Government Information Collection Development Policy
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Government Information Collection Development Policy
Library Mission Statement
The Henderson District Public Libraries seek to cultivate a literate community by providing every citizen free access to books and information resources, as well as state-of-the-art technology, that support work, school, and recreational activities.
Purpose
The purpose of Henderson District Public Libraries (HDPL) Government Documents Collection exists to serve the needs of the Henderson community as articulated in the mission statement above. In accordance with requirements defined in the Instructions to Depository Libraries, Guidelines for the Federal Depository Program, The Federal Depository Library Manual, and Nevada State Plan for Federal Depository Library Service, the information needs of Nevada residents and guests requesting Government information will be met.
Role
Henderson District Public Libraries is committed to providing free and unimpeded access to government information, both for its primary users and for every citizen. The library is accessible to persons with disabilities, as are the Government documents collections which are shelved in open stacks on the Library’s only floor. All tangible Government documents with the exception of certain reference titles, which are readily available online, circulate out of the library for the same period of time as books and materials from the general collections. Any registered cardholder with the Henderson District Public Libraries may borrow materials from the library free of charge. Any citizen with valid identification may apply for a library card and obtain access to Internet computers and obtain Government information. Mediated searching via library staff at the reference department is available during library hours.
Depository and Community Profile
The Henderson District Public Libraries received Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) status in 2001. It currently selects roughly 30% of the item numbers available to depository libraries. Selection is based on current and potential information needs of the community and library users. As the Federal Depository Library Program increases electronic access to government information, the Henderson District Public Libraries will do its best to provide access to electronic formats and monitor new developments. The tangible depository collection is currently housed at the Paseo Verde Library. The Paseo Verde Library is the only depository library in the Third Congressional District of Nevada. The depository library logo is posted at the Paseo Verde Library’s outside entrance, in several locations in the Government documents area, and on the library district’s website.
The patrons served by the Henderson District Public Libraries live primarily within the city limits of Henderson, Nevada’s second largest city. Henderson is the fastest growing city in the United States, having tripled its population since 1990, with growth continuing to increase. Historically, Henderson was an industrial town that developed out of the war effort in the forties. The contemporary city is primarily made up of planned communities that attract upper middle-class families relocating from all over the country. However, the heart of “old Henderson” retains a small-town atmosphere and residents have a strong sense of their heritage. The original townsite area, which was first intended to be only temporary housing, has deteriorated, and redevelopment efforts are underway. There is also a large area of subsidized housing inhabited by a low-income population. The homeless are a regular presence in the library, and a substantial sub-group of library patrons are those who turn to the library for solutions to a variety of social problems.
Subject Areas of the Depository Collection
Subject selection for the Henderson District Public Libraries Depository Program will be done in accordance with the needs of the Henderson community including residents, businesses, and governmental entities. Development of the collection will be done keeping in mind that there are two additional Federal Depositories within a reasonable distance and special care will be given to avoid excessive duplication of other local efforts.
Subject strengths of the collection include materials for recreation, maps of western states, and consumer related publications. It will strongly consider all items listed in “The Suggested Core Collection: Annotated for Small to Medium Public and Academic Libraries and for All Law Libraries”, and items marked “essential” in List of Classes of United States Government Publications Available for Selection by Depository Libraries.
Responsibility for Collection Management
Materials selection and management activities are coordinated by the Assistant Director and shared among trained library staff who shall discharge this obligation consistent with this policy, the library’s mission, and established procedures. Materials selection and management of the specific collections in each of our libraries is performed on the local level by the staff who work at each location and are familiar with their own patron needs.
Selection of item numbers and collection development for the Henderson District Public Libraries Federal Government Documents collection is the responsibility of an assigned Depository Coordinator, a full time MLS degreed reference librarian who works in conjunction with the reference department, library administration, and the acquisitions and bibliographic services department to maintain the collection. As appropriate, other librarians and staff may be consulted for subject and item recommendations. Final selection decisions are made by the Depository Coordinator.
Item number selections are reviewed annually during the FDLP update cycle. Deselection of item numbers is done at this time and also throughout the year as needed.
General Collection Priorities
The following considerations are applied to the selection of Federal Government materials.
- Henderson District Public Libraries selects all of the titles listed in the Basic Collection recommended by the Government Printing Office, Federal Depository Library Manual.
- Henderson District Public Libraries will strongly consider all items listed in “The Suggested Core Collection: Annotated for Small to Medium Public and Academic Libraries and for All Law Libraries”
- Henderson District Public Libraries will strongly consider all items marked “Essential” in the List of Classes of United States Government Publications Available for Selection by Depository Libraries , however, space considerations and local housing arrangements will be considered before adding an “Essential” title such as Congressional Hearings.
- Currency. Collection emphasis is on up-to-date and current information.
- A separate Spanish collection of Federal materials exists to provide materials for members of the Spanish-speaking community.
- Materials about Nevada and Nevada issues are given priority.
- Subject materials that support local needs and interests, such as known school assignments.
- Subject strengths of the collection include maps, recreational materials, current consumer information relating to health, finance, justice, labor, housing, and education, and western area maps. These areas of concentration reflect the needs of the surrounding community.
- Henderson District Public Libraries will avoid selecting CD-ROMs unless need warrants an exception.
- Collection will be done with the holdings of surrounding depositories in mind.
Exclusion of Materials
The following considerations are made when considering items for selection or deselection in the collection:
- Format – As a rule CDROMs are not selected unless need warrants an exception, due to the various software and hardware requirements. The Library can provide access to information in any format currently available, including, microform, electronic, and CDROM. Paper is the preferred.
- Availability -- Materials may be excluded because of availability elsewhere, in an effort to avoid excessive duplication among local depository libraries.
- Space Considerations – Materials such as microfilm and daily serials may excluded because of the limited physical space available for storing such materials.
General Selection Criteria
The following criteria are used to evaluate materials and items under consideration for inclusion in Henderson District Public Libraries collections (not in prioritized order):
- Artistic, literary, historic, and/or scientific merit
- Availability of shelf space
- Community requests and/or anticipated popular demand
- Practical usefulness
- Relationship to existing materials in collection
- Relative importance in comparison with other materials
- Availability of material elsewhere in the geographic area
- Currency of information
- Permanent significance.
- Level of subject representation in the collection.
- Relevance to collection priorities of other area libraries.
Selection Tools
The primary selection tool used for collection development is the current issue of the List of Classes of United States Government Publications Available for Selection by Depository Libraries. A copy marked with the current selections serves as the foundation for collection development decisions. In addition online tools, such as Wichita State’s Documents Data Miner, may be used to gather information about the current collection and other local depository collections.
The lists of core materials in the Basic Collection and The Suggested Core Collection: Annotated for Small to Medium Public and Academic Libraries and for All Law Libraries” were reviewed in 2005. If they are revised, these lists will be reviewed again.
In addition to these tools, input is welcomed from library employees and users alike.
Retrospective Sources
The Henderson District Public Libraries Depository Program does not emphasize adding retrospective materials primarily because of lack of space and demand. However, special attention is given to needs, offers, and community donations relating to Nevada resources that have historical value. Efforts are made to replace materials that have been lost or damaged through the regional Nevada depository.
Collection Evaluation
Evaluation is an important, ongoing element of collection development. Continual examination of the collection is necessary to affirm relevance to the library’s mission, and sufficiency in variety and number of titles. Evaluation is accomplished through both direct and indirect means. In-house and circulation usage statistics will be analyzed to determine the extent to which the collection meets patrons’ needs. Interlibrary loan requests and reserve requests are used to determine collection deficiencies. The primary source for collection evaluation of the Henderson District Public Libraries Depository Program is during FDLP’s annual selection cycle and on an ongoing basis. As indicated above, the basic and core lists defined in the Federal Depository Library Manual have been checked against selections and changes made. The lists will be reviewed again if revised.
Withdrawal and Weeding Policy
Weeding of the collection is done on an ongoing basis and as space limitations dictate. Withdrawals are identified according to GPO’s Instructions to Depository Libraries, Chapter 4: Maintenance. The Superseded List and its supplement are also used as one part of the weeding effort. Discretion is used in following the Superseded List however. For example, the newest and next to newest editions of high use titles are often retained.
Other considerations that may be used in discarding/weeding are (not in any order):
- Need for the information contained in the document.
- Currency of the information.
- Age.
- Apparent and expected use.
- Physical condition of the document.
- Availability of more current equivalent on the Internet.
- Historical value.
Discard procedures established by the regional are followed when withdrawals have been identified. These procedures are found Nevada State Plan for Federal Depository Library Service under the heading Deselection Procedure for Nevada’s Federal Depository Libraries.
Cataloging
All tangible items received by the Henderson District Public Libraries have been cataloged and records are available in the Library’s online catalog where users have access to holdings information to the piece level.
As the Federal Depository Library Program increases electronic access to government information, the Henderson District Public Libraries will do its best to provide access to electronic formats and monitor new developments.
Promotion
The Government Documents Department subscribes to promotion of the Government Documents collection and the Library’s depository status. Promotion of the Henderson District Public Libraries Depository Program collaborates with other Depositories to meet the goals for promotion found in The Nevada State Plan for Federal Depository Library Service. Locally, a number of techniques are used to inform users and the public of the availability of documents.
- Logo -- The depository library logo is displayed at the front entrance to the library.
- Promotional Materials – A number of brochures and bookmarks are freely available to the public that include information about how to find Government Information, as well as subject guides for popular topics such as Consumer Defense, and Top 10 Government Documents.
- Displays – A number of displays are featured throughout the year that make use of free brochures from Federal agencies.
- Special Collections – Small collections of Government documents are displayed outside the Regular documents area where they will be utilized more frequently. Examples are Government serials in the public magazine section, select Government titles in the adult Reference collection, and Spanish language materials in the Spanish language section.
- Website – The Documents Coordinator has put together and maintains a Government Information website that includes links to Federal, State, and Local information organized by topic.
- Public Training – The Documents Coordinator gives workshops to the public on popular topics such as Consumer Protection and Government research to the public on as needed basis.
- Staff Training --The Documents coordinator gives workshops to staff and colleagues on Government Research topics.
- Blogs and Email Notifications – The Documents coordinator maintains a blog relating to practical Government Information Tips that highlights Government Information resources, and updates it on a regular basis.
Assistance for Users
The assigned Depository Coordinator, a full time MLS degreed reference librarian who works in conjunction with the reference department, library administration, and the acquisitions and bibliographic services department is available to assist with staff and patron questions regarding government information. In addition, other full time MLS degreed librarians are able to assist with Government Information requests during normal library operating hours.
Approved by HDPL Board of Trustees
Colleen Bell February 21st, 2008
Board Chair Date