Collection Development Policy
Danville Area Community College’s mission is to provide quality, innovative, and accessible learning experiences to meet the lifelong academic, cultural and economic needs of our diverse communities and the world we share. The Library’s collection development policy is designed to support the academic programs in achieving that mission.
Materials are acquired to meet the resource needs of the College. In general, these needs reflect one or more of the following:
Selection is undertaken by librarians, who work with faculty and students to build a collection that reflects resource needs. In making selections, the library adheres to the principles outlined in the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights. Ultimate responsibility for selection rests with the Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs.
Anyone may recommend purchase of library materials, but the Library reserves the right to make all final decisions on purchases.
Challenged Materials
Implementation of the concept of academic freedom in the Library involves selection of materials that may be considered controversial by some individuals or groups. Reasons often cited for materials to be considered offensive may include profanity, divergent viewpoints, controversial authors, sexual explicitness, use of nonstandard English and dialects, violence and criminal acts. The acquisition of such materials does not imply approval or endorsement of their contents. These materials are acquired to support the curriculum and to represent different perspectives. The selection criteria must remain broad and flexible in order to provide a collection that supports the wide range of academic and technical programs and diverse backgrounds of the Library’s users. The Library endorses the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights, and the principles of that document are an integral part of this policy statement.
The Library does not add or withdraw materials that have been chosen or excluded on the basis of stated criteria at the request of any individual or group. Any individual or group questioning the appropriateness of materials in the collection should submit their concerns by means of the reconsideration form to the Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs.
Gifts
The library accepts gifts of donated materials on topics that support the current college curriculum and at a level suitable for the college’s degree and certificate programs. Materials that fall within the scope of the Library's collection development policy and that are not already held within the Library's collections are welcome.
Monetary gifts to benefit the Library may be arranged with the Danville Area Community College Foundation.
All gifts will be evaluated by a librarian using the same selection standards used for purchased materials. The Library reserves the right to use or dispose of donated materials in whatever way best benefits its collections and services; gifts may be added to the collection, donated to another academic institution, or discarded. Discarded items cannot be returned to the donor.
The Library will not be responsible for providing a monetary valuation statement to the donor for tax or other purposes, but will acknowledge receiving the gift. The acceptance of a gift that has been appraised by a third party in no way implies that the Library endorses the appraisal.
The Library will generally not accept the following:
Please contact the library about any potential donation in advance before delivering the materials. The Library may limit the number of items donated at a given time or may suggest another venue as a more suitable recipient.
Other organizations that may welcome donations which are not accepted by the DACC Library include public libraries, nursing homes and elder care centers, homeless and other group shelters, retirement homes, and prisons.