Collection Development Policy
I. Mission
In support of the educational mission of the College, the Learning Resources Divisions emphasize their instructional role by working with all faculty, staff, and students to develop collections, facilities, services, and access that allow all users to become information literate.
II. Purpose
The purpose of the Collection Development Policy is to provide guidance to the Miami Dade College Learning Resources Divisions in the acquisition and retention of relevant and quality materials that support the mission and curriculum of the College. The following major factors influence collection development decisions:
- Relevance to the educational programs of the College
- Balance in the collection
- Accuracy, objectivity, and suitability
- Professional reviewing media recommendations
- Reputation of the author, publisher, and/or producer
- Timeliness of the delivery of information
- Current holdings in the subject area
- Format Price
III. Responsibility for Selection
The Learning Resources Divisions rely primarily upon the librarians and discipline faculty of the College for purchase recommendations. It is the professional responsibility of these two groups to develop the collection in sync with curriculum goals. All library users, regardless of status, are invited to make purchase recommendations.
IV. Standards and Ethical and Legal Principles
A. Standards
The Miami Dade College Learning Resources Divisions follow the standards for Library/Learning Resources of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), as well as those of any other accrediting agency or association requiring library support for any of the specialized educational programs of the College. Since accrediting agencies may use the standards of the American Library Association (ALA) to evaluate Learning Resources Divisions and library collections, it is important that MDC Learning Resources Divisions strive toward meeting the most recent version of Standards for Libraries in Higher Education (2004), as set and revised, by ALA's Association of College and Research Learning Resources Divisions.
B. Ethical and Legal Principles
Intellectual Freedom and Censorship
It is the responsibility of the librarians and other selectors to ensure that all points of view relevant to the College mission are represented in the collection. The Learning Resources Divisions endorse the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read. The principles of these documents frame the MDC Learning Resources Divisions' views of intellectual freedom and censorship. The Learning Resources Divisions do not, at the request of any individual or group, add or remove materials that do not meet the College's stated selection criteria. Library users with an issue about an item in the collection should direct their concerns to the campus Learning Resources Director. All issues will be considered in light of the collection development policy and will receive a written response.
V. Selection Criteria
A. Curriculum Support
The Learning Resources Divisions' first priority is to provide a current, core collection of print and non-print materials to students in support of curriculum requirements. Since the College's focus is on the first two years of an undergraduate curriculum, as well as four-year programs in certain subject areas, materials recommended for undergraduates will receive first priority for purchase.
B. Selection Criteria by Type of Material
The Learning Resources Divisions of the College strive to maintain a balance of print and non-print materials. The Learning Resources Divisions use and contribute to the selection of databases and full-text materials accessible from the state's College Center for Library Automation (CCLA). These databases are not owned or archived by the College and thus are not a substitute to the development of purchased electronic collections of the Learning Resources Divisions.
Examples of non-print /electronic resources include online databases, e-books and journals, web sites, and audiovisual sources.
Access to library electronic resources is restricted to Miami Dade College students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The electronic resources are available at any time from any computer with Internet access on campus and off campus but do require confirmation via Borrower ID and Pin number to establish the user's college status.
C. Gifts
The selection of materials as gifts will be governed by the same criteria as purchased items. The Learning Resources Divisions reserve the right to refuse donations and to dispose of unwanted material. The Learning Resources Divisions are not responsible for a monetary statement to the donor for tax purposes, but may acknowledge the number of items donated in writing. The Learning Resources Divisions assume no responsibility for the use donors make of such acknowledgements.
VI. Collection Maintenance/Deselection
Library faculty and library administrators will withdraw library materials according to library science weeding criteria such as poor condition, outdated technological/scientific information, and target audience of the material. Continuous evaluation of holdings is an essential ongoing practice.
Whenever possible, classroom faculty members and other subject specialists are invited to participate in the weeding process to assure that materials of historical, literary, or research interest are retained. Weeded materials are officially withdrawn from the collection. Library materials reported missing may be replaced after evaluation of the item according to the same criteria for selection as regularly purchased items. Faculty librarians responsible for collection development are responsible for assuring that missing, lost, and damaged materials are replaced as needed.