Section VI - EPCC Libraries - Collection Development Protocols - Library Research Guides at El Paso Community College

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

General Criteria
- Appearance of title in important bibliographies, lists and recognized reviewing media with preference given to series and titles that appear on notable book lists or in core bibliographies, or that have been favorably reviewed in the professional review literature
- Authoritativeness of publisher or producer
- Importance of author
- Accuracy of information
- Significance of subject matter to college curriculum
- Size and adequacy of current collection in specific subject field
- Recency of work (current topics are given a high priority) and/or permanent value
- Scarcity of published materials on the subject
- Format (print, microform, audiovisual, electronic, etc.)
- Physical quality (binding, print, size, etc.)
- Presentation on community college students' reading and interest level
- Potential use of material by students, faculty or staff
- Duplication of information
- Price
- Availability of materials through inter-campus loan, Interlibrary Loan or at area libraries
- Available shelving/storage space
- Maintenance requirements
Additional Criteria - Children's Materials
Children's materials will include selections from lists of the well-known children's classics in literature and from lists of award-winning children's books such as the Newbery, Caldecott, Texas Bluebonnet, Coretta Scott King, Stonewall and the Pura Belpré award lists.
Additional Criteria - Periodicals
1. Periodicals selected for purchase should be indexed in one of the commercial indexes subscribed to by the Library. Exceptions may be made for periodicals judged important to curriculum supports which are not indexed in common sources, such as local publications relating to the business, news or culture of the El Paso area.
2. Other additional criteria include the number of periodicals received in the subject area, availability of back issues in non-print format (exceptions will be made for journals in the visual arts subject areas), frequency of updates and scarcity of materials in other formats.
3. Newspapers: The Library will maintain subscriptions to national, local and some foreign newspapers. The Library also maintains a number of subscriptions to various trade papers whose content relate to the curriculum of the college. Retention periods vary for newspapers depending on available space, importance of title, indexing in sources owned by the Library, availability of title in non-print format and access to the title elsewhere in the El Paso community.
Additional Criteria - Microforms
The Library may acquire microform materials for any of the below reasons:
- To replace print copy for preservation purposes
- To save storage space as in the case of back issues of periodicals, or for multi-volume titles required for the curriculum but used only occasionally
- To obtain titles only available in microform
Additional Criteria - Audiovisual Materials
1. Audiovisual materials such as videocassettes, audiocassettes, compact discs and DVD's will be selected to supplement and enhance lectures and course work. Audiovisual materials for classroom use are generally provided by campus Instructional Media Services departments which purchase, house and maintain their own separate collections.
2. Additional criteria for selection include technical and/or artistic quality, availability of closed-captioning (DVDs), compatibility with Library-owned equipment and contribution of uniqueness or significance by the presentation or content.
Additional Criteria - Electronic Databases, E-books and Online Services
1. It is preferable to ask for a trial of the proposed database or online service before making an acquisition decision.
2. Database decisions are district-wide so the range of subject should serve the widest possible primary customer base.
3. Additional criteria for selection include:
  - Authority and stability of producer
  - Currency of content and frequency of updates
  - Ease of use
  - Options for printing, saving, transmitting and manipulating search results
  - Archival options
  - Technical and/or artistic quality
  - Contribution of uniqueness or significance by the presentation, content, timeliness of content, improved functionality such as the ability to invoke linkages to local and/or related resources, improved resource sharing due to the ubiquity of digital resources
  - Technical compatibility with existing and future (where potential is known) Library-owned hardware/software
  - Accessibility from institutionally-supported computing platforms and networked environments, as well as remote accessibility based on current technical standards
  - Capability for networking
  - Response time for remote networked environments
  - Level of expertise necessary for installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, etc.
  - Depth and quality of documentation
  - Technical support
  - Licensing considerations and access fees
  - Copyright considerations
  - Availability of user statistics
4. Additional criteria for selection of e-books include:
  - Is the use of a specific e-book limited to a single user at a time, multiple users, or unlimited users?
  - Is simultaneous use permitted?
  - What are the Digital Rights Management restrictions on viewing, printing and downloading?
  - Are the e-books available from remote devices with the same limitations/permissions for access, viewing, printing and downloading as in the library?
  - Is the e-book dependent on a web-based interface?
  - Does the content expire after a certain period of time? Who determines this expiration period?
  - What devices or programs support the e-books’ format?
  - Are MARC records available for download?
  - Will publisher allow libraries to acquire and lend the e-books?
  - Is there an option for patron-driven acquisition?
Additional Criteria - Software
1. Microcomputer software programs that are compatible with existing and future (where potential is known) Library-owned hardware/software may be acquired as needed to run library-owned resources such as CDs, DVDs, the Internet, the online card catalog and other online databases.
2. Course software for specific E.P.C.C. classes will not be purchased by the library since the collection is meant to supplement the course material. Also, students and faculty wishing to load/install these materials onto the library computers will instead be referred to the campus computer labs.
3. Additional criteria for selection include ease of use, licensing considerations, technical support, technical quality, upgradability, stability of producer/distributor, depth and quality of documentation, and level of expertise necessary for installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, etc.
Additional Criteria - World Wide Web Links from the DW Library Web Site
Additional criteria for selection include
- Authority and stability of producer
- Stability of URL
- Open access (e.g. patron does not have to pay to access the site)
- Range of subject (should serve the widest possible primary customer base)
- Currency of content and frequency of updates
- Ease of use/navigation
- Technical and/or artistic quality
- Contribution of uniqueness or significance by the presentation, content, timeliness of content, improved functionality such as the ability to invoke linkages to related resources
- Technical compatibility with existing and future (where potential is known) Library-owned hardware/software (e.g., avoid sites that require an additional plug-in)
- Accessibility from institutionally-supported computer platforms and networked environments, based on current technical standards

EPCC Libraries - Collection Development Protocols: Section VI

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION