This section exists to explain the practices and philosophy used at the Ciletti Memorial Library for acquiring, maintaining, and managing the library’s collections. The library’s overall goal is to develop collections that serve the needs of the Penn State Schuylkill community and support the college’s curriculum, and to enhance and broaden the University Libraries collections. This statement serves to provide general guidelines to librarians who develop the library’s collections and communicate the library’s goals and procedures to the college community.
The library acquires materials that support Penn State Schuylkill’s curriculum and mission to provide a University experience in a small, residential setting. We strive to acquire multidisciplinary materials with wide appeal. Because the libraries at the University Park campus provide the university’s primary research collections, and because the University Libraries present significant opportunities for intra- and interlibrary loan, the Ciletti Memorial Library focuses on creating high-circulation niche collections relevant to the curriculum rather than in-depth research collections.
Ultimately, the head librarian is responsible for collection development, along with the assistance of the reference librarians and campus faculty. The librarians expect campus faculty to suggest acquisitions and provide input into collection development. Although the library actively encourages faculty participation, we also expect that faculty read, understand, and adhere to the policies contained in this statement.
The Ciletti Memorial Library has limited space available for collections. As of 2009, space is adequate for the near future, but librarians must be aware of storage issues when developing the collections. Because the purpose of the library’s collections is to develop and maintain a circulating collection relevant to the campus’s needs, the library reserves the right to remove or deselect any of the titles in its collection in order to both create more usable space and maintain the collections’ relevance.
Periodically, the library will review and assess its collections. Collections reviews identify worn out or outdated materials that no longer circulate. During these reviews, the library will at times deselect books. Removal of these items maximizes available storage space for newer items that appeal more to patrons’ interests.
Has popular fiction and some nonfiction titles. This collection can be found in the lounge area of the main floor.
Ciletti Memorial Library has 70 periodicals in print, including journals, newspapers, and popular magazines. Print periodicals cannot be checked-out, and are found on the first floor of the library arranged alphabetically.
You can search the journal title in the CAT by selecting "Journal Title" from the drop-down menu and "ALL" from the In Library menu. Online journals can also be found using the e-journal list. For journals that we do not own, request the article through our Interlibrary Loan service.
Reference works can be found on our online reference shelf and in print. Books in the reference collection cannot be checked out and are located on the main floor.
The County Collection holds Schuylkill County historical books and materials about the Anthracite Coal Region. It also contains a wide range of materials on the Pennsylvania Germans, both their culture and their language. Many of the materials in this collection were donated by the late Edward Fox.
The Dorothy Jones Collection consists of books donated to the library in 1989 from private collection. The collection selectively depicts the reading habits of two families over the course of two centuries.
The O'Hara Collection consists of books by or about the author John O'Hara, a native of Pottsville, and best-selling writer who drew on his local experiences for most of his fiction.
Many of John O'Hara's papers and a recreation of his Linebrook study in Princeton, NJ are housed in the Pennsylvania State University's Special Collections Library at University Park, PA.
The Richter Collection consists of books and other materials by or about Conrad Richter and his daughter, Harvena, both writers and natives of Pine Grove, PA.
