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Collection Development Policy - Indianapolis

The Process

Collection development is a continuous process that consists of the selection of new materials and the weeding of materials that no longer raise the value of the collection. The entire collection should be reviewed, and weeded if necessary, once every five years at a minimum.

Levels of Collection

Developed by the Research Libraries Group, the RLG Conspectus describes the depth of each collection level. The Ivy Tech Community College – Central Indiana Libraries collects at the Basic Information Level and the Instruction Support Level, with adjustments made to reflect the associate level degrees Ivy Tech Community College offers.

Basic Information Level:

At the basic information level, a collection’s purpose is to introduce and define a subject. The collection also leads to information available elsewhere. The material is general and up-to-date. Materials included:

  • Dictionaries and encyclopedias
  • Selected editions of important works
  • Historical surveys
  • Bibliographies
  • Handbooks
  • A limited collection of major periodicals

Instructional Support Level:

At the instructional support level, a collection is adequate to support undergraduate instruction. Independent study may also be sustained. The collection is designed for associate degree level research purposes, and provides adequate knowledge of a subject for limited or generalized purposes. Materials included:

  • A wide range of basic monographs
  • A complete collections of works of more important writers
  • A selections from the works of secondary writers
  • A selection of representative journals
  • Reference tools and fundamental bibliographical materials 

Formats Collected

The library strives to provide a diverse collection of materials that offer students support in their studies and offer instructors support in their instruction. Collecting both physical and electronic resources is part of this diversity. The library collects the following formats:

  • Books
  • Periodicals
  • Databases
  • Electronic Hardware & Software
  • DVDs

 

Textbooks

Every attempt is made to have as many textbooks available as possible each semester for face to face classes; however, for various reasons, certain titles may not be acquired. Textbook purchases are determined by each campus.