The children's collection primarily supports the Educational Studies curriculum in children's and young adult literature. The Education Department adds materials aligned with Kentucky's P-12 Core Content, while the English and Spanish departments also utilize the collection. It serves as both an academic and recreational resource for campus and community patrons.
Location: Picture books and young adult fiction have designated shelving locations on the third floor; juvenile fiction and nonfiction are shelved with the general collection.
Content: Includes award winners (e.g., Caldecott, Newbery, Coretta Scott King) and Appalachian-themed literature. Some books in foreign languages may be ordered to support language courses taught at Berea College.
Exclusions: No periodicals or media. Books about children's literature are housed in general and reference collections.
Hutchins Library maintains a balanced collection beyond curriculum-specific materials, including quality fiction and nonfiction. Patrons seeking popular titles on bestseller lists are encouraged to use the Berea branch of the Madison County Public Library.
General Collection: Includes high-quality, enduring books, including recent prize-winning titles which are incorporated into the circulating collection.
Graphic Novels: Managed by labor students, this collection signifies a major trend in student recreational reading. Student suggestions are encouraged. This collection resides on the second floor.
Young Adult Collection: This collection is located on the third floor. Labor students manage this collection and supervise collection development largely based on student suggestions.
Electronic resources primarily support Berea College’s curriculum and research needs, with a secondary focus on liberal arts education and diversity. These include journals, books, indexes, and streaming media, selected using the same criteria as print materials, as well as factors like cost sustainability and accessibility.
The library selectively purchases government documents relevant to academic programs, particularly in Agriculture, Geology, SENS, and Sociology. Preferred format for major statistical resources (e.g., Statistical Abstract of the U.S.) is print.
Designed to support Berea College’s research needs, the reference collection includes general and subject-specific materials for introductory and advanced courses. Located on the second floor near the Reference Desk, it is non-circulating and primarily in English.
Formats & Content
Books & Serials: Includes almanacs, atlases, bibliographies, biographies, dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks, and statistical resources. Older editions are withdrawn or moved to circulating stacks.
Electronic Resources: Includes indexing databases, full-text reference works, and selected free websites. Examples include Gale Virtual Reference, CQ Researcher, and Oxford English Dictionary.
Selection Criteria: Emphasizes accuracy, accessibility, scope, durability, and cost-effectiveness.
Reference Collection Maintenance
Superseded editions are removed.
Dated reference material is withdrawn and not added to the circulating collection
Subject librarians provide a comprehensive review every five years.
When found on shelves or returned worn volumes are discarded or repaired at the library’s discretion.
The Coordinator of Information Literacy or a designated Collection Development Librarian oversees selection and maintenance in collaboration with subject liaisons.
The Zines collection provide students with access to alternative publications and often represent community level concerns. Additional zines provide a creative research outlet and means of academic expression for Berea College students. The collection is housed on the third floor.
The print collection contains donations from content creators and student projects.
With the content creator’s permission, digital copies of zines may be accessible from the Hutchins Library website.