Approved by Provost and Library Committee, 2002
This policy is a guide for the faculty, the librarians and other library staff for collection management activities. It also serves to inform members of the Iona Community and other interested persons of the basis of collection development decisions. It shall be reviewed and updated periodically as circumstances and needs warrant.
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The libraries of Iona College serve a multi-campus institution comprising the School of Arts and Science and the Hagan School of Business which together offer baccalaureate and master degrees in more than 40 disciplines to a student body numbering approximately 4,500 FTE.
It is the mission of the libraries (Appendix) to further the College’s mission to create “lifelong learners adaptable to new information and technologies” by acquiring and making available collections to support the teaching, learning, and research activities of the Iona Community. Specifically, the libraries make available through acquisition or access or both:
- Materials supporting the curriculum of Iona College
- Reference tools to facilitate and supplement research
- Materials for research by Iona College faculty, staff, and administration
- Materials to develop and enhance library special collections
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A. Students
The collections primarily serve the research needs of the undergraduate students of Iona College. The libraries acquire or provide access through electronic means to the materials needed to support the basic undergraduate curriculum of the College, supplementing where necessary with document delivery. Graduate courses are supported also, with acquired resources supplemented by access to collections available electronically and through document delivery.
B. Faculty
It is the intent of the libraries to offer collections that support faculty syllabi and teaching. This is done with full faculty participation in the selection process. In addition, through close collaboration with faculty, librarians endeavor to meet faculty research needs by acquisition, by electronic access, by document delivery, and by making special arrangements for the on-site use of other libraries’ collections.
C. Staff and Administrators
The libraries acquire and provide electronic access to basic reference materials in support of the work of campus administrative offices and, in addition, acquire a basic higher education administration collection. Additional materials needed for the performance of their duties are accessed as needed.
D. Graduates
The libraries extend book borrowing and on-site collection use privileges to the graduates of Iona College.
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The Director of Libraries, in concert with the Coordinator of Technical Services and the Acquisitions Supervisor, is responsible for allocating resources for collection development. The majority of funds available for purchasing monographs and audiovisual materials is divided among academic departments according to factors which may include (but are not limited to): the number of courses taught and students served, recorded circulation of the existing collection, and the average cost of materials in the field. Some flexibility is necessary for changing conditions, such as new courses and new emphases on existing programs. Funds are maintained for use at the discretion of the Director and the librarian selectors. The budget allocation is reviewed annually.
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Under the general guidance of the Director of Libraries, the Coordinator of Technical Services has overall responsibility for the materials selection process, working with the librarians who select materials for the libraries' collections. Using general and specialized review media and in collaboration with faculty, the librarians develop the collections in accordance with general and format-specific criteria. Consideration is given to selecting materials in the format best suited to the needs of our patrons and the ways they intend to use the information as well as the potential level of use. Consequently, selection decisions are often made between print sources and the electronic equivalent and between purchase versus access through document delivery.
As a rule, while the collections represent holdings in most subject areas at a level extensive enough for general inquiry, collection intensity is greatest in those disciplines taught in the undergraduate curriculum since the libraries’ first responsibility is to serve the teaching, learning, and research needs of the undergraduate student. In many areas, the collections support graduate-level and even faculty research; however, the libraries recognize the need to use other means also to support in-depth research endeavors.
A. Specific Selection Criteria:
- Available funding.
- Relevancy for the curriculum.
- Need for developing or balancing the collection.
- Accuracy of the material.
- Authoritativeness of the author.
- Reputation of the publisher or issuing body.
- Permanent and timely value of the content.
- Currency, where significant.
- Appropriateness of the level of treatment.
- Review assessment.
- Strength of the present holdings.
- Suitability of format to content – particularly for AV and digitized products.
- Availability of equipment for displaying the format.
- Usefulness of the material with respect to other materials already in the collection or easily available from other collections, including such considerations as:
a. Representation of diverse viewpoints on controversial issues.
b. Avoidance of materials that merely duplicate, either outright or in substance, materials already held.
c. Avoidance of highly expensive materials of limited use, which are readily available from other sources on demand.
- Scarcity of material on a subject.
B. General Guidelines:
- Curriculum Support
While research needs of all members of the Iona Community are supported, priority is given to acquiring and giving access to materials required for the undergraduate curriculum.
- General Information
The libraries purchase and provide access to information sources appropriate for a broad, general background, including disciplines not taught in the curriculum.
- Cost
The cost of materials is always a factor. Selectors consider both the availability of funds as well as the item cost relative to need and potential use.
- Recreational Reading
Bestsellers and other popular works are available if purchased to meet general selection priorities, when received as gifts, and in the McNaughton Collection.
- Language
The libraries purchase English language materials, usually acquiring materials in other languages to support foreign language and literature curricula.
- Alternate Formats
When a document is not available or is too costly to purchase in its original format, consideration is given to purchasing it in an alternate format, such as microform or electronic.
C. Formats Selected
The libraries acquire materials in a variety of formats, including but not limited to, print, electronic, microform, and audiovisual formats. Selection is made based on the criteria listed in this document and, if applicable, compatibility with available hardware. In general, non-print materials are viewed as merely a different format for presenting the content.
- Monographs
a.
Textbooks
Ordinarily, the library does not purchase textbooks. Textbooks that are classics or which provide subject background or overview may be considered for the collection.
b.
Multiple copies
Usually a single copy is purchased. If there is heavy use, or if the item is assigned reading or used at two campuses simultaneously, consideration is given for purchasing more than a single copy.
c. Out-of-print
Priority for purchase is given to books in print.
d.
Paperbacks
Due to the cost differential between hardcopies and their paper equivalent, the libraries purchase the paperback version, when available, unless the anticipated use will be high enough to warrant hardcover.
e.
Theses and Dissertations
The libraries acquire and catalog Iona College graduate theses and undergraduate honors projects. All such materials must conform to the libraries’ guidelines for these formats. Generally, doctoral dissertations are not purchased, but the libraries can assist users in ordering them from an outside supplier, with the cost borne by the requestor.
- Serial Publications
a.
Periodicals
The libraries’ periodicals collection has been developed over time to assure that it represents the highest quality, providing support for the College’s research activities. To insure the libraries’ holdings will be extensive and continuing, commitment to periodical titles is long-term. It is also expensive, with costs escalating at a rate far greater than other formats and with additional expenses for processing, filling gaps, binding, and shelving. The proliferation of electronic databases with full-text journal coverage and, more recently, the availability of individual periodicals in electronic form have enabled remote access to far more periodical titles than most libraries can manage in print, without some of the disadvantages. These developments have allowed, in many cases, a reduction in on-site subscriptions in favor of electronic access.
Whether in print or electronic form, the following criteria have been established for evaluating new title requests:
1. Cost: given the potential high cost of periodical titles, it is necessary to determine if funds are available, if another title can be canceled to cover funding, if the potential use justifies the cost of inclusion, and, if the cost is high, its availability in nearby libraries.
2. Indexing: titles not indexed are not used, so it is imperative that a potential title be included in an accessible index, either print or electronic, preferably one to which the libraries subscribe.
3. Relevance to the curriculum: new titles should strengthen but not duplicate current holdings in the collection.
4. Reputation of the journal and the publisher.
5. Number of interlibrary loan requests for this title.
6. Present full-text availability in a database.
b Standing Orders
Standing Orders are available from publishers for continuing publications including loose-leaf services, annuals that review research in a specialized area or report data for that year, and monographic series. Libraries subscribe to these materials as standing orders so the items are received when published in a timely manner without lapses and also to take advantage of publisher discounts. They may be ordered for annual, biennial, or less frequent but regular shipment. Like periodicals, they represent an ongoing commitment, and many of the same selection criteria apply, such as cost, relevance to the curriculum, and reputation and authoritativeness of the issuing body.
- Electronic Resources
The libraries make available materials in electronic format. Selection criteria for electronic resources are the same as for other formats. In addition, these other considerations may apply, depending on format:
a.
Online Databases
1. License agreement terms that are acceptable to the librarians and the College.
2. If there is a print equivalent, the degree of overlap and the ability and desirability to cancel the print.
3. Reliability of the vendor and quality of the product, determined by reputation, review, and preview, if offered.
4. Cost in relation to the anticipated benefit, as well as the possibility of favorable pricing arrangements.
5. Accessibility from workstations on and off-campus and by simultaneous users.
6. Interface and ease of use.
b. Electronic Journals
Electronic journals that are available for free and for a fee are evaluated according to the criteria for serials and for online databases.
c. Electronic Books
Books available in electronic format are considered with care according to the guidelines for print monographs and online databases. Since these products are in their infancy, particular attention is given to the following:
1.
Check-out and use mechanisms and their impact on availability.
2. When aggregated, collection content, relevance for the curriculum, coverage, and quality.
3. Printing and downloading capabilities and impact.
4. Compatibility with available hardware, if required.
d. CD-ROMs and Computer Software
The criteria applied to the selection of print and other electronic materials are applied also to the selection of CD-ROMs and other computer software. In addition, it is necessary to determine compatibility with existing and commonly used hardware.
- Non-Print Materials
a. Microform
Materials are purchased in microfilm and microfiche to save space, to preserve them, or to make them available when it would be difficult to do so in their original format. Librarians consider several factors, including the above, when deciding whether to maintain back runs of periodicals in print or microform format.
b.
Audiovisuals
Most of the audiovisual materials are videotapes acquired to supplement and augment the curriculum needs of the College. Recreational and popular titles are generally excluded from the collection.
Selection criteria for books and serials generally apply to audiovisual media. In addition, the standard format of VHS is observed. Compatibility with existing hardware, reputation of the producer, authority of the issuing body, accuracy of the information, relevancy of the material, and multiple application of use to existing curricula all play important factors in determining acquisition of the material.
D. Other Collections
- Reference
The libraries acquire and provide access to standard reference publications for academic libraries, making available in greater depth reference works in the disciplines studied at the College.
- Ready Reference
This collection, shelved behind the Reference Desk, consists of a subset of the Reference Collection and includes reference books used frequently by librarians assisting patrons at the Reference Desk. It comprises common sources including almanacs, directories, finding aids, etc. Its content changes according to need.
- Reserve
The Reserve Collection is comprised of materials in the circulating and reference collections that are in high demand and/or assigned for use in current courses. Personal copies of works owned by faculty may be placed in this collection temporarily, provided they comply with current copyright regulations.
- Librarian Reference Sources
This material, consisting of works in the field of library and information science, is purchased to assist members of the library staff in the performance of their duties.
- Curriculum Collection
The libraries purchase items for this Collection for the teacher education program. Covering all subject areas in PreK-12 education, it includes student texts, teacher editions, teacher manuals, answer keys, children’s encyclopedias, children’s literature, and indexes and reference books.
- McNaughton Collection
This is a leased collection of approximately 225 popular fiction and non-fiction titles. Updated monthly, the McNaughton Collection is intended to serve the recreational reading interests of the Iona Community.
E. Special Collection
The Special Collections of the Iona College libraries represent Iona’s history and interests. Some have been developed through donation, some through acquisition, and some through a combination of the two. Inclusion of materials in Special Collections is at the discretion of the Director of Libraries.
Materials in Special Collections include the following:
- Irish history and literature
- History of the Congregation of Christian Brothers, particularly Blessed Edmund Rice
- Material related to the history of Iona College
- Works on the art of teaching
- Iona College faculty publications
F. Gifts
Gift items are accepted with the understanding that the libraries may dispose of them or add them to the collection at their discretion. As a rule, due to the high cost of accession and limited library shelf space, the libraries will evaluate potential gifts according to their collection development guidelines and accept them only if they are highly relevant to the libraries’ needs. The libraries assume no responsibility for the appraisal of gift items, nor can the libraries accept items with restrictions.
When a monetary donation is given, the libraries are willing to adhere to reasonable wishes of the donor, such as the purchase of particular titles or works within a given subject area.
G. Rare Books
Ordinarily, the libraries do not acquire rare or valuable materials. Consideration is given to the acceptance of gifts of this nature, providing they comply with acquisition guidelines.
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VI. Collection Maintenance
The libraries strive to maintain a collection that is useful, relevant, and in good condition.
To achieve this, and particularly in light of diminishing available shelf space, the librarians regularly evaluate the collection, withdrawing materials that, among other things, are in poor condition, outdated, out of scope, duplicates of seldom used titles, and partial volumes in a series unless they have significant stand-alone value. Whenever possible or necessary, they invite faculty participation and comment.
Withdrawn materials are offered to other libraries or interested persons, placed on the Library sale shelf, and/or discarded.
Materials in deteriorating condition but still relevant and useful are repaired whenever possible. In instances where the intrinsic value of an item is of greatest importance, it is stored in acid-free wrappings and shelved in the Petronio Room.
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The libraries’ collection development process calls for the librarian liaisons to collaborate with faculty in selecting materials for the collection according to the selection criteria established in this Policy. While the librarians have ultimate responsibility for the appropriate use of collection budget allocations, it is in the interest of both faculty and library personnel to select the best materials for the teaching, learning, and research endeavors at Iona. All faculty requests should have the approval of the departmental chair or assigned contact; approval is required for items exceeding $250. Allocations must be encumbered by March 1 of each budget year.
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Iona College Libraries
Mission Statement
-Revised June 14, 2002-
The Iona College Libraries provide resources and services that reflect, support, and enhance the mission of the College by:
- developing and maintaining a balanced collection of materials to support and enrich the curricula of the College
- making the information and resources of the Iona Libraries, and other libraries, readily accessible to our students, faculty, and other library users
- providing appropriate library services in an open and caring environment, showing concern for and response to our patrons
- teaching the principles of library research, utilizing traditional and ever-changing methods of access, thereby promoting critical thinking, information literacy, and lifelong learning
- encouraging and facilitating library staff development
- following accepted principles and practices endorsed by the American Library Association
By applying these principles, the Libraries will fulfill our responsibility as a Center of Excellence at Iona College and make a positive difference in our patrons’ education and life experience.
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Collection Development Policy 
I.
Purpose