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HomeAbout GHCBoard of TrusteesPolicies and Procedures

Procedure 307.04: Library Collection Development

Administrative Procedure
Procedure Number: 307.04
Adopted: April 2019

Introduction

Board Operational Policy 307 directs that the goal of the library is to meet the learning, teaching, and research needs of our students, faculty and staff, and to enhance the cultural and intellectual environments of the Twin Harbors. The collection of information resources is a key part of accomplishing this goal, and supports the curricular demands of the College.  The emphasis in collection development may shift as the curriculum and degree offerings change, or as areas are strengthened.

Selection Authority

While faculty, administrators, and students are strongly encouraged to make recommendations for purchasing in their fields of interest, the responsibility for coordinating the selection of library materials and making final recommendations rests with the professionally trained staff of the John Spellman Library under the guidance of the Director of Library Services. Library funds are intended to support the curriculum and all divisions, yet it is still the responsibility of library/media personnel to guard against collection imbalance by surveying the print and non-print collection and relating this information to circulation and enrollment figures.

Challenges

Challenges to collection development decisions: Procedure is defined in Board Operational Policy 307.06.

Methods of Selection

Materials will be selected each year within the constraints of the allocated budget. A separate budget will be allocated for books, periodicals,  databases, and purchased services. Materials will be selected according to the following guidelines:

  1. An assessment of needs by various means: faculty and student requests, library personnel requests, data gained from circulation and usage statistics, interlibrary loans in the discipline.
  2. Ongoing evaluation of existing resources through collection assessment and inventory.
  3. Maintenance of a balanced collection of both print and nonprint resources which support and supplement the curriculum, adequate periodicals collection consistent with the needs of faculty and students, and a strong, up-to-date reference collection to support student research in academic disciplines.
  4. Use of current recommended selection tools relevant to academic needs such as subject bibliographies; professional library journals: Choice, Booklist, Library Journal; and reviews from journals appropriate to the discipline.
  5. Preview of non-print resources whenever possible prior to purchasing to determine suitability.

Materials Collected

Types of materials selected for the John Spellman Library shall include: books, periodicals, government documents, pamphlets, maps, AV software, microcomputer software, online computer services, databases, microforms, and other items deemed necessary to meet academic needs.

Criteria for Selection

  1. Materials shall be consistent with the general educational goals of Grays Harbor College and the objectives of specific courses.
  2. Materials shall meet high standards of quality in factual content and presentation: accuracy, validity, scope, purpose, appropriateness for intended user and subject area, and price.
  3. Materials shall be chosen to foster respect for all genders and sexual orientations, as well as religious and ethnic groups in order to realistically and fairly represent a pluralistic society. The selection process aims to build a collection that reflects the experience and voices of diverse populations, as well as a wide range of human cultural practice and social expression.
  4. The selection of materials on controversial issues will be based upon maintenance of a balanced collection which represents various viewpoints while meeting curriculum objectives.
  5. Format for print materials must be of high quality for durability and ease of use: consideration will be given to existence of indexes, cross references, paper type, adequate size of lettering, illustrations relating to text, glossary, binding, etc.
  6. Additional criteria for non-print materials shall include technical aspects (quality of sound and video, equipment needed, etc.), presence of accompanying materials, additional expenses such as replacement charges, backup copies, preview availability, and availability to users to use off site.
  7. A policy of probable acceptance has been established for: reprints and new editions of classics, books or software from a series already a part of the library collection, research or reference titles that have proven to be a valuable part of any collection.
  8. A policy of probable rejection has been established for: books or pamphlets from vanity presses, textbooks in most fields, titles in foreign languages not taught as part of the curriculum.

Replacement of Resources

The decision to replace a missing or badly damaged item shall be based upon:

  1. Use of said item, determined by circulation statistics.
  2. Need for item to support the curriculum.
  3. Advice of faculty member(s) teaching in subject area in which the item is found.

Multiple Copies

Multiple copies are typically not purchased, however they may be if:

  1. An item is missing on a consistent basis.
  2. Demand is high for a particular item.

Foreign Languages

Foreign language materials which will be considered for inclusion as part of the resources in the John Spellman Library must meet curriculum or local needs.

Gifts

Donations are gladly received in the John Spellman Library provided that:

  1. The item(s) are suitable for use pursuant to sections of this policy regarding Methods of Selection and Criteria.
  2. The donor relinquishes all claims to the donated materials so that library personnel are not obligated to keep unsuitable materials and can dispose of irrelevant materials in any way deemed fit.
  3. The Library does not assign a dollar value to gifts. The donor will be responsible for determining the value of their donation for tax and other purposes.
  4. Money contributed for the purchase of materials will be spent in a manner consistent with all parts of the Collection Development Policy.
  5. The librarian and/or Director of Library Services shall have final say on whether materials are selected for the collection or not.

Withdrawals

Collection development not only entails selection procedures but also deals with the discarding of items.

Items may be discarded if they are:

  1. Excess duplicate copies of seldom-used titles.
  2. Badly damaged items.
  3. Materials containing inaccurate or outdated information.
  4. Older editions for which newer editions have been ordered and where quite a few changes have been made.
  5. Items with low circulation statistics.

Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary loan shall be used to obtain materials needed by students, faculty, administrators, or staff but which are not being selected for the library’s permanent collection because they meet an unusual need, or meet a depth of interest which goes beyond the curriculum’s usual predicted levels.

Procedure Review History

Reviewed: N/A
Revised: December 2023, January 2026

Review and Revision refers to the College’s cyclical process for evaluating and updating all institutional policies and procedures. At minimum, each policy or procedure will undergo review once every five years to ensure accuracy, relevance, and alignment with current practices and regulatory requirements. If the scheduled review results in no changes, the date of that review will be recorded in the Reviewed field. If updates or edits are made, the date will be recorded in the Revised field. This process maintains transparency regarding the history of each policy or procedure and ensures the College remains responsive to evolving needs and standards.

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