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About the Library

Collection Development Plan

Introduction:

  • 1.1 Purpose and Aim
  • 1.2 Guiding Statements and Policies
  • 1.3 Copyright Compliance
  • 1.4 Plan and Review Cycle
  • 1.5 Collection Priorities

Collection Overview:

  • 2.1 Location and Access
  • 2.2 Areas of Emphasis
  • 2.3 Areas of Responsibility
  • 2.4 Budget Allocations
  • 2.5 Resource Sharing

Selection Criteria:

  • 3.1 Critical Environmental Factors
  • 3.2 General Criteria
  • 3.3 Choice of Format
  • 3.4 Retrospective Coverage
  • 3.5 Language
  • 3.6 Reading Level
  • 3.7 Scope of Collections
  • 3.8 Exclusions

Types of Materials Collected:

  • 4.1 Print Materials
  • 4.2 Non-Print Materials
  • 4.3 Government Documents
  • 4.4 Reserves

Collection Maintenance and Deselection:

  • 5.1 Repair of Damaged Materials
  • 5.2 Replacement
  • 5.3 Deselection (Weeding)
  • 5.4 Catalog Database Maintenance

Interactions with Users:

  • 6.1 Donations
  • 6.2 Confidentiality of Records
  • 6.3 Acceptable Use and the Discouragement of Illegal Activities
  • 6.4 Challenges to Materials

Subject Area Collection Profiles:

  • 7.1 Elements of the Subject Area Collection Profile
  • 7.2 Applied Sciences and Technology Profile
  • 7.3 Arts and Sciences Profile
  • 7.4 Basic Skills and Developmental Studies Profile
  • 7.5 Business Profile
  • 7.6 Early Childhood Education
  • 7.7 Health Sciences Profile
  • 7.8 Legal Services Profile

Last review: January 2016

1.1. Purpose and Aim

The purpose of the Collection Development Plan (“the Plan”) is to provide

  • criteria and guidelines for the selection of library materials and the ongoing assessment and maintenance of the collection.
  • procedures for interaction between the collection and its users.

The aim of the Plan is to provide a working tool to

  • expedite the collecting of material or provision of access to information that meets the information needs of Pitt Community College (“PCC”) curriculum students.
  • supply the library support needed to enable PCC programs to meet accreditation standards.
  • extend limited resources to provide a well-rounded collection of materials to the greater PCC community.


1.2. Guiding Statements and Policies

In making selections, the Library attempts to include materials presenting differing yet balanced views on controversial issues.  As long as materials are found compliant with the guidelines described in this Plan, they will be considered without censorship or prejudice.  Selection of materials by the Library does not imply endorsement or sanction of the contents or the views expressed in those materials.

1.3. Copyright Compliance

The Library complies with copyright laws and regulations when acquiring, circulating or duplicating materials and in its other internal processes.  However, the Library does not assume responsibility for verifying copyright compliance by faculty members who submit items to be placed on reserve, or who supply items in class or within learning management systems (Blackboard, Moodle, etc.) that students may copy, print or download while in the Library.  That responsibility rests with the faculty member.  Neither does the Library assume responsibility for verifying copyright compliance by users who operate the public copy machines, scanners and/or computers.

1.4. Plan Review Cycle

This Plan should be reviewed in advance of PCC’s self-study period for the ten-year SACS accreditation review, or sooner if necessitated by changes in staff, technology or administrative structure, etc.  Final authority for the adoption of the Plan or any changes to it rests with the Library Director.  (Note:  final authority for the approval of the Collection Development and Management Policy rests with the Board of Trustees of Pitt Community College.)

1.5. Collection Priorities

First priority is given to the academic needs of the PCC curriculum students and the faculty and staff who support them. 

Secondary priority is given to the information needs of the Economic and Community Development and Student Development divisions. 

Tertiary priority is given to support of the professional development of the faculty and staff. 

Beyond these priorities, limited consideration is given to items supporting the recreational and leisure reading and information needs of the greater PCC community.  For those members of the PCC community whose informational or research needs are beyond the scope of this policy, librarians will help to identify, locate, and borrow materials through interlibrary loan.

2.1. Location and Access

The PCC Library is located in the C.W. Everett building at 1986 Pitt Tech Road, on PCC’s main campus in Winterville, NC.  The Library catalog is freely searchable from any computer with Internet access. Subscription databases, e-books, and many other electronic resources are accessible from both on and off-campus to enrolled students, faculty, and staff through the Library’s Web page or direct linkage; however, off-campus users must have a password to access these proprietary resources.

 

2.2. Areas of Emphasis

The collection emphasizes those subject areas most directly related to PCC program offerings:

  • Applied sciences and technology
  • Arts and sciences
  • Basic skills and developmental studies
  • Business
  • Early childhood education
  • Health sciences
  • Legal sciences

 

2.3. Areas of Responsibility

The Library Director is administrative head of the Library. The Library Director monitors expenditures for library materials, renders decisions on costly or questionable items, and is the final authority for all selection and purchasing decisions.  The Collection Development and Reference Librarian is generally responsible for selecting and maintaining both the print collections and the audiovisual collections.  The Reference and Serials Librarian maintains the print periodicals collection.  An annual inventory is supervised by the Collection Development and Reference Librarian with participation by the entire Library staff.

The Library accepts recommendations for library materials from any user; however, ultimate responsibility for the overall quality and balance of the Library collection rests with the professional librarians.  PCC librarians utilize reviews in general and specialized review media, standard bibliographies, user requests, course syllabi, and reserve book lists in making selections. 

Faculty members are especially encouraged to request Library materials to support their instructional needs, to recommend general items for the Library’s consideration, and to incorporate Library materials and online resources into their courses.  Any faculty recommendations for purchase or subscription should consider the needs of distance learning students.

 

2.4. Budget Allocations

Under the general supervision of the Library Director, the Library expends its budget allocations at its own discretion.  It does not assign allocations to programs, departments, or curriculum areas.  This allows the Library the budgetary flexibility to address unexpected demands, take advantage of sales, and generally optimize its finite resources to realize the best return on investment.

 

2.5. Resource Sharing

PCC Library is part of CCLINC (Community College Libraries in North Carolina), a consortium that shares a centralized automated library system.  CCLINC patrons can search and request circulating items at any member library.  Beyond CCLINC, interlibrary loan is possible through the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) WorldCat, which identifies holdings at millions of libraries worldwide. 

North Carolina Libraries for Virtual Education (NC LIVE), a statewide cooperative effort, provides access to proprietary Web-based resources such as electronic books, citation, abstracting and full-text databases covering journals, magazines, newspapers, reference materials, and databases providing information portals for specific subject areas.  Joint purchasing of other electronic resources is possible through another cooperative, the Carolina Consortium.

3.1 Critical Environmental Factors

The following environmental factors will be taken into account in all selection decisions:

  • the rapid proliferation of information in a variety of formats
  • available financial resources and projected return on investment
  • costs of continuing obligations
  • costs of acquisition, preparation, storage, maintenance and provision of access
  • accessibility by on-campus and remote users

3.2. General Criteria

The following general criteria will be used for the selection of resources:

  • suitability
  • timeliness or permanence
  • relevance of the subject matter
  • quality of the writing/production
  • readability and popular appeal
  • authoritativeness
  • reputation and significance of the creator(s)
  • format
  • price

3.3. Choice of Format

The following criteria influence the choice between print, non-print or online/digital formats:

  • needs of campus-based users vs. distance-learners
  • price
  • ongoing maintenance costs
  • availability of indexing and searching mechanisms

3.4. Retrospective Coverage

Major emphasis is on acquiring new or current titles, although older titles may be collected when retrospective subject coverage is desired, or in the cases of classics in literature or in a subject field.  The Library will generally attempt to acquire the latest edition of a title, providing that edition contains new content or added value over earlier editions.

3.5. Language

Materials will be in English, with some additional bilingual or multilingual purchases in the Children’s collection and in support of foreign language instruction. 

3.6. Reading level

The majority of general materials acquired will be at the high school reading level (grades 9 to 12). Materials at the lower-division undergraduate reading level will also be acquired to support PCC’s university transfer students and other curricula where appropriate. In limited quantities, the Library will acquire resources geared towards new literates, ESL speakers, or juvenile readers and will also acquire materials at the pre-school reading level to support PCC’s Early Childhood Education program. Additionally, PCC Library will acquire titles each year for inclusion in the Young Adult collection to support the Early College High School. 

3.7. Scope of Collections

The Library will focus its acquisitions on subjects related to the curriculum.  Generally, materials are collected with intent to provide a broad overview of subjects with balance as to various viewpoints.  Extensive, in-depth treatment of a subject in the print collections is usually not warranted.  Online resources providing journal access will usually suffice to cover niche topics and leading-edge information.  Interlibrary loan should be considered in support of the occasional exception, especially when the need is of limited duration.

3.8. Exclusions

The Library does not purchase:

  • multiple copies of a title
  • textbooks for a course offered at the college
  • titles that will lose their value after a brief time
  • titles with content that is deliberately misleading or of dubious reliability
  • audiovisual items in formats that are no longer in general use

4.1. Print Materials

FORMAT:  Hardback books are preferred if all considerations, particularly price, are equal. If there is a substantial cost difference between the trade paperback and hardback formats, the trade paperback format may be preferred, except where size of the item or anticipated heavy usage makes the hardback format a better choice for longevity. Mass market paperbacks are not purchased.

REFERENCE:  The Reference collection should be somewhat limited in size; preference is given to materials that can circulate. However, there is still a need for basic factual information, introductory or overview information for specific subjects, and/or direction to further information and resources. Such titles which exist as multi-volume items or expensive items should be placed in Reference to help ensure against loss, since items in this collection do not circulate. 

The collection of general print reference materials is expected to diminish as more and more trustworthy sources of general information are made available on the Internet. This may become true as well for more specialized reference information since online databases are more accessible to remote users, and the prices of print resources continue to escalate. The price of reference materials warrants serious consideration of the projected return on investment in such titles, especially if alternative, less expensive or free sources exist.

TYPES OF MATERIALS INCLUDED/EXCLUDED IN REFERENCE

  • Almanacs and Yearbooks 
    Print almanacs and yearbooks are not purchased due to the availability of copious online sources of such ready-reference information. 
  • Bibliographies 
    Bibliographies are not purchased. 
  • Biographies 
    Online sources are preferred over print works dealing with professional, national, and international biography. Specialized biographical sources (those having narrow regional, chronological, or subject orientation) are considered on their individual merits and on their relevance to the curriculum. Individual biographies are usually placed in the General Collection; only compendiums of biographical information are considered for Reference.
  • Chronologies and Calendars 
    Historical chronologies are selectively collected, in “day to day” or event-listing formats. Calendars are not collected, but sources listing holidays or folk/national celebrations are selectively collected.
  • Compendia of Facts 
    Explanatory compendia of facts, especially in the sciences, are collected only if not readily available online.
  • Concordances 
    Only concordances for the Bible and Shakespeare are collected, and only one or two for basic coverage; no comprehensive or variety of coverage is attempted.
  • Dictionaries 
    Unilingual, bilingual, and polyglot dictionaries for major languages; thesauruses and etymology guides for English; specialized dictionaries in English for major dialects, regional variation, slang, synonyms and antonyms are collected. Specialized subject dictionaries relevant to the curriculum are also selected for the collection based on price and/or likelihood of theft, with less expensive subject dictionaries placed in the General Collection. While dictionaries may have a long lifespan, current editions are preferred for Reference, with older editions transferred to the General Collection or weeded.
  • Directories 
    Directories are not collected. 
  • Dissertations
    Dissertations are not collected. Dissertations of PCC faculty may be donated to the PCC archives.
  • Encyclopedias 
    Due to the expense and the availability of information through both our databases and online, encyclopedias will no longer be collected. 
  • Genealogical Sources 
    Only Pitt County items of general interest are collected, on a selective basis. There is no effort to maintain items for genealogical research, that task is deferred to the local public library.
  • Geographical Sources 
    Collected geographic sources consist only of thematic (e.g., historical, social, economic) atlases. Topographic maps, atlases, gazetteers, and thematic maps are not collected. 
  • Grant Information 
    Comprehensive materials on grant sources in the educational and non-profit fields are collected on a very limited basis if not available online; books on techniques of grant-writing are placed in the General Collection.
  • Handbooks 
    Authoritative, current handbooks in subject areas that support the curriculum are selected, with expensive or multi-volume titles placed in Reference and less-expensive or single-volume titles placed in the General Collection.
  • Indexes and Abstracts 
    Indexes and abstracts are not collected.
  • Legal Resources 
    Legal references for North Carolina, such as the General Statutes, dictionaries, encyclopedias, digests, reporters, and citators, are collected for the Law Reference collection. The PCC Paralegal faculty is consulted to make sure this collection is sufficient to support their accreditation needs. “How-to” legal references intended for laypeople are placed in the General Collection.
  • College/University Catalogs 
    Print catalogs are not collected, due to online availability.
  • Plot Summaries and Explicators 
    Plot summaries and explicators are collected very selectively.
  • Quotations and Proverb Books 
    Current editions of English language compilations of quotations and proverbs are collected; one or two comprehensive titles are sufficient for the Reference Collection.
  • Sacred Books 
    Key sacred texts of major religions in English translations are selectively collected.
  • Statistical Compendia 
    Online sources for statistics are preferred because they tend to be more up to date. Major print statistical compendia related to Pitt County, North Carolina, or the nation at large may be collected if not readily available online. Sources of statistics in the humanities, life sciences, and social sciences may be collected if necessary to support the curricula and if not available online. Older editions of such titles should be weeded as newer editions are acquired.
  • Style Manuals 
    MLA and APA style manuals are selected, with multiple copies in both the Reference and General Collections. Other style manuals may be added if demand arises.
  • Travel Guides 
    Travel guides may be collected on a limited basis when requested and to support the PCC Global study abroad initiatives.

General Selection and Price Guideline for Inclusion in Reference:

The Reference Collection should consist of materials that contain short, relevant “bursts” of information that are easily noted or copied. Materials which require the user to sit and read at length are better placed in the circulating collections. However, the Library needs to protect its investment in expensive items and in multi-volume titles where loss of a volume renders the remainder of the set void or less usable. Multi-volume sets and single volumes costing more than $150.00 should be assessed for placement in reference.

CHILDREN’S:  Books for the Children’s Collection are limited to those suitable for use by students in the Early Childhood Education program, and should be purchased from sources that can supply a heavy-duty binding. Items with pop-up, moveable or detachable parts should not be purchased. Materials should contain specific learning objectives. Materials designed specifically for readers in kindergarten through 5th grade should not be purchased since this audience is not represented in our collection priorities.

SERIALS:  Print serials are acquired via subscription. Individual issues will not be purchased. The print serials collection supports the PCC curriculum and provides a selection of general interest periodicals, including subscriptions to our local newspaper. Factors to be considered in the acquisition of print serials are:

  • support of academic programs
  • suitability for intended audience
  • uniqueness of subject coverage
  • costs, including rate of price increases, cost of storage, and/or access costs
  • professional reputation
  • projected usage
  • indexing and abstracting in sources accessible to library users
  • demand for title in interlibrary loan or document delivery requests
  • accessibility within resource sharing groups, consortia, and/or through document delivery or courier services

PAMPHLETS:  Pamphlets are generally not collected due to their ephemeral nature and likelihood of theft or loss. Pamphlets relating to specific course assignments and objectives may be considered for inclusion. Current pamphlets and brochures produced by campus, local, or library organizations may be displayed or offered for distribution until their useful life is over.

LEASED BOOKS:  Newer popular fiction and nonfiction titles suitable for leisure reading are acquired through leasing. At the end of the leasing cycle, some leased copies may be purchased at a discount if deemed suitable for the collection.

FICTION:  Contemporary popular fiction will only be purchased by the Library when well-circulated materials are lost and paid, when we purchase discounted Bestseller titles made available through our arrangement with our leased-book vendor, and to support our Young Adult collection. However, classic works of literary fiction may be purchased for the General Collection. Donated fiction titles should be assessed as to their projected usage. Mass-market paperback donations are generally better suited for sale due to their poor durability and time-limited appeal.

GRAPHIC NOVELS:  Graphic fiction and nonfiction titles (memoirs, biographies, historical accounts) are collected to supplement our Fiction and Young Adult leisure-reading collections, and are acquired through our leasing program or through donations. Hardcover format is preferred if available, but quality paperback editions are accepted if no hardcover option exists.

4.2. Non-Print Materials

EBOOKS:  Individual electronic books may be purchased to support specific curriculum needs, and may also be acquired as part of consortia or cooperative efforts.

DATABASES:  Subscriptions to proprietary online databases are considered when such databases provide the most current and/or cost-effective resources. Possibilities for new database acquisitions may be set up for trial at any time, but decisions about subscribing are generally made annually in the summer by the reference librarians as a group. These resources may include electronic books; citation, abstracting, and full-text databases covering journals, magazines, newspapers, or reference materials; and databases providing information portals for specific subject areas. 

In addition to general selection criteria, the following criteria will be used for selecting online databases:

  • the product compares favorably with similar products, i.e., the content is not available in less expensive databases or free Web sources and the interface is equal or superior to rival products
  • adequate user access is provided, with unlimited user access from on-campus and remote locations preferred
  • the product has adequate levels of support, with a user-friendly interface, appropriate online help  and accessible remote technical support (24/7 availability preferred)
  • usage statistics are available
  • product trials are allowed and provide sufficient access over a long-enough duration to allow adequate evaluation
  • the Library is not required to maintain paid subscriptions to both print and electronic versions of the product
  • the license agreement allows normal rights and privileges accorded libraries under copyright law and gives the Library indemnification against third party copyright infringement

4.3. Government Documents

The Library is not a governmental depository at any county, state, or federal level. However, the Library does maintain the Archives of Pitt Community College. Governmentally produced items are acquired based on the same criteria as any other material. Materials suitable for the Archives should be supplied to the Library by the entity, department, or program that produces them.

4.4. Reserves

The Library will not select items solely to be placed on reserve, nor will it purchase copies of textbooks just because they are in current class usage. However, instructors may request that the Library purchase items to be placed on reserve for their classes. Once such items are taken off reserve, they may be evaluated for retention in the open Library collections. Instructors may also place their personal copies of items on reserve if they so desire, with the understanding that these items will be subject to the same circulation policies and risk of loss of any other Reserve material. 

5.1. Repair of Damaged Materials

Print items with minor damage may be repaired in-house.  Major repair of damaged books is a highly technical and time-consuming process that this Library has neither the staff nor the resources to undertake.  If an item with major damage is still in demand, it may be replaced or updated based on availability of funds and other collection priorities.  If demand is low, the item may be withdrawn without replacement.

5.2. Replacement

Lost or withdrawn items are not automatically replaced.  Factors considered in replacement decisions are:

  • adequacy of coverage in the collection
  • demand
  • whether the item is still available
  • availability of more up-to-date materials or alternative formats
  • costs  of replacement

5.3. Deselection (Weeding)

Deselection, also known as “weeding,” is the removal of materials from the Library collection, and this dynamic process is an integral part of collection management. Excess duplicate copies, seldom used titles, older editions with out-of-date or incorrect information, and badly damaged copies having an appearance that might discourage use are all candidates for weeding. The Collection Development and Reference Librarian is primarily responsible for weeding the collection, but any of the librarians may recommend items to be withdrawn and/or replaced. When applicable, decisions to remove materials are made after consultation with the faculty members most directly affected.

Materials will be evaluated for deselection by applying the MUSTY formula developed by Joseph P. Segal in Evaluating and Weeding Collections (Chicago: American Library Association, 1980):  Misleading, Ugly, Superseded, Trivial or You no longer need it.

Criteria to Consider for Weeding:

Obsolescence

  • Dated Information
  • Incorrect Information (may be related to date)
  • Older editions, when determined that they are no longer useful
  • Materials that no longer meet program-specific accreditation standards

Usage

  • Books which have not circulated or been used in-house in 10 or more years, with the following exceptions:
    • Classic works in any discipline taught by the College
    • Works by eminent authors in their respective fields

Condition

  • Damaged or worn items beyond the scope of in-house preservation

Weeded materials are discarded in conformance with 1H SBCCC 400.2 Surplus and Irreparable Books and Book-Like Media of the State Board of Community Colleges Code

5.4. Catalog Database Maintenance

Any item withdrawn from the collection will have its information removed from the CCLINC catalog, with the exception of items which have outstanding patron transactions linked, such as overdue fines.  Any item not in its home location nor checked out should have its current location modified to reflect the appropriate setting (e.g. “missing,” “repair,” “in process,” “lost,” etc.).  These non-location “locations” should be investigated periodically for resolution of anomalies.  Non-replaced lost, missing or discard items should be treated the same way as deselected titles. 

6.1. Donations

The Library welcomes donations from individuals with the following caveat:  When a gift is accepted, it becomes the property of the Library, and the Library will determine the use or disposition of the item(s).  Donated items may be added to the collection, exchanged, given to another Library, sold, or discarded.  The Library reserves the right to decline gifts.

Donors are encouraged to sign a form that acknowledges the donation and outlines the conditions for acceptance.   The original form is also signed by a Library staff member and is given to the donor, and a copy is retained by the Library.   If the donor wishes to claim a charitable deduction for income tax purposes, the donor is responsible for making an inventory of the gifts and for assessing their current fair market value. No member of the Library staff may assess a value or give an appraisal, as the Library cannot assume responsibility for assigning value for tax credit purposes.

6.2. Confidentiality of Records

The State of North Carolina addresses privacy issues for library users in the following Statute:

§ 125-19. Confidentiality of Library user records

(a) Disclosure. -- A Library shall not disclose any Library record that identifies a person as having requested or obtained specific materials, information, or services, or as otherwise having used the Library, except as provided for in subsection (b).

(b) Exceptions. -- Library records may be disclosed in the following instances:

(1) When necessary for the reasonable operation of the Library;

(2) Upon written consent of the user; or

(3) Pursuant to subpoena, court order, or where otherwise required by law. (1985, c. 486, s. 2.)

All records relating to individual user registration and circulation of materials by specific users are considered to be confidential in nature. The Library will protect the privacy of any borrower who uses the Library. The Library shall not make inquiry into the purposes for which a user requests information, books, or other Library materials, except insofar as the inquiry may help in finding the material that the user wants.

The Library’s automated system does not keep historical records of materials borrowed by individuals. Once an item is returned and any associated fine is paid, the item is immediately removed from the user record. Library records are for the sole purpose of protecting the public property and are not to be used to identify the types of materials borrowed by individuals. Under no circumstances shall the Library staff provide information to a third party about what a user of the Library has borrowed or the kind of information questions the user asks.

Employees of the Library have been informed that Library records are not to be made available to any person or to any agency or local, state, or federal government except pursuant to such process, order, or subpoena as may be authorized under the authority of and pursuant to local, state, or legislative investigative power.  Any representative of a local, state, or federal agency or any law enforcement officer who requests access to such information must do so through the Library Director. 

Therefore, any official request for access to such information must be reported immediately to the Library Director. Upon receipt of such process, order, or subpoena, the Library Director will advise PCC administration and will consult with PCC legal counsel to determine if such process, order, or subpoena is in proper form and if there is a showing of good cause for its issuance. If the process, order, or subpoena is not in proper form or if good cause has not been shown, such defects must be corrected before the Library can comply.

Having assurance of the confidentiality of Library records should not be interpreted as having license to violate law or policy.

6.3. Acceptable Use and the Discouragement of Illegal Activities

In accordance with local, state and federal law and with PCC policies, Library users may not use PCC resources to commit illegal actions. PCC and the Library have the right and duty to:

  • enforce the Library’s Patron Behavior Policy and PCC’s behavior rules;
  • protect users, materials, facilities, networks, and equipment from harm or abuse;
  • prevent the use of materials, supplies, facilities and equipment for illegal purposes.

As PCC employees, Library staff members are expected to honor and enforce PCC policies and directives, and are to promote the safety and security of library users, staff, facilities, equipment, and information networks. This includes contacting law enforcement authorities and providing information that may identify the individual(s) perpetrating a violation, subject to the privacy statute discussed above.

Use of PCC computers and the computing network is subject to the PCC Information Technology Resources Acceptable Use Policy, including the public desktop and laptop computers in the Library.  Filters and monitoring may be employed to facilitate compliance with this policy and with usage restrictions, especially those restrictions designed to provide PCC curriculum students with priority of access for PCC-related academic purposes.

6.4. Challenges to Materials

Library materials may be considered controversial and any item may offend some user.   When a complaint against a Library material is made, the procedures are as follows:

  1. The Library representative receiving the complaint should be polite to the user but make no commitments regarding the challenged material. That representative should ask the user to file the complaint in writing, using the form prepared for such instances. The user should return the completed form to the Library Director.
  2.  The Library Director will within ten working days:
    1. Place the material on reserve so that it is not in circulation until a final decision can be made about its future in the collection. 
    2. Check reviews of the challenged material and determine the reviewers’ general assessments.
    3. Arrange a meeting with the Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs to take no removal action, to remove all or parts of the challenged material from the total college environment, or limit the use of the challenged material.
    4. Comply with the decision of the Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs regarding the challenged material.
  3. If any party is not in agreement with the decision of this party, the following grievance procedures may be followed:
    1. The dissatisfied party shall within ten working days and in writing inform the Library Director of the disagreement.  The Library Director will then within ten working days notify, Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Vice President of Academic Affairs, and the College President.
    2. The Library Director, in cooperation with the President, will arrange a meeting of the complainant(s). The President will preside at this meeting.
    3. The Library Director and the President shall carefully evaluate the challenged material. The President will then make a decision regarding the challenged material.
    4. The decision of the President will be final.

All meetings organized for the purpose of evaluating challenged materials will be open to any interested party or group.

7.1. Elements of the Subject Area Collection Profile

Each Subject Area Collection Profile below will consist of the following elements:

Profile Title (Name of PCC Curriculum Area Supported)

Library support level: [Modest, Moderate or Significant]

Collection development issues:

Types of materials collected:

Types of materials excluded:

Grade or age level of materials:

Chronological and geographic coverage:

Retention schedule:

Library’s role in program accreditation process:

Selection aids & sources for materials:

7.2. Applied Sciences and Technology Profile (Construction and Industrial Technology Division)

Library support level:  Modest to Moderate. 

Collection development issues:  Faculty requests are usually for items they can keep with them in their classroom or department.  The Library may process such items into its collection and then check them out on long-term loan at the Library’s discretion.  Usually this decision is made based on whether a given item would be of any interest to general library patrons, and whether the faculty member could produce the item if a hold was placed on it.  

Types of materials collected: Books on topics that support the curricula, from general overview to applied technology; audiovisual items per request of instructor; journals per request of instructor.  The Library is currently funding the subscription to the ALLDATA database for the Automotive program.  A number of vocational guidance titles are also selected, ranging from general to those specialized to particular careers relating to the curricula.

Types of materials excluded:  Items aimed at the theoretical or research aspects of these subjects are usually beyond the scope of the curricula and as such, are not suitable for purchase.  If such items are donated, they may be considered for addition to the collections.

Grade or age level of materials:  High school to adult.

Chronological and geographic coverage:  Information should reflect current state-of-the-art and/or project future trends.  Items may provide a historic perspective where changes in technology have occurred, but for collection maintenance this does not require keeping numbers of materials beyond what is necessary to provide an overview of the history.  Items dealing with codes and regulations should be selected for North Carolina-based users.

Retention schedule:  In some few areas where technology has not changed, older materials may continue to be relevant, such as with basic plumbing, welding or carpentry techniques.  Such areas should be weeded more for damaged materials than age of item.  For most of the other departments, where the technology changes more rapidly, older items should be discarded when their content loses its relevance. 

Library’s role in program accreditation process:  The Library may provide reports listing our pertinent holdings to the departments to show what is available in support of the curricula, but does not otherwise have a direct role in the accreditation processes for programs in these areas.

Selection aids & sources for materials:  McGraw-Hill Professional

7.3. Arts and Sciences Profile (Arts and Sciences Division)

Library support level:  Significant

Collection development issues:   Classes in this division cover areas of study from introductory to two-year undergraduate level, and range from non-degree and remedial to degree/transfer level.  Controversial topics should receive balanced treatment.  Breadth of subject coverage should be sufficient to support basic courses, but with some coverage given to major topics and figures in the various fields. 

Types of materials collected:   Books and electronic books on topics that support the curricula, from general overview to moderate subject focus; audiovisual items per request of instructor; journals per request of instructor.  A number of vocational guidance titles are also selected, ranging from general to those specialized to particular careers relating to the curricula.

Types of materials excluded:   Textbooks, workbooks, lab manuals.

Grade or age level of materials:  High school to adult.

Chronological and geographic coverage:  Arts and humanities cover world, U.S. and North Carolina history and culture from earliest history to the present.  For the sciences, emphasis is on current material, although older items may be kept which provide historic overview or perspective.

Retention schedule:   Normal weeding criteria, with allowance for keeping older titles in the literature and history subject areas.

Library’s role in program accreditation process:  The Library may provide reports listing our pertinent holdings to the departments to show what is available in support of the curricula, but does not otherwise have a direct role in the accreditation processes for programs in these areas.

Selection aids & sources for materials: Choice Reviews Online, Library Journal

 

7.4. Basic Skills and Developmental Studies Profile

Note:  At PCC, Basic Skills is a group of Continuing Education programs marketed to adult learners to improve their reading, writing, mathematics, and communication skills.  The five major Basic Skills programs at PCC are Adult High School, General Education Development, English as a Second Language, and Compensatory Education.  The PCC Developmental Studies Department exists as part of the academic curriculum, serving underprepared curriculum students who need to improve academic skills such as critical thinking, reading, writing, and mathematics.

Library support level:  Modest. 

Collection development issues:  The Basic Skills area has its own Learning Center which supplies most of the print and online information needed to support their students.  Because of losses, the Library has discontinued purchasing print exam guides such as the one for the GED test in favor of referring students to the Learning Express Library online database.  Any purchased material that is found to have a vocabulary suited to an audience of less than high school reading level should be evaluated for possible designation as an “easy” book in the library’s online catalog.  Titles providing general review or skill-building for math or reading may be purchased, but those in workbook or practice test format should be avoided.

Types of materials collected:  Nonfiction that emphasizes academic and/or social skill-building, as well as items that contain information relevant to U.S. citizenship. 

Types of materials excluded: Non-print materials and print items intended for classroom use, such as book sets with workbooks; practice test books or study guides that are meant to be written in.

Grade or age level of materials:  Adult age level with low to moderate reading levels.

Chronological and geographic coverage:  Basics of the history and geography of countries and their cultures.

Retention schedule: Normal weeding criteria.

Library’s role in program accreditation process:  Not applicable

Selection aids & sources for materials:  Steck-Vaughn (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), McGraw-Hill Education Pre K-12

7.5. Business Profile (Business Division)

Library support level:  Moderate.

Collection development issues: This is both an academic area of study and an area of interest to the general patron and to businesspeople.  The collection should include introductory and consumer oriented materials. 

Types of materials collected:   Monographs at the introductory or general interest level discussing business, entrepreneurial and finance topics; guidebooks and handbooks on small business.  There are also several online subscription databases specializing in business coverage.  A number of vocational guidance titles are also selected, ranging from general to those specialized to particular careers relating to the curricula.

Types of materials excluded:   Materials that outline money making schemes or illegal business activities are not appropriate.   Employee training materials also are too expensive or are too ephemeral in nature to merit purchase.

Grade or age level of materials:  High school to adult.

Chronological and geographic coverage:   Information should reflect current state-of-the-art and/or project future trends.  Limited numbers of older items may be kept if necessary to provide an overview of the history.  Geographic coverage is primarily of American business with some general coverage of international trends. 

Retention schedule:   Materials that cover business trends go stale quickly; these materials should be retained only for 5 to 7 years.  Otherwise, normal weeding criteria applies.

Library’s role in program accreditation process:  The Library may provide reports listing our pertinent holdings to the departments to show what is available in support of the curricula, but does not otherwise have a direct role in the accreditation processes for programs in these areas.

Selection aids & sources for materials:  McGraw-Hill Professional

7.6. Early Childhood Education Profile (Legal Science and Public Services Division)

Library support level:  Moderate.

Collection development issues:   This profile requires materials for the Children’s Collection AND materials for the early-childhood curriculum student.  Focus is on children from birth through 5 years of age, with coverage of child development, nutrition, first aid and safety, child care center design, cultural diversity and play activities.  Some materials of interest to parents at various stages of child-rearing are also collected.

Types of materials collected:   Books for the Children’s Collection should be board and picture books suitable for preschoolers, with reinforced bindings.  Donated children’s DVDs may be considered for addition to the collection.  Books in the General Collection that promote activities linked to specific children’s titles should be chosen with an eye as to whether we have those children’s titles available.  This collection experiences heavy usage of activity books that provide finger plays, bulletin/flannel board templates, rhymes, games and songs.

Types of material excluded:   Children’s books with moveable parts or other easily damaged enhancements should be avoided.

Grade or age level of materials:  Children’s books should be those suitable for preschoolers. 

Chronological and geographic coverage:  The Children’s collection may include some limited amount of American history (particularly as it relates to holidays like Thanksgiving or MLK Day) and also some coverage of cultural diversity.  It should consist mostly of contemporary titles with some core/classic authors such as Dr. Seuss.

Retention schedule:   Normal weeding criteria applies; note that these areas tend to be more subject to damage than most.

Library’s role in program accreditation process:  The Library may provide reports listing our pertinent holdings to the departments to show what is available in support of the curricula, but does not otherwise have a direct role in the accreditation processes for programs in this area.

Selection aids & sources for materials:  Penworthy Books has been the vendor of choice for additions to the Children’s Collection due to the strength of their reinforced books. 

7.7. Health Sciences Profile (Health Sciences Division)

Library support level:  Significant.

Collection development issues:   It is often difficult to find books directed at the health technician’s viewpoint, rather than the consumer or the doctor/scientist.

Types of materials collected:   Books on topics that support the curricula, from general overview to applied technology; audiovisual items per request of instructor; journals per request of instructor.   Items aimed at the theoretical or research aspects of these subjects are usually beyond the scope of the curricula and as such, are not suitable for purchase.  If such items are donated, they may be considered for addition to the collections.  Consumer health titles may be purchased for the benefit of the general library user but should not be selected to address curriculum needs.  A number of vocational guidance titles are also selected, ranging from general to those specialized to particular careers relating to the curricula.

Types of materials excluded:   Textbooks, workbooks, lab manuals, pocket guides.

Grade or age level of materials:  High school to adult.

Chronological and geographic coverage:  Purchases should reflect current state-of-the-art information or should project future trends.  Items may provide a historic perspective where changes in technology have occurred, but for collection maintenance this does not require keeping numbers of materials beyond what is necessary to provide an overview of the history.  Concentration is on U.S. practice.

Retention schedule:   Emphasis for the nursing program is on contemporary material (last 5 years).  Some older materials providing a historic overview are retained.  Other allied health programs fall under normal weeding criteria.

Library’s role in program accreditation process:  Library assists in re-accreditation for the nursing program by supplying bibliographies of holdings and documentation of online resources.  Allied health programs have asked for lists of holdings on occasion, but not as part of a recurring accreditation process.

Selection aids & sources for materials:  McGraw-HIll Professional, Elsevier/Mosby/Saunders, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, & Rittenhouse

7.8. Legal Sciences Profile (Legal Science and Public Services Division)

Library support level:  Significant.

Collection development issues:   Much of the law resources are provided by the department’s subscription to Westlaw, but the instructors still want the students to learn to research case law by using physical Resources. 

Types of materials collected:  North Carolina statutes, reports, law journals, etc, plus the Westlaw online database.

Types of materials excluded:   Items of consumer interest are excluded from the Legal Reference collection but may be acquired for the General Collection.

Grade or age level of materials:  High school to adult.

Chronological and geographic coverage:  Focus is on North Carolina law, coverage back to beginning of case law.

Retention schedule:   Keep statutes and reporters in perpetuity; discard other titles as replacements or new editions are acquired.  The two law journals are treated as normal serials.

Library’s role in program accreditation process:  Library assists in re-accreditation for the paralegal program by supplying bibliographies of holdings and documentation of online resources.

Selection aids & sources for materials:  In the past, selections have been made from the titles listed in North Carolina Legal Practice Materials  from the Everett Law Library at UNC-Chapel Hill.  There are also North Carolina law resources described in the North Carolina Practice research guide from the Goodson Law Library at Duke.  The paralegal faculty provides guidance in selected materials appropriate for paralegal study from these lists.  West (Westlaw) and Lexis/Nexis are the primary law publishers, and Nolo Press is good for layperson topics.