The ongoing mission of College of San Mateo Library is to provide equitable and welcoming access to Library information, services, and spaces; to strengthen and empower our college community; to foster a climate of inclusion, curiosity, and intellectual exploration that puts the needs of students first. (10/13/2021)
We acknowledge that CSM Library is located on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples who are the original inhabitants of the San Francisco Peninsula. Learn more about the Ramaytush Ohlone peoples.
The Library and Learning Services program of the College of San Mateo provides human and material resources to support and enhance the mission, vision, goals and values of the College of San Mateo. The Library serves as the heart of the institution where information resources in print and non-print formats are accessible to students, faculty, staff and the Peninsula Library System (PLS).
The purpose of this Collection Development Policy is to define the roles, procedures and responsibilities for the selection and de-selection of library materials.
The Library encourages the free exploration of ideas in the pursuit of knowledge and truth. We share the philosophy and principles of the following documents: The American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, Code of Ethics, and Libraries: an American Value. We also endorse and adhere to the Academic College and Research Libraries’ Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries. (See the appendix for text of these documents.)
Collection development of library materials is the professional responsibility of the Library Director and faculty librarians. The Library welcomes recommendations for the selection of library materials from faculty, staff, and students.
As subject experts, the teaching faculty is responsible for recommending current publications supportive of their teaching field, for recommending pertinent background materials, and for requesting the specific materials in which assigned readings will be required (excluding textbooks).
The responsibility for coordinating the selection and de-selection of materials and for making final decisions relating to the purchase and acquisition of library materials rests with the Library.
Faculty librarians serve as the custodians of library materials and are experts in collection development. Materials selected for the library support and are consistent with the Mission, Goals, Diversity and Value Statements of the College of San Mateo. Every attempt is made to develop a balanced collection that represents a diversity of viewpoints. Generally, the Library does not purchase textbooks. We encourage faculty to put copies of current textbooks on reserve.
Materials meeting one or more of the following criteria may be considered for acquisition for the reference or general collections:
Materials being considered for addition to the collection will normally be evaluated by the following criteria:
CSM Library is not accepting donations of books or other materials at this time.
De-selection is the withdrawing of damaged or obsolete materials from the Library's collections. De-selection or weeding is an integral part of collection development and maintenance.
Criteria for de-selection include:
Adopted December 2002
CSM Library is not accepting donations of books or other materials at this time.
The purpose of computer workstations in the College of San Mateo Library is to support the academic and instructional programs of CSM. Students directly working on course-related assignments and other library/research activities have first priority. To this end we ask that you limit non-academic use of library computers to non-busy times.
Everyone who uses a CSM Library computer is expected to adhere to the following guidelines: Respect Library priorities and guidelines for use of computer workstations.
All library users are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that is conducive to the maintenance of a quiet study atmosphere for others.
Please be respectful and mindful of others.
Talking on cell phones not allowed in the library. Please turn off cell phone ringer while visiting the library.
No food or drink allowed at computer stations or in library stacks.
May 2006
College of San Mateo Library’s instructional program is founded on the recommendations of the Association of College and Research Library’s Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education which define information literacy competency as: “a set of abilities requiring individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.”
This document enumerates several core components of information literacy competency, including the ability to:
We believe that information literacy competency is an essential prerequisite to both academic success and success beyond the classroom. Only those students who are information literate will be able to adapt to an increasingly complex and changing information environment and become lifelong learners. And while technologies for distributing and accessing information will continue to evolve, the underlying principles of information organization and access, and the competencies needed to locate, retrieve, and evaluate information, will remain unchanged.
The Library supports information literacy competency through the following instructional programs and services:
As a community college library, our patrons come from diverse backgrounds, differing widely in life experiences, familiarity with technology, physical abilities, and proximity to campus. We are committed to providing instruction to our patrons in the manner, place, and time that works best for them. Whenever possible, we seek to employ active learning strategies to increase engagement in the learning process. Rather than "handing" students answers to their questions, we try to teach them to find the answers on their own and to reflect critically on the process of information access and evaluation. Information literacy competency requires the application of critical thinking and communication skills, thereby fostering the development of students, employees, and citizens who are informed, independent, self-sufficient and self-directed lifelong learners. The Library encourages students, faculty, staff, and administrators to recognize the importance of information literacy competency and to work with us to foster an increased integration of information literacy skills into the academic and workforce preparation of all students. (03/2006)
College of San Mateo Library (CSM) is a participant in the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). As an FDLP participating library, CSM Library makes Federal Government information available to the general public via the Internet.
Online access to FDLP materials is made available under the following guidelines:
For access to the FDLP Electronic Collection, please visit the FDLP Desktop.
December 2005
As a participant in the U.S. Government's Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), College of San Mateo Library (CSM) offers the general public access to Government published information in print and electronic formats.
December 2005
The mission of College of San Mateo Library is to provide human, material, and technological resources to support the mission, goals, visions, and values of College of San Mateo. Our primary intent is to vigorously support, supplement, and complement the academic, workforce development, and lifelong learning goals of our teaching and learning community by providing on-site and remote access to information resources, appropriate study spaces, up-to-date resource access and sharing technologies, and student-centered information competency instruction that integrates and celebrates the diversity of our community.
(12/06/06)