Marie ThemerLIS508LEAMary Munroe8 April 2014

Library of the Circus Conservatory of America Collection Development Policy

Background

The Circus Conservatory of America, located in Portland, Maine, is the first ever degree granting

circus college in the United States. Starting in 2015, students of the Circus Conservatory of

America will be able to earn a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Circus. Similar to an undergraduate

degree in theater, dance, or music, students of the Circus Conservatory of America will have to

complete 120 credits, 40 credits of general education and 80 credits of studio practice focused on

the technical and artistic development of their circus arts, to earn their Bachelors of Fine Arts in

Circus.

The mission of the Circus Conservatory of America is to provide the highest caliber artistic

education available in the United States to circus artists by offering a curriculum that provides

opportunities for Conservatory students to master a circus discipline, perform in professional-

level circus productions, serve as coaching artists in our communities, engage in the creative

process of writing and directing, and learn the business and production of circus.

1. Mission

The Library of the Circus Conservatory of America’s foremost objective is to acquire, preserve,

organize, and make available information on the circus arts throughout time and to develop an

academic collection that will both support and contribute to the educational mission of the Circus

Conservatory of America. The Library of the Circus Conservatory of America also strives to aid

and respond to the research needs of the greater circus community as a whole.

2. Purpose of the Policy

The Collection Development Policy of the Library of the Circus Conservatory of America,

approved by the Advisory Board of the Circus Conservatory of America, is one of the Library’s

fundamental policy documents. The purpose of this policy is to outline and articulate the

principles that create and shape the Library of the Circus Conservatory of America’s unique

collection, the practices that maintain it over time, and the guidelines that help the collection

respond to the evolving needs of the students, faculty, and staff of the Circus Conservatory of

America. The Collection Development Policy of the Library of the Circus Conservatory of

America is reviewed and updated every two years.

3. Community Served

The Library of the Circus Conservatory of America supports the Circus Conservatory of

America’s academic programs in the areas of undergraduate degree studies, performance and

artistic development research, and post degree preparation, as well as the teaching and scholarly

activity of the faculty. Secondarily, the Library of the Circus Conservatory of America serves as

a research facility for the greater circus community as a whole.

4. Scope of the Collection

The Library of the Circus Conservatory of America collects materials in a variety of popular

formats, which supports its function as a primary source of information for the communities it

serves. The Library of the Circus Conservatory of America collects materials that will aid and

enhance the general liberal arts education of students of the Circus Conservatory of America as

well as specialized circus materials that assist students in developing into intelligent, creative,

multi-disciplinary contemporary circus artists.

Materials collected by the Library of the Circus Conservatory of America include, but are not

limited to, books, rare and antique books, archival papers, periodicals, audio-visual materials,

posters, handbills, information about artists and companies, festival programs, and other

ephemera. Through its resources, both historical and current, the library strives to help aid

students in enhancing their artistic and professional development as well the development of

their general education.

5. Scope of the Online Collection

The Library of the Circus Conservatory of America strives to provide access to as many

resources as possible to our users. The online collection provides students and faculty access to a

variety of full-text databases, eBooks, music, and other downloadable streaming media,

specifically in, but not limited to, the disciplines of performing arts, business, and human

physiology.

6. Collection Assessment

Fulfilling the needs of the Library of the Circus Conservatory of America’s communities served

is of utmost importance. In order to evaluate the collection and to determine if the Library’s

collection is meeting the needs of its users, the Library of the Circus Conservatory of America

conducts in library use surveys, focus groups, interviews, and allows material requests from

faculty, staff, and students. Material request forms can be found in the Library of the Circus

Conservatory of America at the Reference Desk.

7. Responsibility for Selection

The authority and responsibility for the selection of library materials rests ultimately with the

Library Director. Under his/her direction, selection is delegated to the library staff. The Library

Director takes recommendations from faculty, staff, the Advisory Board of the Circus

Conservatory of America, and students into consideration when selecting materials for the

collection.

8. Selection Criteria

The Library Director and collection development staff use their training, knowledge, and

expertise along with the following general criteria to select materials, whether purchased or

donated, for the collection. An item need not meet all of these standards in order to be added to

the collection.

Relevance to academic interests and goals of the Circus Conservatory of America

Relevance to the existing collection’s strengths and weaknesses

Current or historical significance of the author or subject

Currency of information

Accuracy

Readability or ability to sustain interest

Uniqueness of information or research

Format and ease of use

Cost and availability

9. Collection Management

The Library of the Circus Conservatory of America’s collection is a living, evolving entity. As

new items are added, others are reviewed for their ongoing value to our users and are sometimes

withdrawn from the collection. Great care is taken to preserve or replace items that are of high

value to our users. The Library’s collection periodically undergoes review for deselection to

determine its appropriateness for current needs and to create space for new materials. Decisions

are influenced by patterns of use, duplication of materials, and condition of materials.

9.1 Responsibility for Collection Management

The final authority on what materials are withdrawn and weeded rests with the Library Director

and the Advisory Board for the Circus Conservatory of America. Implementation of weeding and

withdrawing is then delegated to library staff. The Library of the Circus Conservatory of

America disposes of materials that have been withdrawn according to the criteria for weeding

and withdrawal outlined below.

9.2 Criteria for Weeding and Withdrawal

The following criteria are used in selecting materials for withdrawal:

Damage or poor condition

Number of copies in the collection

Relevance to the academic needs and interests of the Circus Conservatory of America

Insufficient use

Accuracy and timeliness

10. Gifts

Gifts of books and other library materials will be accepted on the condition that the Library of

the Circus Conservatory of America may place, display, acknowledge, and dispose of such

material in whatever manner that the Library Director deems advisable.

Donations will be added to the collection at the discretion of the Library Director and collection

development staff. Those that are not added may be donated to more suitable collections within

other libraries.

Funds for the purchase of memorial books are accepted with the responsibility for selection

resting with the Library following consultation with the donor.

Gifts may be acknowledged with a letter or a bookplate at the discretion of the selector.

The Library does not evaluate the worth of gifts for tax purposes. Gifts above $5000 require an

appraisal from the donor. Any counts or itemizations are the donor’s responsibility.

11. Intellectual Freedom

The Library adheres to and endorses the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights,

Code of Ethics, and Freedom to Read statements. The Library seeks to provide materials and

information that supports intellectual freedom while presenting all points of view on current and

historical issues and protecting the patron’s right to confidentiality.

Individuals or groups wishing to challenge the inclusion of material in the library are asked to

follow the outlined procedure. While being evaluated, the material will remain on the shelf.

• 1. The complainant shall submit their complaint in writing and include the following

information: name, contact information, title and author of resource, and nature of

concern. This request should be submitted to the Library Director.

• 2. A committee of librarians and faculty members will review the complaint and the

materials in question, and make a recommendation to retain or withdraw the item.

• 3. The complainant will receive a written response.