VSCS Libraries Collection Management Policy (May 2023)

Summary

The primary goal of the VSCS Libraries is to provide seamless access to the information resources that students, staff and faculty need to support and fulfill the mission of Vermont State College System consisting of VTSU & CCV. This statement will serve as a guideline for library staff responsible for making decisions regarding collection development and maintenance and for communicating these decisions to other campus constituencies. The policy statement will delineate the libraries' current practices regarding the types and depth of materials collected, standards for maintaining the collections and criteria used in making decisions about the collections.

Objective

The purpose of this policy is to outline the principles and guidelines used by the VSCS Libraries staff in its selection, acquisition, and evaluation of library materials, both print and electronic.

Requirements

In accordance with the VSCS Libraries Digital First Mission the VSCS libraries will seek to prioritize acquisition of electronic resources over print and physical materials.

Evaluation criteria: Any VSCS faculty member, administrator, staff member, or student may initiate a request. One-time purchases may be submitted throughout the year by submitting a request.

The following factors are considered in evaluating acquisitions:

• Relevancy to the curriculum
• Appropriateness for the collection
• Authoritativeness of the author, editor, publisher, and content
• Author’s and publisher’s reputation
• Published reviews
• Price
• Timeliness of materials
• Demand; frequency of borrowed materials (ILL or request delivery)

All approved items will be purchased if funding is available.

Other Parameters

• Duplicates are not normally purchased, although exceptions are made in accordance with warranted and documented use and available funds.
• Textbooks are not normally purchased.
• eBooks are usually selected over print materials (multi-user usually selected over one instance)
• Streaming Media is usually selected over other media formats.
• Paperbacks are usually selected over hardbound monographs.
• DEI considerations could include the following when selecting materials:
  • Considering resources from self-published, independent, small, and local producers.
  • Seeking content created by and representative of marginalized and underrepresented groups.
  • Evaluating how diverse collection resources are cataloged, labeled, and displayed.
  • Including content in all the languages used in the community that the library serves, when possible.
  • Providing resources in formats that meet the needs of users with disabilities.