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Library Collection Development and Access Policy

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Section 1 - Purpose and Context

(1) UWS Library is the primary scholarly information service provider of the University. Through its seven campus based libraries the Library provides and promotes access to those information resources and services integral to the scholarly endeavours of students, staff and researchers of the University, as well as to other members of the community and region.

(2) The information industry is in an era of massive and far reaching transformation impacting upon the creation, use and maintenance of scholarly materials. Exponential growth in the volume of electronically published materials has not been matched, as was widely predicted, by a decline in the volume of print publishing, which continues to increase dramatically. The Library must effectively serve as a both a 'gateway' to electronic collections, and as a 'place' from which physical collections and services may be accessed.

(3) The challenge faced by the Library in its provision of access to scholarly information is greater than that of any other Australian University Library. The geographic dispersal makes it imperative that as much as possible is provided in electronic format across all seven campus libraries in order that access may truly be gained from anywhere at anytime.

(4) The development of the UWS Library collection, in all formats, is an inclusive programme involving both Library and Academic staff, as well as UWS student users. This document is intended to clarify the policy and guidelines for purchase of, and provision of access to, materials in all formats for the University of Western Sydney community.

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Section 2 - Definitions

(5) Nil.

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Section 3 - Policy Statement

(6) The Library Collection Development and Access Policy guides the Library's collection development activity in order to ensure the creation and maintenance of scholarly information directly relevant and supportive to the learning, teaching, research and scholarship endeavours of the University.

Part A - Collection Development Principles

The Library

(7) UWS Library is the gateway to scholarly information for the UWS community.

(8) There are seven UWS Libraries supporting teaching, learning and research at each of the UWS campuses. In addition, the Blacktown Campus library supports services to the Nirimba College of TAFE.

(9) As well as providing access to paper based collections UWS has, of necessity, embraced the growing range of electronic materials. The geographic spread, growing distance and flexible mode offerings together with an increased offshore presence has resulted in requests for, and support of the trend toward electronic provision of information.

(10) The Library aims to:

  1. acquire, preserve and provide access to diverse collections of scholarly information, available at the point of demand by students, researchers and academics. These resources are increasingly made available electronically.
  2. provide and promote a timely pro-active range of client services, both on campus and from remote locations in support of the academic directions of UWS.

Underlying Principles for Development

(11) The Library collections will support the teaching, learning and research of UWS staff and students.

(12) Materials expenditure will be maintained at no less than 45% of Library recurrent funding

(13) Allocations to Colleges and Schools will be according to a formula which includes:

  1. Number of undergraduate students
  2. Number of postgraduate students (weighted for research)
  3. Average price of material within the discipline
  4. Usage data

(14) Recognising the importance of a strong journal collection (either print or electronic), an appropriate balance between monograph and journal expenditure will be maintained. Generally, the Library will endeavour to ensure that no more than 60% of materials expenditure will be on journals.

(15) All requests for new journal subscriptions will be submitted to the Library Advisory Committee for consideration and decision. Such requests will be accompanied by supporting documentation underlying the rationale for inclusion in the collection or provision of electronic access.

(16) Recognising the difficulties of access due to our geographic spread, the Library will, where possible and appropriate, offer electronic journal access in preference to providing print journals.

(17) In support of cross campus teaching, the Library will support purchase of multiple copies of texts, essential and recommended readings for location at more than one library.

(18) Recognising the inability of any tertiary library to own all materials required to support the research endeavours of the institution, the Library will provide unmediated Document Delivery (for journal article requests) to academic staff and postgraduate (research) students.

Purchase of material

(19) Other than in exceptional circumstances, all material required to support teaching, learning and research will be purchased by the Library's Resources Management staff, utilizing regular Library Suppliers with whom substantial discounts have been negotiated.

(20) Where Academic staff wish to purchase material directly, for subsequent reimbursement by the UWS Library, prior consultation with the Associate Librarian Corporate Services or the Resource Management Coordinator must take place and prior approval for the expenditure of funds obtained.

Part B - Collection Development Practices and Procedures

Monograph Selection

(21) Library Information Services Team members (Liaison Librarian ) share responsibility for the development of the UWS collections with their academic colleagues.

(22) Most Schools have nominated an academic staff member/s to act as the Library Signatory. All School based requests for monographic material are channelled through the relevant Library Signatory, who authorises purchase of requested materials and ensures reasonable balance of expenditures across the various discipline areas within the School. Within each campus Library, staff with nominated subject/discipline responsibilities will also generate requests for material for which a need is identified. Such requests will be charged against either School or Library account as appropriate. When committing significant amounts(>$250) against a School account, the relevant Library Signatory must be advised.

(23) Resources Management staff have compiled a UWS subject profile with each of our major suppliers. Electronic (and in decreasing instances paper) advice slips, advising of new and forthcoming publications are sent to each Liaison Librarian and Library Signatory to inform the selection process.

Texts, essential and recommended readings

(24) The Library supports the teaching and learning endeavours of the University by providing copies of texts, essential and recommended readings as cited on Course Reading Lists.

(25) The Library will generally purchase one copy of recommended readings per requisite campus library.

(26) Text material and essential readings will be purchased on the following ratio:

Number of Students Copies
1 - 40 1 copy
41 - 80 2 copies
81 - 120 3 copies
121 + 4 copies

(27) Material to support teaching, learning and research is not, however, limited to Reading Lists. Order requests to purchase support material will be placed upon receipt from the relevant Library Signatory. Generally only single copies of such material will be purchased for the appropriate campus library/ies.

Journal selection

(28) The Library Advisory Committee (LAC), a sub-committee of the University Executive, provides advice and recommendations on all aspects of operation, services and resourcing of the Library.

(29) The LAC comprises the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic and Enterprise, the University Librarian, the Director Information Technology, nominated senior Academic staff representatives from each of the UWS Colleges, and undergraduate and postgraduate student representation.

(30) In fulfilling its role to ensure the best support for learning, teaching and research of the University, the LAC will review all requests for new journal subscriptions.

(31) All requests for journal subscriptions must be accompanied by supporting documentation (see Appendix 3). This documentation will be presented in summary and complete form to the LAC for consideration and approval/rejection. All requests will be considered individually, and may require the cancellation of a title of similar value.

(32) Where a journal is available electronically, this is the preferred 'format' and print subscriptions will not be placed other than in exceptional circumstances.

(33) Only in exceptional circumstances will single issues of a journal be purchased for the Library collection.

Expensive works

(34) Where requests for purchase of single items eg monographs, videos, DVD's are received, the cost of which exceeds A$2000 these requests will be returned to the relevant Library Signatory for completion of supporting documentation (see Appendix 2) upon which the Associate Librarian Corporate Services will base purchasing decisions.

(35) Where Library staff initiate a request to purchase an expensive item, the supporting documentation (see Appendix 2) should be countersigned by the Client Services Manager - Library and forwarded to the Associate Librarian Corporate Services for approval.

Donations

(36) Whilst substantial donations may have added depth and breadth to some of the UWS Library collections in the early 1980's, the complexities and costs associated with donated material - administrative and processing - tend to mitigate against the perceived value in most instances.

(37) As a general rule, donated materials should be of sufficient value, and direct relevance, that the Library would have been be prepared to purchase them.

(38) All offers of material should be referred to the Manager Resources Management. In instances where this is not possible, no material is to be accepted unless the potential donor has signed the "Waiver Form" (see Appendix 1 - Donation Form) permitting UWS Library to retain or dispose of the material as it sees fit.

Monographic material

(39) Monographs must be current, relevant to the teaching and/or research profile of the University and in good condition. Other than in exceptional circumstances, second or third copies of titles already held will not be accepted. The Manager Resources Management will make the ultimate decision on the inclusion or exclusion of all titles.

Journals

(40) Generally, dead runs of journal titles not held by the UWS Libraries will not be accepted. Back issues of titles to which current subscriptions are held may be accepted where they fill gaps in existing runs.

(41) Offers of ongoing donations of journals will only be accepted and such titles added to the collection if relevant to the teaching and/or research profile of the University, and it can be ascertained that such donations will, as far as possible, continue into the foreseeable future.

(42) All offers of serials must be referred to the Manager Resources Management, the Associate Librarian Corporate Services or the University Librarian who will ensure that appropriate documentation is completed and forwarded to Library Advisory Committee for consideration.

Legal Deposit Titles

(43) Titles received under legal deposit will be checked for online availability. Where online access is available, and the title is required, a record for the e-version will be created via the Voyager catalogue.

(44) Print only titles will be forwarded to the relevant Liaison Librarian for consideration and will be returned to the appropriate Manager Resources Management for inclusion or discard.

Theses

(45) Generally only theses submitted for a UWS Masters (Research) or higher will be added to the collections. Appropriate access forms must be completed by the author (see Appendix 4).

(46) In exceptional circumstances, Bachelor (Honours) theses may be added to the Library collection, upon representation from the relevant Head of School to the Associate Librarian Corporate Services or the University Librarian.

(47) As the UWS Library progressively digitizes existing theses, print copies will be withdrawn from the active collections and stored within the Library/Archives.

UWS Exam papers

(48) Where Schools and Colleges agree to make past examination papers available for student access, the UWS Library will ensure that digital copies are available.

Access to the Collections

General Collections: print and electronic

(49) Most print and electronic collections are accessible to all UWS staff and students. In rare cases, License Agreements may restrict access to an electronic resource to limited staff/postgraduate students.

(50) Access to all print resources is available through the Library's Voyager catalogue, with an increasing number of electronic resources being added weekly. Where records for electronic resources do not yet exist in the Voyager catalogue, access is available through the Library web site - both alphabetically by title and by subject area.

(51) The Library's authentication software allows off site access to approximately 95% of electronic resources available to the UWS community.

Reserve Collections

(52) Reserve Collections: Print and Digital - provide ready access to high demand, high use materials supporting teaching and learning at UWS.

(53) When teaching material is in high demand, a copy may be requested for location in any of the UWS Library Reserve Collections. Wherever possible under copyright restrictions, journal articles required for Reserve are scanned and made available via the UWS Digital Library. Similarly, chapters of books are scanned and added to the Digital Library collection wherever copyright permits.

(54) Where copyright restrictions do not permit (e.g. several chapters of a book are required for Reserve) the whole book will be placed on Reserve at the required UWS Library.

(55) Where a title requested for Reserve at one UWS library is held at another UWS library, an additional copy will be purchased for the requesting library.

Document Delivery

(56) The Document Delivery service supports the research activity of the University and supplements the relatively young collections available on site.

(57) The Library will obtain monograph items from any holding library in Australia prepared to lend required material. The Library will obtain journal articles from a commercial vendor.

(58) Where monographs are only obtainable from an overseas Library, approval from the relevant Head of School must be obtained by the requestor as a higher charge usually applies. Document Delivery services are provided, generally free of charge, to all Academic staff and researchers within the University.

(59) Where recently published monograph items are requested the Library will also endeavour to purchase a copy for the UWS collections.

(60) UWS also lends material to other Australian libraries.

Preservation

(61) Physically damaged items which are still in demand will be treated by one of the following methods:

  1. Replacement: for high demand, in print material
  2. Re-binding: for material in demand but out of print
  3. Discarding: for low use, out of print material

(62) Print journal volumes will be rebound after all volume issues have been received.

Part C - Deselection of Print Materials

(63) Deselection (weeding) of library materials is essential to ensure an active, academically useful library collection. Deselection provides quality control for the collection by elimination of outdated, inaccurate, and worn-out materials. Library staff are responsible for conducting ongoing evaluation and for maintaining the quality of the collection.

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Section 4 - Section 4 -Procedures

(64) Nil.

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Section 5 - Section 5 -Guidelines

Part D - Part D -General

(65) As an overall principle, the Library will retain a single, 'last copy' of all titles held.

(66) Superseded editions will generally be withdrawn unless they continue to provide valuable, relevant information.

(67) Materials which cannot be repaired or rebound or for which the cost of preservation exceeds the value of the information contained are weeded.

(68) Currency of information is extremely important in some fields such as health sciences, technology, and business. Materials older than five years must be regularly deselected to eliminate outdated or inaccurate information.

(69) Material that has not been used, based on circulation and browsing statistics, may be weeded after five years of inactivity.

Part E - Part E -Serials

(70) Incomplete and short runs of a title may be withdrawn if title is not currently received.

(71) Titles which contain information that is not useful long-term, such as newsletters and trade magazines, usually have automatic discard patterns established such as "Current year only"

(72) Regularly updated editions of guidebooks, handbooks, almanacs and directories etc will generally be discarded upon receipt of the current issue.

(73) Due to lack of space, print issues which are replaced by microfilm will be discarded.

(74) Duplicate issues of periodicals and journals will be discarded when a volume has been bound.

(75) Only the latest edition of a standing order title will be located in the Reference Collection with earlier editions being treated as per clauses (71) and (72).

(76) Refer to:

(77) Appendix 1: Donation Form

(78) Appendix 2: Expensive Item Request Form

(79) Appendix 3: Journal Subscription Request Form

(80) Appendix 4: Rights of Access to Theses