The collection development policy of the Robert F. Kidd Library is consistent with the mission and goals of the College. The purpose of the policy is to assure the planned and systematic provision of materials for the College to support its curriculum and selected resources to support faculty and student research. The policy is purposely left general to allow for individual initiative and judgment in collection development. It is subject to continuing change as new ideas and types of materials become available in the collection development process.

Policy goals are to maintain a balanced collection of materials that meet the needs of current faculty and curriculum. Faculty members are expected to help maintain the currency of the collections through material purchase requests and suggestions for disposal of obsolete materials. Acquisitions are made to meet the needs of the administration, faculty, staff and students. Suggestions by students and community patrons are welcomed.

The primary community of Robert F. Kidd Library is the students, administration, faculty and staff of Glenville State College. The library's collections are also available for use by local and extended West Virginia residents and alumni.

Collections at RFK

Serials

A publication issued in successive parts, usually at regular intervals, and, as a rule, intended to be continued indefinitely. Serials include periodicals, annuals (reports, yearbooks, etc.), memoirs, proceedings, and transactions of societies. (ALA Glossary of Library Terms, 1943)

Periodicals

Serial publications published more frequently than once a year. This refers to magazines, newspapers, and scholarly journals. The Periodical Collection is maintained as a separate collection arranged alphabetically by title.

Newspapers

A special form of serial publications issued daily, weekly, or semiweekly which report events and discuss topics of current interest. The Library selects both print and electronic versions of newspapers.

We select titles to represent the following types of newspapers:

  1. National newspapers of record. e.g. New York Times; Wall Street Journal; USA Today
  2. Regional newspapers. e.g. Charleston Gazette; Parkersburg News, Clarksburg Exponent Telegram
  3. Local newspapers. e.g. Glenville Democrat; Braxton Democrat; Nicholas Chronicle

Continuations/Standing Orders

Serial and non-serial titles or sets that the library has instructed vendors to supply on an ongoing basis until canceled.

New serial requests are collectively reviewed by the librarians on a continuous basis. These decisions are based on the same criteria as outlined for other materials in this policy of statement. In addition to those guidelines, the following must be taken into account:

  1. Accessibility to indexing
  2. Cost of the title
  3. Overall availability of funds
  4. Requestor of the serial, requesting department, number of faculty members requesting the serial
  5. Subject emphasis (see collection levels), interdisciplinary nature of the publication (number of departments that might use the title), size of enrollments in requesting program, potential usage
  6. Appropriateness of print versus electronic format

Whenever a new serial is selected, a decision should be made concerning the retention of that serial, and if it is to be retained indefinitely, whether or not it should be bound or purchased in electronic or micro format.

Serials cannot and will not be selected and dropped on a yearly basis; a commitment must be made to support new serials on an ongoing basis. Back file purchases of serials are based on the same criteria as current and new subscriptions and are purchased as funds allow. Back files are usually acquired in electronic or micro formats.

A retention period is established for each serial title. A title is either retained permanently or retained for a limited period only. Limited retention may be based on such factors as currency of the information and/or condition of the material. A serial may be considered for deselecting if there is little to no usage in the last three or more years, if it is available full-text in electronic format, or if it is of high cost.

Microforms

Microforms are acquired to supplement the print and electronic collections. The criteria used for selecting microforms include frequency of publication, paper quality, susceptibility to theft and mutilation, or when a microform format is the only format available or the most cost efficient format for retention and storage. This format is preferred for newspaper back files and for filling gaps in serial holdings. In a few cases, it may be preferred as an alternative to binding for a serial or monograph title.

In general, electronic formats are preferred over microforms if they provide additional features that add value for the user.

The library supports the following microform formats:

  1. 35 mm microfilm
  2. Microfiche

We make every effort to provide and maintain up-to-date reader/printers for microform use.

Electronic Resources

Electronic resources refer to materials in standard digital formats. They are preferred over paper or microform when available, appropriate, and cost effective for abstracts, indexes, serials, full text journals and reference books. In addition, the Library will select large aggregate databases appropriate to the Library’s mission. The Library will also subscribe, purchase, or connect electronically to selected monographic and archival databases as appropriate and affordable.

Reference Collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating collection of library materials designed to meet the basic, research, verification, location, and information needs of the Glenville State College community in all subject fields. Reference materials of all types are selected by the librarians, in accordance with the general criteria established for the selection of library materials and the specific needs of the academic and co-curricular programs. In general, only the latest edition of a reference work is shelved in the Reference Collection. Older editions are either transferred to the general collection or are withdrawn from the library. The Reference Collection is supported by a special budget allocation, other acquisitions funds and gifts.

Certain types of reference materials are selected according to the following guidelines:

  1. Encyclopedias - the collection contains general encyclopedias that are updated on a rotating schedule if not provided electronically and subject and topical encyclopedias that are acquired and updated as they become available.
  2. Dictionaries - English language, foreign language and subject dictionaries are purchased as needs dictate. Dictionaries are updated if they become obsolete and a new edition is available.
  3. Indexes, Abstracts, and Databases - Both general/interdisciplinary and subject-specific indexes and databases relevant to student and faculty needs are selected by the librarians. Online versions are normally preferred over print subscriptions. Generally a trial preview period is requested before a final determination is made to add a database subscription. Among other considerations in the selection process: the availability of full-text, ease of use, links to local holdings and/or full-text sources.
  4. Bibliographies - In general, bibliographies are acquired as part of general collection development. Some of these bibliographies may be selected for the Reference Collection, based on frequency of use or broad subject content.
  5. Annual reports - Often available through Internet resources, the library no longer houses separate annual reports of companies but sends them to the Division of Business.
  6. Telephone Directories - Print telephone directories for selected West Virginia cities are requested directly through the appropriate telephone companies and held in a separate collection.
  7. Ready Reference - Frequently consulted reference sources are selected by librarians to be shelved at the Reference Desk. These materials are reviewed periodically for replacement, additions, or removal as needs dictate.
  8. Atlases - A collection of state, U.S., world, and subject atlases and gazetteers are selected by the librarians and included as part of the Reference Collection. Superceded editions are considered for inclusion in the library's general collection.
  9. Reference Materials not kept in Reference Collection - Materials removed from the Reference Collection will be relocated to the general collection or discarded based on an evaluation by the librarians. Among the factors to be considered are: currency or long-term use of the material, availability of a more current edition, duplication of the information elsewhere, and the physical condition of the material.

Browsing/Display Collection

A selective browsing collection is displayed on a rotating basis on the 1st floor of the Library. Titles of the most recent acquisitions are often featured to encourage general or recreational interest for students, faculty, and staff.

Non-print Materials

The Library considers all formats for selection providing the content falls within the guidelines set forth in the Selection Guidelines section. Other formats will be considered for adoption as appropriate. Currently the following types of non-print materials are considered for the collection:

  1. Video Recordings (VHS), and DVDs
  2. Audio Recordings (cassette when in audio books and CDs)
  3. Multimedia

Juvenile Collection

The Juvenile Collection is a teaching collection to support the reading instruction program of the Education Department, the Early Childhood Education program in the Education Department, the Children's Literature course in the Language Department, and to provide a collection of notable and award winning juvenile books (e.g. Newbery, Caldecott, etc.) for campus use.

West Virginia Collection

A variety of materials, historical, current, and biographical are considered that will enhance the West Virginia Collection including materials by West Virginia authors. Some WV materials circulate while others are non-circulating.

Archive Collection

The Archive Office may obtain gift materials to be housed in the library. Accepted gifts that comprise this collection are non-circulating.

Collection Policy

Allocation of Funds

Library acquisition funds are allocated to academic units on the basis of need and budget funds available. Factors considered are the balance and mix between monographs and serials; print and non-print; strength or weakness of current collection; breadth and depth of need; new programs, courses and faculty; number of students in programs; and cost of materials. Allocation decisions are based upon a process that involves examination of departmental profiles maintained by the library, discussion within the library staff based upon an evaluation of the existing collection, negotiation with academic units, and consideration of standard allocation formulas.

Selection Policies for Librarians to Consider

Library funds are used for current and retrospective purchases to build a balanced collection that meets the needs of the academic mission of Glenville State College.

Priorities include:

  1. Materials supporting the curriculum
  2. Essential reference tools
  3. Materials supporting research of the Glenville State College faculty, students, and staff
  4. Materials contributing to a balanced collection

Responsibility for selection

Divisions are expected to recommend library purchases which will develop the entire field of their disciplines. Faculty members are encouraged to take a strong interest in developing the collection in their various disciplines by using rigorous discrimination in their selection of materials to be added to the library holdings. Students, staff and administrative officers may also submit recommendations for purchase to the library staff.

  • Faculty – Priority will be given to faculty requests (approved by the Department Chairperson)
  • Administrators – Administrator requests will be honored
  • Librarians – Further areas of need will be identified by the Library’s professional staff with final selection approval made by the Library Director
  • Students – Student requests are welcomed and considered as possible selections
  • Other Clientele – Suggestions for selection by other clientele will be reviewed against the collection policy in fulfilling collection needs

Main responsibility for the selection of library materials lies with both the faculty and the librarians. The librarians are in a position to observe the quality and balance of all subject areas. The faculty will bear primary responsibility for recommending the acquisition of materials in their subject fields.

Collection Levels

Basic Level

This level is a core of basic works broadly representative of the liberal arts, or those materials which should be in any college library. These are the standard materials required for an undergraduate curriculum and the general works needed for a balanced college collection. Into this category would fall fundamental reference sources, monographs, general periodicals, some major subject periodicals, and selected non-print media appropriate for an undergraduate library.

Advanced Level

Collections at this level support and maintain undergraduate instruction effectively and support the needs of the four-year curriculum. Material for junior and senior courses would be collected at this level. It includes reference material of all kinds, files of basic journals, a range of subject indexes and bibliographies, and all the more important secondary sources. Definitive editions of works of criticism and analysis, important monographs and research studies would be included as would conference proceedings and important publications of research societies.

Selection Criteria

The library acquires materials of both permanent and current interest in all subjects, based upon the merits of a work in relation to the needs, interests, and demands of the college community. Each of these criteria may not and need not be used to evaluate each item, but they are applied as general guidelines for consideration of all materials. While a single standard cannot be applied to each work, the following general criteria are used in selecting materials for purchase:

Subject Matter and Scope

  • Suits the purpose of the curriculum for which it is intended
  • Is significant
  • Is of local interest (subject, author, or publisher)
  • Has present and/or potential relevance to community needs and preferences
  • Is related to the existing collection and/or to other titles and authors dealing with the same subject
  • Has historical value
  • Is of permanent and timeless interest
  • Serves specific research needs for the undergraduate students

Literature

  • Is written by an author in a language considered to be important to our curriculum
  • Represents the best of its author or genre
  • Includes all works by major authors
  • Includes reading copies and critical editions

Treatment of Subject or Material

  • Suits the needs of students and faculty studying the discipline
  • Can be introductory, speculative, scholarly, technical, or popular
  • May be current or retrospective
  • May be of timely and/or popular interest
  • Should be of an appropriate level of difficulty
  • Should be suitable and useful in subject and style for the library’s intended audience
  • May have unique and/or special features

Validity/Accuracy

  • Presents accurate, current, and authoritative information
  • Has good reputation or qualifications of author, artist, or publisher
  • Possesses literary merit for literature titles as expressed in critical reviews
  • Considers other criteria: availability of indexing, date of publication, primary versus secondary source, fact or opinion, observation of research

Point of View

  • Is fair and balanced in its point of view (though titles of partisan or sectarian nature titles, even some of unredeemable bias, may have value for collection needs)
  • Contributes to community values and citizenship
  • Has alternative viewpoints
  • Has social significance

Elements of Quality

  • Is the best of its type for addition to the collection
  • Is in a suitable format for its message
  • Shows originality and creativity in its presentation and content
  • Is well written
  • Is cited frequently in standard bibliographies

Format

  • Considers all formats for selection, providing the content falls within the guidelines set forth in this document
  • Considers the condition and durability of the materials
  • Considers the font style and size, indexing, paper quality, binding, and the suitability of the format for library use and duration of use
  • Considers Web-based, windows, IP address checking, archiving, free trials, indexing, full-text availability, etc., when selecting electronic resources

Textbooks

  • Considers textbooks when they are important for reference purposes, selected alternative textbooks to those adopted by the Glenville State College or where the textbook is considered a definitive or classic work in the subject

Price

  • Selects paperback editions when deemed appropriate
  • Selects high priced items when deemed essential to the collection

Demand

  • Acquires only one copy of a title unless high demand requires additional copies

Regional Availability

  • Avoids unnecessary duplication of titles
  • Pursues cooperative collection agreements with other libraries in West Virginia

Weeding Policy

The Robert F. Kidd Library's primary focus is to meet current undergraduate curriculum and research needs. Thus, the Library strives to provide a collection designed for active use by its students and the campus community. To accomplish this, it is essential that a weeding policy is continuously implemented to maintain an active and useful collection which reflects the mission objectives of the library. Weeding is the active discarding or transferring to storage of unneeded library materials. It involves the removal of outdated, superseded, damaged or duplicate material from the collection.

Rationale: Books that do not support the mission of the college and do not fit into the library's collection development policy should be removed from the library in order to maintain a current, active and useful collection which reflects the goals of the library.

Weeding needs to be an integral function of the Library in order to:

  1. Re-evaluate the collection in conjunction with the selection of new and replacement materials to insure a relevant collection that supports Glenville State College's mission
  2. Withdraw unnecessary, out of date materials to make active items more visible, attractive, and accessible
  3. Make the most efficient use of existing, limited space and create shelf space for new additions to the collection
  4. Identify materials in need of replacement, binding or repair and enable library staff to service the collection efficiently
  5. Alert faculty and librarians to areas of weakness in the collections

Before being discarded, each item is reviewed by the appropriate staff member(s) based upon professional judgment and knowledge of the collection and curriculum. Librarians should check with faculty members for their recommendations.

Evaluation Considerations

Considerations for evaluating for retention, rebinding, mending, relabeling, relocating, cataloging or classification changes, replacement or updating, or removal:

If the item is in poor physical condition or beyond repair –

  • Replace if it meets selection criteria and is available
  • Repair or rebind if possible and is worth retaining
  • Protect and/or transfer to rare books if it is not possible to repair or rebind and is still useful
  • Withdraw if no longer needed

If the item has more than one copy –

  • Withdraw unneeded, duplicate copies
If the item has superceded editions –
  • Withdraw superceded editions not containing unique information, data, or providing a historical reference not available in the most current edition
  • Keep all revised editions of some reference works according to guidelines in the "Reference Collection Development Policy”
  • Withdraw materials which do not support the current GSC curriculum and mission thus are not suitable for the collection as divined by the library Collection Development Policy
If the item is outdated or obsolete (especially important in the areas of science, law and technology) –
  • In order to maintain the currency of the Library's collection, older titles should be re-evaluated and retained if deemed still useful and withdrawn if not
  • Withdraw if information is incorrect and is not useful for other reasons
If the item is no longer used –
  • Titles unused within a reasonable time period (10 years being a sample time frame) may be evaluated for withdrawal although this should not be used as a sole factor for withdrawal; exceptions are to be made for items considered classics or standard editions still useful/needed
Other considerations for withdrawal –
  • Serials for which there is no available index access
  • Periodical bound volumes of which the library also owns microform
  • Short broken runs of outdated periodicals - may want to consider electronic archives of certain journals where appropriate
  • Unsolicited and unwanted gifts
  • Items not relevant to the current or anticipated curriculum

Criteria for not discarding

  • Local author or faculty member or local topic
  • Famous illustrator or the item contains unusual photographs or illustrations
  • Title has a fair circulation
  • Title is a prize winner
  • Title is analyzed in a standard index
  • Title is considered to be primary source material for historical research
  • Title is part of a series that is retained according to the Library's selection criteria
  • Title has an excellent, extensive bibliography which is still useful
  • Title strongly illustrates the culture or contemporary knowledge of a specific time period

Intellectual Freedom

In accordance to the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights, the following policy should guide weeding: "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."

Responsibilities for Weeding

Weeding takes skill, care, time, and knowledge of the library materials. Weeding should be coordinated by the Library Director through the professional librarians and with faculty consultation. Faculty members and other subject specialists can assure that materials of historical or research interest are not inadvertently removed.

Schedule for Weeding

Weeding is an essential on-going library routine and should not be done only in periods of crisis. However, special weeding projects need to be undertaken when necessary (e.g. changes in information make it important to remove wrong information, such as in medical, law, or technology fields).

Disposal of Discarded Library Materials

After librarians, in consultation with the teaching faculty when appropriate, have identified which materials are no longer needed, the materials will be recycled, trashed, or otherwise discarded as seen fit. After proper withdrawal identification has been made, discarded materials may be dispersed to those people or organizations desiring them.

Replacements

The library will not automatically replace materials withdrawn from the collections because of loss, damage or wear. Decisions to replace an item will be based on the following:

  1. Fit with current Collection Development Policy
  2. Demand for the specific titles to support the curriculum
  3. Number of copies held of same or related materials
  4. Availability of new and better materials on the subject

Titles in the collection reported missing will be promptly replaced if needed for teaching or research and obtainable. Literary works and recognized titles in all subject areas should be considered for replacement one year after reported missing. Missing serial volumes should be replaced in hardcover, microform, or electronic format depending on suitability and availability. Missing pages of any book or serial issue will be replaced by tipped-in photocopies. Missing microfilms will be replaced in the same format.

Binding, Mending, and Discarding

Decisions will be made continuously on how to handle worn titles regardless of format; whether to mend, bind or withdraw them. Each decision is based on the actual condition of the title, the number of duplicate copies in the collection, the current validity of its contents, availability of the title for reorder, and the cost of mending versus the cost of replacement and need. In making such decisions, these guidelines will be followed by the librarians:

  1. Withdraw titles under the guidelines in the weeding policy
  2. Assuming the title is still available, replacement with a new copy is preferable to rebinding if costs are comparable. In cases where rebinding will not restore the title to a condition suitable for normal library use, the title should be replaced. Books which are worn and cannot be rebound due to overly narrow margins should also be replaced with a new or good second-hand copy
  3. Binding is preferable to mending if a title is expected to have long term usefulness and if an inordinate amount of mending is required
  4. Mending will be done only when the need is detected early. In general, most pamphlets, paperbacks and videos which are in poor condition should be discarded
  5. In some instances, an irreplaceable title of importance must be retained regardless of condition. Special handling will be given such a title
  6. Most cataloged paperbound titles will be bound or laminated before circulation to withstand heavy library use
  7. Titles received in a loose-leaf format or fascicle parts will be considered for rebinding based upon anticipated use and the expected pattern of updating