Subject Collection Development Guidelines

Subject Collection Development Policy

JMU Libraries supports James Madison University's doctoral program in Strategic Leadership with a collection that facilitates upper graduate-level instruction and research.  The program offers three diverse concentrations:  Educational (K-12) Leadership, Higher Education, and Nonprofit and Community Leadership.  The program is by definition interdisciplinary, and draws on faculty from Social Work, Education, and Business. In terms of subject content, the Leadership Studies collection has considerable overlap with education, social work, and business collections, and with political science specifically in the area of nonprofit studies.  As a result, collection development to support Leadership Studies should focus on acquiring materials in this areas at the Research Level to support the more rigorous graduate level curriculum and research needs.  Acquisitions and collection management Leadership Studies materials also support the library-wide mission of fostering environments that allow users to connect with ideas and information. The Strategic Leadership program began in 2010; as a new program, its needs and curriculum are still evolving.

Collection Areas

Guidelines

Materials are considered for their subject area, curriculum relevance, authoritativeness, currency, and price. User requests and appropriateness for the entire collection are also key criteria for consideration.

• Primary emphasis is on current materials.
• Primary formats are print and electronic. Other formats are purchased selectively to support the curriculum. When deciding between print and electronic resource of comparable scope and information type, preference is given for electronic materials that facilitate accessibility. Electronic formats are preferred for Leadership Studies reference resources and periodical collections.
• Materials are acquired primarily from the United States.
• English-language materials are purchased almost exclusively.

Responsibilities

The responsibility of acquiring and managing Leadership Studies collections primarily resides with the subject/liaison librarian(s) for that area. Liaison librarian(s) are expected to keep apprised of developments in the department and the field, and to work with departmental faculty to meet their instructional, research, and resource needs. Collection management activities are monitored and administered by JMU Libraries' Collection Development Committee, with expenditures authorized by the Dean of Libraries.

Updated April 2, 2012 by Reba Leiding.

Return to Subject Collection Development Policies