The Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library supports the teaching and scholarship mission of Fitchburg State University by providing a dynamic and collaborative learning space, both physically and virtually. Actively developing, maintaining, and creating accessible collections with evolving services is essential to this mission. Fitchburg State University is an undergraduate institution offering more than 50 undergraduate programs, more than 40 master's degree programs, CAGS programs and post- baccalaureate graduate certificate programs in fifteen academic departments. The Graduate and Continuing Education Division provide courses from the undergraduate and graduate programs. The Distance Learning program provides for the undergraduate, graduate and CAGS courses and programs offered online. The Extended Campus programs provide for the graduate and CAGS courses and programs offered at off campus locations.
The library adheres to copyright policies and best practices, and purchases materials as appropriate. This collection development policy was developed and written to establish formal guidelines in the selection of materials for the Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library. The focus of the policy is to provide consistency, accountability, and a rationale for the librarians to use in making decisions for the development of the library’s collections. Each librarian is assigned several departments with which to liaison, and materials and resources are selected to meet the needs of the subjects taught in those departments. In this liaison relationship, the primary function is to secure input and feedback in the selection of materials. The secondary functions are to assist the librarians in anticipating new courses; keeping the faculty informed of new publications and recent research tools; and in general, acting as a trouble shooter for the faculty in library matters.
Library of Congress classification schedules are used to assist in correlating holdings, selection and management.
Each of the academic departments and the graduate programs are assigned a specific level of desirability for holdings. This level is based on the collection development guidelines developed by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions Section on Acquisition and Collection Development, 2001.
Develop high quality, relevant and balanced collections to support and strengthen teaching and research.
Plan and implement a systematic program to define the needs of the university community and selecting the material to meet these needs.
Implement collection management policies to build and maintain print, electronic and media resources to develop balanced collections that meet new demands and evolving technologies.
Evaluate the collections to determine the relevancy of all items in the collections.
The general purpose of this Library is to make available material and resources that support the goals and objectives of Fitchburg State University, recognizing that our primary clients are the students in the undergraduate and graduate programs.
The Dean of the Library is responsible for managing the library and ultimately the material that is added to the collection. Each librarian is responsible for selecting materials for their liaison departments. All requests for material should be channeled to the appropriate librarian, no matter who initiated the request. It is the responsibility of each librarian to select standard or appropriate titles. Additionally, the librarians meet as a committee once a year to decide on the selection of certain materials including databases, standing orders, and periodicals; a majority vote rules on a title.
Each Librarian is responsible for developing and maintaining a liaison relationship with their assigned academic departments. It is recommended that each department in turn designate one of their faculty members as their liaison. In the absence of a department liaison the librarian works with the academic department’s Chair. We follow the ACRL Guidelines of Liaison Work in Managing Collections and Services (RUSA 2010).
The Collection Development Policy also recognizes and adopts the Guidelines of the Resources and Technical Services Division of the American Library Association. The librarians in conjunction with the library director decide the levels of collection for each of the academic departments.
The librarians and library staff adhere to the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights and the statement on Intellectual Freedom.