Collection Development Policy (2024)
Purpose
The purpose of the Prairie View A&M University Libraries’ Collection Development Policy is to ensure that the materials purchased, housed, collected, and maintained in the libraries support the evolving curriculum of Prairie View A&M University. Materials are purchased to support all university academic colleges and departments, and with a range of subject coverage to support available undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. The Library seeks to build and maintain a quality collection by coordinating the active participation of the university community in identifying and acquiring resources. The primary focus of the library collections is on supporting instruction and student and faculty research.
General Collection Guidelines
Collection development in all subject areas adheres to the following basic guidelines:
- Languages: English is the primary language for materials collected by the John B. Coleman Library. Materials originally published in other languages and translated to English are also collected. Collections of foreign language materials will be added as necessary to support foreign language courses.
- Chronological Guidelines: Material is collected in all chronological periods. Generally, the focus of the collection is on the late 20th century through the However, materials covering earlier time periods are collected to support instruction in several subject areas.
- Geographic Guidelines: The primary focus of the collection is on materials pertaining to the United States or the relation of other countries to the United States. Materials that focus on a global or worldview of the subject are also heavily collected. Other areas that are of interest to the collection include Africa, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and China.
- Treatment of Subject: The bulk of the material in the collection should be produced for a general adult or academic Some materials, such as juvenile books, may be purchased in support of specific academic departments and courses. In addition, unrevised thesis and dissertation materials from universities other than Prairie View A&M University will not be collected. Materials should primarily support the coursework and research of the faculty and students.
- Types of Materials: Monographs and serials in print and electronic form are the basis of the primary collection. Video materials are purchased to support subject instruction as requested, and if such materials meet the criteria of the library. Audio material is primarily collected only in the Music
- Date of Publication: The library emphasizes current monographs, with the primary purpose of supporting faculty and student research and coursework. Items more than ten years old are acquired selectively, usually as replacements for classic works, or at the specific request of a student or faculty member. Earlier important works not represented in the collection are purchased on request or need.
- Number of Copies: As a general rule, only one copy of an item is currently required. Rare exceptions may be made if it is determined that multiple copies are appropriate.
Material Selection Process
The material selection process for the libraries is a collaborative effort between the Collection Development Librarian, the professional librarians acting as subject collection liaisons for each subject or department, and the faculty representative liaison appointed by each department. The library and departmental liaisons work together to suggest materials that should be considered for purchase. The Collection development Librarian reviews the suggestions and forwards the ones that are in line with the collection guidelines and the materials budget on to be purchased. The current list of Liaison Librarians and Subject Assignments can be found at: https://pvamu.libguides.com/liaisons
Electronic Collection Policy
The Prairie View Libraries have been focusing on providing access to databases and other electronic materials. In 2017, a strategic decision was made to focus collection of monographic material primarily in an e-book format. This provides greater accessibility to all users regardless of physical location. It also allows the libraries to grow the collection while the physical space for materials is diminishing. E-book purchases may be in the form of subscription packages that contain multiple titles on one or multiple subjects or the purchase of individual titles as selected by the subject liaisons.
Material Not Collected By The Library
The library does not collect materials in the following formats at this time:
- Artwork
- Natural or manufactured artifacts
- Microfiche/Microfilm
- Unbound maps
- Software
- Filmstrips
- Videocassette
- Slides
Material produced as part of students’ degree completion with the exception of thesis or dissertations.
Weeding
Weeding is the removal of materials that are no longer useful or appropriate for the library collection. Liaison librarians make selections for materials to remove from their subject areas. Weeding is a necessary part of the collection development process in order to maintain a current and useful collection and to ensure shelf space for collection growth.
Materials that may be considered for weddings include:
- Duplicate copies
- Materials that have been superseded by a new edition
- Materials with low or no item use
- Materials that have information that may be considered out of date
- Materials that are damaged or in poor condition
- Materials in formats that are considered outdated
- Materials that are available in an electronic format
- Serial publications that are no longer being
Satellite Libraries
In addition to the John B. Coleman Library, the university has four satellite libraries: the Northwest Houston Center Library. Houston Clinical Center Library, Music Library and Undergraduate Medical Academy Library. All of the electronic resources (e-books, journals, databases) are available and accessible to patrons at all libraries, on campus, and at a distance.
Northwest Houston Center: The librarian assigned to the Northwest Houston Center Library is responsible for collection development for that library. Materials are collected for many disciplines to support the courses taught on that campus.
Music Library: The librarian assigned to the Music Library is responsible for collection development in the subject of music for both the Music Library and the John B. Coleman Library. Sound recordings and music scores are housed in the Music Library. Most monographic materials are housed in the John B. Coleman Library, but the Music Library does house a small collection.
Houston Clinical Center Library: The librarian assigned to the Houston Clinical Center Library is responsible for collection development for that library as well as collection development in the subject of Nursing for the John B. Coleman Library. The print collection for the Houston Clinical Center Library is very small and should be focused on materials requested by the faculty and students. The Houston Clinical Center Library is also supported by the Library’s contract with the HAM-TMC Library, which gives students and faculty in the Nursing program access to the print and electronic resources of that library.
Undergraduate Medical Academy Library: Collection development for the Undergraduate Medical Academy Library is the responsibility of that department, which maintains its own budget.
Gift Procedures
The Library follows these procedures to expedite the handling of selected gift materials. These policies and procedures address donations of print, non-print and related gifts of both general and special nature. It does not address the specialized requirements of manuscripts and archives.
The Collection Development Librarian is chiefly responsible for handling gifts of materials for the John B. Coleman Library collection. When gifts are potentially rare, valuable, or include archival or manuscript materials, the Collection Development Librarian notifies the Archives and Special Collections Librarians. The Archives and Special Collections Librarians are responsible for handling and processing donations of manuscript and University collections to the library.
Small donations are considered to be anywhere from 1 to 50 items or approximately 3 boxes. If a donor brings a small donation to the library, they will be directed to the Collection Development Librarian. If small donations are sent through the mail or by some other means, they are to be directed to the Collection Development Librarian.
If a donor wishes to donate a large amount of material to the library, they should first contact the Collection Development Librarian, before bringing the donation to the Library. The Collection Development Librarian will inquire about the nature of the donation: size/amount, type of material, subject matter, age of material. The Collection Development Librarian will also inform the donor of the Library’s donation policies pertaining to the acceptance and retention of gift donations.
To assist in the evaluation of potential gifts, the Library encourages donors to provide a list of the material, including the title, author, date, and general condition. The Collection Development Librarian first evaluates large gift collections based on the information provided by the donor.
The Associate Director or Director is authorized to accept or reject the donation. If a collection is accepted, arrangements must be made for delivery by the donor. The Collection Development Librarian and the Cataloger will arrange for materials to be processed on a staggered basis as necessary.
Donors will be given a copy of the Gift Form, which the donor will fill out. The Collection Development Librarian will make a copy of the Gift Form for the Library’s records. The donor is responsible for assessing the value of the donation. The library advises potential donors that the library cannot make a monetary appraisal of donated materials, because such an appraisal constitutes a conflict of interest. In addition, the library advises donors that many services exist on the internet that may help them place a value on their donations. The Collection Development librarian, in working with a donor, must advise him or her that the acceptance of the donation does not indicate that any or all of the donation will be added to the library collection, and that any material not added to the collection may be sold to dealers, exchanged, or otherwise disposed of. The Library does not agree to return donations not selected by the Library, nor does it agree to add specific items to the collection. Gift donations are given with the understanding that once the material is given to the Library, it is now the property of the Library. The Library does not agree to any special handling, processing, or display of donated materials. If a donor wishes to make certain requests a condition of his or her donation, the donor will be referred to Library Administration to discuss those requests prior to accepting the donation.
The John B. Coleman Library will not add items that are in poor physical condition; offprints of journal articles or book chapters; programs for conferences that list only dates, times, and speakers, but that do not include the papers presented or the abstracts of papers; and other similar materials. Other materials that receive very selective consideration include mass-market paperbacks, and duplicate copies of items already owned by the John B. Coleman Library. Gift
donations are subject to the Library’s General Collection Guidelines. The library considers issues such as preservation, cataloging, and space issues. Materials will be added based on the perceived usefulness and value to the library collection. Materials will not be added to the collection solely because an item is not already in the collection.
Accessibility
The Prairie View A&M University Libraries provide alternative format text of the libraries’ holdings to students, faculty, or staff who have special needs. This may be in the form of electronic, large-print, or audio format as needed and may be through the processes of purchasing material or acquiring it through interlibrary loan, depending on the need, availability, and situation.
Revised 10/2024 by Janet Russo-Wallick, Collection Development Librarian; approved by Interim Director.