Library of the Circus Conservatory of America Collection Development Policy

Marie Themer
LIS508LEA
Mary Munroe
8 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.

Library of the Circus Conservatory of America Collection Development Policy

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