Collection Development Practices: Carnegie-Vincent Library
Introduction and Philosophy
The Carnegie-Vincent Library and the Reed Health Sciences Library support the liberal arts and professional studies curricula of Lincoln Memorial University, and its mission to educate a student body that is “able to communicate clearly and effectively in an era of rapidly and continuously expanding communication technology, must have an appreciable depth of learning in a field of knowledge, must appreciate and understand the various ways by which we come to know ourselves and the world around us, and must be able to exercise informed judgments.” The Carnegie-Vincent Library and Reed Health Sciences Library acquire and make available materials in a variety of formats intended to support all areas of the curriculum and other educational, research, and recreational needs of the community.
University Curriculum
The library supports more than 50 majors and minors offered to students at Lincoln Memorial University. They include, but are not limited to the following:
While library’s primary goal is to support the above programs, it also collects materials that reflect regional history, Appalachian culture, and local items of interest of the tri-state community. It collects documents and resources which reflect the history of Lincoln Memorial University and its administration as well as news and local service contributions of its faculty, staff, and student body. Although the library is available to students of Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College and Clear Creek Baptist Bible College, the library will not collect materials exclusively to support the curriculum of that segment of our user population.
Purpose
The Collection Development Policy serves two purposes: first, it provides guidance to librarians and faculty responsible for material acquisition and de-selection; second, it provides a rationale for library patrons to understand the acquisitions, de-selection and resource allocation of the library.
Selection Responsibility
Collection development is a joint responsibility of subject-liaison librarians and faculty members.
Librarians’ professional study of collection development methodologies, their knowledge of the university curriculum and the collection, as well as their understanding of course assignments and student inquiries, enable them to select materials according to the guidelines set here forth. Librarians also select materials of general interest, including those of broad community interest and appeal, such as local works, best sellers, works by LMU faculty, alumnae, or local authors.
The faculty may request materials at any time, and periodically each year the library solicits requests from faculty via emails. Library acquisition records will indicate the person who submitted the request such as a faculty member, a Department Chair, or Dean. After materials are recommended for acquisition, the Library Director confirms that the requisite funds are available. Responsibility to determine whether requested materials conform to the goals, qualitative guidelines, and the selection and acquisitions policies presented in this document resides with the librarians and Library Director.
The librarians bear responsibility for maintaining a balanced collection. They are expected to notify the library director whenever research inquiries are made for which there is insufficient material to respond. Faculty members are likewise expected to request adequate materials for their program. Those programs whose faculty members fail to articulate learning resource needs will be notified. The library depends on faculty input in order to ensure that all aspects of the curriculum are supported.
Budget Allocation
The university allocates funds to the Library for acquisition of materials into budget lines to support:
1) DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medical School (DCOM) (all material formats),
2) College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) (all material formats),
3) All other subject areas for undergraduate and graduate programs into the formats of a) electronic resources, b) print serial resources, c) audio-visual materials, and d) books/ebooks.
Within various budget lines for acquisitions, the Library may internally allocate according to department needs (e.g. books/e-books allocation by department).
Selection Guidelines
The library focuses on developing a collection that is broad, deep, and representative of the myriad of courses offered by Lincoln Memorial University. Emphasis is placed on those materials that are subject to regional and professional accreditation reviews and on new programs, which require an initial investment of resources.
Materials are selected appropriate to the level of courses taught at the University. The library assists, when possible, the university faculty in their pursuit of research. When it is not economically feasible for the library to make available adequate post-doctoral research sources for all faculty of the university, the library’s interlibrary loan service and the proximity of LMU to several major universities should provide sufficient research opportunities for most faculty members at LMU.
The library makes available and relies on numerous selection aids, including CHOICE Reviews, Doody’s Core Titles, the New York Times Book Review, Resources for College Libraries, resource bibliographies from peer libraries, syllabi analyses, professional associations and journals, online discussion lists, bibliographies, and reviews from disciplinary journals to choose titles for the collection.
The library acquires material in English except for materials in the foreign languages taught at LMU.
Library Collections
Below is a list of the collections housed in the Carnegie Vincent Library and Reed Health Sciences Library:
Books
The library shall select or approve requests for books based on the following criteria:
Worn or damaged books may be repaired, rebound, or withdrawn from the collection depending upon the value of the book to the collection, availability and price of the book on the new or used market.
The library will buy print materials in the least costly format, usually paperback when available. Exceptions are made for books for which high use and long-term relevancy is expected (such as classics in any discipline).
Duplicate copies may be purchased to be shelved in the off-campus sites libraries if they are relevant to the programs offered at those sites. Otherwise, duplicate copies will not be bought unless the title was written by a faculty member or staff, in which case one copy will go to the Special Collections and the other into the circulating collection. Any other reasons will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Resources that are missing, lost, or withdrawn because of poor physical condition will be replaced according to the merits of the item. The library staff shall authorize replacement copies if there is sufficient demand for the resource, if it represents value to the collection, and/or if it contains current information still relevant to the university curriculum or the library’s constituency. In general, the Library will not replace out-of-print titles. The exception will be the replacement of lost or stolen titles which are standards in their fields and for which the faculty members request replacements.
Reference Collection
Reference collections are traditionally designed to serve as the backbone for basic research and information needs of the University. Reference collections are interdisciplinary and essential to the entire curricula, especially because such materials are not typically available for interlibrary loan. In order to serve the off-campus or online community of Lincoln Memorial University, the Carnegie-Vincent Library will purchase reference materials in electronic format whenever possible
Juvenile Collection
The Juvenile Collection in the Carnegie-Vincent Library is intended for students and faculty of the J. Frank White Academy and LMU students (such as Education majors) and faculty whose curriculum includes children’s literature.
The children’s books are located near the Curriculum Collection so that teachers and education students writing lesson plans have quick access to professional education books with planning ideas and children’s books to go along with the plans. The classics and award winning books are an important part of the collection and are labelled with award stickers on the spine.
The children’s books are separated into five categories and color-coded so that students, parents, and educators can more easily find what they are looking for:
Journal Subscriptions
Electronic is the preferred format for journals, though titles may be acquired in print format under special circumstances.
Requests for new journal subscriptions must be adequately justified by faculty.
Decisions are made on an annual basis as to whether or not to maintain subscriptions to currently held journals and databases. Serials lists are distributed to the deans, who in turn distribute them to faculty, in the fall semester of each year to review for renewals and are then returned to the library. New journal title requests are solicited at this time.
Electronic Resources
The library is an active member of several consortia, including Lyrasis, TennShare and the Appalachian Colleges Association. These consortia provide significant purchasing discounts for many electronic and traditional resources. Many of these discounts make it possible for the library to purchase materials that it otherwise could not purchase alone. Whenever possible, offers solicited through these venues will be given first priority.
The Electronic Resources Librarian shall always request a trial of the resource, and forward the solicitation and access information to the teaching faculty and librarians. Purchases are preceded by recommendations of subject-liaison librarians, faculty, and the Library Director. Databases represent a continuous and ongoing investment on the part of the University. For this reason, the library will not subscribe to a database without a full understanding of access requirements and a well-documented approval process which reflects a broad desire or need to purchase the resource in question.
The library will acquire electronic licenses to digital (rather than print) resources whenever possible. Pricing for such resources varies according to the size of the database, the type of access being purchased, and the size of the institution. Licenses for electronic resources are reviewed by LMU Legal Counsel. Unlike traditional materials, remote access to electronic resources is restricted to students, faculty, and staff of Lincoln Memorial University. Any community member can access the databases within the Library.
The library selects electronic resources according to the parameters set forth throughout this collection development policy. Electronic resource formats include, but are not limited to, CD ROMs, Internet-based, text databases such as encyclopedias and full-text journals, and graphic and multimedia files.
Selection considerations which apply to electronic resources include:
Video and Audio Recordings
Video and audio recordings are purchased in the most recent format whenever possible. Streaming videos are acquired as subscription-based electronic resources. Such materials are purchased to support the curriculum of the University. Such sources purchased for instructional purposes, to be used in the classroom, should be requested through departmental budgets. No video or audio materials shall be purchased for recreational use; however, such materials will be accepted as donations.
Software
Software shall be purchased through academic departments and Academic Computing. Software is usually not purchased by the Library except when disks accompany books.
Donations and Gifts
The Carnegie-Vincent Library accepts a variety of donations from the following sources:
The Library welcomes gifts of books, periodicals, and other library materials as well as money to purchase such materials. Because of the hidden expense of processing and maintenance and because space is very limited, every gift must be carefully evaluated to determine that it meets the above collection guidelines and that there are sufficient resources to process and maintain the additions to our collections.
The Library will accept for review any donated item. Items not specifically subject to review are textbooks. All donors accept that the responsibility for review lies with Carnegie Vincent Library. The criteria for accepting a donation and making it a part of the library’s collection is as follows:
Only materials which satisfy one of the above conditions and which are in fair condition for circulation are actually added to the collection. All others are disposed of by sale, exchange, or donation, or they are discarded. Items are donated with the understanding that there are no conditions attached to their disposition by the library.
It is the responsibility of the donor, if they wish, to compile and maintain a list of the titles donated. The appraisal of gifts for tax purposes is the responsibility of the donor. Tax-deductible receipts will be coordinated through the Office of University Advancement.
The library has a “Deed of Gift Agreement Letter” stating that no conditions are attached to donated items.
The donor of a gift of money may suggest a subject area in which the funds are to be spent if that subject is a part of the university program. The library reserves the right to choose specific items that are needed to support the curriculum.
Discarded or withdrawn items may be donated to the Better World Books organization. Better World Books sells these materials and donates a percentage of profits to a literacy initiative.
Weeding/Withdrawal Practice
Material which no longer meets the criteria for selection encompassed by the CVL Collection Development Policy may be withdrawn from the collection to maintain the currency, quality, and condition. Weeding is a collaborative effort that involves the library faculty and program faculty members. Titles will be weeded from the collection for various reasons such as:
Intellectual Freedom
The library supports the American Library Association’s “Library Bill of Rights” and strives to select resources without prejudice or censorship. Questions regarding appropriateness of materials should be directed to the Library Director.
Copyright
The library acknowledges the authority of U. S. Copyright Law and Fair Use and promotes compliance among library staff and library users.
Revised 5/23/18 by Rhonda Armstrong, Director of Library, and Sarah Senter, Extended Sites Librarian
Borrowing Books and Articles
Checking out books is easy! All you need to do is visit the library or the library website. You can also renew your books online. If you are an online-only student, or if you attend one campus but want a book from another, we can even mail your books to you!
Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery
Interlibrary Loan requests should be submitted via the ILLiad system by accessing the Interlibrary Loan Services link. It is important that the requester check the Carnegie Vincent Library online catalog and journal lists to determine that the items are not in the library collections before completing an interlibrary loan request.
Arrival Time, Pickups and Returns
Harrogate Campus
Materials usually arrive within two (2) weeks after a request is made. In some instances the process may take longer. The interlibrary loan staff notifies borrowers by email via the ILLiad system when the requested item has arrived. Items should be picked up and returned to the library's circulation desk.
Off-campus Sites
Items requested by patrons at off-campus sites will be shipped to the patron's home address. Because the item must first arrive at Carnegie Vincent Library then be shipped elsewhere, the process could take up to four (4) weeks. Patrons at off-campus sites are responsible for the cost of shipping the item back to Carnegie Vincent Library. Please return the item to:
Carnegie Vincent Library
Lincoln Memorial University
Box 2012
Cumberland Gap Parkway
Harrogate, TN 37752
Loan Periods and ILL
Loan periods vary by institution. The due date for ILL items is posted in the ILLiad system under a user’s account. In order to remain in good standing with lending institutions so that we may continue to borrow materials from them, please return interlibrary loan items on time.
Charges and ILL
There is no charge for processing the standard interlibrary loan service for LMU faculty, staff and students. However, borrowers are responsible for any costs charged by the lending institution including overdue fines, general lending fees and replacement of lost or damaged items. Late fines will be charged by Carnegie Vincent Library at the rate of $.15 per day, per item. Students using the interlibrary loan service at extended learning sites will be responsible for paying the shipping cost of returning items to the Carnegie Vincent Library.
Reference Assistance and Consultation Services
Students and faculty in the distance learning community can receive reference assistance through the following means:
The Librarian Is In
A librarian is always available at the reference desk to assistance students with:
User Education Services
Upon request, a subject liaison librarian will travel to the off-campus site to provide face-to-face classroom instruction. Contents of presentations (i. e. PPT slideshows and handouts) can be posted online via the online library subject guides or via Blackboard - just email library@library.lmunet.edu.
Online access to over 37 online research guides created by librarian subject liaisons are available on the library website.
Instruction Services
Librarians routinely present and provide instruction to classes at all levels. Much of our instruction is related to information literacy. To schedule an instruction session, contact your subject librarian or call or email the library directly.
Equipment Scheduling (for faculty and staff use only)
Types of equipment offered by the library include:
For more information on borrowing this equipment, please call the library at 423.869.7079 (toll free: 1.800.325.0900 ext. 7079).
Course Reserves (for faculty only)
The Reserve Collection is comprised of library or personal materials that circulate for 2 hour, 24 hour, or 3 day periods as requested by the faculty. Electronic reserves are available for items in the electronic collections. To place an item on reserve either visit the library circulation desk or call us at 423-869-7079.
Research and Course Guides
Research guides are online web pages created by librarians to help patrons perform various tasks, such as using library resources or doing research. We offer a number of guides in subjects like Allied Health, Arts and Humanities, Business, Education, Information Literacy, Math and Sciences, Nursing, and Social Sciences.
The Lincoln Memorial University Carnegie-Vincent Library is dedicated to supporting the informational, research, and instructional needs of students and faculty who are enrolled in LMU’s online courses or in programs offered at LMU’s off-campus sites. The library currently provides the following services to the distance learning community:
Reference Assistance and Consultation Services
Students and faculty in the distance learning community can receive reference assistance through the following means:
Electronic/Web-based Resources
User Education Services
Upon request, a subject liaison librarians will travel to the off-campus sites to provide face-to-face classroom instruction. Contents of presentations (i. e. PPT slideshows and handouts) can be posted online via the online library subject guides or via Blackboard.
Online access to guides created by librarian subject liaisons are available on the library website.
Document Delivery Services
Print books borrowed via ILL are sent directly to homes of students and faculty attending off-campus sites via USPS. Students/faculty are responsible for returning the items to the Carnegie-Vincent Library before the due date (hand delivery or mail). Articles borrowed via ILL are usually delivered electronically.
Students and faculty at one LMU campus can receive books from another LMU campus by filling out a request for Book Delivery. Articles from print journals or chapters from print books can be scanned and delivered electronically. Students/faculty may return books to the library either on the main campus or at LMU’s Cedar Bluff site. Just submit the online form: Book Delivery
Additional Library Sites
In addition to the Carnegie-Vincent Library in Harrogate, the Library maintains a collection of nearly 2000 print items at the Cedar Bluff campus. The Cedar Bluff library is open six days per week and is staffed by the Extended Learning Sites Librarian, the Electronic Resources Librarian, and the Adjunct Librarian. Ten laptops and seating for 18 are available.
A small collection of print books and DVDs are also available at Corbin campus.
The library at the Tampa campus has seating for 10 students with room for more. The physical collection includes 650 print books with room for ~3500. The Tampa site includes a computer lab with 30 desktop computers located directly across from the library. The Tampa campus library has 15 Lenovo laptops for students and faculty to check out. The students and faculty at the Tampa site have access to all of the digital resources other sites have as listed above in the digital library collections. The Carnegie Vincent and Reed Health Sciences Libraries Tampa has a full time Health Sciences Librarian and Library Systems Coordinator.