Purpose: To outline the goals, objectives, and scope of the Young Adult and Juvenile Collection.
Overview
I. Introduction
The Blake Library Collection Development Policy provides guidelines for acquiring materials collection-wide. The collection, as a whole, is primarily intended to support the curricula of UMFK programs. The Young Adult and Juvenile Collection addresses the needs of young adult and juvenile readers, and those students and faculty who endeavor to serve the young adult and juvenile population.
II. UMFK Community
A. Faculty: the Young Adult and Juvenile Collection provides secondary and elementary education faculty with resources for class preparation.
B. Students: education students use Young Adult and Juvenile materials to complete course work, as well as in preparation for student teaching.
C. St. John Valley Community: young adult and juvenile readers, parents, and educators benefit from the availability of these collections.
III. Priorities and Limitations
A. Duplication: the Library endeavors to avoid duplication of materials, except in cases of high demand.
B. Donations and Gifts: donations and gifts are always welcome by the Library staff, and will be accepted into the Young Adult and Juvenile Collection insofar as they are within its scope.
C. Controversial Material: the library adheres to the principles set forth in the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, particularly as they apply to censorship (Appendix I). Materials will not be refused on the basis of controversial content, but instead will be selected within the context of patrons’ needs and the collection’s parameters. The Library does not endorse the views of the material it holds, but allows patrons to determine the worthiness of those materials for their own particular usage.
IV. The Collection
A. Scope of the Collection
1. Subject Matter: Blake Library will actively collect Young Adult and Juvenile fiction and non-fiction materials on the basis of curriculum, awards, diversity, and recommendations from faculty, staff, and library literature.
2. Language: The Library will primarily collect English language materials, with some emphasis placed on French with regard to the Franco-American, Acadian and Canadian culture and in support of the French Education Program. Other languages may be considered for bilingual or diversity reasons.
3. Age Levels:
a) The Young Adult Collection will include materials suitable for ages 12 to 18 (grades 6 to 12) reading audience. Materials which deal with adolescent themes are well suited for this collection.
b) The Juvenile Collection will include materials suitable for ages 3 to 12 (grades PreK to 6).
c) Occasionally a book written for the upper level sixth grader may be placed in the Young Adult collection. Placement is at the discretion of the library staff.
4. Format: this collection will include book materials exclusively.
B. Administration: The Library is responsible for managing and collecting for the Young Adult and Juvenille collections with active participation from appropriate faculty members.
C. Budget: the Library does not have a separate budget for the Young Adult and Juvenile Collection. All purchases are made from the Library’s materials budget. See Addendum.
D. Circulation:
1. Juvenile Collection
a) Community Borrowers and Students: have a loan period of two weeks with a one week renewal.
b) Faculty and Staff: have a loan period of one semester with no renewals.
2. Young Adult Collection
a) Community Borrowers and Students: have a loan period of four weeks with a two week renewal.
b) Faculty and Staff: have a loan period of one semester with no renewals.
No materials in these categories may be requested online through URSUS. Other libraries may request these materials through interlibrary loan.