Collection Development Policy Statement: Disability/Accessibility Materials
I. General Description of the Disability/Accessibility Collection and its
Users
The subject scope of this collection includes all issues of accessibility
as they relate to the disabled. Architecture, education, employment, recreation,
travel, transportation, aids and techniques for independent living, and legal
rights are all within the scope of this subject. No attempt is made to collect
literary works dealing with disability.
The primary group of users of this collection are students, RIT faculty and
staff, and the Rochester community.
II. Description of the Programs Served by the Collection
No particular curriculum is served by this collection. However, the programs
of the Department of Special Services and Learning Development Center that serves
the disabled students on campus rely heavily on this material. Specific courses
in Social Work, Environmental Design, Industrial Design, Industrial Engineering,
and School Psychology programs are also make use of this collection.
III. Subject and Language Modifiers
A. Geographic Limits
Geographic areas are limited primarily to the United States and Canada,
with the exception of travel-related information, which is international in
coverage.
B. Chronological Limits
The focus of this collection is on current, state-of-the-art resources,
services, equipment, and materials.
C. Language Limits
Emphasis is on English Language materials.
IV. Date of Publication
General emphasis for acquisition of new titles is on current publications
in all subject areas.
Acquisition/retention of material older than ten years is based upon importance
of the work to the discipline; usefulness for historical information/perspective;
extent of current publishing in the discipline; curriculum needs for new program
development; usage of existing material of same age; and physical condition
of the material. Retrospective acquisition of serials to meet new program needs
will be extremely selective and limited to the past five years. Document delivery
will be utilized instead to meet these needs whenever feasible.
V. Treatment of Subject Matter
A. Scholarly Works
Material covering the history, practice, and current research in disabilities
is collected in all subject areas.
B. Manuals of Practice
Emphasis is on advanced technologies of assistive devices and aids for disabilities.
A limited number of introductory and intermediate level works on aids and
assistive devices are also added to the collection for the use of students
and faculty.
C. Textbooks
Textbooks are not routinely acquired unless useful as general surveys or
handbooks for a particular area not otherwise represented.
D. Government Documents
Government publications are acquired when their content is appropriate to
the subject scope of the collection, but not maintained separately.
E. Multiple Copies
Multiple copies of monographic titles are acquired only when heavy use is
anticipated or demonstrated, at the curriculum-based request of a faculty
member, or if the items are available in special formats for the blind.
F. Pamphlets
A special pamphlet file of uncataloged materials on disability/accessibility
issues is maintained in the Office of the NTID/Special Services Librarian.
A list of subject headings for the pamphlet file is maintained and updated
when appropriate. Students and faculty may borrow the folders to make copies.
No formal check out is required.
VI. Cooperative Collection Development Arrangements
No contractual cooperative collection development agreements for this discipline
have been made between RIT Library and any other library. Informal exchange
among local librarians does exist.
However, with RIT's focus on technology, our collection is publicized in the
local area libraries, rehabilitation centers, and relevant non-profit agencies,
as being on the cutting edge with monographs emphasizing the advanced technological
assistive devices for people who are disabled.
Where faculty and student research needs fall outside the primarily undergraduate
curriculum-based scope of the onsite collection, access to this information
will be provided though traditional, as well as, commercial document delivery
services.
VII. Publication Formats
A. Microforms
Microfilm for the retention of back issues of serials is acquired whenever
possible.
B. Non-Print Materials
A small number of journals are acquired in special formats (such as phonograph
or Braille) for the visually impaired.
When monographs are available in a special format (such as phonograph or
Braille) for the blind, one copy is usually acquired in that format, as well
as, in the regularly published format.
The Office of Special Services provides the library with Textbooks on Tape.
These audiotapes are available in the Center for Visually Impaired.
Acquisition of traditional non-print materials such as: slides, videotapes,
video discs, films, sound recordings, slide/tape programs, is very selective
and made in consultation with the Media Resource Center Specialist, usually
at the request of a faculty member. Non-print materials are generally housed
in the Media Resource Center.
C. Software and CD-ROM
Indexing and abstracting services and other specialized sources will be
acquired in these formats where they meet subject collection criteria, as
well as, the Electronic Resources Policy criteria (in process).
VIII. Collection Maintenance
Continuous maintenance of the collection is carried out based upon systematic
evaluation of the collection in light of curriculum shifts, use statistics,
core bibliographies, physical space limitations and alternative availability
of information. Current periodical titles are reviewed annually prior to their
renewal. All other areas of the collection should be reviewed every three to
five years. The collection maintenance process includes weeding of materials
no longer relevant to curriculum needs, elimination of superfluous titles where
information is duplicated in more current or authoritative sources, and the
ordering of replacement copies of damaged/ heavily used items still relevant
to curriculum needs.
A. Weeding
- Duplicates Only Weeded
a. Monographs
At least one copy in good condition of standard and classic titles listed
in major general bibliographies and special subject lists should be retained
in the collection.
b. Serials
Only one copy of a serial is to be retained in the format of microfilm or
bound copy.
- Selective Weeding
a. Monographs
In general, materials should be reviewed every three to five years to
remove materials no longer relevant to the curriculum, older materials
where sufficient coverage is provided by more contemporary titles, and
multiple copies of materials where high use is no longer a factor.
b. Serials
- Indexing and Abstracting Services
Bibliographic control of the periodical literature of disabilities
overlaps all areas. There are no indexes devoted entirely to disabilities.
ERIC is currently the most comprehensive and should be retained indefinitely.
- Scholarly Publications
Long runs of key scholarly journals in all aspects of disabilities
that meet the criteria given in the introduction to this section should
be retained indefinitely. Priority for retention should be given to
titles accessible through indexing and abstracting services available
at RIT Library and titles not available in any other Rochester-area
library. Short runs and broken runs should be scrutinized more carefully
and retention decisions should be based on the collecting levels assigned
in SectionI X: Subject Divisions, usage statistics, importance of
title to the discipline and alternative availability.
- Trade Journals
Retention of trade journal should be carefully scrutinized. Those
that primarily provide timely information (industry news, new products,
market trends, etc..) should be discarded after a period of one to
five years. Those that include articles of more lasting value should
be considered for longer retention, particularly if they are accessible
through indexing and abstracting services available at RIT Library.
- Current Edition/Year Only Retained
a. Monographs
None (no monographs should be purchased that have only a value of one
year).
b. Serials
- Newsletters, calendars, other current awareness services providing
timely information about the events and activities of organizations
and institutions, employment opportunities.
- Membership directories of organizations. (Note: publication of these
directories may be sporadic due to funding. Older directories are kept
because there are no more recent editions published.)
- Periodicals on Phonodics (housed in the CVI room) should be dicarded
after 1 year.
B. Replacement of Materials
- Lost or Mutilated
Every effort should be made to replace lost or heavily mutilated titles
if they are judged to be of continuing relevance to the collection. When
mutilation is confined to a few pages, replacement copies of these pages
should be requested through the Information Delivery Service. (see RIT Library Bindery Policy : Monographs and RIT Library Bindery Policy:
Serials).
- Gifts
Gifts which duplicated existing holding should be used to upgrade the
condition of the collection by replacing worn circulating copies with
more sound gift copies.
C. Stacks Maintenance
The condition of items shelved should be monitored to ensure those in need
of repair and rebinding are attended to before they are irreparably damaged.
IX. Subject Divisions
| |
|
Support Level
(see Introduction for key) |
| Independent living issues and the disabled. Techniques and
adaptations for disabled home-makers. Information concerning housing and
home services for the disabled. |
HD7293
HV1551-1569
HV1790-1795
HV3023
TX147
|
C-2/D |
Legal rights and benefits for disabled persons. State and
federal legislation. Legal requirements handbooks. Service directories.
|
KF480
KF3738
HV1553-2551 |
C-2/D |
Sexuality and physical disability. Adjustment, family planning,
adoption issues.
|
HQ30-54
RD798 |
C-2/D |
Travel and transportation for the disabled. Guides to services.
Techniques for improving access to transportation.
|
D909
HV3022 |
C-2/D |
Aids and appliances for the disabled.
|
HV2480-3011 |
C-2/D |
Directories of equipment and materials to purchase or make.
Devices for independent living skills and increased mobility.
|
RD755 |
D |
| Recreation for the disabled. Museum access. Community and
leisure services. Adapted sports activities |
GV183
GV [by sport]
NA2545
|
C-2/D |
Clothing designed for the disabled.
|
TT648 |
C-2/D |
Employment and the disabled. Job-seeking skills. Workplace
accessibility. Adapted tools, equipment, and machinery.
|
HD7255-7256 |
C-2/D |
Environment design and accessibility for the disabled. Architectural
concerns. Designing for the disabled and adapting existing facilities.
|
NA2545 |
C-2/D |
| Learning Disabilities. |
RJ496
LC4704-LC4818
LB1134-LB1139 |
C-2/D |
[rev. 7/94]
Maintained by Sheila Smokey
| 
