Collection Development Policy

WITC Learning Resource Centers (LRCs)

• Purpose of Collection Development
• College Mission
• Mission of College Libraries
• Purpose of Collection Development Policy
• Collection Development Responsibility
• Collection Overview
• General Criteria for Selection of Materials
• Types and Formats of Materials Collected
• Detailed Analysis of Subject Collections
• Donations
• Deselection
• Preservation of Materials
• Replacement of Materials
• Standards
• Intellectual Freedom
• Copyright
• Cooperative Collection Development
• Interlibrary Loan
• Policy Review
• Appendix A: Intellectual Freedom
• Appendix B: Library Bill of Rights
• Appendix C: Freedom to Read Statement

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Purpose of Collection Development

This policy is designed to guide the systematic development and management of Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College library collections of print, audiovisual, and electronic materials. Since the nature of information dissemination, networking, and library resource sharing is undergoing revolutionary change, this policy considers collection development and management issues within the dynamic framework of global access to information resources, and will require regular assessment and adjustment. This policy applies to collection development and management at all WITC campus libraries.

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College Mission

The mission of Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College is to provide:

1. High quality post-secondary academic education, leading to an Associate degree, high quality post-secondary career education, leading to an Associate in Science degree and/or certificate, which offers students comprehensive education in specific vocations
2. High quality non-credit continuing education programs that develop skills necessary for entry into a vocational/technical field, for advancement in a current occupation, or for a career change, and customized programs designed for business, industry and other organizations
3. High quality college preparatory courses designed to help prepare students for college-level courses
4. High quality credit and non-credit courses for persons desiring fulfillment of personal educational objectives
5. High quality credit and non-credit courses using alternative instructional methods to provide flexible access for students
6. Student development and support services that encourage and enhance the success and well-being of a diverse and ever-changing student population
7. An intellectual atmosphere which is conducive to the pursuit of knowledge and the examination of ideas
8. Cultural, social, community service and intercollegiate activities intended to enrich not only the lives of the students but also the lives of residents throughout the district
9. Active participation in and support of local and state-wide economic development
10. Other programs and/or activities as may be authorized by the State Board of Education, State Board of Community Colleges and District Board of trustees

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Mission of the College Libraries

In accordance with the college's mission, the college libraries recognize their responsibility to serve as an integral part of the college's instructional program. The primary purpose of the college libraries, and the mission of the collection development and management program, is to serve the academic community by providing access to resources that support the college curriculum, by stimulating the intellectual development of students and faculty, by motivating students to acquire reading, research and life-long learning skills, and by assisting faculty in maintaining awareness of current information resources and information literacy skills.

The college libraries also strive to provide continuing education opportunities that will enrich the entire community by making resources and facilities available to community residents. Materials are not be specifically acquired for community residents or groups, except for links to Internet resources and government documents (items in any format published or distributed by the U. S. Government Printing Office) that meet Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College government documents selection criteria.

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Purpose of Collection Development Policy

This policy is intended to define a collection development and information access program to meet the following objectives:

• To assist library staff in providing current, diverse, balanced collections of materials to support the instructional, institutional and individual needs of students, faculty and staff
• To provide access to materials in appropriate formats including print, paid online services, and free web sites, consistent with the college's fiscal resources
• To encourage instructional faculty participation in collection development and organized access to electronic resources
• To foster coordinated collection development and resource sharing between campuses
• To serve distance education students and faculty by providing remote access to materials in the most appropriate and cost-effective manner
• To assist with short-range and long-range fiscal planning

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Collection Development Responsibility

Collection development is coordinated college-wide by the Director, Learning Resources.

The library staff at all libraries works cooperatively to recommend. Standard reviewing journals such as Library Journal are utilized in print and online formats by library staff providing reference services, who are directed to select appropriate materials, especially in areas of collection weakness or heavy usage.

Full-time and part-time faculty at all campuses is encouraged to recommend materials in their academic disciplines. Notices are sent to faculty via e-mail, written memos, and by telephone requesting faculty suggestions. All suggested titles are reviewed and evaluated by the Director who has final authority in the selection of materials.

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Collection Overview

Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College operates libraries at each of the college's four campuses. Collection development focuses on subject areas that serve to support the instructional, research and public service activities of the college community. Each college library houses materials supporting instructional activities at the campus it serves.

General Criteria for Selection of Materials

• Relevance to the curriculum and appropriateness to the user
• Timeliness and lasting value of material
• Reputation of the author, issuing body, and/or publisher
• Presentation: style; clarity; reading level
• Special features: detailed, logical, accurate index; bibliography; footnotes; appropriate illustrations
• Physical and technical quality: paper; typography and design; physical size; binding; durability
• Ease of access or user-friendliness
• Suitability of content to form
• Depth of current holdings in the same or similar subject
• Demand, frequency of interlibrary loan requests placed for material on the same or similar subject
• Cost of material relative to the budget and other available material
• Availability in alternate physical or online formats

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Types and Formats of Materials Collected

Printed books are collected in clothbound editions unless cost is significantly higher than a paper edition. Books that should be frequently updated (nursing/medical texts, computer manuals, test preparation materials) are purchased in paper formats with special covers when available.

Electronic books are considered when they provide the most current and/or cost-effective format, or to support distance education courses and programs. Cooperative lease/purchase of electronic books via WILS and other cooperatives are pursued as a cost-effective method of providing access to book collections. Duplication is considered for electronic books provided by such cooperative lease/purchase. In addition to general selection criteria and online resources/Internet-based materials selection criteria, consideration is given to the availability of an archival copy of electronic texts purchased in perpetuity.

Popular fiction having short-term interest among readers is not purchased.

Textbooks that are currently in class are not selected unless recommended by faculty as exceptional resources. Their high cost, frequent revision, and generally poor bindings make most textbooks a poor investment for the libraries' permanent collections. By state ordinance WITC LRCs are not textbook libraries.

Faculty research in pursuit of advance degrees is not supported by the book collection. Interlibrary loan is regularly provided in a timely manner to meet faculty and administrative research requirements for books.

Reference materials support the research needs of Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College students, faculty, and staff. The reference collection contains, but is not limited to, encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, directories, indexes, bibliographies, statistical compilations, handbooks and Internet resources. Though items selected for this collection primarily support the academic programs offered at WITC, core academic reference works published in other subject areas are also selected when they provide fundamental bibliographic access to, or an introductory overview of, an academic discipline. Items in the reference collection normally do not circulate. The reference collection is reviewed by the librarians annually to insure currency and accuracy. Reference materials are collected in print, electronic, and online formats.

Serials/periodicals/journals/newspapers are publications issued in successive parts bearing numeric or chronological designations and intended to be continued indefinitely. Serials are issued in print, microform, and electronic formats. All formats will be considered in the libraries' purchase and/or access decisions. Serials are acquired via subscription. Individual issues or reprints will rarely be purchased.

The selection of serials requires a continuing commitment to the cost of the title, including maintenance, viewing and reproduction equipment, and storage space. The escalating cost of serials subscriptions demands that requests for serials subscriptions be carefully reviewed before they are purchased for the collection and that an ongoing evaluation of current subscriptions be conducted.

Since it is often becoming more cost-efficient to purchase electronic access or document delivery services for serials instead of acquisition through print subscription, this delivery method will be chosen when fiscally prudent. Cooperative acquisition (regional and statewide) of electronic serials databases is actively pursued. Electronic serials subscriptions licensing contracts may limit access to currently enrolled students, faculty and staff. The professional library staff reviews local serials collections and accessibility of online titles annually.

The serials collection supports the research needs of the Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College curriculum. No attempt is made to support research needs of faculty pursuing advanced degrees. Interlibrary loan is regularly provided in a timely manner to meet faculty and administrative research requirements. Factors to be considered in the acquisition of serials are:

• Support of academic programs
• Suitability for intended audience including special users
• Uniqueness of subject coverage for the college libraries
• Cost, including rate of price increases, cost of storage, and/or access costs
• Professional reputation
• Usage or projected usage
• Indexing and abstracting in sources accessible to library users
• Demand for title in interlibrary loan or document delivery requests
• Accessibility within resource sharing groups, consortia, and/or through document delivery or courier services
• Full-text availability via electronic access
• Cost, including rate of price increases, cost of storage, and/or access costs

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Audio-visual materials, including videotapes, audiotapes, compact disks and DVDs, are collected and housed in the campus LRCs. With few exceptions CD-ROM and DVD formats are purchased and preferred. Audiovisual materials are purchased at the request of the faculty, from the campus audiovisual fund. Limited budgets support only the narrow purpose of providing audiovisual materials for classroom support. No attempt is made to augment general collections with audiovisual selections. Audiovisual materials circulate only to faculty for use in classrooms or as a reserve item for students to view in the LRC.

Electronic materials will be collected when that format is most effective in support of teaching and research, and when cost effective. CD-ROM and some floppy disk formats are supported at all campus libraries.

Online Resources/Internet-based materials will be considered when they provide the most current and/or cost-effective resources. The following online resources will be actively selected:

• Licensed commercial, fee-based resources and databases will be selected when they provide cost-effective means of providing resources for the four campus libraries. These resources may include electronic books; citation, abstracting and full-text databases covering journals, magazines, newspapers or reference materials; and databases providing information portals for specific subject areas. In addition to general selection criteria, the following criteria will be used:
  • The product has broad appeal to a large number of WITC library users or will serve the special needs of a user group
  • The product compares favorably with similar products
  • Multiple user access is preferred
  • The interface is user-friendly
  • Appropriate online help is available
  • Good technical support is available
  • The availability of usage statistics is highly desirable
  • The vendor allows a trial of the actual product
  • The libraries are not required to subscribe to both print and electronic versions of the product, unless this is desired and funds are available.
  • The license agreement allows normal rights and privileges accorded libraries under copyright law
  • The license agreement gives the libraries indemnification against third party copyright infringement

  The libraries will attempt to balance print, electronic and online resources without unnecessary duplication. Print, audiovisual, or electronic resources may be duplicated with fee-based online resources when:

  • The resource has significant historical value
  • One format is unstable
  • A cost benefit for purchasing multiple formats exists
  • Multiple formats meet the different needs of user groups
  • Usage justifies additional copies
     
• Freely linkable World Wide Web resources and other freely available resources, services and databases will be selected and provided as links from Internet Resources, the libraries' web-based subject directory of Internet resources.
  
  In addition to resources located via Internet directories and search engines, several sources are consulted for current reviews of Internet resources. These sources of selection include Choice, CRL News, American Libraries, Library Journal, and The Scout Report. Several high-quality subject indexes are also regularly consulted, such as the Internet Public Library and The WWW Virtual Library. Duplication of print resources is acceptable for free Internet resources since it provides an additional point of use.
  
  In addition to general selection criteria, the following criteria will be used for selecting general and subject specific Internet resources for the Internet Resources link:
  • The resource supports the curriculum, faculty research interests, or the reference collection
  • The resource enhances the libraries' collections for community users or specific groups or organizations
  • Access and design considerations include:
    • Is the purpose of the site clearly stated?
    • Are author and title information clearly identified?
    • Is the page stable, or do features frequently disappear or move between visits?
    • Is it usually possible to reach the site or is the server often down or overloaded?
    • How large are the files; how long do the pages take to load?
    • Is the site open to everyone or does access to most of the site require membership and/or fees?
    • Must you have or must you download software to use the site?
    • Are there clear instructions for use?
    • Do all parts of the site work?
    • Does the site employ navigation buttons or links, enabling the user to return to an index page or easily locate a particular page?
    • Can users back out of the site, or do they get stuck looping between pages?

All library materials will be collected primarily in the English language, with the exception of foreign language materials supporting introductory language courses or special circumstances.

Duplicates for individual campuses will be purchased only when high demand is anticipated. Duplicate materials will be added within campus library collections if warranted by heavy usage of copies already held by the library. Duplication of fee-based materials provided by WiLS, WISPALS, or other cooperative entities will be considered.

Out-of-Print Materials are rarely purchased.

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Detailed Analysis of Subject Collections

This section describes the breadth and depth of subject collections. The following categories for collection development levels are used by WITC libraries, to describe collections appropriate for the support of a community college curriculum.

Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College provides degree and certificate programs at the Associate degree level, and therefore does not endeavor to collect at the research level, which describes a collection that includes the major published source materials required for dissertations and independent research, nor the comprehensive level, which include all significant works of recorded knowledge for a defined field.

A=Study level
A collection which supports undergraduate, or sustained independent study; which is adequate to maintain knowledge of a subject required for limited or generalized purposes, of less than research intensity. It includes a wide range of basic monographs, a selection of representative journals, and the reference works pertaining to the subject.

B=Basic level
A highly selective collection which serves to introduce and define the subject and to indicate the varieties of information available elsewhere. It includes major dictionaries and encyclopedias, selected editions of important works, historical surveys, important bibliographies, and a few major periodicals in the field.

C=Minimal level
Few selections are made, but basic authors, some core works, or a spectrum of ideological views may be represented.

Classification	Subjects	Current Level	Target Level
A	General Works	A	A
B - BD	Philosophy	C	C
BF	Psychology	B	B
BH - BJ	Aesthetics	C	C
BL - BX	Religion	A	A
C - CR	Auxiliary History	C	B
CT	Biography	C	C
D	General History	C	C
DA - DX	European History	C	C
E - F	American History	C	C
G - GB	Geography	C	C
GC	Oceanography	C	C
GF - GN	Human Ecology, Anthropology	C	B
GR	Folklore	C	B
GT	Manners, Customs	C	C
GV	Recreation	C	C
H	Social Sciences	A	A
HA	Statistics	A	A
HB - HJ	Sociology, Social Groups, Races	B	A
HV	Criminology	B	B
HX	Socialism, Communism, Anarchism	C	C
J - JV	Political Science	C	C
JX	International Relations	C	B
K	Law	C	B
L	Education	B	A
M	Music	A	A
N	Fine Arts	C	C
P	Language, Literature	C	B
Q	General Science	C	B
QA	Mathematics, Computer Science	A	A
QB	Astronomy	C	C
QC	Physics	B	A
QE - QH	Geology, Natural History	C	C
QK - QL	Botany, Zoology	C	C
QM - QR	Human Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology	A	A
R - RZ (except RT)	Medicine	A	A
RT	Nursing	B	A
S	Agriculture	A	A
T	Technology	A	A
U - V	Military, Naval Science	C	B
Z	Bibliography, Library Science	A	A

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Donations

The libraries use the same guidelines for inclusion of donated materials that are used for purchased materials. The works of local authors are not accepted unless they meet guidelines such as relevance to the curriculum, are critically acclaimed, or make a substantial, documented contribution to local history. Periodical donations are usually not accepted, unless they are not available electronically, and provide a complete run of bound volumes in an area requiring a high level of curriculum support.

Donated materials must be in good physical condition with no writing or highlighting inside. There should be no stains, mildew, or brittle pages, and bindings should be in good repair. Donations which meet collection development guidelines will be integrated into the main collection. The Director, Learning Resources, will not provide any estimation of value for any donated item, but will provide a letter of acknowledgment describing any donation which is accepted if the donor requests such a letter.

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Deselection (Weeding)

Deselection of library materials (the process of removing items from the collection) is essential for the maintenance of a current, academically useful library collection. Deselection provides quality control for the collection by elimination of outdated, inaccurate, and worn-out materials. Librarians are responsible for conducting an ongoing deselection effort. Faculty members are regularly consulted when specific items are recommended for deselection.

• Print and Audio-Visual Resources Deselection
  • Superseded editions are routinely deselected from the collection.
  • Materials that cannot be repaired or rebound or for which the cost of preservation exceeds the usefulness of the information contained are deselected.
  • Because currency of information is extremely important in some fields such as health sciences, technology, and business, older materials must be regularly deselected so that outdated or inaccurate information is eliminated.
  • Materials that do not support the current curriculum may be deselected.
  • Material that has not been used based on circulation and browsing statistics may be deselected after five to ten years of inactivity. However, some library materials such as items considered classic works in their field have long-term value and should be kept in the collection despite lack of use.
  • The title may be retained if it is included in a standard list or bibliography such as Books for College Libraries or if the author has a reputation for being an authority on the topic.
  • Deselected items may be disposed of according to the following guidelines, after approval by the Director, Learning Resources:
    • Immediately, where severely damaged or containing material so outdated as to be grossly inaccurate or dangerous
    • After being offered at no cost to library patrons where of little or no intrinsic or historical value
    • After being offered to another library or collecting institution where unsuitable for the WITC collection but thought to be of significant intrinsic or historical value
• Serials Deselection
  • Incomplete and short runs of a title may be withdrawn, particularly when the title is not received currently
  • Titles that do not contain substantial amounts information supporting the current curriculum
  • Items where information currency is of the essence such as newsletters and trade magazines have predetermined holding limits such as "Library retains one year only"
  • Annuals, biennials, and regularly updated editions of guidebooks, handbooks, almanacs, and directories have a deselection schedule established depending on the value of the information contained in earlier editions. Often one or two older editions are retained in the circulating collections or the latest edition is retained in the LRC in the Reference Collection.
  • Deselected serials may be disposed of according to the guidelines listed under print and audiovisual materials. Disposal of individual journal, magazine, or newspaper issues does not require Administrative Office approval.
• On-line Resources Deselection
  • Ongoing deselection of Internet resources is a necessity because of the dynamic nature of such resources. The following guidelines are used:
    • An Internet resource is no longer available or maintained
    • The resource is no longer sufficiently current or reliable
    • Another Internet site or resource offers more better coverage of the same topic
    • BadgerLink provides statewide access to the resource or a comparable resource
    • A comparable fee-based or free resource provides more affordable access back to top

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Preservation of Materials

Library materials are expensive to purchase, process, and house. WITC LRCs (libraries/learning resource centers) acknowledge the necessity of preserving all holdings.

• Library employees and library users will be informed of the proper care and handling of library materials.
• Temperature and humidity controls are essential for maintenance of library materials.
• Book repair is provided for damaged materials.
• Binding is used to preserve materials as needed. Newly acquired paperbound books are not rebound but may have heavy, acid-free plastic or vinyl applied over the cover. Exceptions may be made when heavy use is anticipated.

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Replacement of Materials

Decisions are made regarding the replacement of lost, damaged, missing, or worn-out items, based on the following criteria:

• Does the item being considered meet the general library collection policy?
• Does the frequency of use justify replacement?
• Is the item used for class reserve reading or is it on a faculty recommended reading list?
• Is the same item available in another format that would better meet the needs of users or is the content better covered by another title?
• Is an electronic version available that would provide remote access for users?

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Standards

The college libraries support the statements on collection development contained within the "Standards for Community, Junior, and Technical College Learning Resource Programs" adopted by the American Library Association's Association of College and Research Libraries.

Intellectual Freedom

The libraries at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College support the American Library Association's Bill of Rights, Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries, Freedom to Read Statement and Access to Electronic Information, Services, and Networks: an Interpretation of the LIBRARY BILL OF RIGHTS. The libraries acquire materials that represent differing opinions and without censorship in regard to controversial issues. The libraries do not add or withdraw, at the request of any individual or group, material which has been chosen or excluded on the basis of stated selection criteria. An individual or group questioning the appropriateness of material within the collection will be referred to the Director, Learning Resources.

An individual may register a complaint concerning material that he or she considers objectionable by using the "Request for Reconsideration of Library Resources" form. The Director is responsible for reviewing the material in question following current collection development objectives and selection criteria. The Director may consult book reviews, other commentaries, and outside advice. The Director will formulate a recommendation. The complainant will receive a reply from the Director indicating the library's position and action planned or taken.

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Copyright

Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College libraries comply fully with all of the provisions of the U.S. Copyright Law (17 U.S.C.) and its amendments. The libraries support the Fair Use section of the Copyright Law (17 U.S.C. 107) which permits and protects citizens' rights to reproduce and make other uses of copyrighted works for the purposes of teaching, scholarship, and research.

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Cooperative Collection Development

Due to the libraries' limited budgets and diminishing ability to physically collect even a small percentage of the world's information, access rather than ownership has become the reality of collection development. Increasing numbers of information resources are available only in online electronic formats. The worldwide development of electronic information systems such as online library catalogs, abstracting and full-text databases have made it possible for libraries to direct users to vast quantities of information resources. While the libraries cannot keep all of the material relevant to the users in their collections, they can provide access to the vast amount of information available for use in other collections. This type of access requires that libraries engage in cooperative collection development, resource sharing, and document delivery systems. When it is determined that access on demand is more economically feasible in terms of storage, projected use, and cost, this option can enhance the libraries' abilities to expand the information base available to their primary users.

Every possible effort will be made to cooperate with local, regional and statewide organizations to share resources and engage in cooperative acquisitions projects.

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Interlibrary Loan

Since the libraries make no effort to collect at the research level, and do not provide materials to support faculty and staff pursuing advanced degrees, interlibrary loan and document delivery will be utilized to provide materials outside the scope of the libraries' collections.

Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed and updated as necessary in order to reflect the changing information environment in the college libraries.

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Policy last updated June 2008