Q. What is the library's policy for collection acquisition and maintenance?

Collection Development / Acquisitions

The purpose of the Acquisition Policy is to serve as a guide in the effort to develop excellent library collections for Madisonville Community College, which are responsive to the needs of the college community and accessible to all students and faculty regardless of instructional delivery method.

Library Materials are defined as print and non-print instructional and informational materials (e.g. books, periodicals, databases and other online resources, audio and visual recordings, etc.) which are acquired, organized and made available by the library staff for use by all members of the college community to fulfill the aims and functions of the college and its curriculum.

Responsibility for Participation in Selection

The Director of Library Services has the final responsibility for the development and maintenance of the library collection, services, and facilities. Participation in the selection process is the responsibility of the Director of Library Services and the library staff with input from teaching faculty.  Faculty members may be requested to act as subject specialists in their areas of expertise, and may be consulted by the library staff regarding specific materials or sections of the collections. Departmental faculty shall bear primary responsibility for recommending materials to support the courses they teach. Requests are actively solicited by the library staff and are accepted throughout the year, examined in relationship to overall curriculum needs and selection policies, and approved as funding permits. Student and staff recommendations for the purchase of materials are welcomed and solicited.

Resource Selection

The majority of the collection budget is allocated to subscription databases for eBooks, journals, magazines, and streaming films.  Books and other library materials are given priority if the items meet direct curricular needs in the courses offered, including items for class assignments.  Faculty requests, student requests, materials that support program accreditation needs, and materials that serve vocational, cultural, and recreational needs are all given priority as budget allows.

The following criteria is used in the selection of library resources:

• Cost
• Anticipated usage
• Availability in libraries within the KCTCS system and through interlibrary loan

Gifts

Gifts to the college library will be accepted with the understanding that they will be added to the collection only after they have met the same evaluative requirements as materials which are to be purchased. Materials will be accepted only with the understanding that the library staff shall decide the disposition of those items not appropriate to the collection.

Intellectual Freedom and Requests for Reconsideration of Materials

In its collection of materials, the MCC Library subscribes fully to the American Library Association's Freedom to Read Statement, Library Bill of Rights,  Intellectual Freedom Statement Regarding Censorship, and the Statement of Labeling.

All requests for reconsideration of materials will be handled in the following manner:

• The library staff member receiving the complaint will ask the patron to fill out the appropriate form.
• When the completed form has been received, it will be submitted to the Director of Library Services.
• The Director will locate as many reviews of the resource as possible.
• The Director will ask the members of the Library Committee to review the resource in question.
• Time for discussion of the title will be scheduled on the agenda of a called Library Committee meeting.
• After the discussion at the Library Committee meeting, the members will submit their recommendations to the Library Director in writing.
• The Library Director will take all factors under advisement and come to a decision. The decision will be communicated to the complainant and to the members of the Library Committee in writing.
• Should the complainant wish to appeal the decision, it will follow regular institutional channels, going next to the Provost, and finally to the President of the College.

Maintenance and Removal

MCC Library is committed to a policy of collection development through careful selection and weeding. Spatial issues and specific criteria in each subject field will determine weeding. All weeding efforts will take into consideration funds available for replacements. The following criteria is used in considering the discard of a particular item:

• How recently the item was last used.
• If the item is a classic, seminal work, or a work of historical value.
• Damage to the item, if the item is in poor condition, or if it cannot be easily repaired.
• If the item was acquired in support of a course or program that has been discontinued.
• If the item contains outdated scientific, technological, or medical information.
• If the item is an older volume or a copy of a book that has been updated.
• If there are multiple copies of an item in the collection.
• Replacement costs of items.
• Availability of the item at other nearby libraries.
• Shelf space in the library.

While weeding and evaluating the collection, notes will be taken on gaps in the collection and areas which have a high percentage of dated materials. These areas will be considered for development as budgeted funds allow.

Organization of Materials

The cataloging system of print materials used by the MCC Library is the Library of Congress Classification System (LC).  Materials supporting Health Sciences programs acquired before 2020 are cataloged using the National Library of Medicine Classification System (NLM).

Both print and non-print materials are organized through the KCTCS colleges’ shared Integrated Library System, Alma.  Alma serves as a library catalog for the library’s print materials, and as an electronic resource management system for the library’s electronic collections.  Alma can be searched through Primo, the patron-facing discovery search tool that is shared among KCTCS colleges.