Collection Development Plan: Goals & Objectives

The primary goal of the Madigan Library Collection Development Plan is to provide guidance for the selection and maintenance of collections that support and enhance the curriculum and instructional programs of Penn College, as well as the general information needs of students, faculty, and staff who comprise the College’s community of lifelong learners.

This community possesses a broad range of interests and prior educational experiences.  Therefore, the library’s collection also includes a variety of general information resources in areas not covered by classroom instruction, but supportive of a learning environment.  Within the constraints of available funds, facilities, and staffing, the library will acquire and make available materials and media in a wide variety of formats.

FROM ALA GOALS (3/15/2023):  Care must be taken to acquire and provide materials that meet the educational, informational, and recreational needs of diverse communities.

This plan is designed to guide the systematic development and management of the Madigan Library’s collections of print, nonprint media, online, and electronic materials.  Its objectives are to:

• Assist librarians in selecting current, diverse, and balanced collections of materials to support the instructional, institutional, and individual needs of students, faculty and staff;
• Provide access to materials in appropriate formats consistent with the College’s fiscal resources;
• Serve distance learning students and faculty by providing access to materials in the most appropriate and cost-effective manner;
• Outline the rationale for the selection and de-selection of materials;
• Assist with both short- and long-term fiscal planning.