Library

Collection Development & Access and the CSUMB Vision

The electronic resources and the print and media collections (hereafter referred to as “the collections”) provided by the CSUMB Library reflect the core values expressed in the CSUMB Vision Statement. In addition to supporting the curricula and academic programs, the collections include materials which focus on technology infusion, multiculturalism, globalism, ethical reflection and practice, interdisciplinarity, applied and service learning, and collaboration. The collections reflect the values, cultures, languages, and technologies taught at CSUMB, as well as the various interdisciplinary approaches to scholarship. The library participates in statewide and regional cooperative consortia to purchase electronic resources and to provide access to print and media resources. The library also provides extensive assistance for use, interpretation, and access to materials through its website and its reference, instructional, circulation, course reserve, and interlibrary loan services. The library’s instructional and reference services support effective use and interpretation of the collections by providing guidance and assistance which foster information literacy, critical thinking, and lifelong learning. The library is an early adopter of proven information technologies. All of the library’s electronic resources are available to the campus community twenty four hours per day via the library’s website.

Collection Development & Access and the Library Mission

“The CSUMB Library Mission is to help prepare knowledgeable, resourceful and responsible citizens for California and the global community by facilitating active exploration, discovery and synthesis of information.”[1]

CSUMB Library’s Mission Statement includes the following strategic goal: “To commit to continuous examination of the fundamental premises of the library's Collection Development Policy in light of both new and evolving programs at CSUMB.”[2] This policy should be considered a dynamic document, subject to adjustment and refinement in response to changes in the budget, curricula, academic programs, and available information technologies.

The previous version of the Mission Statement included the following premise: “To the extent possible and economically feasible, the library acquires and provides access to resources in electronic format rather than print.” This approach to collection development is still utilized. In general, the CSUMB Library prefers electronic formats over print formats and access to information rather than ownership of materials. If no suitable or affordable electronic version of a relevant resource is available, the library will acquire a print version. At the same time, the library acknowledges that the print format remains an essential information resource in many disciplines; the library therefore collects accordingly. This approach to collection development provides convenient, timely, and cost-effective access to materials which have high relevance and high probability of use. To supplement the locally held print, media and electronic collections, the library provides a rapid interlibrary loan service.

Collection Development & Access and the CSUMB Curricula

The goal of collection development is to select information resources which directly support the CSUMB curricula and academic programs. The primary clientele (users) of the library’s collections and services are the students, faculty, and staff of CSUMB. The library supports their learning and teaching experiences and activities with relevant, cost-effective information and services.

Given the CSUMB focus on undergraduate education and selected master’s degree programs, the library will not attempt to develop a comprehensive or research level collection. Overall, collection development for disciplines, areas, and topics which are part of the CSUMB curricula are selected at the initial study level or the basic level (see the section below on collection levels for descriptions). Selection at these two levels provides collection breadth guided by the curricula. The library is building collections at the advanced study level only for current (and future) programs which offer master’s degrees or post-baccalaureate certificates.

Collection levels: The library faculty use following standard categories to characterize the various levels of selection:

• Comprehensive level: exhaustive
• Research level: adequate to support dissertation and independent research
• Advanced study level: adequate to support master’s degree programs and advanced undergraduate course work
• Initial study level: adequate to support undergraduate course work
• Basic level: adequate to support introductory overview of subject
• Minimal level: limited selection of very basic works

Collection Development & Access and Intellectual Freedom

The CSUMB library faculty and staff are committed to the concept of intellectual freedom as expressed by the American Library Association: “We celebrate and preserve our democratic society by making available the widest possible range of viewpoints, opinions and ideas, so that all individuals have the opportunity to become lifelong learners - informed, literate, educated, and culturally enriched.”[3]

Who Selects: Development of the library’s general collections is the responsibility of the library faculty. Collection development is not an isolated activity. It is one of several integrated activities for which the library faculty are responsible. These related activities include liaison with faculty, library instructional services, and reference services.

Library faculty have selection responsibilities which correspond to their areas of expertise, experience, and interest. The library faculty have liaison responsibilities and interact frequently with faculty in order to understand the current and future information needs of the academic programs. When appropriate, some selection decisions are made in consultation with the faculty. In some cases (databases, journals, or high priced items), selection decisions are made by the library faculty as a group.

Several other key library functions also support the goal of collection development: interlibrary loan, which “extends” the collections to items not owned by the library; circulation/course reserve, which facilitates physical access to items owned by the library; and bibliographic services, which acquires, processes, and catalogs items for enhanced access; Archives & Special Collections, which collects and preserves permanently valuable records to support the curricular and research needs of CSUMB faculty and students, and also serves as a repository for select records of the university of permanent historical value; and Digital Commons @ CSUMB, which serves as the university's institutional repository by sharing the scholarly and creative work of CSUMB faculty, students, and staff.

Ongoing selection of books and media: The responsibility for the ongoing selection of books and videos is assigned to individual library faculty based on expertise, experience, or interest. When appropriate, the library faculty make selection decisions in consultation with the faculty.

Ongoing selection of serials and electronic resources: The responsibility for the ongoing selection of print serials and electronic resources is shared by all library faculty. Because of the long-term financial commitment involved, selection decisions for these materials are made by the collective library faculty. When appropriate, the library faculty make selection decisions in consultation with the faculty.

Selection criteria: Library faculty consider the following standard, evaluative criteria when making selection decisions (this list is not exhaustive):

• Support to the curricula, service programs, and research at CSUMB
• Appropriateness and relevancy to Library Mission and CSUMB Vision
• Potential use and ease-of-use
• Authoritativeness, accuracy, and currency
• Adequate scope and depth
• Point-of-view and interdisciplinarity
• Organization, language, and physical characteristics
• Reviews and recommendations
• Redundancy with other resources
• Strengths and weaknesses of the present collection
• Availability of indexing, abstracts or full-text in electronic reference sources
• Availability of CSU systemwide contractual discounts
• Cost

Formats selected: The library selects materials in the following formats (this list is not exhaustive and is subject to change in response to developing technologies).

Commercial information resources: full-text, scholarly resources are preferred; indexes which provide citations and abstracts to scholarly sources are desirable.

Non-commercial information resources: scholarly resources are preferred; well-designed, authoritative, current sites that supplement the library's collections are selected as appropriate.

Books and electronic books: collection level varies by discipline, area, and topic; books and electronic books organized as course textbooks will generally not be selected; materials in English are preferred; materials in languages taught at CSUMB are selected at the minimal collection level; popular materials are not generally selected unless they support the curriculum; electronic books which are available for purchase from the library’s book distributor or from other specified vendors are preferred.

Serials (journals, magazines, and newspapers): full-text serials are preferred over serials in print format; scholarly, refereed journals are preferred; collection level for journals varies by discipline, area, and topic; news, trade, professional, or culturally-oriented magazines are selected at the basic collection level; local, state, and national newspapers are selected at the basic collection level; serials which are indexed are preferred; materials primarily in English are preferred; serials in print format are selected if no suitable or affordable Web-based version is available.

Juvenile literature: materials written for children and young adults which support the K-12 teacher education program are selected at the basic collection level.

K-12 curriculum materials: materials which support the K-12 teacher education program are selected at the basic collection level; the library does not currently select objects, realia, games or manipulative materials in this area.

Government publications (local, state, U.S., and international): the library maintains a profile-based subscription to full-text electronic publications from selected United States government agencies; records and links for these publications appear in the library catalog; collection level for other types of government publications varies by discipline, area, and topic; materials are selected at the minimal collection level if no suitable or affordable Web-based version is available.

Visual media (closed captioned streaming video and DVDs): documentary, educational and feature films that are requested by faculty for use as required or recommended course viewing are preferred; streaming video format is preferred, if available; materials are selected at the minimal collection level, primarily in response to faculty requests. The library maintains a profile-based subscription to an online video streaming service that facilitates use-driven acquisition of videos.

Microform (microfilm and microfiche): materials are only selected if no suitable or affordable Web-based or print version is available; materials are selected at the minimal collection level.

Maps and atlases (topographical and thematic): materials are selected if no suitable or affordable Web-based version is available; materials are selected at the minimal collection level.

Interactive multimedia: materials are selected at the minimal collection level.

Audio media: materials which support the music program are selected at the minimal collection level.

Languages selected: In general, materials in English or primarily in English are preferred. Materials in languages taught at CSUMB are selected in various formats at the minimal collection level. Currently, CSUMB offers instruction in the following languages: American Sign Language, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish.

Formats not currently selected: The library does not typically select for the general collection the following materials (this list is subject to change based upon expressed curricular need and the availability of appropriate expertise, facilities, and funding): rare books, manuscripts, pamphlets, photographs, slides, musical scores, architectural records, literary first editions, self-published books, audio books, vinyl records, or software (unless it accompanies books). Some of these formats may be appropriate for selection within the scope of Archives & Special Collections.

The library faculty evaluate the usefulness, relevance, and physical condition of the collections on a continuing basis. Materials judged to be irrelevant, outdated, in poor physical condition, or superseded by new editions may be removed from the library. Criteria for weeding vary among the academic disciplines. Decisions to remove materials may reflect shifts in the campus curricula. Materials in poor physical condition, but still worth keeping, will be repaired if possible, or replaced.

In addition to selecting and weeding library materials, the library faculty also engage in informal and formal assessment of the quality and relevancy of the collections. Because there is no single, best way to assess a library’s collections, the CSUMB Library utilizes a variety of methods to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, physical condition, currency, and use of the collections, and their alignment with the curricula. These methods include, but are not limited to: circulation studies, in-house use studies, user surveys, analysis of interlibrary loan statistics, analysis of online transaction logs, shelf scanning, list checking and applying standards. Since comprehensive assessments of the collections represent a significant investment in terms of library faculty and staff time, they will normally only be implemented in order to provide background for specific strategic, budgetary or space planning needs.

The library accepts donations of materials which support the curricula or academic programs. Donated materials will be evaluated title-by-title for possible addition to the collections by the library faculty. The library reserves the right to retain or dispose of donated materials (sell, recycle or donate to another library). CSU systemwide policy does not allow the library to provide to donors appraisals of the value of donated materials. The library will acknowledge in writing the receipt and general description of donated materials.

With the exception of Archives & Special Collections, the library does not accept donated materials if the donor requires that the materials be kept separately and not integrated into the general collection.

The library may accept backruns of serials (journals, magazines, and newspapers) which support the core curricula or academic programs if they fill significant gaps in existing subscriptions. The library accepts gift subscriptions to periodicals only in unusual circumstances, for reasons such as continuity and legality.

The library accepts donations of money to purchase library materials which support the curricula. Such donations will be referred to the Library Dean.

The selection of reference materials is the responsibility of the designated reference selector. When appropriate, selection decisions are made in consultation with the library faculty.

Available at the library’s Circulation Desk, the Reserve Collections includes two types of materials:

Course Reserve: materials placed at the request of faculty for use by CSUMB students; materials may be library-owned or supplied by the faculty; materials generally include: books, videos, DVDs, CDs, and assessment related materials.

Special Reserve: materials placed at the discretion of the selectors; materials are generally free and include reports and planning documents.

Available at the library’s Circulation Desk, the Protected Collection includes materials placed at the request of library faculty to minimize abuse, damage, or theft; materials are library-owned books or journals which require special handling or contain subject matter of a sensitive nature.

Purpose and Scope: The Archives & Special Collections of California State University, Monterey Bay is dedicated to the collection and preservation of permanently valuable records in order to support the curricular and research needs of the faculty and students of CSUMB, while simultaneously serving as a higher educational resource by providing unique learning opportunities for students, scholars, and the general public. Archives & Special Collections also serves as a repository for select records of the University of permanent historical value.

Subjects Collected: Archives & Special Collections seeks to collect in subject areas receiving substantial and sustained attention within the University community, those representing ongoing departmental research interests, or those areas that are the focus of interdisciplinary programs. Coordination of material selection will be done by the Archives Specialist in consultation with librarian subject selectors when appropriate. Priority subject areas include:

History of CSUMB, such as:

• The founding and transition from Fort Ord to CSUMB
• Significant events in the University’s development
  
• Student, staff, and faculty life
  

History of Fort Ord, specifically records documenting:

• Underrepresented populations
• The impact on local communities

Histories of local communities, particularly Salinas, Seaside, Marina, and Monterey, focusing on:

• Social conditions and stories of underserved communities
• Records documenting the relationship between CSUMB and local communities
  

In addition, Archives & Special Collections collects selected official University records of permanent historical value. Types of CSUMB materials collected include primarily print, but also digital versions of the following:

• Accreditation documentation
• Charters, policies, procedures, and other guiding documents
• Academic Senate records
  
• Minutes (committees, departments, schools, or other administrative groups)
  
• University publications (newsletters, newspapers, magazines, brochures, yearbooks, etc.)
  
• Institutional surveys and reports (annual, self-study, etc.)
  
• Significant records of student organizations and activities
  
• Selected records of academic programs and courses or instruction
  
• Selected division and department administrative records.
  

Current collecting of University records is on a case by case basis and is projected to remain limited, selective and focused in the areas noted above. Collections size will be limited by adherence to collection parameters and by the amount of physical space available to house and protect the collections appropriately.

Geographic Area: Collecting will adhere to the following geographic criteria, in rank order:

• Within the immediate tri-county region (Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito)
  
• Within the state of California
  
• Within the United States
  

Formats: Archives & Special Collections collects materials in a variety of formats including, but not limited to: books, pamphlets, posters, diaries, letters, maps, scrapbooks, journals, posters, newspapers, yearbooks, manuscripts, ephemeral materials, film, video, paper documents, photographs, slides, film, sound recordings, and digital records.

Archives & Special Collections has very limited facilities and staff support for preserving non paper‐based materials and attempts to sample artifacts and memorabilia rather than to collect them comprehensively. Medium to large three dimensional objects may be accepted on a case by case basis to ensure they can be cared for properly.

Physical Condition of Acquisitions: Archives & Special Collections has limited preservation resources, and therefore will acquire materials in the best possible physical condition. Exceptions may be made in instances where the scarcity of an item in any condition warrants accepting a less-than-perfect specimen. In general, the costs involved in repairing and storing damaged materials are beyond the limited means of our budget, so we may decline imperfect copies.

Duplicate Copies: Archives & Special Collections cannot accept duplicate copies of items already held in the collection. Exceptions may be made in instances where a second copy has unique features, but the general rule is against adding redundant copies of published works.

Deed of Gift: Donations will be accepted provided that (a) there is a signed Deed of Gift form that legally transfers ownership of the materials to the CSUMB Library, and (b) the donor does not require excessive restrictions on use of materials. Collections without a deed of gift transferring legal title will not be accepted. No donation will be accepted that is not open for public access immediately or upon some specific future date.

Removal of Items: Duplicates and materials that do not reflect collecting areas or do not possess sufficient archival value may be deaccessioned, subject to the documented terms of acquisition, University regulations, and State and Federal laws.

The following factors are considered when considering de-accession of an item or collection:

• The item or collection is no longer in use.
• The item or collection can no longer be properly stored or preserved.
  
• The item or collection is in poor physical condition.
  
• The item or collection is duplicated elsewhere in Archives & Special Collections.
  
• The item or collection is too costly to store, display, or maintain.
  
• The item or collection no longer fits with the Archives & Special Collections policy.
  

Other Local Collections and Resources: Archives & Special Collections is complemented by nearby collections of rare materials and primary sources. Included among these other collections are those of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, The Fort Ord Alumni Association, and other local organizations.

Archives & Special Collections will maintain an awareness of the existing strengths of these other institutions and develop collections is such a way that they do not substantively duplicate holdings of nearby institutions or enter into direct competition with them for collections and resources.

Print and Digital Preservation: Preservation measures for Archives and Special Collections materials (e.g., paper, books, photographs, audio-visual, etc.) are preventive: good care, storage, and handling. Archives and Special Collections materials are kept in environmentally monitored, secure, closed storage areas. As resources and time permit, collection materials are transferred to acid-free folders and boxes. Planning is needed to determine where and how digitized or digitally-born materials are to be stored, preserved, and accessed.

Purpose: CSUMB's institutional repository (IR), Digital Commons @ CSUMB, collects, preserves, and shares the scholarly and creative work of CSUMB faculty, students, staff and affiliates. Digital Commons @ CSUMB works to promote discovery and research by providing access to a wide range of digital resources created by the CSUMB community in addition to providing access to digital archives and special collections materials that are aligned with the mission of the university and the library.

The repository provides access to materials that often are not accessible elsewhere, and provides an open-access publishing platform for faculty and student work, supporting scholarship, research and instruction at the university and beyond.

Scope of the Content: Selection priority is given to content that is unique or is of particular significance and merits long-term preservation. For items that exist in multiple databases or repositories, priority for inclusion is generally given to those published within the past ten years, though older resources are included if possible.

When copyright holders grant permission to include work in the IR, the library's faculty, staff, and student workers either upload content to the IR directly or approve deposit by an author. If requested, the library may authorize a CSUMB faculty or staff member from outside the library to fill this role.

Collecting efforts for Digital Commons @ CSUMB include the following:

• Student capstone and thesis work
• Digital archives and special collections
  
• Faculty research, scholarship, and creative work; this includes pre-prints/post-prints, book chapters, conference papers, presentations, music, art, etc.
  
• Institutional documents and publications
  
• Classroom resources, e.g., open access textbooks, syllabi, activities and assignments.
  

This list is not intended to be comprehensive. Other forms of scholarship, research, and creative work may be considered for inclusion. Some materials may have restrictions on access and/or usage.

Materials may be deposited in a variety of digital formats including PDF, video, audio, and more.

Who Can Participate: Digital Commons @ CSUMB is organized according to “communities”, which includes academic and administrative units. Any academic department, center, institute, or program (and the faculty and staff therein) is eligible to contribute materials to Digital Commons @ CSUMB. Students who have completed a senior capstone or thesis are encouraged to submit their work to the repository. Other groups that do not fall under this definition will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Individual faculty are encouraged to deposit open-access versions of their work within the academic department with which they are affiliated. All content producers retain the copyright to their work.

Additionally, there may be circumstances in which individual faculty and staff have content that is aligned with the scope of content of Digital Commons @ CSUMB, such as digital versions of archival materials, but is not directly aligned with an academic department, center, institute, or program. In such instances, please contact digitalcommons@csumb.edu to explore the possibility of adding those materials.

Removal of Items: All objects included in Digital Commons @ CSUMB are intended to be retained permanently upon acceptance into the repository. The repository will not be used as a temporary storage facility for digital items.

Copyright holders (such as faculty authors) may request that items be removed from the IR at their discretion. All such requests are honored with the exception of work that is posted to the repository as part of a graduation requirement (e.g. thesis work). Requests from copyright holders for the removal of an item should be directed to digitalcommons@csumb.edu.

Disclaimer: The CSUMB Library reserves the right to accept or reject content posted to the institutional repository. All deposited works must have copyright clearance.

This policy is subject to change and will be updated by the library faculty as necessary. Major reviews of the policy will normally be scheduled every five years.

APPENDICES

• Appendix A - The CSUMB Library Mission Statement
  
• Appendix B - Libraries: An American Value (American Library Association)

Revised by CSUMB library faculty and staff; Approved by CSUMB library faculty:

• November 1998
• August 2002
  
• November 2003
  
• October 2007
  
• November 2010
  
• May 2017
  

[1] The CSUMB Library Mission, See Appendix A. The CSUMB Library’s new mission statement is currently pending approval. This section of the policy will be updated when the new mission statement is finalized.

[2] Ibid.

[3] “Libraries: An American Value,” adopted by the Council of the American Library Association, 1999, See Appendix B.