Materials Selection Guidelines

Introduction and Purpose

Library Services purchases books, periodicals, audio and video recordings, and other materials to support the academic and technical curricula of the College, and the personal and professional growth of STC students and personnel. Library Services supplements in-house resources through the appropriate use of inter-library loan.

Responsibility for Selection of Materials

Selection of library materials rests jointly with librarians and faculty. Faculty review of publishers' catalogs and review journals are an important aid in building subject collections. The professional library staff has overall responsibility for the growth of the collection as a whole, and determines which requests shall receive priority when funds are limited. The ultimate responsibility for materials acquisitions decisions rests with the Director of Library Services.

Materials Considered for Purchase

Library materials considered for purchase encompass both print and non-print sources, including:

  • books
  • periodicals
  • audio-visual materials
  • instructional computer software
  • online databases
  • CD's and DVD's
  • music scores

Materials not considered for Purchase

The following types of materials are generally not considered for acquisition:

  • Textbooks, lab manuals, and exercise books and other materials designed to be written in, or designed primarily with tear-out pages
  • Specialized technical books or research materials beyond the needs of the students
  • Rare materials, or limited editions
  • Materials or formats which will not be easily accessible to most students or are inappropriate for library use
  • Out-of-print materials

General Criteria for Selection

Printed materials are selected for purchase based on the following factors:

  • instructional support
  • general interest
  • cost
  • significance
  • format
  • value and quality
  • permanence

Gifts

Library Services appreciates and encourages donors. Unrestricted donations of books are gratefully accepted with the understanding that items that do not meet the criteria described in the Materials Selection Guidelines may be disposed of as deemed appropriate by the library staff. Gifts to Library Services become state property and cannot be returned to the donor. No conditional acceptances will be made, i.e., to be returned to the donor if already owned or to donate some place else.

Any librarian may accept gifts to the collections by recording the name and address of the donor and date of receipt. Librarians will handle donations in accordance with Business Office procedures and complete the Report of Donations form (1500).

Items received as gifts will be subject to the same criteria that govern the selection and processing of new purchases. The Library will determine the classification, housing, and circulation policies of all gift items. The Library retains the right to dispose of duplicates and unneeded materials as it sees fit.

Donations to Library Services may be considered charitable contributions for tax purposes. The Director of Library Services may issue to the donor a letter of appreciation that is an official receipt and can serve as a tax statement for use by the donor. The Tax Reform Act of 1984 forbids libraries from appraising gifts. Donors are responsible for the appraisal of gift materials. IRS Publication 526 Charitable Contributions contains the pertinent tax rules and is available from the IRS.

Library Services will only accept donations of appropriate materials for the collections. Magazine and journal gifts will only be accepted to fill gaps in Library holdings. Other materials and formats may be accepted as gifts with advance approval from librarians. Some items that ordinarily would not be purchased may be accepted as gifts. Art work, non-print materials such as video tapes, audio tapes, etc. may also be accepted. Library Services will not accept textbooks, especially old ones, unless they are supplied by faculty in connection with course work or are authored by faculty; books in physically poor condition; individual issues of periodicals or incomplete volumes; or duplicates of periodicals already owned.