Introduction

The Skyline College Library Collection Development Policy outlines the principles and practices that guide the evaluation, selection, and deselection of materials to support the mission, vision, and values of both Skyline College and its Library. This policy ensures that the Library’s resources remain relevant, inclusive, and aligned with the academic programs, instructional goals, and evolving needs of the college community. It reflects Skyline College’s commitment to educational excellence, student success, and equitable access to high-quality information.

General Collection Principles

Aligned with the instructional goals and values of Skyline College, the Library supports academic excellence, student success, equity, and open access through its collections. The Library:

  • Selects high-quality resources that meet instructional needs, academic standards, and research interests across all disciplines and course levels.
  • Prioritizes resources that promote critical thinking, creativity, and deep engagement with subject matter.
  • Provides resources in multiple formats—print, digital, and multimedia—to support varied learning styles and ensure equitable access to materials.
  • Actively includes diverse perspectives and voices in the collection.
  • Responds to evolving academic priorities and user needs through regular assessment and community input. 

Selection Criteria


Skyline College Library’s materials are selected through a collaborative process between librarians, teaching faculty, staff, and students. Librarians welcome participation and recommendations from staff, faculty, and student learning communities. Selected materials should meet specific criteria including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Importance and relevance to Skyline College’s curriculum.  
  • Alignment with students’ academic and research interests.
  • Currency, timeliness, accuracy and quality of information.
  • Diversification of perspectives on topics.
  • Scope and depth of topic coverage.
  • Appropriateness and accessibility of format.
  • Collection Maintenance

The Library’s collection is consistently reviewed to ensure that the collection supports the curriculum of Skyline College as well as the research and information needs of students. Materials that no longer meet these needs may be removed from the collection and donated. Librarians are responsible for maintaining the quality of the collection and determining if materials should be withdrawn based on, but not exclusive to, the following criteria:

  • Damaged due to normal wear or mishandling.  
  • Information presented has been superseded or is no longer current or accurate.
  • Duplicate physical copies and/or duplicated in electronic format. 
  • Infrequent usage or circulation, especially in the last 5-8 years.

Special Collections

Skyline College Library is actively expanding its collections in special interest areas including Sustainability, ESOL, and Graphic Novels.   

Additionally, the Library maintains three archival collections that are not subject to this Collection Development Policy. The Garlington Collection, Skyline Catalogs, and Skyline Literary Magazines are available for in-library use.  

Academic & Intellectual Freedom

Skyline College Library advocates for academic freedom in accordance with the San Mateo Community College District’s Statement on Academic Freedom. The Library also supports the principles of intellectual freedom defined in the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights.

Requests for Reconsideration

The Library selects resources to support the instructional and research needs of Skyline College. A person who wishes to request the reconsideration of a library resource must file a formal written request by completing and submitting this form.This form will be reviewed by a panel of librarians and library staff. A decision will be made in accordance with the policies and procedures of Skyline College and Skyline College Library. The requestor will receive a written notification of the final decision from the Library Director within 90 days.

Copyright

Skyline College Library is committed to supporting access to information while fully complying with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, United States Code). The Library adheres to copyright law in daily operations and long-term collection development practices; all reproduced copies of materials in the collection include copyright notices.

Additionally, the Library has created a copyright guide which outlines the fundamentals of copyright, exceptions to copyright, and standards of fair use.  

Book Donations

Skyline College Library welcomes book donations on a limited basis, in accordance with San Mateo County Community College District policies. All items must be in good condition—clean, dry, and free of mold, water damage, missing pages or covers, excessive wear, or markings. 

Donors may submit up to 15 books at a time for review by filling out the Library Donation Receipt form  , which will be used to determine whether the Library can accept the items. Materials will be evaluated using the Library’s collection development criteria, and items not added may be responsibly discarded, donated, or repurposed.

If interested, please fill out the donation receipt  . We appreciate your generosity and support of Skyline College Library.