Definition and Guidelines

This collection development policy offers general instruction for the building of Moffett Library’s Curriculum Materials collection at Midwestern State University (MSU). It will serve as a guide in our attempt to achieve excellence in the choice of materials based on the curriculum of MSU’s West College of Education and the strengths and weaknesses of the existing collection. No policy of this type can be eternally fixed, because the library is in a constant state of change and growth. Moffett Library is responsible for developing this collection. Education faculty may offer advice and suggestions are welcomed and encouraged. The departmental liaison should stay in contact with the Collection Development Librarian to maintain awareness between the library and its academic community regarding their individual needs and issues.


Philosophy

  1. As a member of the state system of colleges and universities in Texas, MSU exists to provide the opportunity for higher education to the people of the state and to serve the intellectual and cultural needs of the area in which it is located. It is charged to provide a program of instruction “suitable to a university of higher learning, teaching the liberal arts and sciences of the first class.” To satisfy its responsibilities, MSU provides a variety of undergraduate and graduate studies.
  2. MSU is committed to the principle that its most significant role is to develop the skills, the mental capacity, and the intellectual curiosity of its students, so that their intellectual development will continue beyond their years of formal education. The basis for that development is the program of general education that provides the cornerstone for the student’s specialized study, as well as the foundation for a lifetime of intellectual growth.
  3. To be effective, the curriculum must respond to new as well as traditional needs. It must prepare the student for the future, while preserving the knowledge and values of the past.


Objectives

Moffett Library exists to support the total program of Midwestern State University. The development of the Curriculum Materials collection should reflect the development and needs of MSU. This collection should provide:

  1. The resources to serve the needs of the students, not only the basic materials, but also specialized resources for graduate and certification programs.
  2. The resources necessary for keeping faculty members abreast of current developments in education and aide them in making original contributions to their discipline in keeping with the purposes of MSU.
  3. Standard works and scholarly editions in attractive formats representing the culture and heritage of world civilizations.
  4. A wide variety of the better books currently being published in the fields of education and children’s literature, so that students will have the opportunity to gain a well-rounded reading experience.


Multiple Copies and Replacements

Generally, only one copy of an item shall be purchased, and the use of the Education Department’s budget to supply textbooks is discouraged. Multiple copies might be purchased, when the need for such copies can be demonstrated, subject to the approval of the Collection Development Librarian.


Gifts

Gifts provide many valuable additions to the collection. The acceptance of gifts will be governed by the following criteria.

  1. The library solicits and encourages gifts and donations of useful materials, or money to purchase them, provided they fit into the acquisitions policies, and provided that there are no restrictions attached.
  2. The library will not accept gifts with restrictions as to their disposition or location, except by express permission of the University Librarian.
  3. The library is free to dispose of any unneeded material, regardless of how it is acquired.

Policy Amended/Adapted for CML by Joseph C McNeely: March 2022