Mission of the Judson H. Flower Jr. Library

 

The mission of Judson H. Flower Jr. Library of Miles Community College’s mission is to ensure that students, faculty, staff and the community are effective users of ideas and information.

 

Collection Responsibilities and Selection Procedures

 

Responsibility for Selection

The Board of Trustees of Miles Community College is legally responsible for all matters relating to the operation of the college. Selection responsibility for library materials and equipment is delegated to the Library Director.

 

Purpose of the Collection Guidelines

These guidelines serve as a guide in the development of the collection and resources housed in the Judson H. Flower Jr. Library at Miles Community College. These policies and guidelines are established to inform others of the principles used in developing and maintaining the library’s resources and services. These policies will change as the institution changes.

 

Description of Collection

HOLDINGS: Judson H. Flower Jr. Library of Miles Community College houses a collection of 7972 books, 10,375 e-books, 463 Reference books and 646 videos equaling a total 19,456 items as of July 1, 2007. The library subscribes to 34 hard copy periodical titles, and four newspapers. No later than the end of 2007, in partnership with the Montana Shared Catalog, we will provide a collection of E-audio books (downloadable full text books). The library provides facilities for using current audio, video and computer technologies.

We are a member of the State Library Shared Catalog Consortium. The collection is cataloged in a joint automated system with 83 other libraries in Montana (one of three academic institutions) forming the State Library Shared Catalog Consortium. The book and audiovisual collections are classified in Dewey Decimal Classification. The study level of the collection is adequate to support undergraduate instruction and sustained independent study. The collection includes updated material at all appropriate reading levels that will introduce readers to the subject and indicate the varieties of information available elsewhere. We are a member of the 'Partners Program' which includes 15 Montana libraries providing a 'federated search' of all 663,000+ items to our patrons.

 

Funding 

The library is basically funded with general fund dollars and based on the prior year’s budget. If there is a general percentage increase in the budgets for the college, the library’s budget is increased by that amount.  If the library sends a request during the budgeting process for additional funding above the percentage increase, that request is ranked with other college requests that are received, and depending on the availability of funding, the libraries ranking will determine whether or not the additional funding is approved.

 

The library also has limited access to a restricted account that is funded by student fees.

 

Implementations, Evaluation, Revision

The Judson H. Flower Jr. Library Collection & Selection Guidelines will be reviewed biannually, by the Library Director, and presented to the Library Advisory Committee for review.

 

Collection Management

   Objectives for Selection of Library Materials

The availability of materials through interlibrary loan is considered in selecting materials for the collection, weighing copyright issues and the needs for immediate local access against interlibrary loan availability. Consideration is also given to instructor requests in the various academic areas.

 

Objectives to provide materials include:

 

·        To support and enrich the curriculum of Miles Community College and the needs of its users.

·        To meet varied interests, abilities, and learning styles.

·        To stimulate individual learning.

·        To provide basic information on a broad range of topics.

·        To provide opposing viewpoints.

·        To provide information for a pluralistic society.

·        To provide information in a variety of formats.

 

Criteria for the Selection of Library Materials

Library materials are selected to support the curriculum of Miles Community College and in accordance with the above objectives. Race, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or political/social views will not have a bearing on selection or exclusion of materials.

 

Criteria considered include:

·        Authenticity—credibility of the author, issuing body, and/or publisher.

·        Appropriateness—college level.

·        Relevancy—relevant to the curriculum and/or the users' interests.

·        Scope—provide adequate coverage of the subject matter.

·        Current holdings and demand—What do we have and what is requested - interlibrary loan. 

·        Interest—appealing, balanced approach or an alternative viewpoint.

·        Technical aspects - well organized, includes an index, illustrations, accessible/user-friendly.

·        Physical characteristics—attractive, durable.

·        Non-Print Formats – current and/or multiple.

·        Cost—good coverage of the subject for the cost.

·        Availability—available by interlibrary loan or rental.

·        For online materials, accessible on and off campus.

·        Needs of curriculum

·        Requests from faculty

·        Needs of students

·        Requests from students

·        Community requests and interests

 

Aids in Selection of Library Materials:

The Library Director shall use reputable, unbiased, and professionally prepared reviewing and selections aids, as well as requests from students, instructors and community.

 

Discarding of materials:

Withdrawal of print and non-print materials from the collection shall be made periodically by the Library Director who shall discard such materials as have become excessively worn, are outdated or damaged, or are no longer useful. In the case of withdrawn materials of continuing value, the Library Director will attempt to replace the withdrawn materials as soon as possible from regularly budgeted funds.

 

Formats:

Books:

·        Hardback books are purchased for reference and basic curriculum support.

·        Frequently updated materials are purchased in paper format.

Textbooks:

·        Textbooks used in Miles Community College classes are not purchased for the library collection.

·        Donated textbooks that give good basic coverage of subject matter are added to the collection. Instructors may place copies of textbooks on the library Reserve Shelf when needed for temporary use.

Periodicals:

·        We provide over 34 hard copy journals and 4 newspapers.

·        We provide a number of databases (82,313 titles) through INFOTRAC (provided by the State of Montana) which includes online full text articles in all subject areas.

·        We provide the EBSCO database (850 titles) containing the Academic Nursing Journals and Auto Repair journals.

·        Newspapers are retained a few days - limited storage space.

·        Articles about Miles Community College, their students, faculty and staff are clipped and put into scrapbooks in our archive.

Audio-visual Formats:

·        Audiovisual materials are cataloged – for faculty use only.

·        Equipment is available to support current formats.

Electronic Resources:

·        Online Library Reference Page

·        INFOTRAC Databases

·        EBSCO Databases

·        E-books

·        E-audio books (downloadable full text books)

·        Fact on File Databases

·        Library of Medicine - 59 full text e-book Textbooks

·        Cornell's Core Historical Literature of Agricultural e-books, 1800-1979

o       Books: 1,849 (1,910 Volumes)

o       Journals: 6 (288 Volumes)

 

Multiple Copies:

·        Due to limited space, the library seldom keeps duplicates of physical materials. Duplicates of Montana books are the exception.

 

Donation of Used Materials

·        Donated materials become the property of the Judson H. Flower Jr. Library. The Library Director may dispose of the gifts at his/her discretion. These materials must meet the same standards of selection as those applied to original purchases. We do not appraise materials and therefore will give receipts only for the number of items, not for their value.

 

Judson H. Flowers Jr. Library does accept monetary gifts and bequests.

All monetary gifts to the Judson H. Flower Jr. Library will go to meet the needs of the Library, not the General Fund.

 

Present Collection Levels

Our academic collection strives to provide study/research level materials. This would naturally include current issues within all academic areas. Nursing, education, and social issues are of particular importance at Miles Community College.

Eighty percent of our Reference collection was published between 2000 to 2008. Nineteen percent of this collection was published between 1990-2000.

Thirty four percent of the main collection was published between 2000-2008. Sixty four percent was published between 1950-1999. This sixty four percent would include those items of particular interest concerning the history of that area or in the case of literature and art, classics.

 

Special Collections

We maintain a special collection:

·        The Lewis and Clark Collection, maintained in the Lewis and Clark Room, containing any materials pertaining to the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

 

Future Acquisitions Goals

We continue to participate in the National Pilot Program (NCIP) with 14 other Montana libraries, which provides 'home delivery' to our patrons.

We are a member of the 'Partners Program’ that includes 15 Montana libraries providing a federated search of all 663,000+ items to our patrons.

We have added over 10,000 e-books to our collection with 24/7 full text access.

We will participate in the Montana downloadable e-Audio Collection, which will be available July 1, 2008. This anticipated collection will provide approximately 20,000-30,000 titles, including “new” fiction, nonfiction, music, and movies.

We are particularly conscience of the Nursing materials, social issues, including education, as well as Montana history.

Areas determined to be lacking in materials are prioritized by:

·        Student and faculty use and recommendations,

·        Checkout and,

·        Interlibrary Loan usage statistics.

 

The annual budget will drive the speed in which we can update any materials or equipment.

 

Complaints

There may be occasional objections to certain materials despite the care taken to select materials meeting the criteria of this policy, or there may be objections to the qualifications of the persons who select the materials. If such objection is made, the following procedure adopted by the Board shall be followed:

The Library Director, President of Miles Community College, or the President of the Board of Trustees of Miles Community College will invite the complainant to make a complaint on a prescribed form. (see appendix) The Library Director, President of Miles Community College, or the President of the Board of Trustees of Miles Community College shall then inform the others involved that such form has been issued;

When the completed form is returned, the President of Miles Community College, or the President of the Board of Trustees of Miles Community College will call together the Library Advisory Committee to whom copies of the complaint and copies of the materials, if possible, will be distributed. At the first meeting the advisory committee shall schedule a time to act on the complaint and will decide whether to withdraw the material pending their decision;

 

The Library Advisory Committee shall consist of the Library Director, the Academic Dean, a member of the Student Senate appointed by the President of Student Senate, two faculty members, the Custer County District High School Librarian, the Miles City Public Library Director, and two community business members.

At the scheduled meeting, the advisory committee shall determine whether or not to withdraw the material from the library collection in this manner:

·         The complainant may be present to present his/her views on the material in person. Then he/she will leave the meeting.

·         The advisory committee, having read or viewed the challenged material, will check the information made available by the Library Director on the general acceptance of the materials by reading reviews and selection aids.

·         The members of the advisory committee who have read or reviewed the materials in its entirety will then discuss the materials value and fault  and form opinions based on the material as a whole.

·         The majority consensus of the advisory committee will be determined by a silent ballot and the Library Director in charge of the Library will take the action indicated by the decision.

 

The Judson H. Flower Jr. Library of Miles Community College adheres to the: 

 

·        Library Bill of Rights

·        The Freedom to Read

·        Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries

·        American Library Association Code of Ethics

·        Resolution on the USA Patriot Act and Related Measures that Infringe upon the Rights of Library Users

·        American Library Association’s Questions and Answers on Privacy and Confidentiality