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Library Policies: Collection Development Policies

Computer use

As a CF computer user, you agree to:

  • Use the computers to improve skills, perform research, write papers, complete assignments, or work on other functions related to your learning experience
  • Abide by copyright and other state and federal laws relating to computer use
  • Refrain from using the computer to play games or visit chat rooms unrelated to a class or a specific assignment
  • Avoid questionable or sexually explicit web sites, including, but not limited to, pornographic, illegal, or otherwise offensive pages
  • Refrain from changing, installing, or downloading anything onto CF computers
  • Leave technological equipment and/or academic resources as you find them
  • Report any problems with computers to the Reference or Circulation Desk

Circulation Policies

Borrow, Renew

CF students may check out up to 20 items with their student ID, which ID must be in hand to check out books and other circulating items. Books may be checked out for up to 3 weeks and renewed online or in person for a second 3-week period if no hold has been placed on the item. 5 videos and DVDs may be checked out for 1 week at a time and are non-renewable.

Reciprocal Borrowing

Students currently registered at another public Florida college or university are extended the same borrowing rights and computer access as CF students. Subscription based electronic resources may be accessed while in the Library.

Course Reserves

Faculty place textbooks and other materials on reserve at the library for student use. Most reserve items may be checked out for 2 hours of in-library use. Reserve items are available at the Circulation Desk (Buildign 3, 2nd Floor).

Headphones

Headphones are available for check-out at the Circulation Desk. Headphones or ear buds must be worn when using any programs that produce sound. Audio must be kept at a level that is not audible to others.

Collection Development Policies

Responsibility 

Recommendations for purchases are accepted from all members of the college community with the primary burden of selection resting upon the librarians and classroom faculty. [See acceptable criteria below.]

LRC faculty are responsible for insuring balanced and responsive collection development and for assisting classroom faculty with materials selection. Operational responsibility for collection development and acquisition lies with LRC staff.

To ensure that the collections best serve CF needs, faculty are encouraged to actively participate in the selection of materials. Contact a Librarian if you would like to suggest materials for purchase.

Criteria

General Collection

In addition to the above criteria, non-book materials will be evaluated upon technical quality, physical quality and compatibility with hardware, and favorable preview by classroom faculty members. Priority for book and non-book materials to be purchased for the LRC collection is given to those materials that meet the curricular needs and ability levels of College of Central Florida students.

Additional criteria for selection of materials for the general collection include:

•Usefulness of the subject matter to the collection

•Scarcity of other materials on the subject

•Current and anticipated needs

•Quality of work: authoritative, well organized, usable

•Appropriateness to the state college program

•Diversity of perspective on public issues

•Frequency of requests through interlibrary loan

•Price

In addition to the above criteria, non-book materials will be evaluated upon technical quality, physical quality, and compatibility with hardware, and favorable preview by classroom faculty members.

Reference Collection

Print and electronic resources will be selected in all areas in which factual information may be desired. This is a non-circulating collection of general and specialized resources providing quick access to factual information or overviews of subject areas. An attempt is made to provide basic reference works in subject areas contained in the curriculum as well as those subject fields common to general information requests. The materials in the reference collection are reviewed regularly and outdated resources are removed or updated. In addition to the above criteria, non-book materials will be evaluated upon technical quality, physical quality, and compatibility with hardware, and favorable preview by classroom faculty members.

Special Collections

Special Collections, whether donated or funded by the CF budget, will meet the same selection criteria as the General Collection. These collections focus on a particular theme that the college recognizes as relevant to the instructional curriculum of the college.

Periodical Collection       

Periodical titles are considered for inclusion in the collection if they meet the previously stated criteria, can be accessed through the indexes available in the LRC, and are likely to be used by more than a few readers. Title exceptions to the index availability criteria will be made by the LRC staff on a case-by-case basis. Generally, indexed periodicals are not retained longer than five years due to space limitations. Microfilm backfiles will be acquired for selected titles. In addition, as funds permit, the LRC maintains a collection of general interest periodicals, library/media professional journals, and those that are considered for relaxation and enjoyment.

Other Considerations     

•Multiple copies of titles are acquired only when actual or anticipated student needs so warrant. Additional copies are weighed against the value of a single copy of another title on the same subject.

•Textbooks are usually not purchased for the collection unless the content is pertinent and not available in other resources.

•Lost or damaged titles are reviewed according to the above criteria. The decision to replace or withdraw is made on a case-by-case basis.

•Back files and out-of-print materials are purchased using the same criteria as above with use and cost as significant considerations.

Budget

Every reasonable attempt will be made to purchase all materials requested which comply with the collection development selection criteria. When insufficient funds are available to satisfy all such requests, the Director of Learning resources retains the responsibility to insure the most appropriate use of limited funds. Evaluative factors, relative cost of materials, availability of other material on the same subject, and current usage of similar titles, will be considered.

Donations

All gifts of print and non-print materials to the LRC are accepted only if given unconditionally as to their disposition or location. The LRC will acknowledge but cannot legally appraise gifts for tax purposes. Any complete listing of donated titles or appraisal for income tax purposed of a gift of materials to the LRC is the responsibility of the donor.

Collection Maintenance

The LRC recognizes the need to continually evaluate its collections in response to the changing nature and needs of the college curriculum. Classroom faculty play an active role in this process as they are the best equipped to evaluate materials in their fields of expertise. Criteria for weeding follows that of selection with physical condition, obsolescence, replacement by a later edition, duplicate titles no longer in demand, materials determined as missing, and insufficient use as additional considerations.

Interlibrary Cooperation

Through participation in cooperative interlibrary loan agreements, the LRC may obtain, on loan from other libraries, information and materials not available to the CF LRC collections, thereby supplementing its resources and sharing its resources with other libraries. Interlibrary loan service supports the philosophy of resource sharing which enhances information sharing through the region, state, and nation. Through this process, the LRC abides by the national library loan code and copyright law.

Controversial Material

CF’s LRC subscribes to the following American Library Association statements: “The Library Bill of Rights,” “The Freedom to Read,” and “The Freedom to View.” These statements affirm that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, that freedom to view, along with the freedom to speak, to hear, and to read is protected by the first Amendment of the Constitution of the United States. All positions on major controversial issues will be represented in the collections.