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Addlestone Library is accessible only to College of Charleston students, faculty, and staff, Friends of the Library, or those with appointments for services offered in the library. NEW Cougar Cards, FOL cards, or appointment emails are required for entry. Face coverings and social distancing are also required. Virtual services for all College Libraries continue to be available at answers.library.cofc.edu.

Collection Development: Introduction

Provides information about the collections building process for the College of Charleston libraries.

Collection Development Resources

Material to Request?

The following links will assist you in building library collections in your subject area.

Trials

Collection Highlights: Click here for a look at new resources & faculty publication spotlights.

Welcome to your guide for everything Collection Development at the College of Charleston Libraries. 

We are part of the Collection & Content Services department, and we are here for you as you seek to purchase materials such as books, ebooks, DVDs, journals, ejournals, and any other resources that will help support your teaching and research.

Collection Development Staff

If you're looking for your library subject liaison, click on this link and use the dropdown menu to select your discipline. Click your liaison's photo for contact information.

What Does it All Mean?

  • Firm orders - These are orders for specific titles that are paid for out of each department's individual budget.  Titles are selected by departmental faculty and submitted to library liaisons, who then approve the purchase and submit to the Acquisitions Manager, who places the orders with the vendor.  Visit the Firm Orders tab for more detailed information.
  • Shelf-ready approval - The shelf-ready approval plan is a service provided by YBP in which materials are automatically selected for inclusion in our collection.  Approval plan titles are received by the library on a weekly basis.  Visit the Shelf-Ready Approval tab for more detailed information.
  • Journals & Databases - Staff can request databases and serials to be included in our collection.  Database and serial requests are reviewed by a committee once a year and are evaluated for quality and appropriateness for our collection.