Selection Philosophy

The Library of Mission College supports the instructional philosophy and program of the College and of the West Valley-Mission Community College District. As an instructional service, the Library supports the learning needs of a diverse student population, the instructional needs of the faculty, and the information needs of the community by disseminating information through a readily accessible system.

Goals:

• Mission College Library shall be a repository of information resources organized to satisfy the diverse needs of students, faculty, and the community.
• The Library shall acquire and maintain a collection of print and non-print materials, and license and organize a set of electronic resources, to support, augment, and supplement the curriculum and course assignments of Mission College and to serve as an information source for community members.
• The Library shall provide instruction, staff, facilities and equipment to serve a variety of learning styles.

Collection Development and Maintenance Policy:

1. The Library provides collection resources, equipment, facilities and staff services to complement a variety of learning styles. The collection, consisting of print, non-print and electronic publications, will support and augment the curriculum and course assignments of Mission College.
2. The Library is committed to intellectual growth and freedom. Materials in the collection shall be selected to provide divergent viewpoints and opinions on all issues, controversial or otherwise, and to further the intellectual investigation and growth of the students and community users. The Library fully endorses the collection development policies of the American Library Association, as expressed in the "Library Bill of Rights" and "The Freedom to Read" documents.
3. Materials are selected based on their curricular program relevance and quality of publication as evidenced by author, publisher, size, language, currency, intended audience, reading level and favorable review. Standard selection tools, such as Choice, Chronicle of Higher Education, Publisher's Weekly, Library Journal, The CyberSkeptic's Guide to Internet Research, Science Books & Films as well as scholarly and vocational trade journals shall be used whenever possible.
4. Textbooks and assigned readings shall be acquired. Multiple copies of assigned readings will be acquired if warranted by class size.
5. Selection of periodical and serials titles is based on their inclusion in standard indices and availability through full-text electronic databases.
6. The Library acquires titles available at the West Valley College Library if warranted by heavy use. Reference and reserve materials, textbooks, and assigned readings are acquired regardless of availability at the WVC Library.
7. Specialized materials, outside the scope of the Library's collection, may be borrowed upon request through interlibrary loan or other resource sharing and cooperative programs maintained by the Library.
8. The collection shall be reviewed periodically to ensure current, relevant and adequate coverage. Obsolete materials shall be withdrawn.
9. The primary responsibility of developing and maintaining the Library's collection rests with the Library staff. One librarian will coordinate collection development; all other librarians will actively participate in the process. Instructors are encouraged to participate in the development of the collections in their respective subject areas; recommendations from students, staff and community users are also encouraged.
10. The Library welcomes offers of monetary gifts or gifts of materials and reserves the right to utilize them as deemed appropriate. Inclusion of gift materials in the collection shall adhere to the same collection development requirements as stated above. Gift items added to the collection or titles purchased with donated money will be identified as a gift from the donor.
11. Suggestions and inquiries on materials in the collection are welcome. Any comments or concerns regarding the materials in the collection should be addressed in writing to the Director of Library Services, Mission College.