Saint Peter’s College Libraries: Collection Development Policy

Introduction
Saint Peter’s Libraries Collection Development Policy outlines the guidelines and standards used by the librarians at Saint Peter’s College in evaluating, selecting, and deselecting materials in support of the College’s mission and the Library’s mission.

Mission of the College
Saint Peter’s College, founded in 1872, is a Jesuit, Catholic, Co-Educational, Liberal Arts College in an urban setting which seeks to develop the whole person in preparation for a lifetime of learning, leadership and service in a diverse and global society. Saint Peter’s College, inspired by its Jesuit, Catholic identity, commitment to individual attention and grounding in the liberal arts, educates a diverse community of learners in undergraduate, graduate and professional programs to excel intellectually, lead ethically, serve compassionately and promote justice in our ever-changing urban and global environment.

Saint Peter’s Academic Community
The College has an enrollment of approximately 3,000 full-time and part-time students. The diverse student body originates from throughout the United States and over sixty countries around the world. The College offers Doctoral, Master, Bachelor and Associate Degree programs, also in conjunction with other institutions. The College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Business Administration offers undergraduate programs for traditional day students while the School of Professional and Continuing Studies offers undergraduate programs for adult students. The School of Graduate Studies offers Masters Degree programs in Education, Business Administration, Accountancy and Nursing with two doctoral degrees in Education and Nursing Practice. Saint Peter's College is comprised of a main campus in Jersey City, a branch campus in Englewood Cliffs, and several off-site locations. The College also has a strong residence life, ministry based service learning, an honors program, active student organizations, as well as off-campus community-based opportunities and internship experiences, such as in Washington D.C. and the United Nations. Also available are Academic Success, Global Learning, EOF, ROTC, and STEP-UP programs for students. Saint Peter’s College is considered a Carnegie IIA Master’s Level Institution. This classification will change as Saint Peter’s College transitions to university status.

Saint Peter’s College Academic Programs
Refer to Appendix A for a current listing of all programs offered at the Saint Peter’s College.


Mission of the Libraries
The mission of the Libraries of Saint Peter's College is to support the instructional program and goals of the College and to ensure that every patron is an effective user of information and ideas. This mission is accomplished by providing intellectual and physical access to materials, by providing instruction to foster competence and stimulate interest in using information and ideas, and by working to meet the individual needs of patrons to become discriminating users of ideas, information and technology, thus contributing to lifelong independent learning.

Saint Peter’s Library Community
Saint Peter’s College Libraries is comprised of the Theresa and Edward O’Toole Library, built in 1967 with over 50,000 sq. feet of space and approximately 200,000 volumes on its four floors. The Englewood Cliffs campus library has about 20,000 volumes and supports the adult learning programs there. Saint Peter’s College Libraries shares an e-book collection of over 77,000 and a growing database collection of over 87, across both campuses. Between the two campuses, there are eight full time librarians, one archivist, and numerous support staff. It includes an annual budget of over $1 million. Services include interlibrary loan, information literacy instruction, reference services, technology use, and gathering special collections-archival material. The long-term goals of the libraries are to support the college’s information needs by continuously evaluating and acquiring necessary print and electronic resources to compliment the curriculum; to work with students and faculty individually and in group situations to make them aware of library resources with how to use them effectively and efficiently in their academic research; to maintain and provide consistent access to all electronic resources and equipment for consistent use; and to provide an aesthetically friendly learning and study environment with group and individual study room areas; and to encourage lifelong learning through the application of information and library based resources for professional and personal purposes.

Responsibility for Collection Development
Under the administration of the Director of Saint Peter’s College Libraries and the guidance of the Collection Development Librarian, Saint Peter’s College librarians have the primary responsibility for selecting and maintaining the collections. Under the general direction of the Executive Director of Libraries, the responsibility is also shared with faculty in specific subject areas to build collections that further the academic objectives of the departments and programs, keeping accreditation guidelines in mind. Subject specific librarians will be the library liaisons who work with these faculty members. Saint Peter’s College Libraries will also be open to potentially working with collection development approval plans from vendors.

Collection Development Goals:
The current collection development goals of Saint Peter’s College Libraries will be based on a continual needs assessment of what the college community requires to maintain its academic programs. The director, collection development officer, and each subject specific librarian play an important role as liaisons with the rest of the community, faculty, administration and students to determine what will broadly be needed and at what level of depth. Attending department meetings is important part of this continuous outreach. Some general collection development goals are:

1. To acquire the academic works needed to provide study and instructional support for the bachelor’s and master’s level programs at the college. For the associate level, minors, or certifications available at the college, a basic information level will be acquired. However, the library will acquire a minimal level of information across all major subject areas. With doctoral and master’s level study, applicable article databases, print and e-book
2. To fill in gaps in the collection by acquiring important older and current works in designated subject areas that need to be increase in breath or depth due to an area previously overlooked or needs to be focused on due to a change in academic programming at the college. The library will periodically use a collection analysis program that compares the collection with peer libraries in order to determine strengths and weaknesses.
3. To replace copies of important milestone works or of works in continual demand that are missing from shelves, worn out or badly damaged due to environmental conditions, or are currently available in a later edition. For missing works, these will be identified from Integrated Library System (ILS) reports of items indicated as lost from the collection; unfulfilled Interlibrary Loan lending requests for items listed in the catalog from other libraries; reports from patrons to staff or reports from staff directly to technical services of a lost item; and from focused periodic inventories made of the collection, for e.g. shelf-reading. Although the library has preservation or mending services for its materials, decisions need to be made periodically as to whether an item needs to replace or de-accession from the collection. Subject- specific weeding will be completed on an annual basis with an intensive inventory and de-acquisition of the entire collection every five years.
4. To identify subject areas of the collection that are not being utilized though use of circulation statistics, observations by staff, informal usage statistics, and a general perusal of college course offerings.
5. To market the libraries collections more effectively though campus wide publicity venues and internal activities at the library. Outreach through information literacy instruction services, librarian participation in the college community through committees and meetings, exhibits and library clubs, using the library website as an effective portal to information and social outreach via social networking tools will effectively market the collection. Continuing to also support leisure and recreational reading efforts for staff and students alike.
6. To support high level research level activities at the libraries with primary source materials, research databases, and learning centers with the latest technologies. Enhanced off-campus access to these materials via digitization efforts, a library portal in course management tools, and appropriate research and comprehensive level collection activities. These efforts will be completed in conjunction with its archival and rare collections.

General Criteria for Selection
Material collected need to be:
• Relevant to the academic curriculum.
• Appropriate to undergraduate or graduate levels of study.
• Content needs to be accurate, valid, and of a scholarly quality.
• Authors need to be authoritative on the subject matter.
• Publishers need to be reputable and reliable.
• Useful and unique, with respect to other subject material in the collection.
• Timely or current in terms of publication.
• Cost-effective with regards to other comparable material.
• Relevant to the overarching goals and mission of the college.

Selection Criteria for Specific Formats:

1. In terms of monographs or books, Saint Peter’s College Libraries do not tend to collect duplicates unless needed for heavy usage, for the archival collection, or for the Englewood Cliffs campus. General overview texts of subject areas will be collected to serve as a general reference and a broad background to a subject. Hardcover editions are generally preferred over paperbacks. However, paperbacks will be chosen when the cost differential is significant. Works will be primarily collected in English with an ESL component. An emphasis on Spanish and Italian to support the foreign language curricula will be emphasized. Rare monographs are being actively collected as well as signature collections. Rare donations and aging monographs in the circulating collection will go into the Special Collection section of the O’Toole library. For ready reference monographs, a 5-10 year age limit should be used for currency of information. For reference monographs, a 15-20 year age limit will be used with the shorter time-frame emphasized for scientific materials. An exception would be landmark reference works, which would be considered for interfiling in the permanent circulating collection or with special collections. The most current print publication or edition with also a preference for e-formats will be acquired first for ready reference.
2. Saint Peter’s College Libraries subscribes to, preserves and makes available a number of selective general and scholarly periodicals. Due to changing technologies, a shift has been made towards primarily acquiring electronic based periodicals due to ease of access. Print periodicals will be collected if they represent long-term usefulness, are cost effective, and/or are preferred by departments. Priority is given to titles that support the academic programs of the college although non-academic titles will be considered for browsing purposes. There needs to be a balance created between acquiring print subscriptions and electronic serials as acquired through aggregate databases since there is no ownership over e-content. However, the needs of patrons to acquire articles quickly and remotely both on and off campus and the ability of online periodicals to be more flexible in reflecting changing curriculum, electronic periodicals should be emphasized over print periodicals.
3. Saint Peter’s College Libraries collect and subscribe to a variety of electronic resources. These include library related work resources (e.g., OCLC, Voyager, Ariel); aggregated databases (e.g., EBSCO, ProQuest); publisher databases (e.g., Wilson, Elsevier); archival databases (e.g., JSTOR, Project Muse); e-reference resources (e.g., Gale, ANA); with subject-specific study and course guides that are maintained on the library’s website. Also, acquired are all types of electronic resources including application and social software, streaming videos, audio e-books, etc. so that the library’s website remains the portal for all information held by Saint Peter’s College Libraries. Electronic resources are to be evaluated in the same way as print resources but also with unique considerations. These include the quality of remote access, future archival access, user friendly and intuitive interfaces, reliable vendors, cost effectiveness versus database usage, etc.
4. Saint Peter’s College Libraries still acquires computer software (indirectly through monographs and through direct purchase), compact discs, audio-visual materials, government publications (not for repository purposes) and cartography only in support of the academic programs and the community needs at the college. However, emphasis will be on e-formats or streaming formats when available.


Library’s Donation Policy
Since the acquisition of gift-giving materials can be a potentially time and cost consuming process, Saint Peter’s College Libraries will determine the policy related to these donations. Please refer to Appendix A for this policy and conditions related to the rejection, addition, or the selling of donated materials. The acceptance of any monetary donations will be determined by the Library Director.

De-Selection Policy:
An active and continuous de-accession program is integral to maintaining a useful collection for all students, staff, faculty, administration and alumnus of Saint Peter’s College Libraries. Before deselecting any material, items should be offered to departments, faculty members, and/or students via sale or donations if the materials are still considered viable. Donations to organizations in bulk should also be considered. The library will determine the outcome of all items.

General Criteria for De-Selection:
• Outdated in terms of age; especially for demographic and scientific materials.
• The physical condition of the item; not repairable or easier to replace.
• Duplicate copies of the material that are not needed.
• Newer editions or updated publications are available.
• Materials no longer of interest or supportive of the curriculum.
• Unsuitable items that do not support the objectives of the collection.

Maintenance Schedule:
The collection will be maintained continuously through these selection, de-selection, preservation, and donation activities. Each librarian will participate in this process as part of their general activities. Minor projects will occur throughout the year but interim sessions are an ideal time for major projects in particular.

General Collection Levels:
Most libraries use measurable collection level indicators to develop the strengths and identify the weaknesses in the general collection. The Guide for Written Collection Policy Statements (Chicago: 1989) by the American Library Association is appropriate for determining collection levels at Saint Peter’s College Libraries. The levels are defined below:

0= Out of Scope: At this collection level, the library owns titles at this level but makes no further attempt to identify and acquire new materials in this area.

1= Minimal Information Level: At this collection level, few acquisitions are made beyond very basic works, authors or viewpoints. Basic de-selection principles apply; older editions and titles containing outdated information should be withdrawn. Classic and retrospective materials retained.

2= Basic Information Level: This collection level serves to introduce and define a subject and to indicate the variety of information available on a subject. It supports the first two years of college instruction including introductory level courses and/or beginning undergraduate courses. It contains a more limited collection of current monographs (e.g., editions of important works), basic reference works (e.g., encyclopedias, dictionaries, bibliographies, handbooks, surveys), a few major periodicals, and access to some appropriate databases. Basic de-selection principles apply- older editions and titles containing outdated information should be withdrawn. Classic and retrospective materials retained. Basic electronic resources will be collected at this level based on its range of focus. Potential formats include e-books, internet, databases, and/or software.
2a. Introductory- The introductory level of basic information collection is sufficient to support patrons attempting to locate general information about a subject; information that introduces and defines it. At this level, basic reference tools and explanatory works such as overview books or historical descriptions on a subject; general works devoted to major topics/ figures in the field, and major periodicals in the subject area are collected.
2b. Advanced- The advanced level of basic information collection provides information about a subject on a broader level with a wider range of topics and in more depth. There is a broader selection of basic explanatory works, historical descriptions, reference tools, and periodicals that serve to introduce and define a subject.

3= Study or Instructional Support Level: This collection level provides information about a subject in a systematic way, but at a level of less research intensity. It supports the needs of general library users through all undergraduate and beginning graduate instruction. It contains an extensive collection of general monographs and reference works; an extensive collection of general periodicals and a representative collection of specialized periodicals; a limited collection of appropriate foreign language materials; and an extensive collection of the works of well-known authors and selections from the works of lesser-known authors. The collection should be systematically reviewed for currency of information and for assurance that essential and important information is retained- including significant numbers of classic retrospective materials Electronic resources will be collected at this level based on its ranges of focus. Potential formats include e-books, internet, databases, and/or software.

3a. Basic Instructional Support- This collection sublevel includes the most important primary and secondary works on a subject, a selective range of representative serials and fundamental reference/ bibliographic resources pertaining to a subject. It supports lower level undergraduate courses and the basic independent study needs of a lifelong learner.
3b. Intermediate Instructional Support- This collection sublevel includes a broad range of basic works in many formats, classic retrospective materials, all the key influential journals on different subject areas, access to reference tools and fundamental bibliographical works on a subject. This level supports undergraduate courses only.
3c. Advanced Instructional Support- This collection sublevel includes a significant level of decisive works and journals on the primary and secondary topics in a field, a significant number of retrospective materials, a substantial collection of works by secondary figures, works that provide more in-depth discussion of research, techniques, and evaluation, access to the reference tools and fundamental bibliographic resources pertaining to the subject. This level supports all undergraduate courses and master’s degree programs.

4= Research Level: This collection level contains the major published source materials required for doctoral study and independent research which includes: a very extensive collection of general and specialized monographs and reference works; an extensive collection of general and specialized periodical; an extensive collections of appropriate foreign language materials; and an extensive collections of the works of well-known authors as well as lesser-known authors. Old material is retained and systematically preserved to serve the needs of historical research while current material is continuously acquired. A research collection level is often found in special libraries. Electronic resources will be collected at this level based on its ranges of focus. Potential formats include e-books, internet, databases, and/or software.

5= Comprehensive Level: This collection in a specifically defined field of knowledge that strives to be exhaustive in terms of all published materials and manuscripts in all applicable languages in an area. A comprehensive level collection often serves as a national or international resource. Electronic resources will be collected at this level based on its ranges of focus. Potential formats include e-books, internet, databases, and/or software.

Collection Levels and Policies for Specific Subject Areas:
Refer to Appendix A for specific policies and collection/acquisition levels comprised by each subject librarian for their subject area. These will become apart of the Saint Peter’s College Libraries overall Collection Development Policy.

Intellectual Freedom at the Library
The librarians at Saint Peter’s College endorse the American Library’s Association’s Bill of rights (www.ala.org/ala/oif/statementspols/statementsif/librarybillrights.cfm.) This guides our selection and de-selection criteria as well as any potential censorship of materials in our academic environment. Any student, faculty, staff or alumni objections of material need to be written and addressed to the Director of Libraries. Since Saint Peter’s College is a private institution, censorship efforts by groups or individuals outside the college community shall not be acknowledged.

The definitive goal for Saint Peter’s College Libraries is to create a comprehensive and relevant yet current library collection that supports the college community. The Jersey City and Englewood Cliffs library campuses will be partners in this endeavor, which emphasizes improved Collection Development policies leading to more productive and resourceful library service activities.

Appendix A

• Saint Peter’s College Academic Programs
• Donation Policy of Saint Peter’s College Libraries
• Saint Peter’s College Libraries Emergency Disaster Policy


Written and Comprised By:
Kerry A. Falloon, MA, MLS, Ed.S
Collection Development Librarian
12/1/11