The mission of the JCC Library:
The JCC Library exists to empower members of the JCC community to succeed in their academic pursuits and personal aspirations. In an inclusive, comfortable environment, the library offers high quality resources and assistance from a supportive, student-centered staff. Instruction, both formal and informal, empowers our student patrons to think critically about information and to access it easily and ethically. (Adopted June 2024)
This collection development policy provides guidelines for establishing priorities for the selection of library materials and the criteria for withdrawal of materials from the collection.
The collecting decisions of the JCC Library are primarily the responsibility of the staff librarians. We welcome and value suggestions from faculty, staff, students and community members. The JCC Library provides resources that support the curriculum and instruction of the college and enhance the lives of our students by encouraging literacy skills, a life-long passion for the written word, and a continuing quest for knowledge. Librarians strive to provide a diverse and inclusive collection of authoritative materials that support varied opinions and topics on current and historical issues.
The JCC Library follows the tenets of the following statements from the American Library Association:
The JCC Library provides resources in print, audio-visual and electronic format.
Print collections: The print collections include the Main, Reference, Oversize, Young Adult and Juvenile Collections. Selection for these collections is done using professional library literature such as Choice and Booklist, as well as subject specific professional publications and catalogs. Additionally, the New York Times Book Review and New York Review of Books are sources for purchase ideas. Authoritative reviews by professionals in the fields of study are consulted.
The Library also has a Local History print collection which is meant to collect and inform about the local area of the North Country, Fort Drum, the Adirondacks and New York State. Additionally material written by faculty and staff, and relating to college events is also collected. Materials for this collection are found by reading local newspapers, catalogs, newsletters and keeping up with the work of local authors.
Audio-visual collections: The library collects videos, audio books and also provides electronic streaming media and image collections online. Faculty and staff recommendations for video purchases are highly valued for academic titles to support and enhance their instruction. Films on DVD are also collected to provide entertainment, particularly for the students in the residence hall.
Deselection: Selection and deselection are part of the collection development process. Materials that are physically damaged by use, dirty or missing pages will be deselected. Additionally, material that is incorrect, misleading or incomplete as judged by current knowledge may also be deselected. Material in obsolete formats (VHS, audio cassette, filmstrip, etc.) may be deselected. Nursing books that are over 5 years old are routinely deselected to follow accreditation standards of the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. Circulation reports are also used to deselect items that have seen little or no use over an extended period of time. Replacement of any deselected material will depend on current collection needs.
Electronic resources: The library provides a wide variety of electronic resources to support instruction and college curriculum, including databases and collections of electronic books. E-resources help provide equitable library materials to both brick-and-mortar and online students. Databases include articles, video, visual materials, reference materials and others, and focus on general and subject specific collections. Most e-resources are subscription based and available items are subject to change due to the vendor’s offerings. Changes in offerings through consortia agreements with SUNY, the New York State Library and Northern New York Library Network may influence the availability of specific resources. Additionally, subscriptions may be cancelled due to cost and/or low use.
Challenged resources: A campus or community member may have an objection to a specific resource the library makes available. The library will respond to the objection by following a specific process. The individual making the objection must submit a completed Library Resource Request for Reconsideration Form outlining the objection(s) to the resource. The Library Resource Request for Reconsideration Form is available at the Information & Services Desk. The form and the resource will be reviewed by a committee of librarians, students, and faculty members who have knowledge of the topic of the resource (i.e., a history faculty member if the item is a history book). The committee will make a recommendation on any actions related to the resource.
Reviewed:
5/30/24 Director of Library
6/26/24 Provost, Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs