Collection Development

Collection Development Policy 
 

Scope and Purpose 
The NECC Library provides access to and manages collections in support of student research and faculty teaching needs. This policy establishes the purposes and procedures of collection development. 
  
Collection Development Goals 
The goal of collection development is to provide resources that support the curricular needs of NECC students and faculty, with a secondary goal to make available materials that reflect the general interests of the entire College community. 
 
Guiding Principles 
When selecting materials, the NECC Library is committed to the intellectual freedom principles found in the following documents of the American Library Association: 
 
Library Bill of Rights 
Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries 
The Freedom to Read Statement 
 
Consistent with these principles, acquired materials: 

• Will “transcend the personal values of the selector”
• Will represent a “variety of perspectives on subjects that may be considered controversial” 
• Will not be “excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation”
• Will present “all points of view on current and historical issues”
• Will not be “proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval”
• Will not be “excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation” 

 
Consortia and Cooperative Agreements 
The NECC Library enhances access to collections through its relationship with the following entities: 

• Boston Public Library (Library for the Commonwealth)
• Digital Commonwealth
• Fenway Library Organization (FLO)
• Higher Education Libraries of Massachusetts (HELM)
• Lyrasis
• Massachusetts Commonwealth Consortium of Libraries in Public Higher Education Institutions (MCCLPHEI)
• Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC)

Massachusetts Library System (MLS) 
The library relies on HELM and the MBLC-funded Commonwealth Catalog for resource sharing; the MLS interlibrary loan service and delivery service; and the Boston Public Library’s document delivery service. The library’s access to many electronic resources is made possible through FLO, Lyrasis, MCCLPHEI, and MBLC/MLS. The library contributes unique content to the Digital Commonwealth. 
 
Selection and Deselection Responsibility 
The primary responsibility for the selection of materials in all formats rests with the librarians who seek input from teaching faculty. Librarians will try to anticipate faculty and student requirements and acquire applicable materials. Faculty are strongly encouraged to make suggestions. Student suggestions will be considered.  
 
The responsibility for the deselection of materials in all formats also rests with the librarians. Librarians regularly evaluate materials for deselection to maintain a robust, “just in time” collection that reflects the College’s current needs. Materials may be withdrawn or resources discontinued for one or more reasons: physical condition, duplication, currency, relevance, no or low use, budgetary constraints, and availability in other formats or through the Library’s resource sharing arrangements. Librarians will try to anticipate faculty and student requirements and needs and seek input when deselecting materials. 
 
Faculty Recommendations and Requests 
All faculty recommendations will be reviewed by the appropriate librarian and collection needs assessed according to: 

• the amount of material already held by the library in the discipline area;
• the cost of the material;
• the anticipated use of the material. 

 
General Purchasing Considerations 
The NECC Library acquires materials in a range of formats, subject to the following general considerations and consistent with the intellectual freedom principles described above: 
The Library purchases materials that support the current curriculum. 
The Library strives to purchase materials that are accessible to all users.  
The Library avoids the purchase of duplicate content, except where multiple copies or content in multiple formats is warranted by curricular needs.  
 
Databases 
Databases are selected by librarians based on curricular needs, ease of use, accessibility, cost, usage data, and technical considerations. License agreements for electronic resources should provide for maximum access, including from off-campus, and respect user privacy. Teaching faculty may request trials of new databases through the appropriate liaison librarian. Where possible, the Library will work with consortial partners to negotiate costs and provide access.  
 
Journals 
The preferred format for journals is electronic. Subscriptions to bundled packages of titles are prioritized over single titles. The Library supports open access and works to incorporate collections of quality open access journals into its collections. Print magazine collections for leisure reading are maintained at both campus libraries.  
 
Books 
The preferred format for books differs by academic discipline. Every effort is made to purchase eBooks with as few restrictions on use as possible (for example, multi-user licenses and DRM-free titles). The Library incorporates collections of quality open access eBooks into its collections. Electronic is the preferred format for reference books in all disciplines. Priority is given to English language materials, except for some materials in Spanish that support curricular needs. 
 
Streaming Media 
Subscriptions to streaming media collections are prioritized over the licensing of individual titles. Licensing of individual titles will be considered in consultation with faculty; licensing decisions will be based on the timeframe for anticipated usage, cost, and availability of similar content in subscribed collections. The Library does not purchase DVDs or other physical media. 
 
Textbooks 
The NECC Library does not generally purchase textbooks used in the College’s courses; however, general works used in the curriculum, such as works of literature, are regularly acquired due to their broad application across disciplines. Teaching faculty may choose to place personal copies of textbooks in the course reserves collection. Where the library, in consultation with teaching faculty, does decide to purchase a textbook, the preferred format is electronic and priority is placed on acquiring materials for 100-level courses with multiple sections offered. Librarians will also work with faculty in identifying open educational resources, open access materials, or previously licensed content to support course needs. 
 
Donations 
The NECC Library does not accept general donations of books or other library materials due to space and processing limitations. However, faculty, staff, students, and alumni are encouraged to donate single copies of their own authored books. In most cases, these donations will be cataloged and held in the College archives.   
 
College Archives 

The Library serves as the College’s archives and maintains and provides access to permanent College records, such as All College Assembly minutes, Board of Trustees minutes, accreditation reports, and College histories. 
 
Challenged Materials 

When selecting materials, the NECC Library is committed to the intellectual freedom principles found in the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries, and The Freedom to Read Statement. The Library will not exclude or deselect materials “because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.”  
 
The Library understands that authors and creators may, intentionally or inadvertently, misstate facts, reach erroneous conclusions, or make claims that may, in fact or in perception, be hurtful to individuals or mislead future researchers astray. The appearance of a resource in the Library’s collection does not mean that the Library advocates or endorses the ideas found in the resource. The mission of the Library is not to verify or validate the contents of all the resources it acquires, but to make resources available for review, rebuttal, substantiation, support or further inquiry, as well as correct known errors issued by publishers. Claims and counterclaims are the essence of what is protected as intellectual and academic freedom, and the Library has no role in mediating these interchanges. The Library’s policy is that materials once acquired stand as published. Resources will only be removed as described above under selection and deselection responsibility. 
 
Updated: 1/9/2025