SJCPL Collection Development

Overview of Our Library Collections

Through our Main Library, Branch Libraries and mobile collections we provide convenient access points to our collection for our patrons within our service area.  Each location has a collection to fit its role within the overall library system.

At our Main Library, we maintain our largest collections and house our special interest services.  The Main Library offers a broader and deeper range of materials than at our branches.  Through our hold and reserve system, Main serves as backup to the smaller branch collections.

In addition to multiple copies of current and popular print and non-print titles, we offer comprehensive collections of popular authors and balanced collections on popular topics.  We maintain a Classics Collection and retain New York Times and American Library Association Notable Books for at least ten years.  Our Magazine Collection is primarily a browsing collection, but it also complements our full-text Online Databases for non-academic and secondary school researchers.  We maintain the Reference Collection at Main to enable the Reference staff to answer questions as specified in the SJCPL Information Services Policy.

The materials collections at our branch locations fall into three categories based on the size of the community each serves.  At Francis Branch and Centre Branch, our area branches, we include a full range of current and popular print and non-print materials.  We retain active older works of popular authors and topics, and a Classics Collection selected with students and general readers in mind.  We have active Ready Reference Collections for the public and the staff.

At River Park Branch, Tutt Branch, LaSalle Branch, and Western Branch, our neighborhood branches, we include collections of current and popular materials.  With both the adult and children’s collections, we emphasize popular fiction and non-fiction hot topics.  We focus non-print collections on current favorites for all ages.  Older titles are retained if they are frequently used.  We select Classic Collections, primarily in paperback, mostly for students.  We have small Reference Collections for the public and the staff to answer basic reference questions and cover staff needs.  These may include encyclopedias and almanacs.

At North Liberty Branch and Lakeville Branch, our mini-branches, we provide collections that reflect popular fiction and non-fiction bestsellers, with some local interest titles and practical non-fiction titles.  Our non-print collections include only the most popular titles.  We have small Reference Collections to help the staff select materials, answer basic Reference questions and recommend books for patrons.

For our Local History collection we purchase and archive historical and genealogical resource materials that relate to Indiana, St. Joseph County, and the ethnic groups that have settled here.  In Local History we are a partial state depository site.

For our Special Services collection we purchase materials with practical uses for our various special needs communities including ESL resource materials.

Once again, the range and scope of all of our branches is augmented by our hold, reserve and delivery systems, transferring materials between locations on a patron’s request.