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Library Policies

student in plaid shirt talking in library

Animals

Only service animals are permitted in Brennan Library.

Unattended Minors

Children under the age of 15 must be accompanied by a guardian. Any guest under the age of 18 is not allowed access to the Brennan Library computers.

Public Computer Access

Adult guests in the library can use library computers by asking for a guest login at the front desk. Photo ID is required. Priority for computer use is first given to the Lasell community, and there is a two-hour time limit per day for guest computer logins. Guests cannot print at Brennan Library, but they can use the copy machine.

Noise in the Library

The first floor of the library is for collaborative study. Patrons can talk and work together, and short cell phone calls (generally under five minutes) are permitted on this floor.

The second floor of the library is for quieter study. Patrons should work independently and keep any talking to a lower volume. Cell phone calls of any length are not permitted on this floor. The group study rooms on the second floor are for collaborative study, but patrons should be respectful of those studying outside of the rooms (which are not soundproof) and refrain from playing loud music or videos.

Circulation Policies

For circulation policies, including loan periods and fine policies, please see the Borrowing page.

Archives Policies

For Winslow Archives’ policies, please see the Archives Policies page.

Collection Development Policy

Purpose of the Collection Development Policy

This collection development policy guides librarians as they make their selection decisions and provides transparency to Brennan Library patrons.

Library Patrons

When building the collection, the librarians consider the needs and interests of Lasell University students, faculty, and staff, as well as residents of Lasell Village and the staff and children at the Barn and Rockwell daycare centers. Although Brennan Library is a member of the Minuteman Library Network, the librarians do not consider the larger network of patrons when making decisions about the collections.

Librarians Responsible for Collections

Each librarian, except for the Library Director, is responsible for the selection and de-accessioning of specific sections of the collection. The Library Director oversees all collection development and maintenance and will take on a librarian’s responsibilities if needed.

Scope of Materials Selected

The library purchases print books, eBooks, DVDs, equipment, and items for the Library of Things. eBooks will be purchased if they are requested by faculty and a multiple-user license is available. However, general book buying is still in print books, as they are significantly less expensive.

Criteria for Selection

The librarians consult both faculty and curriculum when selecting materials for purchase. Books added to the collection should support course assignments or faculty and student research needs. Librarians also consider requests from faculty, students, staff, and residents of Lasell Village. The library also purchases a small number of popular fiction and non-fiction titles each year, and their selection is determined by student requests and recent circulation trends. The library purposefully seeks out marginalized voices during the selection process, ensuring that multiple voices and opinions are available on each topic.

Materials for Library-Use Only

The library has a very limited number of materials that are deemed for library-use only, mostly course materials and equipment on reserve. If a faculty member requests that a resource be non-circulating, the librarians will catalog it as a general reserve item, rather than a reference book.

Faculty-Published Materials

The library purchases all faculty-published materials, but librarians rely on faculty to notify them once their published book is made available for purchase.

Textbooks

As a rule, the library does not purchase textbooks. Librarians will put textbooks on loan from instructors on Reserve each semester. Additionally, the librarians will help faculty to select Open Educational Resources to replace textbooks as course material. If an instructor requests that the library purchase a book that otherwise meets the criteria for selection, the librarian will purchase it and place it on Reserve for the semester, before returning it to the circulating collection.

Accessioning

Librarians use Amazon and Baker & Taylor to purchase print materials. If neither vendor has a desired resource, then they will purchase directly from the publisher. Librarians will use the library’s existing eBook platforms, Ebsco and ProQuest, to purchase ebooks. Equipment will be purchased from Amazon when possible and directly from the vendor when not possible.

Duplicates

The library refrains from purchasing duplicate copies of a resource, unless it is explicitly requested by faculty. Librarians will consider these requests when purchasing.

Gifts and Donations

The library welcomes faculty to gift books that they have published to the library, if possible. Otherwise, the library does not accept book donations.

De-Accessioning

Due to the limited space for shelving at Brennan Library, the collection is evaluated for de-accession consistently. Librarians are responsible for the selection and de-accessioning of their assigned sections, and the collection is reviewed on a three-year cycle, with one-third of the collection under review each year. Librarians primarily perform collection maintenance over summer and winter breaks, to not interfere with patrons’ use of the collection. When choosing titles to de-accession, librarians consider if the book has circulated in the past three years, if the book is in good condition, and if the content is still relevant and current.