MGC COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY

LIBRARY MISSION

The Mission of the Middle Georgia College Libraries, in Cochran and at the Dublin Center, is parallel to the purpose of Middle Georgia College, which is stated in the General Catalog of the College. The libraries are concerned with supporting the College's two principle goals of providing the best educational environment possible for the development of its students and serving the needs of its community. Consideration is given to faculty, staff and community needs. The major objective of the libraries is to participate in the educational program of Middle Georgia College by collecting, making readily available, and assisting in the use of books and other materials. To accomplish this purpose, the library:
1. Acquires printed and non-print materials to support the Curriculum offered by the College in accordance with the library's collection development policy.
2. Organizes its collection in an orderly and standard manner.
3. Provides qualified staff to assist patrons and disseminate information.
4. Offers bibliographic instruction and orientation to all users.
5. Provides an attractive physical facility that is easily accessible to all users.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT
1. The collection is selected primarily for use by students at the two-year college level and should be relevant to one or more of the following:
  1. Curriculum Support
  2. Cultural Enrichment
  3. General or Specific Professional Growth
  4. Extracurricular Interest
2. Priority is given to direct curricular needs, but individual interest and developmental needs of students and are also taken into consideration when materials are collected.
3. Consideration will be given to community interest, particularly in relation to continuing education programs.
4. Materials are selected primarily on the basis of their value to the collection rather than on basis of format, such as book or non-book.
PARTICIPANTS AND AUTHORITY IN THE SELECTION PROCESS
1. Faculty The quality of materials selected depends largely upon the interest and involvement of all faculty members, and full participation in selection and in weeding should be encouraged by all Division Chairs. The faculty are specialists in their respective fields. Division Chairs are responsible for involving their faculty in recommending library materials in support of their subject areas and their division's curricula. Therefore, each faculty member should make recommendations for purchase through the chairperson of his or her division. When appropriate, the Division Chair should request that a duplicate copy of an acquisition be placed in the Dublin Center library. Suggestions concerning materials outside a faculty member's field will be considered.
2. Professional Library Staff The primary responsibility for collection development rests with the college library faculty. The librarians are generalists and can best see the library collection as a whole. Their function is to complement faculty selections appropriate materials outside the published curricula, maintaining a reference collection, and the continual updating of the circulating collection.
3. Other Personnel The college's staff, students and administration may suggest that materials be purchased by the library.
4. Final authority for selection rests with the director of the library and his administrative superiors.
SPECIFIC ACQUISITIONS POLICY
1. Core Collection The libraries will attempt to maintain a core collection of the important titles recommended by the most recent editions of Books for College Libraries and Books for Junior Colleges. Other works to be considered include Reference Books for Small libraries and Sheehay's Guide to Reference Books. Periodicals to be consulted include Choice, American Libraries, C&RL News, and New York Times Book Review.
2. Balance The libraries will attempt to maintain a balanced collection by considering the materials that faculty, librarians and the the review media recommend; materials requested by clientele; and what materials are being used.
3. Budget Purchase of materials is determined by the budgets allotted to individual divisions and special funds available, in accordance with acquisitions policies. Suitable balance of expenditures among divisions of the college is sought. At the beginning of the year, the budget for the books, audio-visual materials, and periodical subscriptions is divided among the various divisions, with a portion also set aside for the library and general purchases and binding. The final decision as to which materials are to be purchased is the responsibility of the director.
4. Periodicals the libraries provide a selection of newspapers and other periodicals that reflect community, national and worldwide perspectives. Periodical subscriptions are recommended by division chairmen. Initial purchase will be of the entire volume of the current year. The acquisition of backfiles will be highly selective.
5. Duplicate Copies In general, only one copy of each title selected for the collection will be purchased. Exceptions to this rule may be made at the director's discretion.
6. Textbooks The libraries do not purchase copies of assigned textbooks, although copies of particular books used as textbooks may be included in the collection by coincidence. Textbooks supplied by division chairs will be held on reserve.
7. Out-Of-Print Materials reprints of out-of-print materials are purchased as they become available and as there is a need for such items.
8. Replacements Replacements are contingent upon a review of a lost or damaged item's importance in relation to the library's General Principles of Collection Development. Replacement of damaged materials will be considered in relation to cost of repairs versus replacement as well as importance to the collection.
9. Nonprint Material Selection criteria are the same for nonprint materials as for books. Additionally, content, subject matter, and treatment are evaluated in relation to their validity, lasting value of timely importance. Technical qualities such as photography, sound track, color reproduction and the like are examined. It is the policy for audiovisual materials to be previewed whenever possible before purchase.
WEEDING

Materials are periodically withdrawn from the libraries to maintain a current, active, and useful collection. Materials that are to be withdrawn from the collections include superseded editions; worn, mutilated, or badly marked items; unused duplicates; and materials containing outdated or inaccurate information. Division Chairs are responsible for involving their faculty members in reviewing, periodically, the area of collection in their respective disciplines and making recommendation for withdrawals and updates. As requested the library faculty will make suggestions to division chairs regarding weeding.
PRESERVATION

Preservation consist of taking preventive and corrective action with regard to deterioration of library materials in all formats for the purpose of maintain access to them or the information they hold. This is done in a variety of ways including regular binding of periodical materials and purchasing periodical materials in microfilm format. Paperbound monographs are purchased with plastic reinforcements to extend their life. Damaged materials are brought to the attention of the Technical Services staff and are repaired or replaced if possible. Items of unique nature, such as backfiles of the College's student newspapers and archival materials, are kept in a secure area and are available for reference use.
GIFTS
1. The libraries accept donations of materials to the collections. However, it reserves the right to use donated material in any manner appropriate to its needs.
2. The libraries do not appraise the value of gifts.
3. Monetary bequests are welcomed.
4. Responsibility for gift solicitation, receipt, acceptance and acknowledgement will rest with the director of the library.
EXCHANGES

Exchange items must meet the same selection criteria as any other item acquired for the collection.
COPYRIGHT

The libraries abide by all regulations of relevant sections of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976 and the "Guidelines for Off-Air Recording of Broadcast Programming for Educational Purposes."
INTERLIBRARY LOAN

Interlibrary loan service, by which needed materials are obtained from other libraries, provides the libraries with a valuable means of supplementing limited resources. Types of materials borrowed include books, periodical articles, and microforms. The libraries reserve the right not to process an interlibrary loan request that the librarians may believe to be violation of the copyright law.
INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM

Middle Georgia College libraries are firmly committed to the concept of intellectual freedom as expressed in the Library Bill of Rights and Librarians' Code of Ethics. The decision to make available library resources is based on the purposes and objectives of Middle Georgia College and on the policies outlined in this document. No materials will be excluded on the basis of race, creed, nationality, sex, or age of the author. The library will attempt to provide a balanced collection, with particular attention paid to providing varying viewpoints on controversial subjects.
1. Library Bill Of Rights The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas that the following basic policies should guide their services.
  1. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment for all people of the library community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
  2. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
  3. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.
  4. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgement of free expression and free access to ideas.
  5. A person's right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.
  6. Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.
2. Librarian's Code Of Ethics
  1. Librarians must provide the highest level of service through appropriate and usefully organized collections, fair and equitable circulation and service policies, and skillful, accurate, unbiased and courteous responses to all requests for assistance.
  2. Librarians must resists all efforts by groups or individuals to censor library material.
  3. Librarians must protect each user's right to privacy with respect to information sought or received, with materials consulted, borrowed or acquired.
  4. Librarians must adhere to the principles of due process and equality of opportunity in peer relationship and personnel actions.
  5. Librarians must distinguish clearly in their actions and statements between their personal philosophies and attitudes and those of an institution and professional body.
  6. Librarians must avoid situations in which personal interests must served or financial benefits gained at the expense of library users, colleagues, or the employing institution.
SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

Special Collections are separate from the collection for which policy established by this document. A further statement regarding special collections is found in Appendix A.
POLICY INTERPRETATION AND IMPLEMENTATION

As chief library administrator, the director of the library reserves the right to make final decisions regarding the interpretation and implementation of this policy. The director will consult with the Library Committee of the College when apparent problems arise concerning any aspect of the policy.
REVIEW OF COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT POLICY

This policy is subject to review at all times by the library staff and by the Library Committee. In any case, the policy should be carefully reviewed every three years. Revised, October 26, 1998

APPENDIX A

Statement On Special Collections The purpose of Roberts Memorial Library's special collections is to provide a repository for the following:
1. Manuscripts, books, and other primary source materials pertaining to the history of Georgia, especially primary source material related to the history of individual counties.
2. Archives of the college.
3. Historical materials of organizations such as the Daughters of the American Revolution.
4. Rare books, manuscripts and other rare or unusually valuable items.

It is the policy of the library to make its special collections accessible to scholars, faculty, students, and other patrons interested in the areas collected.

anti-spam