Collection Development Policy

Specific Materials Selection, Retention, & Withdrawal Policies

The Bank Street College Library contains two distinct collections that reflect instructional programs for graduate education and for a preschool-grade 8 independent school curriculum. Within these broad adult and juvenile categories, there are special sub-collections. Some require additional consideration beyond the generic selection and retention criteria outlined in Section VIII. The following list contains, where needed, content descriptions and supplementary policy statements for these collections.

  • The Graduate School (Professional) Collection

    Circulating Monograph Collection
    General criteria apply.

    Reserve Collection
    Faculty members and librarians may identify specific titles of high immediate interest and need, particularly in relation to course reading assignments. These are temporarily placed in the reserve collection in the circulation area to be checked out for use in the library only. The reserve collection is reviewed annually; titles which are not currently of immediate interest and need are returned to the circulating monograph collection.

    Reference Collection
    Reference books are non-circulating titles that provide general information and a foundation for advanced research. They may be a serial publication or a single monograph. Due to their expense, generic criteria are rigorously applied to the selection of reference materials. Preference is for electronic format if cost allows.

    Periodicals and Serials
    Serial publications are issued in successive parts at intervals over a long period of time. These titles are reviewed annually during the renewal process. We are no longer purchasing new titles of reference serials or periodicals in print format. There are a few titles in the collection that we continue to receive in print due to the high cost of the equivalent electronic version. New journal titles must meet the generic criteria before purchasing with the added criteria of buying a publication (in electronic format) if it has been ordered frequently on inter-library loan, to meet the copyright requirements.

    Test Collection
    The Graduate School test collection consists of education assessments and test kits. The test collection materials are available for use by current GS students who are enrolled in EDUC 862, EDUC 893, TESOL 862, and GS faculty only. Collection decisions, including new purchases and deaccessioning, fall entirely within the Graduate School. The library provides housing for the collection, technical processing, and circulation services only.

    Independent Studies
    Graduate student independent studies that have been approved for electronic publication will be added to Bank Street’s open access institutional repository, Educate. The library is no longer accepting independent studies in print format. Older studies are being transferred to Educate and the print copies are being deaccessioned.

    Textbook Collection
    The textbook collection contains preschool, elementary and middle school text series, picture sets, kits, and games intended for classroom use in various curriculum areas: language arts, science, mathematics, and social studies. Selection is based exclusively on faculty requests and availability of funds.

    Electronic Book (Ebook) Collection
    The library subscribes to education related databases of electronic books. Ebooks are the preferred format and first choice for monograph purchases. If a book is not available in electronic format, a print copy will be purchased. There are cases where both an electronic and print version of a book are both purchased. Patron driven acquisitions (PDA) also account for library ebook purchases.

    Audiovisual Formats
    We are no longer purchasing videocassette, CD, or DVD materials unless it is required viewing and a streaming version does not exist.

  • The School for Children Collection

    The children’s collection provides resources to support the curriculum and recreational needs of students, teachers, parents, alumni, graduate students, and the staff of Bank Street College, and to assist in the development of information literacy of its constituents.

    General Circulating Monograph Collection
    Generic criteria apply. Special weight is given to the School for Children curriculum, and to the specific criterion of diversity.

    Reference Collection
    Generic criteria apply.

    Magazines
    An array of children’s magazines are kept in the children’s area and are permitted to circulate.

    Children’s Book Committee Collection
    This is an annual display that affords access to titles in the annual bibliography of the best in children’s books published during the preceding year. These books are on display for one year as a noncirculating collection before being donated by the Committee to the Library. The children’s librarian determines which titles shall be added to the circulating juvenile collection as gifts of the Committee, applying generic selection criteria. Additional copies are purchased as needed.

    The Claudia Lewis Children’s Literature Collection
    This is a retrospective collection of books for children from infancy through eighth grade. It is intended to convey an historical perspective on children’s book publishing in the United States. It includes material considered outstanding in quality, as determined by the judgment of librarians, as well as the reputation of the author or illustrator. Folklore and other titles that present a multicultural perspective are emphasized, as are books that deal with New York City and urban life. Irma Simonton Black Award honor books and winners are also included in the collection. Titles selected by the librarians are added to this collection through gifts, purchase, or during systematic weeding activities of the other juvenile collections.

    Spanish Language Collection
    The Library maintains a separate collection of print materials in Spanish for children from infancy through eighth grade. The books are purchased by the children’s librarian or are donated from the Center for Children’s Literature from the Best Spanish Language Picture Book Award submissions and winners.

    Databases
    The library subscribes to WorldBook Online. Future databases for children will be selected based on the application of the generic criteria.

    Ebooks
    Generic criteria apply. The ebook collection is purchased through Follett and available to current SFC students and parents. Current staff and graduate students can be added to the platform on request.