Heritage Marriage and Family Resource Center

Collection Development Policy Statement

Heritage Marriage and Family Resource Center

Collection Development Policy Statement

I. Purpose and Scope

Heritage Marriage and Family Resource Center is an area in the Overton Memorial Library that houses materials that promote healthy marriages and family relationships.  It is designed to work with community-based and faith-based agencies/organizations that share in the promotion of healthy marriages, responsible fatherhood and family stability.

The Heritage Marriage and Family Resource Center's principal aim is to provide community-based and faith-based agencies with current, diverse materials.  These materials can be used by counselors, coaches and/or mentors to assist them in their work in helping other achieve healthy marriages, responsible fatherhood, and family stability.

The Heritage Marriage and Family Resource Center key personnel work closely with personnel from the Alpha Center, a Christian counseling service, the Shoals Co-Parenting Alliance and the Shoals Healthy Marriage Coalition to select, compile and evaluate appropriate books, audiovisual materials and other resources that will be helpful to the counselors, coaches and/or mentors of community-based and faith-based agencies in Lauderdale County and surrounding area.

II. Period coverage

       Although there is no limitation in time, the contemporary period is stressed.

III. Date of Publications

       Currently published material is emphasized.  Earlier important work not represented in the collection is purchased on request.

IV. Languages

       In general, only English language materials are collected. Important works in other languages will be purchased upon request.

V. Types of Materials

       A. Monographs

               Monographs are primary to the collection.

       B. Serials/Series

               Serials are primary to the collection.

       C. Electronic Resources

               The library buys or subscribes to electronic indexes and full-text databases that offer research value.  Links to free websites are not actively collected together on the center's website although links to websites are included in guides produced by the library.

       D. Microforms

               Research collections in microforms are purchased when deemed relevant.

       E. Theses/Dissertations

               Dissertations are acquired on a highly selective basis.

       F. Audio/Visual

               Video and audio materials are acquired when relevant to the curriculum.

VI. Location of Materials Collection

       Materials are located in both the main library and the Heritage Marriage and Family Resource Center.

VII. Special Collections

       None specified.

VIII. Subject Areas and Collecting Levels

       Family                        Undergraduate Study

       Marriage                Undergraduate Study

       Fatherhood                Undergraduate Study

       Parenting                Undergraduate Study

       Divorce                Undergraduate Study

Guidelines for Material Deletion

       In the course of ongoing evaluation and interaction with the collection, the following items should be deleted from the Heritage Marriage and Family Resource Center:

* Items that are inappropriate to the mission of the Resource Center

* Items not relevant to the current mission of the Resource Center

* Materials recommended for deletion by the task force

* Works superseded or cumulated in more comprehensive publications

* Excess duplicates are weeded within five years of publication date, except in cases of continued high demand or where the library holds rare copies.

* Materials which cannot be repaired or rebound or for which the cost of preservation exceeds the usefulness of the information contained are weeded.

* Material that has not been used based in circulation and browsing statistics may be weeded after ten to fifteen years of inactivity.  The long-term usefulness of the work will determine whether lack of use is valid criteria for weeding. 

* Short broken runs of outdated periodicals

* Unsolicited or unwanted gifts.

Policy for Controversial Materials:

     Books, tapes and other materials of the library are provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of the people it serves.  It must provide materials and information presenting all points of view relating to the curriculum of the college.  Anyone who finds materials that are offensive to him may make a declaration in writing to the Librarian.  The written declaration will then be presented to the library committee and the Dean of the University and one of these decisions will be made by majority vote.

   1. Retain material and keep it on the shelf.

   2. Retain material and keep in private possession of librarian for specific studies.

   3. Discard.

Rules

The following general rules govern the use of the Heritage Marriage and Family Resource Center

Heritage Marriage and Family Resource Center is open during the hours that the Overton Memorial Library is open.

All materials must go through the check-out process before leaving the building.

Patrons desiring to check out materials must to obtain a patron card at the Circulation Desk of the Library. There is no cost for the card.

Materials may be checked out for two weeks and may be renewed for two more check-out periods if the materials are not requested by another patron.

A limit of seven items may be checked out on a patron's card at one time.

Patrons may not check out additional materials if they have overdue materials.

Smoking is prohibited on the Heritage Christian University campus.