Collection Development Policies
Selection | Donations | Weeding
Other Policies - Disruptive Patrons
Selection Policy
The goal of the Chesapeake College Learning Resource Center Selection Policy is to guide librarians in the selection and acquisition of materials to be added to the library's collection.
The selection policy reflects the following objectives:
- To provide materials in support of the College curricula.
- To provide a balanced collection in all fields of knowledge.
- To provide a representative selection of materials on all subjects of interest to the College community and the residents of the five county area that the LRC supports.
- To promote and encourage reading outside of the classroom.
- To provide materials which further information literacy and life-long learning.
Material selection is the responsibility of the library staff, with the participation of classroom faculty. The librarians will select materials based on reviewing tools, including journals such as Choice and Library Journal, as well as suggestions, requests, and recommendations from faculty, staff, and students.
The purchase of these materials should meet the needs of the Chesapeake College Community in at least one of the following ways:
- Curriculum support,
- General information,
- General or special professional growth,
- Cultural enrichment,
- Extracurricular interest of the Community.
Materials will be included in the collection based on the following evaluative criteria:
- Relevance to the curriculum,
- Permanent or timely value,
- Competent and qualified author,
- Accuracy of information,
- Reviews in professional literature,
- Readability,
- Reputation and professional standing of publisher,
- Price,
- Format,
- Availability of materials elsewhere in the Community or online,
- Scarcity of material available,
- Historical value.
Resources will be selected based on the strengths of the materials, rather than rejected based on their weaknesses.
The Chesapeake College Learning Resource Center is pleased to accept donations from those who would like to help us build our collection and support the mission of the College. It will be the duty and final decision of the LRC staff to determine if the donations are pertinent to, and will improve and enhance, our present collection. Books and other materials deemed in poor shape by the LRC staff will not be accepted. Materials determined not to be relevant to our collection will not be accepted.
The LRC will not endeavor to place a monetary value on the materials to be donated. The value of the materials is to be determined at the donor's discretion and must be done prior to turning over the materials. Donations must be delivered to the Learning Resource Center during hours of operation as we have no pick-up service. A written acknowledgment will be sent to the donor after the materials have been received by the LRC. This acknowledgement may be used as proof of donation for purposes of the IRS. Once the donated materials are received they will be used, and if necessary, disposed of at the discretion of the LRC staff. No restrictions or special conditions can be requested by the donor such as specific shelving requirements.
To make a donation, please contact the LRC, (410) 827-5860 during the hours of 9-4, Monday through Friday.
The weeding policy is intended to guide librarians in the periodic or continual evaluation of resources in order to remove items from the collection that are no longer useful. Working within the framework established by the Selection Policy, materials which no longer meet the stated objectives may be withdrawn from the collection according to accepted professional practices.
Materials may be weeded from the collection based on the following criteria:
- CONTENT is misleading, factually inaccurate, trivial, or irrelevant.
- PHYSICAL CONDITION is poor. In print materials, paper may be yellowed or torn, covers may be warped, bindings broken or ragged, etc. Non-print materials may be scratched, stretched, broken, etc.
- FORMAT is inappropriate. In print materials, type set may be difficult to read, illustrations may be poor. Format of non-print materials may be outdated, perhaps superseded by another format.
- USE is limited. Circulation and in-house use are considered.
Responsibility for withdrawing materials from the library collection rests with the Library Director. He or she may delegate this authority to other staff members. Subject specialists from the faculty may be consulted.
Materials withdrawn from the collection may be replaced and/or destroyed or given away to other school departments, other libraries, students or the general public.
The Chesapeake College Learning Resource Center is intended to be a place where users can study, do research, browse, read, and use computers in a non-threatening environment. It is expected that those who use the library will do so responsibly and with respect for others, without damaging facilities or collections and without disturbing or harassing other users or staff. The following guidelines pertain to all users of the Chesapeake College Learning Resource Center. *
Behaviors not permitted in the Learning Resource Center include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Abuse/vandalism of facilities, equipment, or materials;
- Failure to return borrowed materials and/or failure to make compensation for unreturned materials;
- Infringing upon the rights of others to fair and equal access to any of the Learning Resource Center's materials;
- Unauthorized or fraudulent use of the Library's facilities and/or equipment including but not limited to the phone system, mail system, computer system, or use of any of the above for any illegal act;
- Violation of the Chesapeake College Internet Access Policy;
- Furnishing false information to any of the Learning Resource Center staff who are acting in the exercise of their official duties;
- Disorderly, belligerent, lewd, or obscene conduct or expression;
- Disruption, obstruction, or interference with Learning Resource Center operations and those of the Learning Resource Center's patrons, through the use of excessive noise, fighting, and/or intimidation;
- Physical and /or psychological abuse, threat, or harassment of any member of the Learning Resource Center staff or its patrons, including physical, sexual, visual, or verbal abuse in any form;
- Violation of any local, state, or federal law;
- Intoxication and/or drug use;
- Use of language that is offensive to other patrons or staff, including abusive, obscene, or threatening language;
- Forging, altering, falsifying, or misusing Learning Resource Center materials;
- Engaging in overt sexual behavior;
- Soliciting.
Unlawful activities will be reported to the police and, when appropriate, violators will be subject to arrest.
Patrons who exhibit unacceptable behaviors will be asked to discontinue the prohibited behavior. The Learning Resource Center reserves the right to require repeatedly disruptive patrons to leave the premises and/or to restrict or suspend their privileges for a specified period of time, in some cases permanently. Those who disregard a request to leave the Learning Resource Center made by a staff member or security guard may be reported to the police.
A patron who believes that he/she has been treated unfairly may petition the Director.
Students engaged in prohibited behaviors will be dealt with according to the Non-Academic Misconduct Policies outlines in the Student Code of Conduct.
If there is inaccurate information on this page, please send correction or comments to: lrcdesk@chesapeake.edu