Last review: January 2016
The purpose of the Collection Development Plan (“the Plan”) is to provide
The aim of the Plan is to provide a working tool to
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.
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.
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.)
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.
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.
The collection emphasizes those subject areas most directly related to PCC program offerings:
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.
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.
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.
The following environmental factors will be taken into account in all selection decisions:
The following general criteria will be used for the selection of resources:
The following criteria influence the choice between print, non-print or online/digital formats:
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.
Materials will be in English, with some additional bilingual or multilingual purchases in the Children’s collection and in support of foreign language instruction.
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.
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.
The Library does not purchase:
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.
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:
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Lost or withdrawn items are not automatically replaced. Factors considered in replacement decisions are:
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.
Obsolescence
Usage
Condition
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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:
All meetings organized for the purpose of evaluating challenged materials will be open to any interested party or group.
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:
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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.