Collection Development Policy

Minnesota State University, Mankato Library Services - Collection Development Policy - Approved April 1, 2021

Contents

Purpose of the Collection
Library Services Mission, Vision, Values, and Strategic Priorities
Library Services Diversity Statement
Intellectual Freedom Statement
Responsibility for Collection Development
General Guidelines for Collection and Stewardship of Materials
Fund Allocations and Expenditures
Open Access
Affordable Textbook Initiatives
Resource Sharing
Donations
Supplemental Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines 
Sources

Purpose of the Collection

Library Services collects and provides access to physical and digital materials in support of the University mission which, “promotes learning through effective undergraduate and graduate teaching, scholarship, and research in service to the state, the region and the global community.”

Objectives of the Collection Development Policy

  • Supports the curriculum and research needs of the University.
  • Assists Library faculty and staff who are making decisions about resources including the library’s print collection and digital resources.
  • Provides a balanced collection with diverse and differing points of view or intellectual thought.

Library Services Mission, Vision, Values, and Strategic Priorities

This policy is further informed by the Library Services mission, vision, values, and strategic priorities.

Library Services Diversity Statement

Library Services is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. We recognize that our mission to empower our community through our services and resources requires us to engage in efforts to reduce and eliminate barriers to access and engagement. We understand that equitable access is not equal access. We aim to increase our ability to recognize and resolve issues of inequity through critical reviews of our services, spaces, and collections as well as professional development of library employees. (Adopted 11/19/2020)

We intentionally seek out materials that represent a wide range of perspectives, including those from racial, ethnic, gender, religious, and linguistic minority populations.

Intellectual Freedom Statement

Library Services supports the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, American Library Association’s Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read Statement, the Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries, and the American Film and Video Association’s Freedom to View Statement.

We endorse the following ALA Statement, “It is the longstanding role of libraries to foster intellectual freedom by ensuring access to the widest diversity of views and expressions, including those that are unorthodox, unpopular, or considered dangerous by those in power. The pursuit of social justice and equity, diversity, and inclusion is equally a core value of the American Library Association."

In support of intellectual and academic freedom, we intentionally develop Library collections that meet the varied education and research needs of the university community.

This section aligns with the Association of College & Research Libraries' Standards for Libraries in Higher Education principles:

  • 2.1 The library resists all efforts to censor library resources.
  • 2.2 The library protects each library user’s right to privacy and confidentiality.

Responsibility for Collection Development

Library faculty are responsible for collection development decisions and implementation. Library faculty and staff make acquisition decisions based on a variety of factors, including reviews, connection with the curriculum, and other considerations appropriate to the disciplines and formats in which we collect.

Library faculty will seek advice from departments to meet the needs of the University in the selection of specific information resources. All members of the Minnesota State University, Mankato community may recommend resources for consideration. Materials purchased with library funds become university property housed in the library.

General Guidelines for Collection and Stewardship of Materials

Selection

The selection of materials is a continuous process affected by the content and needs of a changing curriculum. These guidelines for selection apply to all types and formats of materials being considered for acquisition. Library funds are used for current and retrospective purchases to build a balanced collection that supports the academic mission of Minnesota State University, Mankato. Given the size of the University and the finite resources allocated to the Library Services, it is impossible to provide all requested materials. According to the Association of College & Research Libraries' Standards for Libraries in Higher Education, "Libraries provide access to collections sufficient in quality depth, diversity, format and currency to support the research and teaching mission of the institution." Therefore, in selecting materials, the following priorities apply:

  • Materials supporting teaching and learning within the curriculum.
  • Essential reference tools.
  • Materials supporting student research and inquiry.
  • Materials contributing to a balanced, diverse, and inclusive collection.
  • Materials to support research needs of faculty and staff, with careful consideration of potential usefulness to students.
  • Materials supporting cultural and general information topics.

This section of the policy aligns with the Association of College & Research Libraries' Standards for Libraries in Higher Education principles:

  • 5.1. The library provides access to collections aligned with areas of research, curricular foci, or institutional strengths.
  • 5.2 The library provides collections that incorporate resources in a variety of formats, accessible virtually and physically.
  • 5.3 The library builds and ensures access to unique materials, including digital collections.

Additional guidelines may apply to individual collections. See the Supplemental Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines section of this document.

Collections

Library Services includes numerous collections which are guided by this Collection Development policy and by additional policies, procedures, and guidelines.

See the Supplemental Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines section of this document.

Maintenance

The library's collections will be reviewed on an ongoing basis to ensure that the collection is meeting the current curriculum, active research, and informational needs of faculty and students.

Additional guidelines may apply to individual collections. See the Supplemental Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines section of this document.

Preservation and Replacements

Acknowledging the economic investment and intellectual effort involved in building the Library’s collections, it is essential that the Library employ appropriate preservation and conservation techniques to materials, ensuring access to the collections.

This section of the policy aligns with the Association of College & Research Libraries' Standards for Libraries in Higher Education principles:

  • 5.4 The library has the infrastructure to collect, organize, provide access to, disseminate, and preserve collections needed by users.
  • 5.6 The library ensures long-term access to the scholarly and cultural record.

Additional guidelines may apply to individual collections. See the Supplemental Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines section of this document.

Disaster Plan

The Library maintains a disaster plan that details procedures for library staff to follow in response to an emergency involving the Library’s collections.

Fund Allocations and Expenditures

The Library’s budget is determined by the University administration and Academic Affairs. The collections allocations are used to acquire resources according to this collection development policy and the linked guidelines. Funds are set aside to cover current costs and anticipated inflation for serial resources including databases, journals, and standing orders. Funding is also designated for one-time purchases like books, backfiles, and special collections. Recommendations are coordinated through library committees in alignment with the priorities and selection criteria of this policy and the linked guidelines. The budget is managed by the library faculty and final responsibility for the collections budget rests with the Dean of Library and Learning.

This section of the policy aligns with the Association of College & Research Libraries' Standards for Libraries in Higher Education principles:

  • 7.2 Library personnel participate in campus decision-making needed for effective library management.
  • 7.4 The library’s budget is sufficient to provide resources to meet the reasonable expectations of library users when balanced against other institutional needs.

Open Access

The Library will provide access to useful open access journals, books, and other materials as needed, as requested by faculty and/or librarians to support educational and research goals of faculty and students, or as added upon review of available collections and indexes by the collection development committees. The Library supports the creation and dissemination of open access materials produced by Minnesota State University, Mankato faculty, staff, and students.

This section of the policy aligns with the Association of College & Research Libraries' Standards for Libraries in Higher Education principles:

  • 5.5 The library educates users on issues related to economic and sustainable models of scholarly communication.
  • 5.6 The library ensures long-term access to the scholarly and cultural record.

Affordable Textbook Initiatives

Library Services supports textbook and course material affordability by acquiring and providing access to a limited number of titles. This is done in partnership with the Barnes and Noble campus bookstore and the Student Government via the Maverick Textbook Reserve program. Additionally, the library puts existing and newly acquired print and eBook versions of course materials on reserve when possible.

The most current information about these initiatives is available online. https://libguides.mnsu.edu/affordable-textbook-initiative

Resource Sharing

Library Services participate in several resource sharing programs. As part of Minitex, the Library contributes to and benefits from Interlibrary Loan, the Electronic Library of Minnesota and more. As a member of OCLC, the Library shares its resources with other member libraries through interlibrary loan and reciprocal borrowing arrangements. Through PALS, the Library utilizes shared digital services such as Alma/Primo and Islandora.

This section of the policy aligns with the Association of College & Research Libraries' Standards for Libraries in Higher Education principles:

7.5 The library partners with multiple institutions (e.g., via collections consortia) to increase cost-effectiveness and to expand access to collections.

Donations

Library Services accepts financial and in-kind gifts to enhance the library collections. Giving has a real impact on students and helps us provide them with valuable resources.

Visit the Library Giving page for the most current details on how to donate and what is currently being accepted.

This section of the policy aligns with the Association of College & Research Libraries' Standards for Libraries in Higher Education principles:

9.1 The library contributes to external relations through communications, publications, events, and donor cultivation and stewardship.

Supplemental Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines

This policy is supported by additional policies and procedures. They are added here as they are developed.

Sources

The following collection development policies and professional organization resources were extensively utilized in the writing of this document.

Approved at the April 1, 2021 Library Faculty Meeting

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