Collection Development Statement

The library supports student academic success by providing resources and services to the College's students, faculty, staff and the local community. This collection development policy includes general guidelines for the selection of library materials and criteria for withdrawal of materials from the collection.

As an important information resource for the academic community, the library provides students, faculty, staff, and the local community with books, periodicals, online databases and other materials in a variety of formats which serve to:

• support classroom instruction and the achievement of course, program, and institutional student learning outcomes;
• cover topics and issues relevant to the diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, social, and economic background of the college and local community;
• promote recreational reading;
• support and encourage independent, lifelong learning and intellectual growth.

Although the library at Mitchell Community College is primarily responsible for the quality of the collection, the selection of new materials and the withdrawal of materials are activities shared with other members of the college community.  The librarians will work closely with faculty liaisons from all subject areas to evaluate their subject areas of the collection. Since collection assessments represent a significant investment of time, the library will spread the impact over a five-year period. Each semester, the focus of the assessment will be on those parts of the collection that support the AAS and transfer program. This process will ensure that each program and discipline is reviewed at least once during a five-year period. All campus libraries will evaluate the same curriculum areas simultaneously with the exception of programs which are unique to one campus.

Librarians and instructional faculty initiate most purchase requests. Students and other staff are also encouraged to suggest additions to the collection. When appropriate, the library will order items requested via interlibrary loan through the NC Community College Consortium.  

The library fully supports the philosophical and ethical guidelines set forth in the American Library Association's (1996) Library Bill of Rights and Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries (Association of College and Research Libraries, 1999).