Library Collection

The Library holds resources in print, audio, video, and electronic format to support the courses, curriculum, and the mission and vision of the college.  Library materials include books, ebooks, newspapers, magazines, journals, media, electronic databases, and worldwide web resources.

Selection of Materials

Library materials are selected through a cooperative process, with participation and recommendations by faculty, the Librarian, staff, and students.

Faculty Suggestions

It is the teaching faculty’s responsibility to recommend purchases which supports the course they teach and that offer supplemental support for their disciplines, curricula, and programs.  As faculty are experts in their field and are knowledgeable about what courses are being taught and what materials are required to support those courses, they are actively involved in previewing the media and trials of electronic resources.  The Librarian solicits faculty involvement in developing the collections through email contact each quarter, printed forms, website forms, membership on governance committees, and academic division meetings.

Librarian Selection Responsibilities

The primary responsibility for material selection is held by the Librarian.  The Librarian is responsible for analyzing the collection and maintaining a balanced, up-to-date collection using professional reviewing tools, bibliographies, evaluations, and professional expertise.  Ultimate responsibility for the overall selection and quality of learning resources materials  rests with the Librarian.

Selection Aids/Tools

Bibliographies and reviews are the primary selection tools used by OCCC Librarian.  Selection is also based on patron recommendations, professional literature and acquisition lists.

Selection Criteria

The criteria cited below apply to all materials but may assume greater or lesser importance depending on the type of material under consideration.  Selection criteria are applied to all purchases, gifts, and exchanges.

  • Relevancy to the college’s curricula
  • Response to reference requests/questions
  • Holdings of earlier editions
  • Currency and accuracy of information
  • Timeliness and importance of information
  • Author/Artist/Composer’s reputation and significance
  • Availability of other material on the subject in the library, in other consortial libraries, and formats
  • Recommendation in standard reviewing sources
  • Inclusion of the title in standard bibliographies or lists
  • Price and demand
  • Language – English only except for those items selected to support the foreign language curriculum
  • Scope and depth of subject coverage
  • Format, including ease of use, accessibility, and quality
  • Reputation of publisher, producer, and vendor
  • Duplication – single copies are normally collected unless there is a need for multiple copies
  • Special features, uniqueness
  • Paperbound vs. hardbound.  Materials are judged on perceived permanence and/or cost
  • Terms or conditions attached to the item that affect use (copyright, licensing, public performance rights)
  • Materials created for or resulting from campus/college events, with permission

Privacy & Confidentiality

The Library gathers the patron’s name and email address for the purposes of purchasing library materials.  Only the Librarian has access to the suggestion forms, and will delete them when the purchase has been received.

OCCC Library | Adopted 01 Oct 2009  and Revised 10 Feb 2017

Collections

General collection:  When selecting materials for the general collection, priority is given to those materials that support curricular needs.

Reference collection:  The reference collection is non-circulating and materials included in it will be selected in all areas where factual information may be desired.  They may include the following:  almanacs, directories, encyclopedias both general and subject specific, handbooks, dictionaries, statistical sources.  Superseded editions may be retained in reference, weeded, or added to the general collection.

Archival collection:  As staff and space allow, the Library maintains a collection of materials that document the college’s history and development such as press releases, photos, etc.

Periodical collection:  Our periodical collection includes both scholarly and popular magazines, journals, and newspapers.

Reserve collection:  Items, such as books and media, are placed on reserve by faculty members.

OCCC Library | Adopted 01 Oct 2009  and Revised 10 Feb 2017

Materials

Collections are becoming more complex with a multiplicity of formats for transferring information.  No one format meets fulfills all needs, so the different types of materials must be viewed as complementary means of delivering information.  Alternative sources of delivery should be evaluated, always keeping the goal of accessibility in mind.

Books:  Books provide a scope of historical, comprehensive, and diverse information which is not necessarily available through periodicals.  Hardbound books are selected for long-term or heavy use over paperback texts.  Textbooks are usually not purchased but donated textbooks will generally be put in the reserve collection.

Serials:  When examining periodicals during the annual evaluation, consideration is given to whether they can be accessed fully electronically; their subscription cost; indexing; relevancy to the curricula; format, and use.

Media:  Effort will be made to purchase the most popular format, with consideration of licensing and compatibility issues.

Electronic:  Electronic resources extend the collection to all students—online and traditional—by providing access to information resources outside the physical boundaries of the library space and hours.  In addition, electronic resources can be searched and can deliver information in ways that print resources cannot.

Duplicates:  The purchase of duplicate copies of materials is acceptable when there is a demonstrated need.

Donations:  Donations are accepted only with the understanding that the Library reserves the right to use those donations according to their needs.  They are evaluated and added to the collection by the librarians using the same criteria as the materials purchased.  Gifts become the property of the library and must have no restrictions attached to their disposition or location. Receipt is acknowledged, but monetary value is not assigned by the Library, but  rather is the responsibility of the donor.

OCCC Library | Adopted 01 Oct 2009  and Revised 10 Feb 2017, 16 Jun 2020

Collection Maintenance

Replacements:  Decisions will be made continuously on how to handle worn or damaged materials—whether to mend, bind, withdraw, or replace them.  Librarians will evaluate materials for in-house repair.  Items that cannot be repaired locally will be evaluated by the librarian to determine if the item should be rebound, withdrawn, or replaced.

Materials will not automatically be replaced because of damage or loss.  Decisions will be based on:

  • Demand for item
  • Value of the individual title
  • Number of copies already held at the college
  • Existing coverage of the subject in the collection
  • Availability of newer and better materials on the subject

Weeding:  Materials recommended for discard are reviewed by the librarians.  Faculty may be consulted for input on decisions within their curricular area. The complete physical collection should be reviewed every five years.

General criteria for weeding:

  • No longer meets selection criteria
  • Worn or damaged items
  • Superseded editions
  • Outdated, inaccurate items
  • Obsolete formats
  • Textbooks after 5 years
  • Titles available in our electronic databases
  • Space constraints
  • Duplication
  • Usage statistics

OCCC Library | Adopted 01 Oct 2009  and Revised 10 Feb 2017

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