Policies and Procedures: Home

The mission of the Stanly Community College Learning Resource Center is to enhance and strengthen teaching and learning by providing quality information resources and technologies in an environment that promotes information literacy, provides exemplary support service, and advocates the free exchange of information and ideas for students, faculty, and members of the community.  

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide general guidelines for the selection of library materials.  Rising costs, increases in publishing output, and increasing demands for information resources in a variety of formats require that materials selection be based on the goals of the library and the institution and students it serves. A collection must be developed and maintained in order to support the college curricula.  The following policies are intended to guide the selection process.

Selection Responsibility

Selection of library materials is the joint responsibility of the library staff and the faculty of the college. Faculty members are considered subject area specialists and are encouraged to participate in the selection of materials that support the instructional program. Department and Program Heads should take an active role in defining the scope of the information needs of their departments/programs through ongoing discussion with the library staff.  Recommendations from staff and students are also encouraged. Ultimately, the responsibility for the development of the library collection resides with the Director of Library Services and/or designated professional library staff.

Selection Guidelines

The library’s priority is to support the research needs of the college’s instructional programs.  The library endeavors to support the research and study needs of the faculty and staff through interlibrary loan and access to public and commercial online databases. Within the limits of the materials budget, the library seeks to serve the college community through the acquisition of recreational, cultural, and general information materials.

The following selection criteria are applied to all library materials, including books, periodicals, audiovisual materials, and databases:

• Value of the content
• Appropriateness of level of treatment
• Strength of present holdings in the same or similar subject areas
• Value (price commensurate with quality)
• Suitability of format to content
• Reputation of author or publisher
• Availability of funds
• Coverage in indexes (particularly significant in selection of periodicals)

Other guidelines which are applied to the selection of materials:

• Textbooks are not normally purchased.  Exceptions may be made in the case of “classics” in a field, or when a textbook is the only or best source of information on a topic.
• Duplicates are purchased only under necessary circumstances.
• In the case of high-cost, low-use items, the holdings of other libraries in the state will be a factor in the decision to purchase.
• The majority of selections are current publications.  Purchase of significant retrospective titles will be made to fill in gaps in the collection and in the development of a collection to support a new program.
• Bibliographies are not usually purchased unless bibliographic control of a subject is so poor as to warrant the special purchase of a title.
• Popular fiction will be purchased or leased on a limited basis.  Classic works of fiction will be added to the collection as comprehensively as possible.
• In the case of audiovisual materials, availability of appropriate equipment will be a consideration in the decision to purchase.
• Self-published works will only be considered if they are popular fiction and have a high literary merit. Self-published works will not be published in academic areas. 

Selection Procedures

Standard trade websites, professional journals, and publishers’ information are used in selection and acquisition of materials. Information on resources in subject areas is sent to faculty for their recommendations. An effort is made to purchase materials recommended by faculty members, but because of budget constraints it may not be possible to purchase all recommended titles. 

Maintenance of the Collection

Lost Items and Replacements

Materials lost or withdrawn from the collection because of wear may be replaced in accordance with the following criteria:

• Importance of the item to the collection
• Demand for the material
• Availability

Weeding

It is the responsibility of the library staff, in cooperation with faculty, to withdraw materials from the collection which are damaged or no longer appropriate. The decision to withdraw an item is based on the following criteria:

• Currency and accuracy of the information
• Usage of the item as indicated by the circulation record
• Importance of the item to the collection
• Physical condition of the item

Special attention is given to Allied Health and other technical materials to ensure that the information is accurate and current. Guidelines for maintenance of the Allied Health collection are included in the appendix (Appendix A).

Gift Policy

The Learning Resource Center welcomes gifts with the understanding that the library staff may dispose of them or add them to the collection at their discretion. Gift books or other materials will be added to the collection in accordance with the same guidelines as for purchase of materials. The LRC assumes no responsibility for appraisal of gift items for tax purposes; a receipt for items received may be obtained from the business office.

Monetary donations to the Stanly Community College Foundation for the purchase of library materials are encouraged.

Intellectual Freedom Policy

The Stanly Community College Learning Resource Center supports the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, its Intellectual Freedom Statement, the Freedom to Read Statement, its statement on Challenged Materials, and the Freedom to View Statement adopted by the Association for Educational Communication and Technology (Appendices B-1 through B-6).

Challenged Materials Policy 

Materials acquired by the Learning Resource Center are selected in accordance with the above-stated guidelines to support the curriculum of Stanly Community College. In addition, an effort is made to purchase materials which represent differing viewpoints on controversial issues.

Should an individual or group object to any of the materials in the library collection, they will be required to complete a formal Request for Review of Library Materials Form. A copy of this form is included in the appendix (Appendix C).

The Request for Review of Library Materials should be referred to the Director of Library Services, who will discuss the challenged materials with the complainant(s).  If the complainant(s) wish to continue the challenge, the Director of Library Services will appoint an ad hoc review committee approved by the Vice President of Student Success/Dean of Students to consider the request. The material(s) in question will be placed on reserve in the library for use by the committee or other interested parties. After reading the complete work, the committee will make its recommendation in writing to the complainant(s) and the Vice President of Student Success/Dean of Students. The final decision on challenged materials rests with the Vice President of Student Success/Dean of Students.

Students automatically have a library account by using the prefix "ST" plus their seven-digit student ID number (i.e ST0123456). There are no longer physical library cards for students. In the event that a student does not already have an account, a temporary card will be issued until they are uploaded into the system. The library imports new students every four weeks. PIN numbers for library accounts default to the last four digits of the patron's phone number; they may be reset by the patron. 

Any faculty, staff, or resident of Stanly County and adjacent counties may receive a library card. Fill out an application form and present a student/ picture ID with your correct address listed on it. By signing the application form, you agree to abide by all library policies.

There are no longer overdue fines for late books, DVDs, or technology; however, lost and damaged fees will still be charged for all items.

Books & audiobooks check out for 21 days (no limit); DVDs check out for 7 days (limit of 5 DVDs at a time). You may renew items once by phone or on the library’s online catalog (click on “my account”), unless the item is on hold for another patron. No renewal on DVDs.