Hello there! This is the final requirement that I have submitted to my Instructor in the subject, Collection Management during college (2nd year). It's a collection acquisition policy statement of a special library which I named "SCC Seminary Library."
COLLECTION ACQUISITION POLICY STATEMENT OF SCC SEMINARY LIBRARY
I. INTRODUCTION
Collection acquisition is one of the major functions of the SCC Seminary Library and the goal of the Collection Acquisition Policy is to ensure the cost-effectiveness and quality of library materials and efficiency and up-to-datedness of acquisition of library resources through fair and accountable acquisition processes and decisions. We aim to provide effective and accurate information to our beloved patrons and through this policy statement, our Acquisition Department will be guided and enlightened about the right actions and procedures to be followed.
This specialized library acquires materials in various formats such as books, periodicals, maps, music, prints, photographs, recorded sounds, videos, electronic, etc. with great emphasis to religious studies, theological teachings, and other seminary aspects. The library strongly acquires collections about religious, moral, and ethical subjects except for politics and other irrelevant sciences.
We use different methods of acquisitions like Firm ordering, Exchange, Gift, and Purchase. The collection is shaped and guided by the Library's Collection Policy Statements to be able to provide the right materials to our users.
II. OBJECTIVES AND PURPOSES
· To acquire materials with relevance and emphasis on religion and theology as quickly
· To be able to provide fruitful and accurate materials for the educational and spiritual purposes of our patrons.
· To guide the processes and approaches of our acquisition.
· To keep work processes smooth and simple, in order to save time, money, and effort.
· To develop and maintain a friendly working environment with other library units and vendors.
III. PROCESSES INVOLVED
· Selection
· Request Processing
· Verification
· Ordering
· Reporting (Fiscal Management)
· Receiving orders
IV. POLICY STATEMENT
A. Funding and Audit
Ø The institution and its College of Theology annually provide capital funding to the SCC Seminary Library to be used for additions and embellishments to the collection and other needs of the library.
Ø All recommendations from the students, faculty, staff, and administrator for purchase, license or subscriptions must be approved by the body with the appropriate delegation and ensuring that funds are available.
Ø Annually audit lists of acquired or purchased materials are approved by the financial officer with the appropriate delegation and filed in the Library’s records management system.
Ø The good relationship or link between the Library management and the Library's financial management must be maintained.
B. Suppliers
Ø We select reliable and accountable suppliers to ensure the good quality of our library materials. We put our trust to our suppliers and manufacturers here in the Philippines such as the Philippine Christian Bookstore, Christian Literature Crusade, Inc., Cultural Center of the Philippines, Inc., Goodwill Bookstore, and many more.
Ø The Library will give preference to consolidating purchases through library suppliers, subscription agents, and specialist suppliers.
Ø We also acquire materials at National Bookstore
Ø Suppliers and Manufacturers must provide an accurate and legible range of services based on current standards.
Ø We evaluate and judge our suppliers annually with the aid of our criteria and standards to determine the strengths and weaknesses of their performance so we could eventually initiate further actions if we will still continue to subscribe or purchase materials from them.
C. Acquisition Procedures/Methods
Ø Private vendors or commercial dealers provide direct offers in our library.
Ø We also purchase materials from our trusted manufacturers. They send us their catalogs and lists of their available items.
Ø We accept gifts and donations in a legal and formal way. There’s a policy and set of standards on how we handle gifts and treat donations from potential donors.
Ø We accumulate and purchase materials authored or published by foreign individuals and corporate bodies in our trusted local dealers or vendors.
C1. Printed materials of Religious, Moral, and Ethical Studies
§ Purchases are concentrated on the subject matter the library focuses Standing orders are placed for many series when it is clear that every volume, or almost every volume, in the series will be appropriate to the collections and would otherwise be ordered individually.
C2. New editions
§ New editions must be acquired as soon as possible in order to avoid errors or not updated information and factual details.
§ The currency or the trendiness of the material must be considered to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.
C3. Hardbacks and paperbacks
§ The availability of both hardback and paperback of a title will come into final decision of acquiring only the hardback. The content of both versions are the same and identical, therefore we prefer to purchase the hardback.
C4. Pamphlets/Brochures
§ These materials are simply given for free by the government and non-government agencies. There are also private organizations and establishments that are so willing to donate copies of their pamphlets and brochures.
§ We often purchase pamphlets from direct sellers.
C5. Theses/Dissertations
§ A copy of a thesis from a graduating student of the college of theology is required to be sent to the library. We also ask for a copy of a dissertation from a post-graduate.
§ Unpublished theses are not normally purchased although donations may be accepted. Published versions of theses are considered in accordance with the normal criteria.
C6. Portraits and photographs
§ Works by particular photographers or dealer will be considered as long as the portraits and photographs have a strong significance to the subject matter the library focuses.
§ We purchase photographs that are in a high definition format.
§ The portraits and photographs must not contain or symbolize explicit contents or unethical and immoral ideas.
C7. Reference works in the main library
§ Reference materials such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, almanacs, directories, handbooks, bibliographies, and others are also acquired to supplement the learning and educational needs of the seminary or theology students. In areas covered by the library, only those reference works which are historical or biographical or which are appropriate to specialist readers (Theology students) are acquired.
C8. Periodicals
§ Periodicals containing facts or information about politics and government-related issues are strictly prohibited in SCC seminary library.
§ We acquire periodicals such as journals and magazines about religious, moral, and ethical studies.
§ Subscription policies and guidelines are strongly followed to ensure currency and good quality of periodicals.
§ Indexing and abstracting periodicals are basically acquired in electronic formats so that they can be accessed readily and quickly. If not available electronically, print versions are accumulated if they emphasize areas of research interest to the department it caters.
C9. Music
§ Printed sheets of religious songs and hymns of praises are claimed or purchased by the library from our trusted dealers.
§ Printed sheets are acquired based on the collection development policy of the library.
C10. Maps
§ The library also acquires maps for further geographic references. These materials aim to supplement the learning of the theology students and to assist the teaching or other tasks of the faculty and staff.
§ We purchase maps in tarpaulin format because it’s already the “in thing”.
§ Like any other materials in the library, we also follow what is being mandated in the collection policy in purchasing these materials.
C11. Non-print materials and other formats
C11a. Microforms (including microforms of manuscripts)
§ Microforms of printed works, provided by publishers, are accepted for purchase when this is the only possible way of accumulating the material. However, electronic resources and materials are mostly preferred because we are now coping up with the trends nowadays as mandated by the accreditors. Microform collections are not necessarily purchased if the original material is already accessible.
§ Microforms of manuscript collections, provided by the publishers, are accepted for purchase but are not necessarily accumulated if the original printed or electronic formats are already accessible in the library.
C11b. Audio and audio-visual material
§ The SCC Seminary Library does not enthusiastically collect materials issued in any of these formats, but we often purchase a few of these to supplement the educational learning of the theology students, researchers, and the faculty and staff of College of Theology.
§ We purchased both audio and visual media related to the subject matter the library covers such as paintings, charts, cassettes, and many more.
C12. RELIGION
§ The SCC Seminary Library is the religion-centered establishment and we acquired most subjects in this area, especially in the philosophy of religion, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism.
C12a. Philosophy of religion
§ This is an area of particular importance because it focuses more on the philosophies of different religions in the world. We acquire materials in different languages and dialects like English, Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilonggo, Latin, etc.
C12b. Oriental religions
§ We also acquire materials in different languages but lesser in European languages. Other religions are critically selected as what is stated in our collection policy statement.
C12c. Religions of America and Africa
§ Library materials with great emphasis on religions of America are purchased from our trusted dealers or vendors, and to a limited extent, in religions of Africa.
C12d. Atheism
§ Books about atheism are limitedly purchased. We acquire this kind of subject matter to understand and explain its concepts and background.
C12e. Judaism
§ Materials are acquired especially on the topics about its historical background, theological teachings, and other aspects. There’s a limited acquisition in terms of liturgical works.
C12f. Islam
§ Materials regarding Islam are acquired extensively on its history and theology.
C12g. Bible
§ New editions of bibles are accumulated and purchase extensively. We also accept and receive donations from the different religions we know such as the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) and the Roman Catholic Church.
§ Bibles written in some of the dialects here in the Philippines are also acquired for translation purposes.
C12h. Christianity
§ We mainly collect materials about Christianity, its history and theology.
C12i. Pastoral Theology
§ This subject is extensively covered for purchases because the materials have relevance to the students, faculty, and staff of the College of Theology.
C12j. Roman Catholic Church
§ Aside from Protestantism, we also acquire materials with emphasis to Roman Catholic Church to understand their religious concepts and other approaches.
C12k. Protestantism and Protestant Churches
§ We acquire materials extensively in these subjects.
