About Schewe Library: Collection Development

Policy Statement  
This policy outlines the method(s) by which Schewe Library selects, evaluates, and maintains its collections.  

Audience                
Schewe Library collects material to support the teaching, learning, research, and personal and professional development needs of Illinois College's students, faculty, and staff.  Schewe Library primarily collects material to support the academic endeavors of the college’s undergraduate and graduate students.  This population typically requires a mix of primary-and-secondary-authored works which support a program of mild-to-modest research intensity.  Schewe Library collects material for college faculty and staff on a patron-initiated basis. 

Selection & Evaluation               
To support Illinois College’s research community, Schewe Library collects a wide range of material, including monographs, secondary sources, databases, and audiovisual material. Schewe Library makes selection and acquisition decisions based on fulfillment of curricular need, quality of material, currency, and cost. Due to budget constraints and currency of materials, Schewe Library does not purchase course textbooks or other required course materials to add to the collection. Faculty are more than welcome to donate a personal copy to add to the collection or place on reserve in the library. Schewe Library seeks to build a collection that affirms the values of equity and diversity both in content of materials and authors of materials. 

Budget
Schewe Library's budget is approved within the College's budget request and approval process. The Library Director sets and oversees Schewe Library's collection development and acquisitions budgets.  

Gifts              
Schewe Library accepts select material donations.  See Schewe Library’s Gift & Donation Policy for details.

Deselection            
In order to enhance the value and relevance of its collections, Schewe Library routinely and periodically deselects physical materials and online subscriptions. Criteria for deselection includes:

• Usage.

• Currency.

• Physical condition.

• Alignment with curricular needs.

• The scope of the library’s collections.

• Available shelf space.

• Redundancy.

Deselection Procedures 
Library personnel work collaboratively to identify and prepare material for deselection. Materials are reviewed for eligibility for CARLI's Last Copy Program. 

Removal from Collection     
Schewe Library withdraws physically deselected material from the collection. Schewe Library owns deselected material until consigned or disposed of, and as per Illinois College's Disposal Policy and Procedure, “[Schewe Library is] prohibited from gifting or selling surplus materials directly to employees, students, other individuals or businesses." 

Book Challenge(s)          

In accordance with Illinois State Law and the American Library Association Library Bill of Rights, Schewe Library does not remove or restrict reading materials because of partisan or personal disapproval. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views contributing to their creation or reflected in the works themselves. It is the responsibility of libraries to give full meaning to the freedom to read by providing and ensuring access to books that enrich the quality and diversity of thought and expression. 

Book challenge(s) should be directed to the Library Director in writing and must include the following: 

Name of requestor, affiliation with Illinois College, date of request submission, material that is being challenged, reason for challenge, reason the respondent feels that the challenged item does not fit within the stated collection development policy of the Library, any other materials that the respondent feels should be included. The signature of the respondent is required. Submissions should be delivered to the Director of the Library directly, via campus mail, or via USPS. 

The Library Director will review your submission.