CMMC Collection Development Policy

Introduction

Objectives

  1. The Curriculum Materials/Media Center (CMMC) supports the education curriculum of Campbell University, particularly the methods and practicum courses, and those children's and young adult literature courses taught at the institution.
  2. The purpose of the CMMC is to provide a wide variety of high-quality instructional materials for inspection, evaluation, and utilization in the implementation of instructional plans. The materials will be appropriate for use with children from preschool age through grade 12.
  3. Priority will be given to those materials which directly support the curriculum of the School of Education at Campbell University and other courses taught outside the School needed to satisfy education degree requirements.
  4. The CMMC also serves as a demonstration school library media center for undergraduate and graduate education majors, with the primary difference being its system of classification (Library of Congress rather than Dewey Decimal). As a demonstration school library media center, it will include examples of the different types of instructional materials that might be found in an average public school covering grades K-12.
  5. The CMMC also may provide patrons with materials relating to the teaching profession, for personal and staff development.
  6. The CMMC serves as a central Campbell University location for audiovisual and sound recording materials that support other disciplines on campus. Separate funding is used to support this portion of the collection.

Institutional Context

  1. The CMMC collection development policy is coordinated with the main library's collection development policy and mission of service.
    • Wiggins Memorial Library Mission of Service

      The mission of the Campbell University Libraries is to provide services and resources to meet the present and future scholarly and informational needs of the Campbell University community and, as far as possible, to share resources with those outside the University. Friendly and efficient service to patrons is the ultimate goal of library activities.

    • Curriculum Materials/Media Center Mission of Service

      The Mission of the Curriculum Materials/Media Center is to provide the leadership, personnel, facilities, and media resources, including information technology resources, for the preparation of education degree candidates to meet professional, state, and institutional standards.

  2. Curriculum materials come in a variety of formats, which may differ from other research and academic library materials, and they may be acquired from different sources.
  3. The placement of CMMC materials may allow staff to render specialized processing, shelving, reference, and circulation services.

Supporting Documents

  1. As part of its philosophy of collection development, the CMMC supports the following statements from the American Library Association:
    • Library Bill of Rights
    • Intellectual Freedom Statement
    • Code of Ethics
    • Freedom to Read Statement
  2. The CMMC also supports The Student's Right to Read statement from The National Council of Teachers of English.
  3. Based upon the premises of these documents, reasonable efforts will be made to locate materials elsewhere for patrons and to recommend additional sources of information when the Center's collection does not provide the needed resources.

Clientele

Definition

The clientele or service population is the same as that of the rest of the Campbell University Libraries system.

Exclusion

Although the CMMC does contain materials suitable for children, it is part of an institution of higher learning and, as such, School of Education faculty and staff maintain first priority for all usage. Children who visit should be accompanied by an adult. Children, specifically children of faculty and children of Friends of the Library card holders, may borrow materials using a parent's/guardian's card.

Categories

Clientele categories are listed in no order of preference

  1. Campus-based patrons
    • Education students, both graduate and undergraduate
    • Non-education students, both graduate and undergraduate
    • Full- and part-time faculty and staff in all departments
  2. Friends of the Library card patrons
    • Local school and home school teachers who do not fall under the above categories
    • Members of the general public with an interest in the collection

Scope and Boundary

Collection Guidelines

  1. Curricular level
    1. Basic curricular subjects (e.g. math, science, reading, language arts) as stated in the North Carolina Competency-based Curriculum Guides issued by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
    2. Enrichment and remedial materials for the above subject areas.
    3. Subjects not covered in the North Carolina Competency-Based Curriculum Guides but taught in the school districts of Johnston, Harnett, Lee, and Cumberland counties (e.g. psychology, sociology, business)
    4. Materials developed for a specific student population (e.g. learning disabled, gifted, hearing impaired)
  2. Language: Primarily English-language materials. Some foreign-language materials will be collected which support the teaching of foreign languages, bilingual education, and English as a Second Language (ESL).
  3. Chronology: Emphasis will be placed on collecting materials of current significance, although some older items of historical or research value may be kept.
  4. Geographical guidelines: Order of priority and level of collection
    1. Cumberland County, Johnston County, Harnett County, and Lee County (comprehensive)
    2. North Carolina (comprehensive)
    3. United States (selective)
  5. Cultural Diversity: Collection materials reflect cultural diversity and promote respect and appreciation for specific cultures and the global community.

Collection Formats

  1. Textbooks: order of priority and level of collection
    1. Textbooks in all curricular subjects, grades Kindergarten through 12th will be selected (selectively)
    2. Texts adopted by Cumberland, Harnett, Johnston, or Lee Counties (comprehensively)
    3. Other texts (selectively)
    4. Materials published within the last 10 years, although some older texts may be kept for research value.
  2. Curriculum guides
    1. preschool through 12th-grade curriculum guides from the state, regional, and national level (selectively)
    2. Cumberland, Harnett, Johnston, and Lee Counties (collectively)
  3. Juvenile Literature
    1. Children's and young adult literature
      • The CMMC will collect books appropriate for preschool children through young adults.
      • Emphasis will be place on award-winning and honor-list titles, notable books in various subject fields, and exemplary titles that support a cross-curricular approach to teaching.
      • A variety of types of literature (e.g. classics, beginning-to-read books, wordless picture books, poetry, folklore, historical fiction, mythology, modern fantasy, and realistic fiction) will be included.
      • Factual works will be acquired, including biographies, autobiographies, and representative work in a variety of information areas.
      • The collection will include older materials that are
        • still being read by children and used by teachers, and
        • have historical research value
      • Nonfiction materials which support a typical school curriculum preschool through 8th grade will be included.
      • Nonfiction materials appropriate for high school students are similar to those found in an undergraduate library; therefore, only exceptional materials which might not be purchased for the Wiggins Memorial Library collection will be collected (e.g. poetry written specifically for the high school student)
    2. Children's reference materials: Examples of juvenile encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, and special children's reference materials which would support a K-8 school curriculum will be collected. Guides, manuals, and non-print media on how to use these materials with children will also be collected.
    3. A core collection of professional materials which supports other materials in the CMMC collection may be acquired and will be housed in the CMMC collection. Examples include:
      • Idea and activity books
      • Sources about children's and young adult literature
      • Selected teaching methods books
      • Books that teach students how to write behavioral objectives and prepare lesson plans
  4. Books about educational research, theory, or history are not located in the CMMC but are in Wiggins Memorial Library's general collection stacks.
  5. Non-print materials. Examples include:
    • Charts and pictures
    • Study prints
    • Photographs and slides
    • Sound recordings
    • Multimedia kits
    • Films, filmstrips, videocassettes, and DVDs
    • Simulation games
    • Transparencies
    • Manipulatives
    • Models and realia
    • Puppets
    • Posters
  6. Test materials
    • Standardized test materials which support Campbell University education courses will be collected and stored in a locked storage room.
    • Students shall sign an agreement form binding them to the copyright rules placed upon the test materials (e.g. no photocopying).
    • The following types of tests will be collected
      • Standardized achievement tests which correspond with school curriculum (e.g. Stanford Achievement Test, CAT, Metropolitan Reading Test)
      • Tests that enable counselors to work with individuals (e.g. personality tests, vocational preference tests)
      • Diagnostic tests, particularly in the area of special education (e.g. TOLD, Peabody Test, Burk's Behavior Scale)
      • Miscellaneous tests (e.g. Test of English as a Foreign Language)
  7. A representative collection of exemplary computer software that is compatible with hardware generally being used in preschool through 12th-grade educational settings will be developed over time. Examples include:
    • Computer-assisted instruction such as drill and practice programs, tutorials, and simulations
    • Utility programs such as desktop publishing programs for newsletters
    • Mini-authoring programs such as those which enable teachers to create their own drill and practice programs
  8. A room suitable for viewing audiovisual material, equipped with TV and DVD, is available in the CMMC.
  9. Equipment
    • The CMMC will purchase necessary equipment to support materials selected for the collection.
    • Emphasis will be placed on obtaining emerging educational technologies.
    • The Center will endeavor to purchase a wide variety of equipment in order to provide students with hands-on experience with different types of equipment. (e.g. digital cameras, overheads, portable DVD players, LCD projectors, etc.)
  10. Publisher's Catalogs
    • Catalogs from education publishers and distributors shall be collected selectively.
    • Besides aiding in the acquisition of materials for the CMMC, catalogs may be useful to faculty and informative to students.
    • Free print catalogs shall be the focus of the collection.
    • These un-catalogued items will be housed in the standardized test storage room and made available upon request.

Selection Criteria

Introduction

The selection of materials to be added to a collection is a complex decision process. Although the Curriculum Materials/Media Librarian is responsible for the selection of materials to be included in the CMMC, input from other professionals (e.g. other librarians, education faculty, etc.) involved in the areas related to the CMMC mission will be encouraged. Reasons for choosing a specific item will be based on the evaluation of the item and its relationship to the CMMC collection. Justification for the choice will be derived from an assessment of its contribution to the fulfillment of the policies and goals of this collection development policy.

General Selection Criteria

  1. The potential use of materials should be considered on both a current and long-term basis.
  2. Materials which are potentially useful in several subjects and grades should have priority over materials for which a low or specialized use is expected.
  3. Material should have received favorable reviews in the professional literature of a given subject field or in a standard review source.

Sample Specific Criteria

  1. Cost: The price of the material relative to the budget and other available material should be reasonable.
  2. Curriculum correlation: The material should be useful in meeting curricular objectives.
  3. Technical quality: For all media, the relevant technical characteristics such as printing, production, manufacturing, construction, format, and presentation should be of good quality.
  4. Collection weakness: Consideration should be given to how material fills needs of the clientele in an area of the collection evaluated as weak.
  5. Authoritativeness: The reputation and significance of the author/artist/composer/editor; reputation of the publisher/producer/manufacturer; subject competence and qualification of the author(s) should be considered.
  6. Academic level: The content should be at the level appropriate for the intended learners. Media that fit this criterion are to be selected in light of their contribution to providing for student differences in grade and ability level, interest, achievement, and background.
  7. Educational soundness and recency: The materials should be timely in relation to current trends in education. The date of publication and permanence of the item should be considered.
  8. Technical quality: Photography, sound, filming technique, color, graphics, etc., should be of good quality and appropriate for the subject matter and audience.
  9. Aesthetic quality: Preference should be given to attractively packaged and aesthetically pleasing materials
  10. Organization: Facts and concepts should be organized in clear fashion.
  11. Ease of use: The material generally should be easy to use as opposed to necessitating specialized training, personnel, and space requirements.
  12. Learning/teaching styles: The materials should represent a variety of learning and teaching styles.
  13. Accuracy of information: Facts should be distinguished from opinions and accurately presented.
  14. Literary values: Literary materials should foster appreciation of literature and aesthetic values.
  15. Creativity: The material should encourage self-instruction and provide a stimulus to creativity.
  16. Multi-ethnic/cultural: The material should reflect our society of multiple ethnic, racial, religious, social, and sexual characteristics. It should represent a variety of economic and geographic orientations, as well as the problems, aspirations, attitudes, and ideals of our society.
  17. Controversy: Material should be evaluated as to how it deals with controversial issues and whether there is evidence of bias. Materials which provide opposing sides of controversial issues may help develop the user's critical reading, listening, viewing, and thinking skills.
  18. Multi-media: Materials should involve all of the senses. Collections should be sufficiently broad to meet the needs of clientele with a variety of media.
  19. Efficacy: Materials should be selected because of the content and the value of the work as a whole, and their success in achieving their intended results.
  20. Other considerations
    • Correlation with North Carolina State Curriculum
    • Potential number of simultaneous users
    • Variety of purposes for using the material
    • Variety of formats for the same work (e.g. video of a book)
    • Ease of use, storage, and maintenance
    • Equipment needed to utilize the media
    • Ease of use, maintenance, and service
    • Reliability of performance
    • Compatibility with other equipment

Selection Process

Examination of the Item

  1. The Curriculum librarian will make every effort to examine firsthand the item under consideration.
  2. Materials will be examined at conventions, conferences, selection workshops, examination centers, and in other Curriculum Media Centers.
  3. Vendors may supply items on an approval basis.
  4. Audiovisual and computerized materials, especially, should be examined prior to acquisition by either the CMMC librarian or a faculty member in the recommending department.

Reviewing Sources

When it is not possible to evaluate materials personally, the Curriculum Materials librarian will select materials using a wide variety of evaluation sources. These resources will provide reputable, unbiased, professionally prepared evaluations of the materials in question. The location of at least two (2) positive reviews will be necessary for selection consideration.

  1. Questions to consider are:
    • What is the selection policy for inclusion? Is only recommended material included?
    • What types of formats and material are included?
    • For what type of library is the material intended?
    • What is the frequency of publication and the speed with which current reviews appear?
    • What is the scope of the guide and how much information is given for each item?
    • How is the information arranged?
    • What is the authority of the contributors to the selection source?
  2. Requests: Every effort will be made to purchase materials requested by Education faculty. Requests from students and staff will be evaluated either personally or by using reviewing sources.
  3. Gifts
    • The CMMC will accept gifts from individuals in accordance with Wiggins Memorial Library's gift policies and procedures.
    • Materials will be accepted only if they:
      • Enhance the quality and usefulness of the collection
      • Meet the same selection criteria as purchased materials
      • Are complete and in good physical condition