the college curriculum and offer leisure reading options for library visitors. Electronic periodicals, particularly those offered through library databases, are preferred. Periodical subscriptions are evaluated and renewed annually, in consultation with faculty. Relatively small backfiles of print periodical titles will be held, with the retention period being determined by the liaison librarian in consultation with college faculty.

 

XIX. Media

Audiovisual materials are purchased to support the curricular needs of the college. The emphasis in the selection of audiovisual titles is placed on those which will be directly used by the faculty for instruction or in support of instruction. While the library maintains a physical DVD collection, it will prioritize streamed media (particularly videos) through subscription or license from third party vendors such as Alexander Street, Films on Demand, Kanopy, and Swank.

 

XX. Archives

The library maintains a small archival collection consisting of items related to the college's history and operations, such as external publications, photographs, course catalogs, budgets, and Board of Trustees' meeting minutes. Only items within pre-selected record groups will be added to the collection. Archival materials do not circulate, and it is recommended that patrons contact the library in advance to make arrangements to use the materials.

 

XXI. Other Materials

The library may purchase other materials not otherwise covered by this policy in order to support the curriculum. Such materials include, but are not limited to, calculators, anatomical models, and laptop computers. These items will typically, although not necessarily, be held in the general reserves collection and may include access restrictions, such as limiting to library use and 4-hour checkout periods.

 

XXII. Gifts

Gifts will only be accepted when they align with the library's donation policy, which includes a list of items that are not accepted by library staff. Donors may not place restrictions on the housing, handling, or disposition of donated materials. The library sends a written acknowledgement to donors specifying the number of items received, but does not assign a monetary value to the gift. The library reserves the right to dispose of gifts through local sales, donation to non-profit organizations, or by simply discarding the items.

 

XXIII. Challenge Policy

Section III of the Library Bill of Rights states that "libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment." While the library acknowledges that materials may be offensive, outdated, or otherwise unacceptable to some members of the college community, those facts do not necessarily support the removal of an item from the collection. The library's challenge policy offers patrons a formal mechanism to object to a material's inclusion in the collection. Any challenges must explain why the material does not align with CCC Library's collection development policy. The library will not consider any challenges based solely on a patron's political, social, religious, or moral preferences. Only members of the college community (credit students, staff, faculty, Board of Trustees) may submit a challenge. Patrons are limited to 5 challenges per calendar year and may only submit 1 challenge at a time.

 

Procedure:

1. Contact the Director of Library to obtain a copy of the Request for Reconsideration of Material Form.

2. Fill out the form in its entirety. Challenges based upon a partial review of the material or external sources will not be considered; patrons must have reviewed the entire work themselves and make reference to specific sections or pages in order to initiate a reconsideration. The challenged material will remain on the shelves during the reconsideration process.

3. Submit the form to the Director of Library, who will confirm receipt of the Request for Reconsideration of Material Form within 5 business days.

4. The Director of Library will examine the work and provide a written decision and explanation within 30 business days.

5. Patrons will have 10 business days to appeal the Director of Library's decision to the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs (VPASA). The VPASA will respond in writing to the appeal within 30 business days, and that decision is binding and final. No further reconsideration requests will be granted to that material based on the grounds cited in the original complaint.