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I. RELATIONSHIPS
This statement suggests the outlines of
the policies that give direction to the
collection of resources at the William
G. Squires Library. It describes the
philosophical orientation of the
collection and states the policies for
the selection and withdrawal of
material.
It is understood that policies of the
Squires Library are formulated in the
context of other information resources
available to students. For example,
Squires Library collaborates with the
Cleveland Public Library (CPL) located
only two blocks away. The two libraries
share an electronic catalog and
database. Registered patrons of one
library can use either collection. This
collaboration has many benefits for both
libraries because it allows each to
develop areas of strength. For example,
Squires collects very few works of
popular fiction or entertainment videos
because these are available from the
CPL.
Additionally, it should be noted that
Lee University maintains a Music
Resource Center in the School of Music
and Curriculum Resource Center in the
DeVos School of Education. These
libraries are under the supervision of
the respective schools that house and
fund these collections. In principle,
the parties responsible for these
collections do their own selecting (and
deselecting) but their holdings appear
in the Squires catalog. Their materials
also complement, rather than duplicate,
those of Squires Library. At the same
time, Squires provides specific support
services to these libraries as the needs
arise.
Squires Library and the Dixon
Pentecostal Research Center (the
archives of the Church of God)
constitute the Pentecostal Resource
Center. The Dixon Research Center (DRC)
holds archival materials and a special
collection that focuses on the
Pentecostal movement in general and the
Church of God in particular.
A. The Mission of the William Squires
Library
The William G. Squires Library is a
vital and dynamic facet of the
educational experience at Lee University
and the Church of God Theological
Seminary. The library is dedicated to
the active dissemination of information
through service, teaching, research, and
learning.
The mission of the Squires Library
embodies the mission statements,
objectives, and curricula of Lee
University and the Church of God
Theological Seminary. The library exists
(1) to acquire, organize, give access
to, and safeguard knowledge in various
forms and (2) to provide instruction and
assistance to users to facilitate the
achievement of their educational
objectives.
The Squires Library is more than an
accumulation of books, a quiet space for
study, or a location for computers; it
is central to the educational task of
the university and seminary. The term
"give access to" implies not only the
task of developing the collection
(selection, preservation,
classification, and presentation of
items), but also the pedagogical task of
teaching research skills and promoting
information literacy.
B. Purposes of the Collection
Within the framework of the mission
statements of the two institutions,
Squires Library accepts the following
purposes that provide a focused
rationale for selecting materials and
services to assist in the spiritual and
intellectual needs of the students,
faculty, administration, and staff:
- To select and acquire the information
resources necessary to support the
current and anticipated general
educational, research, and instructional
needs of the users
- To maintain a collection of information
resources that provide historical,
current, and multicultural perspectives
relevant to educational goals
- To provide access to information
resources through print and non-print
both on and off site
- To provide timely individual and group
instruction on effective research
methods for finding and evaluating
information
- To provide appropriate and effective
services to bring information resources
to those who need them.
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II. SELECTION PROCESS
Although the library director has
oversight of the selection process, the
faculty (classroom and librarians) has
the responsibility for building a useful
and relevant collection.
A. Funding
The administrations of the two
institutions must provide adequate funds
to build and maintain a collection that
supports the curricula they offer. The
library director annually proposes a
working budget.
B. Selection Responsibilities
Any member of the academic community may
submit requests for resources to be
added. Such requests are given careful
consideration within the parameters of
the budget and the Collection
Development Policy.
Normally, requests for items that
clearly fit the collection criteria and
can be obtained for a modest cost will
be sent to the Acquisitions Assistant
for processing. More expensive items
will be sent for approval to the
Collection Development Committee (CDC).
The following items will be taken to the
CDC for approval:- Books (including reference items) that
cost more than $100
- VHS tapes, CDs and DVDs costing more than
$100
- All new periodical requests
- All standing order requests
- All database subscriptions.
The CDC assumes the primary
responsibility for the overall
collection and gives special attention
to neglected areas. To insure
proportionality, the CDC will strive to
match the collection to the needs of the
users in the various disciplines
C. Guidelines for Selection
Many factors influence the selection of
materials (both physical and
electronic), but the process should
follow these guidelines: - Materials should support and be
consistent with the general educational
goals and instructional programs of the
two institutions
- Materials should be of high quality in
format, factual in content, and
attractive in presentation.
- Materials should be of contemporary
significance and/or permanent value
- Materials on controversial issues will
be included in the interest of
representing various views, but
providing access to such materials is
not equated with endorsing or advocating
a position that the materials contain
- Consideration can be given to general
materials needed to support the
curricula although they might not be
linked to a specific instructional
program
- Squires Library will not purchase items
because of their rarity
- New technologies, interfaces, and
products will be adopted where they
contribute to reaching the educational
goals of the institution
- Materials should not unnecessarily
duplicate a similar item already in the
collection in another medium.
D. Process of Selection
Selection is typically not done with the
resource in hand; therefore, the
following sources will guide the
selection process (in descending order)
faculty recommendations, critical
reviews, standard selection tools (e.g.,
Booklist, Choice, Library Journal,
etc.), publisher's catalogs, and
discipline specific bibliographies.
Although the librarians should scan
regularly for appropriate titles, the
classroom faculty is strongly encouraged
to recommend titles from their academic
areas.
E. Collection Levels and Priorities
Because Squires Library desires to
support the instructional programs of
the two institutions, it recognizes that
individual disciplines require different
materials. Some disciplines are research
intensive while others are not. Some
subject areas are dependent on databases
while others require print sources.
Changing technologies will impact
decisions regarding selection and
retention of materials. Although the
library will try to meet the needs of
all the departments, it might not be
able to meet all the needs of a
department. The institutions academic
catalogs, long-range plans, and official
pronouncements on academic programming
will guide the selection progress.
Because of the limitations of space and
money, pre-determined priorities will
guide the library in the selection of
materials. Most of the resources
allocation should be spent on materials
that are at such a level that they
benefit most of our students.
1. General Level - These materials serve
to introduce and define a subject and to
indicate further sources of inquiry.
They include, but are not limited to,
basic reference tools such as
dictionaries, encyclopedias, some
important works by major authors, and
general reading periodicals. These items
are non-disciplinary specific.
2. Undergraduate Level - These materials
are selected to meet current
instructional needs. They include basic
materials: collections of significant
works, primary and secondary sources,
monographs, and anthologies as well as a
core collection of journals relevant to
the curriculum. Because Lee University
is primarily an undergraduate teaching
institution, most of the materials in
the collection (apart from the area of
religion) will be at this level.
3. Graduate Level -These materials
include specialized books and journals
needed to support the COGTS and the
graduate programs at Lee University.
Because graduate education requires
depth and breadth not required for
undergraduate programs, special
attention will be given to expand the
collections to support these programs.
Additionally, the library supports
faculty who are engaged in serious
scholarship, such as dissertation
writing, through borrowing from other
libraries and other creative services.
The library cannot purchase materials
with the sole purpose of supplying a
faculty member's scholarly research.
F. Gifts
The Squires Library welcomes gifts in
the form of books as well as monetary
support that allow us to expand the
collection. If gifts are accepted, it is
understood the library becomes the owner
of the material and, as such, reserves
the right to determine its retention,
location, treatment, and other issues
related to its use, maintenance, or
disposal.
Books and journals will be accepted for
considerations with the following
understandings: - The Library Director is responsible for
determining the appropriateness of
placing the gift in the collection.
- No gifts will be accepted if there are
any stipulations on the gift (for
example, any books not placed in the
collection must be returned to the donor
or a third party).
- The library staff is not qualified to
appraise the monetary value of any gift.
The library encourages donors to
consider, for their own interest,
obtaining a professional appraisal of
their gifts before the gift is
transferred to the library.
- Items not processed into the collection
may, at the Director's discretion, be
given to missions or sold for the
benefit of the library or discarded.
G. Objections to Materials in the
Collection
The Library Director encourages users to
express their opinions about the nature
of the collection, areas of weakness,
and the appropriateness of specific
titles. If a user has a question or
wishes to challenge a specific title,
he/she may do so:- if the objection is specific in nature
by citing the offending material
- if the objection is communicated to the
Director in writing.
Because the library values the community
it serves, it will give all objections
serious consideration, but it cannot
make decisions based on a strongly held
individual preference. All objections
will be taken to the Faculty Library
Committee for their collective judgment.
The library director will report the
committee's decision to the person who
raised the objection.
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III. GENERAL POLICIES
Ultimate responsibility for providing
useful resources lies with the library
director. He is aided in this task by
the expertise of the librarians who
partner with classroom faculty to
determine need and priorities.
A. Current vs. Retrospective
Because of the nature and scope of
Squires Library, it cannot collect and
retain all items that might be
requested. The emphasis is on useful,
current materials; however,
retrospective materials will be
considered in order to fill in gaps and
provide a broad perspective, especially
to support the graduate programs. The
library has limited funds for locating
and purchasing out of print items.
B. Popular Fiction
The library does hold some current
non-course related popular fiction, but
it does not actively acquire such items.
The Cleveland Public Library has an
extensive holding of popular books and
multimedia items.
C. Non-English Materials
Squires Library has generally collected
predominately English language materials
with the exception of items needed to
supplement the foreign language courses.
It must now increase its holdings in
other languages. Because Squires Library
serves the COGTS and the graduate
programs at Lee, it is committed to
augmenting its current holdings with
non-English materials required for
research on the graduate level.
On the undergraduate level, Squires
Library is committed to expand its
holdings in Spanish. This language is of
particular importance because of Lee's
Latin American Studies Program, the fact
that it is the second language of choice
of many Lee students, and the
demographic growth of Spanish speakers
in the US. In addition, it is the first
language of many Pentecostals worldwide.
D. Textbooks
Textbooks are normally not purchased
because the library's limited resources
are designed to complement student
textbooks. (It is understood that not
all books used as texts are really
textbooks in design, style, and
substance. Generally textbooks are
surveys of the subject.) Multiple copies
of texts are not held to provide
material for class assignments even if
the item is expensive for the student to
purchase.
E. Dissertations
Unpublished dissertations are generally
not purchased because of their limited
usefulness for the undergraduate
emphasis of the collection. The formal
academic format and the lack of an index
limit their readership to those doing
advanced research on the narrow topic of
the dissertation. It is a better use of
funds to borrow such dissertations
through InterLibrary Loan system.
Dissertations that are re-written and
published are considered monographs and
are considered for addition to the
collection on the same bases as any
other book.
F. Out of Print Materials
Because of the time and money required
to obtain out of print books, the
library will consider this option only
after the requester has made a case for
the permanent value of the item.
G. Music
Squires Library and the Music Resource
Center (MRC) share responsibility for
supporting the research needs of the
School of Music. Music scores and
recorded music are the responsibility of
the MRC, but Squires Library collects in
all other areas of the music program.
H. Juvenile
The Juvenile Collection supports the
curricular needs of the College of
Education as it relates to children's
literature. Fiction and non-fiction
suitable for K-12 readers may included
if it is age appropriate, cost
effective, accurate in content,
reflective of diversity, and acceptable
technical quality. Squires Library will
acquire award-winning materials even if
it duplicates the holdings of the Sharp
Curriculum Library (SCL) in the College
of Education. Pop-up books and other
fragile formats are generally excluded.
Cassette books or books with cassettes
are also excluded because they are
readily available from the public
library. Textbooks, lesson plans,
activity guides, curricula kits, and
other materials normally held by the SCL
are also excluded.
I. Replacement/mending
Because of use, abuse, and age, print
materials become worn and brittle. Some
items can be repaired in-house, but some
must be outsourced. A few rare items can
be sent out for photocopying and
re-binding. Most heavily worn or fragile
or mutilated items will be discarded.
J. Duplicate Copies
Duplicate copies are not usually
purchased. Considerations of the budget
and of space prohibit the acquisition of
multiple copies. The use of the reserve
system is preferred to the expense of
buying multiple copies.
The print version of some periodicals
will not be maintained if the library
can provide access through microform or
electronic means
K. Preferred Format
Because of the cost, soft-covered books
are preferred over hard covers for most
of the collection, but for the Juvenile
Literature and Reference Collections
hard covers are preferred. An additional
plastic cover will to added to soft
cover books to increase the length of
their usefulness. These covers are not
added to materials with an anticipated
short period of usefulness (e.g.,
computer software manuals). The
acquisition of spiral binding and
loose-leaf items is discouraged. If we
have a book in a digital format, we will
not normally purchase the title in the
printed version.
L. Additional Consideration for
Non-print Formats
In addition to the general selection
guidelines already stated, electronic
formats (including databases, CD-ROMs,
VHS tapes, DVD, and multimedia items)
require additional considerations. Such
items must be approved by the Collection
Development Committee if they cost more
than $100. The committee will consider a
number of factors such as: - Purchase price and network license fees
- Accessibility, ease of use and training
- Necessary hardware and/or upgrades
- Impact on print resources
- Application of general selection
guidelines to the content
- Compatible access to the on-line catalog
- Availability of print versions of the
item
- Stability of the media (for example,
preference is given to DVDs over VHS
cassettes).
M. De-selection ("weeding")
De-selection is an essential, though
sometimes controversial, aspect of
developing a collection. Because of
limitations of shelf space, materials of
limited usefulness must be removed to
ensure that the collection remains
useful and accessible.
The decision to remove a print item is
usually the result of a combination of
factors such as: (The acronym "MUSTIE"
can help one remember these factors):
Misleading and/factually inaccurate
Ugly (moldy or worn out beyond mending)
Superseded by a new edition or a better
source
Trivia (of no discernable literary or
scientific merit)
Irrelevant to the mission of the library
Elsewhere (the item can be easily
borrowed from another source).
De-selection can also consider age,
frequency of use, multiple copies, and
currency. Items missing more than a year
will be declared lost and the record
removed from the system.
It is understood that some areas of the
collection need to be weeded more
thoroughly than others, but all areas
should be weeded at least once in the
five-year cycle. The teaching faculty in
that discipline will be invited to be
part of the process of de-selection but
the library faculty will proceed without
them if they choose not to be involved.
Likewise journals (bound and unbound)
need to weeded observing the following
factors: - The availability of an electronic
version
- The number of volumes in the collection
The relevance to the current curricula
- The convenient availability at other
local libraries.
- It is understood that some titles might
be retained but not regularly bound.
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IV. SPECIFIC AREAS
A. Reference Collection
The Reference Collection, including both
print and electronic materials, is the
starting point of a research project.
(See Section II, "SELECTION PROCESS.")
The print Reference Collection includes,
but is not limited to: - Almanacs and yearbooks
- Bibliographies
- Biography--collected works of
biographical reference, both general and
specialized
- Dictionaries--abridged and unabridged
English language dictionaries, bilingual
dictionaries of modern and Biblical
languages, and dictionaries for specific
academic disciplines
- Encyclopedias--general and specialized
- Geographical resources--atlases,
gazetteers, and encyclopedias covering
the whole world, both current and
historical
- Handbooks--current editions for academic
areas
- Indexes and abstracts--print and
electronic indexes and/or abstracts
- Bible Reference-select Study Bibles,
Bible reference tools such as
concordances, dictionaries,
encyclopedias, handbooks, atlases, and
sets of commentaries.
- Guides to graduate programs
Style manuals-MLA (Modern Language
Association), APA (American
Psychological Association), and
handbooks for other formats.
Some print reference works might be
superceded by searchable electronic
versions. The electronic reference
sources include, but are not limited to
databases, e-journals, e-books, CDs, and
internet access.
B. Serials (Standing Orders and
Periodicals, but excluding newsletters)
The multiplicity of new titles and
escalating costs (subscriptions,
binding, storage, etc.) of serials
necessitate that requests for
subscriptions be treated differently
than those for books. Each request will
be considered by the Collection
Development Committee.
Certain periodicals are not appropriate,
such as those needed only rarely or by a
few individuals, those prohibited by
cost, and those that may be obtained
conveniently from other local libraries.
The following factors will be considered
in the selection of serials: -
The recommendation of a member of the
faculty
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The price
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The authority of the issuing body,
publisher, editors, etc.
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The availability from local libraries or
interlibrary loan The availability of an index through
Squires Library
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Its existence in an electronic format
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The anticipated demand by student users
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The subject matter and its role in the
curricula
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The number of ILL borrowings.
Faculty may recommend a subscription to
desired serials, but the Collection
Development Committee must make the
final decision.
Periodicals are usually ordered through
a subscription agency (e.g., EBSCO), but
a small number may be ordered directly.
The subscription list is usually
reviewed by the CDC each summer.
Decisions regarding binding and
discarding are ongoing throughout the
year.
To satisfy the need for knowledge of
current events and research, the library
subscribes to several local and national
newspapers. Newspapers are usually kept
for a month before being discarded. A
few titles are available on microform.
Original draft by Donald
Smeeton, 8/19/03
Revised by the CDC, 10/5/05
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