Guide to Library Policies

Our Mission and Values

Our Mission

Oesterle Library is a student-centered resource center focused on creating a diverse and responsive environment of access, creativity, and learning. We cultivate an ethically engaged and information savvy community by supporting open access to spaces and information, fostering the creative inquiry process, advancing teaching excellence, and cultivating diverse and responsive collections through intentional collaboration with the North Central College campus and surrounding communities.

We Value:

Access - Open access to information, privacy, transparency, and intellectual freedom to support the NCC community and student success.
Accessibility - Providing accessible virtual and physical spaces that are inclusive, diverse, respectful, and welcoming.
Learning - Lifelong learning, exploration, and curiosity through academic and intellectual growth.
Information - Accessible, diverse, and dynamic collections that support the research, teaching, and learning of the NCC community.
Community - Engagement with the NCC community and surrounding communities through collaborative programming, spaces, and resources.
Literacy - Fostering a community of information and media literate learners that are ethically engaged citizens.

General Information

The library adheres to the following professional guidelines:

Spaces

The Oesterle Library and resources are open to the North Central community, including faculty, staff, and students. NCC alumni and individuals from the surrounding communities are welcome to use our spaces and resources with some limitations. Users from I-Share libraries can check out items in the collection.

Room Scheduling

There are 10 study rooms and 2 sound dampening pods that can be reserved and used by NCC Undergraduate and Graduate students. It can be used by NCC Faculty and Staff if not in use or reserved.
There is one conference room (LIB130) that seats 8 at a table plus 6 on couches. This conference room can be reserved on the campus calendar by NCC faculty and staff. This room is available for use when not reserved.

Computers

There are two different kinds of computers available for use by NCC students, faculty, and staff in the library building.

A PC lab with 40 computers that is available when no class is in session. This lab can be reserved by faculty and staff using the campus IT system. Classes of 25 people and smaller are asked to use other labs on campus.
There are 14 Mac computers in the lobby on the main level of the Library. These computers are open for student use during the Library's open hours.
Find where to access software by computer lab location though Information Technology Services.

Lactation/Mother's Room

A Lactation Room is available on the lower level of the library. Ask at the service desk and library staff will unlock the private room for you.

Hours

See the Library's About page for current hours.
Closing procedures begin 20 minutes before stated closing times. At that time, materials to be checked out are to be brought to the Information Services Desk. Doors are locked promptly at stated closing times.

After-Hours Book Return

A drop box is located at the North entrance to the library. The box is emptied every morning that the library is open.

Beverages/Food/Smoking

Beverages: Only non-alcoholic beverages in containers with secure lids are permitted in the library.
Food is permitted in the library. Patrons are required to clean up after themselves.
Tobacco: The use of all tobacco products (cigarettes, e-cig, vape, pipe, etc.) is prohibited throughout campus.

Children

The Oesterle Library is designed with the NCC community as a focus, but we also welcome children when they are accompanied by a parent or other caregiver over 18 years of age. Responsibility and care for children in the library are the sole responsibility of the parent or caregiver accompanying the child. For the purposes of this policy, children are persons aged twelve and younger.

Printing

Printing is available for NCC students, staff, and faculty using library computers and Follow-Me-Printing or from personal devices via Web Printing.

Lost and Found

Articles found in the library are held at the Information Services Desk. Items of value are given to Campus Safety. At the end of each academic year, items still in Lost and Found will be donated.

Security

North Central College is a private institution. Oesterle Library is open to the public. In order to maintain an appropriate learning environment, persons engaging in disruptive behavior will be asked to leave the premises immediately. Noncompliance with College policies will result in removal from the premises.
If the alarm detection system sounds as you exit the building, please return to the Information Services Desk immediately. All bags/packages that set off the alarm detection system must be checked by a staff member on duty. Infractions will be referred for judicial or legal action.

Telephones

A campus telephone for use only by North Central College students, faculty, and staff is located on the South wall of the lobby. This telephone can be used for on-campus numbers by entering the last four digits of the number and for "911" calls. Length of calls on the campus telephone is limited to five minutes.

Access Services

Confidentiality

The College's privacy principles and policies follow the Family Educational Right and Privacy Act of 1974 and the Gramm Leach Bliley Act. These policies safeguard personal information about students, employees, and other members of the College community against such risks as theft, unauthorized access, destruction, misuse, modification, unauthorized disclosure, or other compromise of information. Moreover, Oesterle Library observes the American Library Association's guidelines on the "Confidentiality of Library Records." Circulation records and other records identifying the names of library patrons with specific materials are considered confidential and are not available, except pursuant to process, order, or subpoena.

North Central College, Courtesy Borrower, and Other Academic Library Patrons

North Central College Patrons: Members of the campus community may borrow materials from Oesterle Library upon presentation of their North Central College ID card.
Courtesy Borrower Patrons: Trustees, faculty and staff spouses, alumni, and individual public library patrons are eligible for personal Courtesy Borrower Cards if over the age of 18. Applications are available at the Information Services Desk. Patrons must present their personal Courtesy Borrower Card when borrowing materials.
Alumni must be on file with the Alumni Office in order to obtain a personal Courtesy Borrower Card. Public Library patrons must be over 18. hold a valid public library card, and pay an annual fee ($5.00 for Naperville Public Library patrons; $50.00 for patrons of other public libraries). Public library patrons under the age of 18 may apply for a personal Courtesy Borrower Card if they present a letter from their school librarian stating their special need for this service.
Patrons from Other Academic Libraries: North Central College is a member of two groups of academic libraries that extend borrowing privileges to each other's patrons; LIBRAS and I-Share. Patrons from these two library networks must present their own ID to borrow materials and be in the I-Share database.

Item Retrieval/Holds

Due to limited space and staff, items cannot be retrieved from the collection or held for patrons.

Cardinal Textbooks

The Cardinal Textbook Collection is a Reserve collection that is available for 2 hour increments and in-library use only. This collection contains most required print textbook in all 100 and 200 level courses at NCC and some textbooks for other levels as well. The Library accepts suggestions for purchase and donations for inclusion in this collection.

Renewals

Patrons may renew most Oesterle Library materials up to a maximum of three renewals. Faculty and Administrative Staff are allowed a maximum of six renewals. Media materials are not eligible for renewal. Patrons are encouraged to renew materials online using the "My Account" feature of CardinalCat. For assistance in renewing Oesterle Library materials, patrons may contact the Information Services Desk at 637-5700.
Renewals of non-I-Share interlibrary loan materials may be requested via the patron's Interlibrary Loan account or by contacting the Access Services Assistant by telephone (637-5705), or in person between the hours of 8:00am - 5:00pm, Monday through Friday.

Recalls

Materials recalled by library staff cannot be renewed. Patrons will be notified if an item needs to be returned before its original due date. Recalled items should be returned promptly to avoid overdue charges.

Receipts

Receipts for returned materials and for the payment of charges are available upon request at the Information Services Desk. Patrons are encouraged to request and to keep receipts to verify the return of materials and payment of charges.

Returns

Patrons may return to Oesterle Library any items borrowed through Oesterle Library, regardless of the owning library. As a courtesy, Oesterle Library will return materials to another Illinois library for patrons who borrowed the materials directly from that library. However, the patron retains all responsibility for all materials until they are received by the lending library.

Reserve Materials

Loan periods for reserve materials vary. Items with a loan period shorter than one day are for in-building use only.

Overdue Notices

Courtesy due date notices and overdue notices are issued via email. Failure to receive an overdue notice does not release the patrons from returning or renewing materials.

Fines

Fines are not charged for overdue materials, with the exception of:
- Recalled items - $1/day
- Hourly reserve materials - $1/hour
- Daily reserve materials - $3/day
Patrons will be billed for a lost item if it becomes 35 days overdue

Billing

Patrons are responsible for payment of any bills issued by Oesterle Library or the lending library for lost, damaged, or overdue materials.

Lost or Damaged Materials

If an Oesterle Library item is lost, the patron to whom it is charged will be billed for the cost of the item or the patron can replace it with a duplicate item in new condition. If an interlibrary loan material is lost, the patron will be billed by the lending library, according to that library's policies.

Refunds

Full or partial refunds are issued at the discretion of Oesterle Library.

Claimed Returned Materials

Materials that are deemed overdue by the library but claimed returned by the patron will be assessed on a case by case basis. The library will make all efforts to locate the item. If the item is not found after a reasonable search, the item will be deemed lost/missing and the patron will be responsible for paying for or replacing the item.

Suspension of Library Privileges

Patrons who owe a minimum of $25.00 in fines/fees to Oesterle Library will have their borrowing privileges suspended until such time as these fines/fees have been paid.
Oesterle Library items that are 29 days or more overdue will be declared "lost". At this time, the patron will be billed the replacement cost. In addition, the patron's borrowing privileges will be suspended until such time as the item has been returned or the replacement fees paid.

Academic Hold

At the end of each term, North Central College students who are graduating or who have not registered for the next term will have a hold placed on their academic record for the following reasons:
- Oesterle Library, Reserve, or Interlibrary Loan materials which have not been returned.
- Unpaid fees for lost Oesterle Library, Reserve, or Interlibrary Loan materials totaling $25 or more.
At the end of each term, North Central College students who have registered for the next term will have a hold placed on their academic record for the following reasons:
- Unpaid fees for lost Oesterle Library, Reserve, or Interlibrary Loan materials
- Unpaid Oesterle Library fees totaling $25 or more.
- Unpaid fees from other libraries.
When a hold has been placed on a student's academic record, the student may not register for classes, receive transcripts, or receive their diploma until the above condition is resolved.

Lending Times

The lending times, on average are:

NCC Students, NCC Support Staff, and Courtesy Borrowers
- books 28 days (max loan with renewals 112 days); media 14 day (max loan with renewals 28 days)
NCC Faculty and Administrative Staff
- books 28 days (max loan with renewals 196 days); media 14 day (max loan with renewals 28 days)

Items may be renewed for a total of 112 days.

Loan Periods

Patron Category	Circulating Collection	Reference Collection	Periodicals	Media Collection	Curriculum Collection	Reserve Materials
NCC Students	4 Weeks	n/a	n/a	2 Weeks	1 Week	2 Hours (May Vary)
NCC Faculty, Emeritus Faculty, NCC Staff, Staff Retirees, NCC Trustees, Faculty Spouses, Staff Spouses	4 Weeks	3 days	3 days	2 Weeks	1 Week	2 Hours (May Vary)
NCC Alumni & Former Students	4 Weeks (limit 3 items at a time)	n/a	n/a	2 Weeks	1 Week	n/a
Naperville & Public Library Patrons	4 Weeks (limit 3 items at a time)	n/a	n/a	2 Weeks (CDs Only)	n/a	n/a
I-Share Patrons	4 Weeks	n/a - 3 days (dependent on patron's status at home institution)	n/a - 3 days (dependent on patron's status at home institution)	2 Weeks	1 Week	n/a

Please note: All items borrowed by students must be returned by the Wednesday of Finals Week each term.
There are no renewals on Media Collection items.

Borrowing Materials from Other Libraries

Oesterle Library participates in reciprocal borrowing practices with other libraries and lending entities.

The library complies with the Copyright Law of the United States. Library services, including reserve materials, interlibrary loans, photocopying and acquisition services must comply with the U.S. copyright laws and principles.

Direct Loan Libraries

I-Share library members allow North Central College patrons to borrow materials in person may be found here. For further clarification of borrowing privileges, check with the Circulation and Reserves Assistant, 637-5711.

University of Chicago Libraries

Both Reference and Borrowing Cards to the University of Chicago Libraries are available for use by North Central College faculty and students. If you wish to utilize the resources provided there, you must first checkout a card here at Oesterle to take with you.
North Central College Student
- A student must sign in and out for a card from the Oesterle Library staff member on duty at the Information Services Desk.
- Only one student at a time may sign out the card.
- A student must return the card and either copies of the UC charge slips or an NCC borrower's form (giving the call number, titles, and due dates of any materials borrowed) to the Oesterle Library staff member on duty at the Information Services Desk within three days from the date on which the card was signed out. Failure to return the card and the form/slips within that time will result in a fine of $1 per day until the card and the forms/slips are returned. If the card or the forms/slips are not returned, the student will be fined $25
- Materials borrowed from the University of Chicago Libraries must be returned on time. Recalled items must be returned immediately. If the materials are not returned on time, students will be charged $1 per item per day plus the University of Chicago Libraries rate for overdue materials.
- Materials may be returned directly to the University of Chicago Libraries. As a courtesy, Oesterle Library will return materials through interlibrary loan. (Please allow at least 10 working days for receipt of an item). However, students will retain all responsibility for these materials until they are received and discharged by the University of Chicago Libraries, and students are responsible for any fines or charges incurred.
- If a student loses any University of Chicago Libraries material charged to them or fails to return items recalled, then they will be required to pay the replacement costs and their University of Chicago Libraries borrowing privileges will be revoked. NCC grades and transcripts will be held until all University of Chicago Libraries fees are paid.
North Central College Faculty
- Faculty must sign in and out for a card from the Oesterle Library staff member on duty at the Information Services Desk.
- A card may be reserved no more than seven days in advance.
- Faculty must return the card and either copies of the UC charge slips or an NCC borrower's form (giving the call number and titles of any materials borrowed) to the Oesterle Library staff member on duty at the Information Services Desk within five days from the date on which the card was signed out.
- Materials borrowed from the University of Chicago Libraries must be returned on time; recalled items must be returned immediately.
- Materials may be returned directly to the University of Chicago Libraries. As a courtesy, Oesterle Library will return materials through interlibrary loan (please allow at least 10 working days for receipt of an item). However, faculty will retain all responsibility for these materials until they are received and discharged by the University of Chicago Libraries.
- Faculty are responsible for any fines or charges incurred from the University of Chicago Libraries and will be billed accordingly.

Interlibrary Loan

Placing Interlibrary Loan Requests

Interlibrary loan requests for books may be placed online via I-Share. Interlibrary loan requests for books not available in I-Share and for articles may be placed by filling out the appropriate online request forms. Incomplete or inaccurate information on forms delays the processing of requests. Library staff members are available to help patrons in placing requests. Interlibrary loan requests are not accepted over the telephone or by email.

Books

Books may be borrowed from libraries that are members of I-Share by placing a request online. Books can also be borrowed from non-I-Share libraries by filling out the appropriate online request form. For more information, contact a library staff member. While every attempt will be made to obtain materials, each library has the right to deny filling a request. For example, most libraries will not lend rare or valuable items, or materials in high demand at their institution.

Articles

Copies of journal articles not in Oesterle Library's Periodicals Collection, including all print and online resources, may be requested by filling out the appropriate online request form.
Title 17, United States Code limits the annual number of copies or periodical articles that institutions may obtain. These limits apply to copies from recent issues (five years old or newer) of a periodical title which the borrowing library does not own. No more than five articles may be obtained from a single title, and no more than one article from a single issue. If a request puts the library over its legal limit for the title or issue from which material was requested, the Interlibrary Loan Assistant will attempt to obtain a copy of the article via other services which provide for copyright compliance. If staff are not able to obtain a copy that meets these requirements, the patron will be notified that the request cannot be filled.

Fines and Replacement Costs

Patrons borrowing materials from other institutions are responsible for payment of any overdue fines or replacement costs for lost or damaged items. Patrons are reminded that failure to return material on time may jeopardize future borrowing not only for themselves but for Oesterle Library as well.

Delivery Time and Fill Dates

Requests placed online via I-Share will stay in the system for 30 days, if they cannot be immediately filled. If patrons so choose, they can change this default at the time they place the request. Delivery time is dependent on availability of materials and the distance they must travel. Status of a request may be checked online by the patron.
Interlibrary loan requests submitted to the Oesterle Library Interlibrary Loan Assistant are processed on a "first-come, first-served" basis. The library attempts to process all requests within a 24-hour period, Monday through Friday. The library will keep trying to fill a request for 7 days. Because interlibrary loan turnaround time is dependent on the workloads of staff at other libraries, Oesterle Library cannot guarantee that materials will be received by any specific date.

When Materials are Received

Patrons may check on the status of I-Share requests by using the "My Account" feature of CardinalCat. To check status of non-I-Share requests, patrons can access their Interlibrary Loan accounts. Both of which are available on the My Accounts page of the library website.
An email message indicating specific items that have been received will be sent to the patron's NCC email account.
Email regarding requests for articles will contain a link to an electronic copy of the article.
Other materials must be picked up at Oesterle Library.
No materials will be mailed to patrons.
Materials not picked up within two weeks of receipt will be returned to the lending library.

Cancellations

I-Share requests can be canclled online using the "My Account" feature of CardinalCat. If patrons wish to cancel any other interlibrary loan order, they can access their Interlibrary Loan accounts. Both of which are available on the My Accounts page of the library website.

Direct Loans

In addition to requesting materials through interlibrary loan, patrons may also be eligible to borrow materials in person from selected institutions. Patrons are responsible for the return of these items and for all overdue fines or lost book fees as applied by the lending library.

Reserves

General Reserves Policies

Materials placed on reserve are located at the Information Services Desk in Oesterle Library. These materials are for the use of North Central College students, faculty, and staff only. A valid North Central College ID is required to use reserve materials.
Due to limited resources and staffing, the library staff cannot photocopy items for reserve use.
A reserve form (available at the library or online in the Services for Faculty section) must be completed listing all titles, and the number of copies of each, to be placed on reserve for each course. Materials will be processed and on reserve within 3 working days.
For personal materials placed on reserve by Faculty, they will be returned via campus mail no later than two weeks after the end of the term. Faculty who wish to make other arrangements for the return of their materials may contact the Circulation and Reserves Assistant at 630-637-5711.

Policies of Reserve Books

Single or multiple copies from the library's permanent collection
Personal copies (placed at owner's risk; the library suggests that, for security purposes, permission be given to security tape items)
Books may be placed on reserve for more than one term
Reprints and preprints are treated as books
Books that may not be placed on reserve:
- Books obtained through interlibrary loan (prohibited by the Interlibrary Loan Code)
- Books owned by another library

Policies of Reserve Photocopies (Copyright Revision Act of 1976)

Photocopies cannot be used as a substitute for purchase of anthologies, compilations, or collective works

All photocopies placed on reserve must have printed or typed on the first page the title, volume, date, and pages of the journal from which it is copied.
Photocopies that may be placed on reserve:
- One chapter from a book
- One article from a periodical or newspaper (multiple articles from the same issue must have copyright approval before they can be placed on reserve)
- One short essay or short poem per book or per periodical issue
- One chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon, or picture per book or per periodical issue.
Photocopies that may not be placed on reserve:
- Pages from copyrighted works intended to be "consumable" in the course of study or teaching, including workbooks, exercises, standardized tests, test booklets, and answer sheets
- Photocopied anthologies or course packs will not be accepted for reserve unless full copyright clearance has been obtained for each excerpted item by the compiler of the anthology or pack.
Number of copies of a single work that may be placed on reserve:
- Limit of one copy of a work for which copyright permission has not been secured
- Limit of three copies of a work for which copyright permission has been secured
Length of time on reserve:
- Photocopies are limited to one course for a period of one term unless the faculty member secures written permission from the publisher.
- Copies of the permission must be presented to the library before the photocopies can be placed on reserve for subsequent terms.
All photocopies must carry a notice that the material may be protected by copyright law. This stamp will be applied by the library.

Archives & Special Collections

Mission

The North Central College Archives & Special Collections collects, organizes, describes, preserves, and makes available research and reference materials on the history of North Central College, Shimer College, and the western Chicago suburbs after World War II. The Archives supports the College community's need for historical information and provides reference assistance to researchers from on and off campus.

Special Collections consists primarily of rare books and publications that hold long-term historical research potential for the North Central College academic programs. The collections support a broad range of research and teaching activities in the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

Use

Instruction and reference are available to individual researchers during the Archives open hours upon appointment. Appointments should be made with the Head of Archives and Special Collections. Course-specific instruction is also available and designed in conjunction with classroom faculty.

The preservation of materials is vital to the ongoing operations of the NCC Archives. The collections are housed in a secure, temperature-controlled environment. The Archives is a closed stack facility. All materials in both archival and special collections are non-circulating and must be used in the Archives reading room.

Further information about the archival collections, open hours, and contact information can be found on the NCC Archives website, specifically within the collection guides and the digital collections.

Individual items in Special Collections may be located by searching in CardinalSearch, Oesterle Library's catalog.

Information Literacy and Library Instruction

Find information on Information Literacy and Library Instruction, including contact information for your subject liaison and how to book library instruction sessions.

Information Resources and Services

Overview

The mission of North Central College Library Services is to provide resources and services to meet the College Community's information and instructional media needs and to assist members of that community in developing skills for lifelong learning. To support this mission, the library has a Collection Development Policy that is reviewed no less than every three years.
The information resources selection process is a cooperative endeavor. Responsibility for developing a relevant and balanced collection depends on the efforts of faculty, library liaisons, and students. Each librarian serves as a liaison to a department or division. Library liaisons assist faculty with the following library-related needs:

Collection development - selection and management of library materials in all formats.
Library instruction - subject-specific instruction sessions tailored to the course's needs.
Reference - online searches, specialized reference assistance, noteworthy additions to the collection.

Library liaisons accept book and media orders from the chairperson of each department or division to which they are liaison. Library liaisons also facilitate the selection of gift materials and the annual review of periodicals. For library assistance, faculty are encouraged to contact their library liaison.

Gifts to the Library

The library welcomes gifts of books or other materials that support the curriculum from members of the North Central College community. Please contact the Technical Services Coordinator at 630-637-5702 or email LTS@noctrl.edu regarding any possible donation.

Information Services Desk

Assistance in locating and using library resources or obtaining materials from other libraries is available at the Information Services Desk on the main floor of the library.
The Information Services Desk is staffed every hour that the library is open, and reference services staff are also "on call" for answering more in-depth reference questions.

Reference Questions

"Email a Librarian" is an electronic reference service which makes it possible for the NCC community to ask quick, factual reference questions via the Library website. The library will attempt to answer all questions submitted through "Email a Librarian" within a 24-hour period, Monday-Friday.
Patrons may call the Information Services Desk at 637-5700 for assistance.
Patrons with in-depth research questions are invited to stop by the Information Services Desk on the main level of the Oesterle Library and Learning Commons.

Website

North Central College Library Services website provides access to information resources in a variety of formats.
Most information resources are accessible from the website on and off campus, including CardinalCat, the library's online catalog of books, videos, and other materials; CardinalSearch, the library's one-stop connection to most databases; individual databases providing citations, abstracts, and full-text articles from newspapers, magazines, and scholarly journals.
The Library Services website also provides links to the Archives website, which includes information on archival collections, programs, and online exhibits.

Oesterle Library Collection Development Policy

Introduction

The purpose of Oesterle Library Collection is to actively support the educational programs of North Central College. The library's primary goals are to develop a collection that supports the current curriculum; meets departmental or program accreditation or re-accreditation requirements; and serves the college's information needs. The library also follows the collection requirements outlined by grant funding agencies and consortiums to which it belongs. The purpose of the Collection Development Policy is to provide guidelines for the selection of materials consistent with these goals.

The Collection Development Policy is written collaboratively by the Director of Library Services in consultation with librarians who serve as liaisons to academic departments and programs.

Selection Responsibility

The selection process is a cooperative endeavor. Responsibility for developing a relevant and balanced collection depends on the efforts of faculty, librarians, and students. Librarians use a variety of selection tools, including professional library literature, and welcome suggestions from faculty, staff, and students.

Funding

The college makes available funding for library materials during an annual budgeting cycle. The funds are allocated and spent at the discretion of the library director with assistance from the subject liaison librarians.

Copyright

Selection

The library supports the American Library Association's Bill of Rights, Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries, Freedom to Read, Freedom to View Statement, Statement on Challenged Materials, and Statement on Professional Ethics.

The library has the responsibility to develop collections that support the learning, teaching, research needs, and cultural interests of a diverse constituency. As an institution of higher learning, which encourages the contemplation of many different issues, the collections should have materials that express a variety of views, opinions, and perspectives on various topics. The acquisition of such materials does not imply approval or endorsement of their contents. No material will be excluded from the collection because of the race, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity, political or social viewpoint, or controversial nature of either the author or of the material.

Materials purchased by the library or donated to the library must meet the following criteria:

Intellectual Value

The library collects materials that originate from recognized authorities who have a command of a particular subject. Such individuals may be qualified through their education, experience, occupation, or affiliation. Material should demonstrate accuracy, quality, and depth of material appropriate for the subject.

Format and Condition

The library collects material in the format that is most economical, most suitable for the content of the information, most appropriate for retention, and best meets the demands of accessibility. As technology continuously changes, the ways in which information can be stored, acquired, maintained, and retained will also change. The library will review formats and acquire the ones most appropriate to its mission.

When a physical format is selected, new copies are preferred. Used copies will be considered on an item-by-item basis when they are the only option.

Languages

The library collects materials primarily in the English language. Exceptions may be made for materials needed for the Modern and Classical Languages curriculum and related interdisciplinary programs.

Scope

The library will add materials to the collection that pertain to subjects covered by the current undergraduate and graduate curriculum. The level of treatment for these materials will be commensurate with the level at which the subject is taught. At the discretion of the library, the library will acquire materials to support faculty research and program accreditation requirements.

The library also will add materials that support and maintain collection strengths, particularly those developed through cooperative collection development grants. In accordance with cooperative collection grant requirements, the library may be established as a last copy site for specific topics or disciplinary areas.

Timeliness

In general, materials added to the collection will contain information that is relevant and current within subject areas. When necessary to support the curriculum, the library will purchase retrospective materials that represent “classics” or the growth of thought in a discipline.

Duplicates

The library does not normally purchase or retain duplicate copies of a title. Requests for duplicate titles will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Exceptions to this policy are copies acquired for class reserves or textbook collections.

Reprints and Subsequent Editions

Collecting new and unique titles is generally preferred to acquiring different editions of items already in the collection. Newer editions of materials, however, may be purchased at the discretion of the subject liaisons.

Previous editions are retained only when they are important to the development of thought in a particular discipline. Previous editions that do not meet these criteria or that contain information that is obsolete or misleading to users are not retained.

Gifts

The library follows North Central College guidelines when accepting gifts for inclusion in the collection. The second guideline of the campus policy states, “A gift will not be accepted unless it will assist or enhance the College’s ability to fulfill its mission. All gifts accepted by North Central College will conform to federal and state statutes and regulations.”

The library welcomes donations of scholarly materials from North Central College students, faculty, staff, trustees, and alumni. Donations from outside the College community may only be accepted when there is a compelling curricular need and by prior approval of the Director of Library Services. No appraisal of materials may be provided by library staff, and donors must agree that the library may use or discard the materials in any way the library deems appropriate.

Textbooks

The library collects textbooks for the following purposes:

Primary and secondary school textbooks for the Curriculum Collection.
Textbooks recognized as "classics" in a field (with proven value outside of the classroom) or as the only source of information on a particular topic.
Items that are acquired with the intent to be placed on Reserve or in the Course Textbook Collection.

Board Games

The library collects board games, card games, and other tabletop games to encourage community building and connection through gaming. Games may be added to the collection if they have themes relevant to college curriculum, are critically-acclaimed or award winning, or represent the interests of the community.

Collection Management

Collection Assessment and Evaluation

Subject liaisons continuously assess the library’s collections in order to identify collection strengths and weaknesses and to ensure that the collection supports the library’s ongoing mission.

Inventory/shelf reading and physical assessment of materials is performed on an ongoing basis to ensure that the library’s catalog accurately reflects the library’s holdings. This assures easy access to local and Interlibrary Loan users.

Deselection

Deselection, or weeding, is an integral part of collection management. Materials may be deselected for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to materials that:

have not circulated in an appropriate duration of usefulness for the discipline
contain out-of-date, inaccurate, or obsolete information.
cover subjects no longer covered by the curriculum or which are not appropriate for a college collection.
are in too poor condition to be repaired in-house or easily rebound.
are in a format that cannot be easily viewed or read.
have been replaced by a more accessible format.

Disposition of Deselected Materials

The library will attempt to transfer deselected materials, including monographs that are the last held copy in Illinois, to an Illinois library following procedures established by CARLI.

All deselected materials that are not transferred to another library will be disposed of in the most efficient and economical manner available.

Collections

There are several separate and named collection within the Oesterle Library:

Circulating Collection.
Curriculum Collection - The collection houses K-12 textbooks and activity and resource materials needed by education students.
Juvenile Collection - A collection of children's and young adult books is maintained to support the teacher education programs offered by the Education Department.
Giere Audiovisual Collection.
Reference Collection.
Periodicals Collection.
Archives and Special Collections - The North Central College Archives is to collect, organize, describe, preserve and make available for research materials on the history of North Central College, Shimer College, and the western Chicago suburbs after World War II. The Archives supports the College community's need for historical information and provides reference assistance to researchers from on and off campus. We collect archival material, including documents, audio, video, photos, and artifacts, in both analog and digital formats. The Archives does not function as the repository for current College records.
Theses Collection.
Cardinal Textbooks – This is a Reserve collection available for 2 hour increments and in-library use only. Items that are included are print books that are required texts for North Central College classes. Exceptions include course packets and workbooks.
Tholin Chicagoana Collection - This reference collection consists of materials in many topics relating to the city of Chicago and is available for in library use only.

Electronic Resources

Purchasing decisions for electronic resources, take the following factors into consideration:

Cost - Electronic resources often have a recurring annual expense and cost is one of the most important factors when making a decision about electronic resources.
Access - Access is of paramount importance to purchasing electronic resources. Preferences are given to resources that allow multiple or unlimited simultaneous users.
Authentication – Resources must allow authentication for both on and off campus users.
Accessibility – Preference will be given to resources that meet standard accessibility practices as laid out in X and that adhere to the Universal Design for Learning Framework (UDL).