VC/UHV Library Collection Development Policy

The VC/UHV Library serves the faculties, students and staff of both Victoria College and the University of Houston-Victoria.   Funded jointly by these two institutions, the library purchases printed books and periodicals, multimedia materials, electronic reference resources, and provides subscriptions to electronic indexes and full text periodical databases.

This collection development policy is a statement of principles and guidelines used by the VC/UHV Library in the selection, acquisition, evaluation and maintenance of library materials and resources.  This policy is a general guide and exceptions to the policy should be made to admit valuable materials whenever adequately justified by the interests of the library and the communities it serves.  Further, it is a policy statement, not a manual of procedures, which is properly left to the internal management of library staff.  Specific guidelines can be found under departmental resource statements.

This collection development policy is a statement of principles and guidelines used by the VC/UHV Library in the selection, acquisition, evaluation and maintenance of library materials and resources.  This policy is a general guide and exceptions to the policy should be made to admit valuable materials whenever adequately justified by the interests of the library and the communities it serves.  Further, it is a policy statement, not a manual of procedures, which is properly left to the internal management of library staff.  Specific guidelines can be found under departmental resource statements.

[return to table of contents]

The primary objective of collection development activities at the VC/UHV Library is to build and maintain a library collection that serves as a curricular and research resource for both the lower division courses of Victoria College and the upper division and graduate programs of the University of Houston-Victoria. The library will endeavor to obtain materials needed for faculty study and research either through purchase or interlibrary loan.  At a lower priority level, the library also makes an effort to provide information resources, books and audiovisual materials of a more general nature to the community and region.

[return to table of contents]

The Library relies on its professional librarians and the classroom faculty of both institutions for purchase recommendations.  It is a professional responsibility of faculty to make recommendations in their respective disciplines and to incorporate library materials into course development.  Suggestions are strongly encouraged from faculty to support their current and planned courses.  Librarians are assigned as Selectors for specific subject disciplines and are expected to serve as liaisons to academic departments in their assigned selection areas. The Head of Technical Services has primary responsibility for collection related decisions, the maintenance of the collection as a whole, and coordination of the selection process. Overall responsibility for ensuring that collection resources support the stated mission of the Library rests with the Director of the Libraries.

[return to table of contents]

While the ultimate responsibility for the materials budget and collection development policy decisions rests with the Director of Libraries, it is the responsibility of the Head of Technical Services to allocate the materials budget in order to fulfill the library's collection development objectives.  Funds are allocated by institution based upon such factors as size of the relevant program (number of faculty and students), number of courses taught, selection priorities guidelines, and average costs of resources. The Head of Technical Services shall determine, with the Director, which requests shall receive priority when funds are limited.

[return to table of contents]

Materials purchased for the collections of the VC/UHV Library will be selected using the following criteria:

Materials in the collection are regularly evaluated for retention or replacement as a part of the selection procedure.  Individual Selectors are responsible for communicating with faculty members at both institutions, as appropriate, to evaluate, select, weed, and replace materials in their subject areas.  The criteria used in evaluation are:

A.     Reference and Index Collections (Print and Electronic)

Reference materials will be acquired and evaluated using the General Collection Development Policy Criteria. The Head of Public Services has primary responsibility for coordinating selection but should consult with the designated subject Selectors to avoid duplication and ensure coverage, and with faculty who use the collection heavily.

B.     Audiovisual Materials Collection

Materials for the audiovisual collection will be acquired and evaluated using the General Collection Development Criteria.  The Media Librarian is responsible for   selection but should consult with the designated subject Selectors to avoid duplication and ensure coverage, and with faculty who use the collection heavily.  Also taken into consideration are:

C.     Paper, Microform and Electronic Periodicals Collection

Materials in the Periodicals collection will be acquired and evaluated using the General Collection Development Criteria.  The Serials Librarian is responsible for selection, and will consult with the designated subject Selectors and with Faculty who use the periodicals collection.

D.     United States Documents Collection

The VC/UHV Library is a selective federal depository receiving 14% of depository items offered by the Government Printing Office (GPO). Depository items are selected by the Web Services Librarian from the List of Classes and the monthly list of New Electronic Titles distributed by the United States General Printing Office.  Item selection will be made based on perceived needs of the depository users of the 14^th Congressional District of Texas. Faculty and librarians may recommend additional document tiles for selection. If needed for preservation, items of historical value for the library collection may be sent to the bindery. All materials withdrawn from the federal depository collection will be withdrawn in accordance with the Instructions to Depository Libraries published by the GPO and the State Plan for federal documents.

E.      Texas Documents Collection

The Library is also a depository of Texas State Publications.  The Documents Librarian will select titles, beyond those received through the depository program, based on the perceived need of the depository users of Victoria County and surrounding counties.  Faculty and other librarians may recommend additional titles for the Texas depository.. Texas documents will be withdrawn in accordance with the Manual of Guidelines for Depository Libraries published by the Texas State Publications Clearinghouse.

F.      Texas and Regional History Collection

The Texas and Regional History collection contains materials focusing on the history of Texas in general and the Victoria area in particular.  This collection is intended to serve as a resource for historical research.  The collection may include limited genealogy materials that meet the above scope and focus of the collection.

G.     Special Collections

This collection consists of rare or valuable items, primarily of historical interest. Materials for special collections are acquired through gifts from benefactors in most cases, although second copies of items with regional historical emphasis, of lasting value, are purchased for the purpose of preserving a duplicate of a circulating item.  The Director of Libraries has the primary responsibility for adding to this collection.

H.     Archives Collections

I.       Main Book Collection

Materials are selected and evaluated based upon the general Collection Development Criteria. Librarians are assigned as Selectors for two or more subject areas based on the Library of Congress classification system and are responsible for ongoing acquisition and weeding.

K.     Juvenile Book Collection

The Juvenile Book Collection is intended to provide a sample of books written for children, for use by students in UHV's School of Education and teachers in local schools.  Special emphasis is placed on acquiring award-winning books or books with exceptional reviews in the critical literature.

[return to table of contents]

The VC/UHV Library welcomes gifts of books, journals, and items in other formats, as well as gifts of money for the purchase of library materials.  Gifts are generally expected to supplement existing collections, support the curriculum programs, or provide the Library with materials of interest, which might not otherwise be purchased.

The Library acknowledges all gifts.  No monetary evaluation will be made, pursuant to Internal Revenue Service regulations.  The Library reserves the right to refuse a donation if the donor specifies special conditions.  Once a gift has been accepted, it becomes the property of the library. Gifts that are not suited to the library collection, because of age, format, topic, physical condition, or other factors will be either disposed of or passed on to other libraries, if appropriate.

[return to table of contents]

It is the responsibility of the Librarians and other selectors to insure that all points of view relevant to the College mission are represented in the collection.  The Library supports intellectual freedom and the highest standards for the profession, as presented in the following American Library Association documents:       

Reviewed and Updated:  April 2002