Collection Development Policy

Collection development is a term representing the process of systematically building library collections to serve study, teaching, research, recreational, and other needs of library users. The process includes selection and deselection of current and retrospective materials, planning of coherent strategies for continuing acquisition, and evaluation of collections to ascertain how well they serve user needs.

Collection development is a joint responsibility of the faculty and librarian involving selection and acquisition of library materials. The emphasis is on quality rather than quantity.

The collection management policy statement is designed to provide a wide range of instructional materials in all levels of difficulty, with diversity of appeal, and presentation of different point of view and to allow the review of allegedly inappropriate instructional materials through established procedures.

The collection management policy statement is designed to provide a wide range of instructional materials in all levels of difficulty, with diversity of appeal, and presentation of different point of view and to allow the review of allegedly inappropriate instructional materials through established procedures.

The collection management policy statement is flexible enough to respond to the long and short-range objectives of the institution, the varying circumstances and needs within the profession of librarianship, the community, and the publishing industry.

Purpose:

• To translate the university’s research, instructional and programmatic needs into collecting practices for the Librariess’ collections
• To describe the scope and nature of the collections
• To delineate collection priorities
• To provide guidelines and encourage consistency for librarians with selection responsibilities
• To facilitate the rational and orderly expenditure of the materials budget within the fiscal year

The University collections includes general reference books, references on social sciences, pure sciences, technology, languages and literatures, computer sciences, civil and agricultural engineering, agriculture, agribusiness, animal science and veterinary medicine, food and hotel and restaurant management , forestry and environmental sciences, management and books recommended by the graduate faculty for the graduate collections. Foreign and local periodicals were acquired through subscriptions, gift and donations.

Acquisition Policies

The primary function of the library is to provide materials needed to support the curricular offerings of the university. Its function is to provide for general information needs as well as sufficient richness and depth of materials to assist self-direcrtted and independent studies that are not spelled out in the educational curricula. The library may also provide materials for recreational purposes of for the pursuits of the non-academic interest.

Procurement of library resources constitutes the primary responsibility of library. Library makes a systematic effort in building up the collection development by identifying, evaluating, selecting, processing and making it available to the users. Whether it’s a book, a journal or an online database, any learning resource that gets added to the library goes through a rigorous selection process. And since this collection building requires huge sums of money and has long-lasting repercussions, it is very much essential that libraries have a well thought out collection development policy.

Objectives:

The library shall plan to obtain within its financial capabilities miscellaneous library materials (books, periodicals, audio-visual materials, ephemeral materials etc.) required in meeting these three obligations:

• To procure and make available materials needed for all instructional and research programs of the University.
• To procure and make available materials required by students and faculty members.
• To procure and make available library materials of general information in subject areas not covered by the university curriculum.

ACQUISITION IS BASED ON:

1. Books

   Acquisition is based on the recommendation of the Deans, Heads of the Departments, Faculty members and students through the respective library coordinator.

   Acquisition is done on the basis of curriculum development. Emphasis is laid on the needs of the students as well as faculty members. Weak areas in the collection are given priority. This is to ensure, if possible, a well-balance collection.

   The library purchases library materials both local and foreign publishers and with the emergence of new technologies , acquisition can now be on line and by email.

2. Periodicals

   Periodicals subscriptions are limited to specific percent of the library budget. The limit is adjusted each fiscal year to accommodate the recommendations of librarians and faculty. Criteria for establishing the limits are : curricular relevance e, faculty needs, and the assessment of current expenditure,(inflation and prices) for periodicals including renewals and cancellations.

3. Newspapers

   Newspapers selected to include the major, nationally known newspaper of the Philippines (Manila Bulletin, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, Tempo and Balita).

4. Media (audio-visual) materials

   Media selection criteria are similar to those used for book selection, for example, curriculum support, appropriate audience level effectiveness, currency, possible budget, and falling of gaps in the collection. Often video titles are available for free preview. This aids decision-making since these titles are often costly. Additional considerations unique to this informational format are technical quality of the production (color quality, photography, graphic, etc.) sound quality, and compatibility with available hardware.

Limitations

It will seldom be possible for financial reasons to meet the above named objectives adequately; therefore the library will observe the following guidelines:

1. When lack of funds, limit acquisitions, current publications of lasting and scholarly value will be given priority over the older and out of print materials.
2. Publication in English and Philippine languages will be given priority.
3. Materials will be acquired in another suitable format if originals are not available or too expensive.
4. If the library hold materials in electronic formats, hard copies will not be purchased or maintained unless sufficient cause is shown.
5. Duplicate copies will be purchased only by justification of heavy and continued use.
6. Specialized research materials will not be duplicated.
7. Variant editions of a title held will be acquired only if they are “standard” editions or contain substantial changes and are needed for research purposes.

Acquisition Procedures

Book jobbers from Manila and the Region came to the library for book examination and evaluation. (To view acquisition work flow click here).

Book Selection Policies

1. The book collection should contain standard books of general references.
2. The book collection should contain the standard reference books useful in the specific fields covered by the school curriculum.
3. The book collection should further contain an adequate stock of important general books.
4. The book collection must also have an adequate stock of books concerning such important specific fields as may not be treated in the curriculum.
5. It must have an appropriate stock of books for leisure reading.
6. The library should receive, bind and preserve successively a selected number of general periodicals and journals in the fields covered by the curriculum. The continuity and completeness of the set must be maintained.

Participants in Book Selection

Faculty members are urged to actively participate in the development of the library collections. The selection of library materials is a joint responsibility of the faculty, librarians and administrators. It is however, the responsibility of the faculty to inform the librarian about their needs in their respective classes. The librarian should be given enough time to acquire materials, which will be needed.

Each department chair acts as the liaison between the department and staff and the library. Request for book orders are channeled through them.

Duplication Policies

In so far as the library’s funds do not permit the purchase of all materials needed for instruction and research, duplicate copies of books and subscriptions of journals will be acquired only in accordance with the following guidelines:

1. Multiple demands and heavy, continuous use of individual title will be primary consideration for duplication of these titles.
2. Additional copies will be purchased for the reserve collection if the instructor intends to make extensive assignments.
3. Duplicate publications received as gifts or an exchange will be subjected to the same consideration for addition as materials suggested for purchase.
4. The library shall not purchase duplicate copies or publications not held by the library, for the sole use of individuals or employees pursuing postgraduate studies.
5. The cost of any given publication, along with the financial situation of the library may be overriding the possibility in applying these guidelines and in making ultimate duplicate decision.
6. Filipiniana collection duplication is necessary.
7. Reference titles that are needed for more than one location that represent a distinct problem.

Duplication Policies

The library appreciate, value, and welcome gifts of books, manuscripts, and other library materials that enhance and enrich existing collections as well as to support the instructional and research programs of the University. The library will consider all offers of books, manuscripts, or other materials that fall within the libraries’ collecting policy. Donations will be reviewed in the appropriate field for addition to the collection. The University has benefited greatly from many generous donations which have contributed to its important research collections. Gifts that support and extend the collecting strengths of the library’s collection development policy are gratefully received.

Exchange Policies

The trading of publications among libraries is another means of acquiring library materials. The library will enter into exchange agreements with other libraries and institutions whenever such exchange of publications is advantageous to the library as determined by the head of the acquisition section. Publications received on exchange will be added to the collections in accordance with the acquisition policy. The acquisition librarian in consultation with the department chair will determine the suitability of these materials for their inclusion in the library holdings.

De-Selection Policy Statement (Weeding Policy)

In order to make collection alive and useful, active and continuing program of deselection should be maintained. It is as important as the initial selection of materials.

Systematic weeding should be undertaken in order to make the best use of shelf space, to improve the appearance of the library, to create a collection of quality, not, not quantity, to provide accurate, current information by discharging outdated books, and to regularized programs of replacement, buying and rebinding. Weeding should be considered an integral part of the total organized effort to study and develop the collection.