Collection Development Policy
Overview
The Library’s collections are primarily built and maintained to support the academic programs and curriculum of Elizabethtown College. On a broad level, we proactively collect or provide access to resources that reflect the best scholarship in the academic fields included in the school’s curriculum. And at a narrower level, we acquire resources to support specific courses and student research.
Background
Our collections are shaped by changing trends in academic libraries which include:
- A shift from physical collections to an overlapping mix of physical and online resources.
- The ability to acquire a growing number of items long after initial publication.
- The ready availability of materials from other libraries through resource sharing networks and agreements.
- Increased collaboration between libraries in collection building, digitization, and retention projects.
We expect these trends to influence our acquisition and retention decisions, format preferences, and the need to acquire secondary materials. We do not see these trends changing the need to have a core undergraduate collection readily available for student use, nor removing the need to provide reference sources, research tools, and guidance to help users identify resources available beyond our library.
Day to day management of collection development is overseen by the Collections and Technical Services Librarian, under policies and direction set by the Library Director/College Librarian. The Collections and Technical Services Librarian evaluates and selects most new material, evaluates usage, monitors costs, tracks faculty needs, and draws attention to issues needing further discussion.
The faculty at Elizabethtown College have a long history of involvement in shaping our library’s collections. To support this, the Library will continue to actively solicit faculty input on issues related to our collections.
Our other librarians, through their liaison assignments and subject expertise, also support collection development through evaluating and promoting use of our library’s collections. This includes identifying unmet needs, providing feedback on our existing collections, and serving as additional channels for faculty input.
- Relevancy to our academic program
- Level of academic scholarship
- Currency, timeliness, or enduring value of content
- Recommendations and reviews
- Language
- Accessibility
- Cost compared with potential use
We prefer to add new materials in an online format if available and affordable. Exceptions are made when a physical copy is projected to better meet local needs, bolsters our ability to support resource sharing with other libraries, or has an artifactual value.
Requests for highly specialized materials such as those supporting faculty or graduate research will be redirected toward use of our interlibrary loan services.
- Alumni publications: Will only be added if they have relevance to our curriculum.
- Backfiles (online): Includes packages of books, journals, newspapers, etc. Can overlap existing physical content if part of a deliberate reformatting strategy. Prefer purchases over ongoing subscriptions.
- Books (print): Primarily maintained to provide a basic core undergraduate collection, supplemented with special topics. OK to duplicate ebook content but use discretion. Paperbacks preferred over hardcover if there is a significant price difference.
- Church of the Brethren: This is an area of historic strength that is developed outside of specific academic department needs. Actively acquire most church publications, plus historical and biographical materials authored by third parties. Use judgement with practical theology.
- Databases: Selected and regularly reviewed based on uniqueness of content, relevance to curriculum, cost, and usage.
- Duplicate copies: Normally avoided but exceptions can be made for titles with heavy use, special topics, and to provide a circulating copy of something already in Archives and Special Collections or at the Young Center.
- Ebooks: The majority of our ebooks are acquired as subscription packages or archival backfiles. Supplement with individual title purchases when this format is expected to better meet projected use than print copies.
- Faculty publications: Academic publications written while at Elizabethtown are added unless the contribution is a minor portion of the whole (e.g. an article in an encyclopedia) or too costly.
- Government documents: For U.S. government publications, identify and catalog online content relevant to our curriculum. Print may also be added for core material. Decisions on state and local documents are made on a case-by-case basis.
- Juvenile books: Focus on award winning children’s books to support early childhood and primary education courses. Supplemented by faculty requests.
- Local connections: Add published information about the people, events, and history of Elizabethtown borough and its surrounding townships. Add general information about Lancaster County and its surrounding area. Add items that illustrate how specific topics in our academic program relate to Pennsylvania and nearby states (Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey).
- Periodicals and newspapers: Strongly prefer electronic formats with IP-based access. Print may be considered if there is no online option, or when the print issues themselves have an identifiable value.
- Scores: Additions made based on faculty requests.
- Sound recordings: Additions made based on faculty requests that directly support current courses. Format preference is either compact disc or audio streaming through a supported media platform.
- Special collections: Select and add materials to the general collection that reinforce or support these areas.
- Textbooks: We do not acquire textbooks, although faculty may temporarily place personal copies on Course Reserves for the semester.
- Video recordings: Additions made based on faculty requests that directly support current courses. Format preference is either DVD (NTSC Region 1) or streaming video through a supported media platform.
Priority given to core resources and materials that support multiple disciplines. The remainder is reviewed based on course enrollment and departmental need. In areas of high expense, high inflation, or changing enrollment, the Library will work with the corresponding academic programs to identify and implement changes.
Library collection funds can only be used for buying or accessing content that will be made available to the whole institution. Requests for content that will only be available to individuals or select groups will be referred to other funding sources.
The Library welcomes both financial and material donations to build our collections beyond what is possible through normal College appropriations. Inquiries about financial gifts ranging from one-time donations to new endowments should be directed to the Library Director/College Librarian. For donations of physical materials, please contact our Collections and Technical Services Librarian or Archivist as appropriate.
Books and other materials are usually accepted if they are in good condition and fall within the scope of what may be appropriate additions to our collection. However, for large gifts we typically ask for a title list or request to see the materials before accepting them. All donations become the property of the Library, with the understanding that we retain the right to dispose of or sell any materials we later choose not to keep.
Gifts to Archives and Special Collections have additional considerations. Please contact our Archivist for details.
Policy last updated: March 1, 2024