Collection Development and Collection Management Guidelines1
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
THE LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT AND COLLECTION MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface to the 2007 Guidelines I. Purpose Mission Statement Agency Vision The Library and the Code of Virginia II. Access to the Collections III. Scope of the Collections Levels of Collection Development IV. Material Selection Selection of Materials and Collection Development Format V. Collection Development and Management General Collection Guidelines Archives, Manuscripts, and Records The Library Development and Networking Division Library Maps Newspapers and Periodicals Reference Collections Special Collections Gifts Weeding Replacements VI. Appendices Appendix 1 – The Code of Virginia, Title 42.1 Appendix 2 – Virginia Authors Collection Policy The Virginia Authors Room Policy Appendix 3 – State Publications Program Collection Policy Appendix 4 – Special Collections Program Development Policy Appendix 5 – Selected Criteria for Evaluating Library Materials Appendix 6 – Selector Guidelines by Classification Range Appendix 7 – The Library Bill of Rights Appendix 8 – The Freedom to Read Statement Appendix 9 – The Freedom to View Statement 1 Approved by the Library Board June, 11, 2007. 1 PREFACE TO THE 2007 GUIDELINES In January 2006 a group of twelve dedicated Library of Virginia staff members began meeting to revise the Library’s Collection Development Policy of the General Library Division. The policy had last been revised in 1992 and no longer reflected the Library’s organizational structure, its current level of collection-development funding, or the Library’s significantly expanded public service mission. Group meetings were held monthly. Smaller groups also met frequently with many additional colleagues to discuss specific issues, departmental criteria, and other aspects of the policy. The Collection Development Policy Review Committee completed a final draft, The Library of Virginia Collection Development and Collection Management Guidelines, in November 2006. The working group produced a flexible set of guidelines that reflect the current depth and scope of the Library’s varied collections and established clear criteria for the continued growth of collections to support the Library of Virginia’s research, reference, and educational services well into the 21st century. The new guidelines include: ● A table of contents and nine appendices of explanatory detail ● A new definition of collection-scope terminology ● Archival collections, including state and local records and private papers ● Inclusive language to accommodate changing technological formats and programs ● Revised policy statements for collecting Virginia authors, Virginia state documents, and Special Collections The policy review committee included: Edward D. C. Campbell, Jr., Collection Management Services Chryssi M. Dessypris, Library Reference Services Virginia S. Dunn, Archives Research Services Lyndon H. Hart III, Archival Description Services Audrey C. Johnson, Special Collections William C. Luebke, Library Reference Services Trudy E. McCarty, Library Technical Services Tina B. Miller, Library Circulation Services Wayne Modlin, Library Development and Networking Ted Polk, Interlibrary Loan Services Brent Tarter, Publications and Educational Services Respectfully submitted on the behalf of the Collection Development Policy Review Committee by Tom H. Ray, Chair and Collection Development Coordinator, Library Technical Services 2 I. PURPOSE The Collection Development and Collection Management Guidelines of the Library of Virginia support the mission and vision statements of the Library and the legal responsibilities mandated by the Code of Virginia, by describing: • the audiences served and their access to the collections • the scope of the collections • the programs for acquiring and managing the collections • the types of materials acquired by the Library Mission Statement The Library of Virginia preserves the legacy of Virginia’s culture and history and provides access to the most comprehensive information resources for and about Virginia. Agency Vision The Library of Virginia will be the commonwealth’s leader in statewide library and archival services and the world’s foremost research and educational institution dedicated to the history and culture of Virginia. The Library and the Code of Virginia The Library of Virginia is an educational institution and an institution of learning. Per the Code of Virginia, it is the library agency of the commonwealth, the archival agency of the commonwealth, and the reference library at the seat of government. The Code of Virginia outlines the responsibilities of the Library and the Library Board to the citizens of Virginia for the selection and collection of archival and library materials. The Code authorizes the Library to purchase, receive through gift, and accept by official transfer collections of books, manuscripts, maps, newspapers and other periodicals, official state and local government records, and state and federal government publications, as well as other research and reference materials for the use of the people of the commonwealth as a means to promote knowledge and maintain an informed citizenry. The scope of the Library of Virginia's collections is determined by the Library Board on recommendation of the Librarian of Virginia. The Code provides additional guidance for the collections of the Library, specifying that the collections of other libraries throughout the state should be considered when collection decisions are made (see Appendix 1). 3 II. ACCESS TO THE COLLECTIONS The Library of Virginia and its collections are available for use by the general public. The Library also participates in state, national, and international interlibrary loan agreements to meet the needs of patrons. Access to special collections and archival material is provided in designated areas according to established procedures and policies. Residents of Virginia who are at least 18 years of age may borrow circulating materials. Currently, no material printed prior to 1926 may circulate, but the items may be used in the Reading Rooms. The Library provides reference, borrowing, and other services to state agencies, state employees, all other members of state government, and the general public. III. SCOPE OF THE COLLECTIONS Levels of Collection Development The Library will acquire new materials and retrospectively develop collections at the following levels: Comprehensive A collection level that includes relevant published or publicly accessible material, including original source material, to document and record Virginia history and support in-depth research in all areas of Virginia history and culture. Primary examples include: Virginia state publications (see Appendix 3) Virginiana in the form of: Bibliographies Biographies Business and political ephemera Juvenile and young adult materials Literary works Local histories Special collections (including broadsides, sheet music, etc.) Theses and dissertations on Virginia history Virginia authors (see Appendix 2) Virginia-related manuscripts in the form of: County and municipal records Personal papers (including personal, family, organization, church, cemetery, and business records) State records from the executive, legislative, and judicial branches 4 Extensive A collection level that supports the comprehensive areas of collecting by providing fundamental reference and related sources important in the study and documentation of Virginia history. Examples include: Contiguous states (primarily county histories and record abstracts) Genealogy (Virginia-related and contiguous states) Maps (Virginia and contiguous states) Newspapers and periodicals (primarily Virginia-related) Virginia law materials Additional non-Virginia examples include: Federal documents (including Congressional reports, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, Department of the Interior, etc.) Library science Rare books (see Appendix 4) Reference sources (including subject encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc.) Basic A collection level of general materials that help place Virginia history and culture within a broader context including a wide range of basic works. Examples include: Contiguous states (general history and biography) Southern history and genealogy United States history (including presidential histories and papers, constitutional history, and biographies) Support A collection level intended to support research and reference needs of legislative groups, state government agencies, and programs. Material collected at this level may be technical, time sensitive, or outside the scope of the general collection. Minimal A collection level of low priority. Materials added at the minimal level will be considered examples of genres or subject matters only tangentially related to Virginia or the existing collections. Examples include: 5 Textbooks (Virginia history texts currently approved for school use or examples of early 19th-century textbooks by Virginia authors may be acquired or accepted.) Out of Scope The Library will not collect the following: General fiction and popular culture titles Entertainment Technical or highly specialized materials (See Appendix 6 for detailed collection levels based on the Library of Congress classification ranges.) IV. MATERIAL SELECTION Selection of Materials and Collection Development Selection of Library materials is the responsibility of professional Library and Archives staff. The following groups and individuals currently select and suggest materials for purchase: