TCC Library Mission & Policy

Overview

The Library’s collections contain materials for students, faculty, and staff. The use of materials is not limited by the status of the user.

General Principles of Collection Development

The Library should acquire materials of contemporary interest and permanent value for the education, intellectual stimulation, and pleasure of the entire college community. Materials should represent diverse views and expressions, including those which may be unorthodox or unpopular with some segments of the community. The Library should not promote any particular belief or view but should offer collections of considerable scope and variety and provide a forum where individuals can examine different sides of issues and make their own decisions.

Responsibility for Collection Development

Final responsibility and authority for collection development rest with the Dean of Libraries and Knowledge Management. Collection development for the Library is managed by professional librarians and Library Directors from each campus.

Selection Criteria

The evaluation of materials should be characterized by flexibility, open‐mindedness, and responsiveness to the changing needs of the Library’s patrons. General criteria should include subject matter, construction or physical quality, potential use, relation to the collection, bibliographic considerations, and cost.
An item need not meet all criteria to be added to the collection. A title may be judged primarily in terms of artistic merit, scholarship, information content, or value as a historical document. Others may be chosen primarily based on faculty requests. The liability of certain materials to mutilation or theft does not preclude their selection or purchase for the collection.

Weeding Guidelines

The Library weeds materials based upon consideration of several factors, including appearance, superfluous or duplicate volumes, poor content, use, and the longevity of books. Professional librarians and Library Directors from each campus should be consulted prior to changes to weeding principles, protocols, and practices.

Controversial Materials

The Library should strive to select materials that represent a range of viewpoints and to exercise impartiality in selection decisions. The background or political views of an author, the frankness or coarseness of language, explicitness of text or illustrations, or the controversial content of an item does not cause it to be excluded. Materials are evaluated as a whole and not on the basis of a particular passage or illustration.

Those wishing the Library to reconsider the selection of library materials or internet websites should submit in writing a formal request to a Library Director or the Dean of Libraries and Knowledge Management. The submission should contain the contact information of the person making the request as well as details explaining why the material should be removed from the collection. Using published reviews and the criteria contained in this section, a challenged materials ad hoc team composed of faculty, student affairs representation, librarians, and library management evaluates the material in light of the patron’s request. The Dean of Libraries and Knowledge Management is responsible for deciding the disposition of the material in question.

Gifts

Gifts of materials are accepted by the Library with the understanding that they may be added to the collection, sold, exchanged, or discarded. Gifts are subject to the same selection criteria as purchased materials. All gift titles to be added to the collection must be approved. Videos donated to the library may be added to the collection but must be legally obtained copies with corresponding rights. Rare books and valuable collector’s editions are not ordinarily included in the Library’s collections because of the special care and facilities necessary for their preservation. Retention of such collections is at the Librarian’s discretion, and these items may be added to the collections of the College Archives. 

Database Selection

Online databases are available at all campus locations and via remote access. System‐wide online databases are identified, reviewed, and selected by professional Librarians and Library Directors from each campus. These resources are approved for purchase or lease by the Dean of Libraries and Knowledge Management.

College‐wide Collection Development

The Library collection should be viewed as one collection located on four campuses, with the collection tailored to the needs of each campus. In choosing materials for particular locations, professional Librarians and Library Directors from each campus should consider the need and demand in that location, based upon curriculum specialties or special programs.