In order for library materials to stay current and to meet assignment completion, Young Library regularly reviews its materials, both electronic and in print. The following processes are used to determine what students may need. Students are encouraged to contact the Library Director and their course instructor when they would like to recommend resources that they feel would be helpful to them in their course work.
Selection of New Departmental Library Resources Policy
Young Library’s collection development policy guides selection of new materials for all current and developing academic programs. Information is exchanged with faculty on potential additions to the collection and this is emphasized in the library’s departmental Institutional Effectiveness Plan (2e). Ultimately, the goal of the selection process is to identify the most relevant materials including books, periodicals, audiovisual materials, and electronic resources that will best serve the needs of the library’s clientele. In the selection process, faculty are encouraged to submit a list of requests at the end of each fiscal year. The requests should be ranked in order of importance to the faculty of the department. Materials on the list should support the departmental curriculum, update the discipline specific area with more current offerings, and fill any weaknesses in the collection by aligning selections to departmental Institutional Effectiveness Plans when possible. Faculty requests are evaluated over the summer break and aligned within budget parameters. A finalized list is sent to department chairs in July for their final approval. Orders are placed in early August to be ready for the beginning of the school year.
Deselection involves the removal from the active collection of materials to be discarded, stored, or transferred to a special collection. Replacement involves the acquisition of materials previously held and deselected by the library. Primary responsibility for deselection/replacement decisions lies with the Library Director. Teaching faculty will be consulted when appropriate.
A. Criteria for deselection/replacement:
1. Missing Materials:
Materials missing in inventory after four (4) shelf inspections (four shelf inspections are conducted during one academic calendar year) will be withdrawn from the catalog. Replacement is dependent upon the material’s meeting the current selection criteria, availability, and budget.
2. Physical Condition:
Materials deselected for reasons of poor condition will be replaced if they meet the selection criteria, are available, and budget permits. If replacement copy is unavailable for an item still needed for the collection, every effort should be made to preserve it.
3. Obsolescence of Information:
Materials that contain obsolete or erroneous information and do not retain some historical, seminal, or research value should be deselected. This factor is particularly applicable is rapidly changing such as technology and the sciences.
4. Multiple Copies:
Excess multiple copies of seldom used titles should be deselected.
5. Later Editions:
Replacement by later editions depends on subject matter, circulation, length of time between editions, or extent of revision.
6. Government Documents:
Documents, except when superseded, must be retained for five (5) years. Discarding will be done in accordance with the Government Printing Office Policy as stated in Instructions to Depository Libraries. Documents are replaced following standard selection criteria.
7. Superseded Works:
Works superseded or cumulated in more comprehensive publications should be deselected.
