ORIGINS: The
Library was established in 1854 as a membership library by a group
of mechanics and merchants at the time of post-Gold Rush economic
depression in Bay Area, in order to promote industry in
Northern California, by offering vocational education and technical
training. By 1858, a technical library was firmly established
with a collection of over 900 books. The collection had grown
to over 29,500 volumes by 1881.
LIBRARY DESTROYED:
In January 1906, the San Francisco Mercantile Library
with a collection strong in the humanities merged with the Mechanics'
Library technical collection. When San Francisco was leveled by
earthquake and fire four months later, the 200,000 volume
collection was completely destroyed. By 1912, the collection had
grown to 40,000 volumes covering all subjects.
AREAS OF INTEREST:
The subjects of greatest interest to membership include
finance and investments, the social sciences, applied sciences,
business management, art, fiction and literature, history, biography,
music and of course chess. In recent years, a practice of weeding
select materials resulted in the reduction of some of the Library's
traditionally strong areas. Although member interests change over
time, careful attention is paid to honor the history of the
Institute by retaining unique and important historical collections.
COLLECTION PROFILE:
The Library holds some 140,000 books, plus:
The budget for Library materials is generous, allowing
for the purchase of some 3,000 items annually in addition to non-book
materials and electronic reference
databases. A separate periodicals collection budget supports
a wide representation of magazines and newspapers. The focus of
collection development has been based traditionally on member
interests, and their professional, cultural, educational and
recreational needs. Annual circulation covering the last
twelve months totals some 100,000 items. Loose issues from the
Library's magazine collection may be checked out for one week.
REFERENCE COLLECTION:
The print reference collection amounts to approximately
ten percent of the collection, with strength in the social sciences,
finance and industry, biography, local history, art history, and
health sciences. Many titles are placed on standing order, and
therefore are updated frequently. The full text of hundreds of
periodical and newspaper articles is accessible through InfoTrac
reference databases
from computers in the Library or by remote access.
LEVEL OF COLLECTIONS:
In most areas, the Library maintains a basic information
level collection, consisting of up-to-date materials that introduce
or define a subject. In some areas, the collection supports basic
undergraduate level studies and lifelong learning.
Apart from the strong collections of San Francisco and California
history plus chess materials, collection development efforts are
focused on supporting the information needs and reading preferences
of the educated adult reader, rather than the needs of the
serious researcher.
SELECTION CRITERIA:
Acquisition is based on: numerous key factors:
member interest, permanence of value, currency of interest, diversity
of viewpoint, treatment of subject (general or focused), whether
the purchase "fills a gap", literary merit, authority
of author and publisher, significance of subject matter, duplication
factor, format and price. The Library maintains an ongoing program
of withdrawal of materials that are no longer useful based
on the aforementioned criteria.
SELECTION RESPONSIBILITY:
Collection development and maintenance is the responsibility
of the professional librarians who are assigned specific
areas of the collection based upon their expertise and interests.
Subject selectors also rely on standard review literature,
such as Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist, plus
specialized reviewing journals in all fields. Librarians
consider all formats in their subject areas and they apply standard
evaluation criteria.
MEMBER PURCHASE SUGGESTIONS:
Suggestions from members are encouraged and represent a
large number of titles purchased. Members may complete a "Member
Suggestion Card" (available at Reference and Circulation Desks)
to recommend a book, audio, video. DVD, music CD, a periodical
or newspaper subscription or else email the Acquisitions
Department of the Library. This service provides Library
management with valued input regarding member interests
and information needs.
ELECTRONIC FORMATS:
Selectors consider archiving issues, infrastructure
issues, and instructional requirements in addition to selection
criteria applied to traditional materials.
DONATIONS:
The Library accepts donations of books and other materials,
as well as monetary donations for the purchase of materials in
accordance with overall collection development policy. Gifts
that are not added to the collection are sold, with proceeds going
to Library collections budget.
ENDOWED BOOK FUNDS:
The Mechanics' Institute Book Fund is an opportunity for
donors to support the Library by providing reading materials to
those who share a love for learning. The gift fund is a legacy
to the Mechanics' community, assuring future generations of members
access to an extensive, well-maintained collection. If you have
an interest in establishing a Book Fund, or wish to learn more
about the program, please call the Library Director at 415.393.0103.
SPECIAL DONATED COLLECTIONS:
Over time, members have donated materials from their personal
libraries to the Mechanics' Institute. These gifts are catalogued
and fully integrated into the regular Library collections, and
they cover a range of subject areas.
MULTIPLE COPIES:
The general policy of the Library is to
avoid duplication
of materials. Multiple copies are purchased selectively or else
added to the collection through donation to satisfy current demand,
when this decision is supported by a high level of circulation
(esp.new fiction works) and in-house use, or else when an author
is local or well-known.
RECONSIDERATION OF MATERIALS:
The Library recognizes that some materials are controversial
in nature and may offend some members. Selection of material is
made on the basis of principles stated in this collection development
policy and not on the basis of anticipated approval or disapproval.
Members of the Mechanics' Institute may request reconsideration
of materials by
completing the form "Request for Reconsideration
of Library Materials"
and submitting it to the Library
Director. Final authority and decision rests with the Library Director.
