Policies

Collection Development

Selection

The selection of materials is the responsibility of the professional librarians of Mantor Library, with input from the faculty of the College of Education, Health and Rehabilitation.

Organization

The Center book collections will be cataloged in URSUS using the Dewey Decimal system. Non-print collections will be classified in a manner that facilitates easy shelving and retrieval.

Deselection

Curriculum materials will be deselected using the guidelines provided in the general collection development policy of Mantor Library.

Collection Descriptions

Children’s Literature

This collection includes titles and formats appropriate for birth through age twelve. Our focus is on building a diverse, high quality collection.

Non-Print Educational Materials

This collection will include instructional games, kits, models, science materials, flannel and story boards, and miscellaneous items such as puppets, manipulatives, puzzles, and other materials selected by the librarian in consultation with education faculty.

Assistive Devices

The collection includes alternative communication devices, computer access devices, switches and switch-activated toys, as well as items designed to assist with sensory stimulation, position, movement, and the development of life skills.

Professional Resources

Curriculum guides, lesson planning resources, assessment materials, and instructional kits. The collection also includes a selection of professional development literature.

Gifts

The Spenciner Curriculum Materials Center encourages and welcomes gifts from University of Maine at Farmington affiliates and the general public that contribute to the learning, teaching, and research goals of the University.

Gifts may be made to the center through financial contributions to assist in the acquisition of materials or equipment and/or to further expand service to the center’s users. Monetary donations are subject to the approval of the library director and the University of Maine System Board of Trustees. Persons wishing to discuss a monetary contribution to Spenciner Curriculum Materials Center should contact the library director.

The center appreciates donations of materials that complement the current collection and/or support the University of Maine at Farmington’s curriculum. To donate books or other materials to the center’s collection, please read the following policy and complete a Spenciner Curriculum Materials Center Gift of Materials Form.

Guidelines for the Acceptance of Materials

The center will generally accept

• Hardbound books/monographs
• Paperback books
• Selected non-print items, including but not limited to audio and visual materials (CDs, DVDs), kits, games, curriculum materials, and assistive devices.

The center will generally not accept

• Outmoded formats (cassette tapes, VHS tapes, LPs, 8-track tapes, etc.) or assistive devices
• Outdated books
• Periodicals/journals
• Computer software
• Materials in poor condition or exhibiting signs of mold or mildew
• Incomplete kits, games, or sets
• Materials that contain highlighting or underlining of text
• Materials with restrictions attached to their disposition

Gifts of materials are treated as new acquisitions and thus are evaluated by the same standards applied to new purchases to ensure quality, consistency, and relevance to the needs of the center. Materials intended for the center collection are accepted at the discretion of the head of access services with the understanding that the items become the permanent property of the Spenciner Curriculum Materials Center, and the center retains the right to handle or dispose of gift material in the best interests of the institution. Only those materials which prove to be in good physical condition and conform to the center’s collection development goals, guidelines, and policies will be added to the collection.

Materials donated, but not added to the collection, may be offered to other institutions or placed in the Mantor Library book sale or sold to specialty book dealers with the proceeds used to support future acquisitions.

Tax Information and Appraisals

Gifts of materials to the Spenciner Curriculum Materials Center are considered non-cash charitable donations. Because of legal restrictions, the center is unable to provide appraisals. Donors of gifts with an estimated value between $500 and $5,000 should read IRS publication 526, Charitable Contributions and/or publication 561, Determining the Value of Donated Property, both available from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. Donors of gifts exceeding $5,000 in value also should read these publications and should discuss tax considerations with an attorney or an accountant. An appraisal is required to substantiate a tax deduction of more than $5,000 for a non-cash gift.

Please note that once gift material enters the processing workflow, the center can no longer accommodate an appraiser. If a donor is considering a tax deduction and wishes to have his/her donation appraised, he/she should do so prior to making the donation.

Process for Delivering Gifts

In most cases, it is the responsibility of the donor to arrange for delivery of donated material(s) to the Kalikow Curriculum Materials Center. Donations small in quantity may be delivered directly to the Spenciner Curriculum Materials Center desk during regular hours. If the materials are large in quantity, please contact the Kalikow Curriculum Materials Center in advance to ensure that the materials are acceptable and to make arrangements for storage.

All gifts must be accompanied by a completed and signed Spenciner Curriculum Materials Center Gift of Materials Form.

Processing of Gifts on a Time-Available Basis

Please note that gift materials selected for addition to the collection may not immediately be available for use and/or circulation. Due to the workload of center staff, most gifts must be temporarily stored until staff have the time to process them.

Acknowledgement

The center acknowledges each gift with a letter. (If acknowledgement is not necessary or desired, the donor is asked to indicate so on the Spenciner Curriculum Materials Center Gift of Materials Form.) Because of the volume of gifts the center receives and the subsequent labor involved in processing them, the center cannot provide donors with itemized lists of materials donated.