Hilton
M. Briggs Library Collection Development Statement
I.
Forward
This document brings together policy statements,
staff memoranda, acquisitions guidelines, departmental policy and existing
practice into a single comprehensive collection development policy for the
Hilton M. Briggs Library. It will serve
as a guide in selecting, acquiring, and maintaining the library's collection.
The
authors reviewed the policies of several other university libraries in the
creation of this document, most particularly those of the
Because
collection development is a dynamic process, this policy will be reviewed and
modified regularly. Text updates will be
issued as needed to reflect changing policy.
II.
Introduction
The South Dakota State University Library is both a
collegiate library and a research library.
It is collegiate in its provision of books and other documentary records
to support undergraduate programs of instruction and to encourage the habit of
reading. Like most college libraries, it
provides materials for use by faculty members in the preparation of their
courses and by the staff of the institution in the performance of their
administrative and executive responsibilities.
But
as a land-grant university library, it does more. It also provides materials to support a wide
range of graduate offerings at the Master's and (to a lesser extent) the Ph.D.
level, as well as advanced professional curricula in nursing, pharmacy,
engineering, family and consumer
sciences, and education, plus auxiliary programs such as the
Agricultural Experiment Station, Engineering and Environmental Resource Center
(EERC), and Cooperative Extension Service.
As a
university library, it supports not only programs of teaching but research as
well. Therefore, the library collects in
depth in many subject areas. Not only are
basic treatises, primary source materials, and journals obtained, but the
library also collects a substantial portion of relevant thought in those
subject areas in which graduate degrees are offered. The university community also expects the
library to provide materials for recreational purposes and for pursuit of
non-academic interests.
In
order for the library to respond appropriately, the administration must stay
informed of forthcoming research and degree program changes. Fortunately,
III.
Policy assumptions
Any collection
development policy must embrace certain basic principles. First, library collection development reflects
the long-range goals of the university.
This inevitably means that library collections must be built on historic
strengths rather than weaknesses. In the
absence of unlimited financial resources, a disregard for this principle will
result in a sacrifice of current strengths to establish new areas of
research. Any collection building in
areas of weakness must proceed gradually.
If rapid building in these areas is called for to meet the needs of a
new program, then additional general university funding will be needed.
Secondly, acquisitions
policy must take into consideration the fact that Briggs Library is part of a
national system of research libraries.
The total
IV.
Selection responsibility
Teaching faculty and librarians share the
responsibility for selection of library materials.
Historically, the library divides its allocable
book funds between the academic departments and the library staff on a 75/25 basis. That is, approximately three-fourths of uncommitted book funds are annually allocated to instructional
faculty in the various academic units.
Faculty members then choose books they deem important and useful within
their disciplines.
The
Library retains approximately one
fourth of the book budget for adding works of general interest, highly
recommended titles which may escape the faculty's attention, monumental sets,
reference works, etc. The Acquisitions
Librarian holds primary responsibility for selection of materials which fall in
the general category and the reference department selects materials for the
reference collection. Subject bibliographers assigned to each
academic department hold responsibility for selection in that area. In addition, two persons specifically
select titles included in the Essay and
General Literature Index and in certain other anthologies. All library faculty members are encouraged to
participate in the book selection process in their particular area of expertise
but due to the limited number of
library staff some bibliographers are assigned to departments without expertise
in that area.
Over
the years, Briggs Library has benefited greatly from the dedication of a number
of true bibliophiles among the instructional faculty. Indeed, some of the library's best
collections have resulted from their devoted efforts. While this sharing of book selection
responsibility between the instructional faculty and the library faculty is
desirable, the library staff carries the final responsibility for areas
neglected by the faculty. Librarians
must seek to achieve a balanced collection and to coordinate the resource
development of the library as a whole.
The ultimate responsibility for acquisition directions and policy
decisions, including adequacy and quality of selections, rests with the Dean of
Libraries.
V.
Bibliographic assignments
The twelve designated
bibliographers select materials for the collection based on the following
department/subject breakdown:
Danielle Becker - Computer
Science, Electrical Engineering, Visual Arts
Carlene Aro - Apparel
Merchandising & Interior Design, CAP Center, General Engineering, Human
Development, Consumer and Family Sciences, Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences
Mary Caspers-Graper -
Biology/Microbiology, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Communication
Studies & Theatre, Horticulture, Forestry, Landscape and Parks, Journalism
& Mass Communication, Psychology,
Elizabeth Fox - European Studies, Modern Languages, Music, Physics
Clark Hallman - Mechanical Engineering, Rural Sociology
Mary Kraljic - Nursing, Nutrition, Food Science & Hospitality
Lisa Lindell – Economics, English, Mathematics,
Nancy Marshall –
Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering, Animal
& Range Science, Dairy Science, Journalism & Mass Communication, Plant
Science, Veterinary Science
Stephen Van Buren -
Chemistry, Counseling & Human Resource Development, History, Philosophy
& Religion
Laura Wight – American
Indian Studies, Latin American Studies, Political Science, Women Studies
For additional information about bibliographic assignments see the
Library Representatives and Bibliographers web page
(http://lib.sdstate.edu/Lib19/repbib.htm).
These bibliographers
select materials that departmental representatives
neglect, striving to maintain a balanced collection in their respective subject
areas.
VI.
Library
obligations
The library’s responsibilities are outlined in the
introduction; here they are enumerated more specifically. Within its financial
capabilities, the library will endeavor to obtain learning materials (books,
periodicals, microforms, newspapers, maps, pamphlets. Governments,
etc.) required to meet the following four
obligations:
1.
To procure or provide access to
materials needed for all instruction and extension programs of the
university
2.
To procure or provide access to materials required
by students and faculty members in their research.
3.
To procure or provide access to library
materials of general information in subject areas not covered by instructional,
research and extension programs.
4.
To preserve important materials relating to the
history and development of the university. This includes not only official
records and reports of the university, but also materials on any subject
authored or published at SDSU.
Finally, the library has an obligation to inform
book selectors, both designated departmental library representatives and
library bibliographers, of newly published materials in their areas of
specialization, by acquiring and distributing various “current awareness”
services (i.e., Choice cards, Blackwell
Books Services Approval Slips, etc.)
VII.
Limitations
Recognizing
that it is not always possible, for financial reasons, to achieve fully above
the objectives, the library observes the following general guidelines:
1.
English language publications will be given higher
priority, except for materials acquired in support of foreign language
instruction
2.
Current publications of lasting and scholarly value
will be given priority over older and out-of-print materials.
3.
As an alternative to purchasing, consideration will
be given to procuring infrequently used research materials on interlibrary
loan.
4.
Materials will be acquired in another suitable
format if originals are not available or are too expensive.
5.
If the Library owns the material in microform or provides access electronically, paper
copy will not be purchased unless sufficient cause is shown.
6.
Duplicate copies will be purchased only by
justification of heavy and continued demand.
7.
The library will not normally duplicate specialized
research materials.
8.
Variant editions of a held title will be acquired
only if they are “standard” editions or contain substantial changes and are
needed for research purposes.
9.
The library will not purchase extensive in-depth
materials for specific theses topics of graduate students or for short-term
research projects of faculty unless the library’s acquisitions policy specifies
intensive collection development in the area.
10.
The library will make no special effort to collect
materials in non-English languages, even in the subject areas of comprehensive
coverage, if there is no sizable number of researchers with facility in that language.
VIII.
Gifts
The library solicits and encourages gifts and
donations of useful materials or money to purchase them provided they meet
selection guidelines and provided there are no restrictions attached. The SDSU
library has been greatly enriched by such gifts in past years.
The library will not accept gifts with
conditions as to their disposition or location except by express permission of
the Dean of Libraries. Presidential and Regental
approval is required for acceptance of large gift collections which may have
significant space requirements.
The library is free to dispose of any
unneeded publications in compliance with state regulations, regardless of how
the materials were acquired.
The staff may assist donors in estimating the value
of materials donated to the library. Legally the library cannot appraise gifts
for tax or inheritance purposes.
However, if a substantial collection is involved the library may help
the donor procure a professional appraiser.
The acquisitions department is responsible for
acceptance and processing of monographic materials; the serials department is
responsible for gifts of journals; and the documents department has this
responsible for government documents. The subject bibliographers may be called
upon to assist in determining the suitability of individual items for permanent
retention in accordance with the stated collection policy.
IX.
Exchange
Exchanging publications among libraries is another
means of acquiring library materials. The library will enter into exchange
agreements with other institutions whenever the desired publications are
available only on exchange and whenever such exchange of publications is
advantageous to the library. Publications received on exchange will be added
provided they meet selection guidelines. Exchange agreements will be
established after consultation with the Acquisitions Librarian and approval of
the Dean of Libraries.
The library maintains exchange agreements with land-grant
institutions in the following states for their Agricultural Experimentation
Station publications:
California,
Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan,
Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, New
Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Washington,
Wisconsin, Wyoming.
The library has also made
arrangements for two copies of each SDSU Agricultural Experiment Station
publication to be sent to the National Agricultural Library.
X.
Collection intensity levels
Requirements for library materials vary with
discipline and subject area. The library has identified five levels to guide
collection decisions.
Level 1: BASIC LEVEL—Subject areas,
which are outside the scope of the University’s curricula and in which there is
little interest or activity. Collecting will be highly selective and will
include only materials necessary to introduce and define the subject.
Level 2: INITIAL STUDY LEVEL—Subject
areas which are part of the undergraduate curricula. Materials acquired at this
level should include surveys of the subject, standard works, major journals,
reference and bibliographic tools, and should support all undergraduate
courses.
Level 3: ADVANCED STUDY LEVEL—Subject
areas which are part of the masters level of
curricula. In addition to the materials collected under level 2, an attempt
will be made to acquire materials which support coursework and research at the masters level.
Level 4:
RESEARCH LEVEL—Subject areas which are part of doctoral programs.
Acquisitions in these areas will include a wide range if published material
required for dissertation and independent research. All important reference
works, a wide selection of specialized monographs and an extensive journal
collection will be developed.
Level 5: COMPREHENSIVE LEVEL—All significant works in a particular field will be
obtained. This level aims at exhaustiveness. An area so designated will most
likely be a “special collection.”
XI.
List of subjects
In the Library of Congress and Dewey Decimal
outlines below, subjects are coded as follows:
Level 1 - *
Level 2 - **
Level 3 - ***
Level 4 - ****
Level 5 - *****
A GENERAL
WORKS
AC ** Collections, Series, Collected Works.
AE *** Encyclopedias (General)
AG *** Dictionaries, other general reference works
AI ** Indexes (General)
AM * Museums
AN ** Newspapers
AP ** Periodicals (General)
AS * Academies, Learned Societies
AY ** Yearbooks, Almanacs, Directories
AZ * History of Scholarship and Learning
B PHILOSOPHY,
PSYCHOLOGY, RELIGION
B ** Philosophy
BC ** Logic
BD ** Speculative Philosophy
CJ * Numismatics
CN * Inscriptions, Epigraphy
CR * Heraldry
CS * Genealogy
CT ** Biography
D HISTORY:
GENERAL AND OLD WORLD
D ** History (General)
DA **
DB **
DC **
DD **
DE ** Mediterranean region
DF **
DG **
DH-DJ *
DJK **
DK **
DL ** Northern Europe,
DP **
DQ *
DR ** Eastern Europe,
DS **
DT *
DU * Oceania,
DX * Gypsies
E & F HISTORY:
E **
**
** Indians
of
** Discovery
** Negroes
** Colonial
History
** Revolution
** Revolution
to Civil War
** Civil
War
** Late
Nineteenth Century
** Twentieth
Century
**
*****
F **
**
**
**
**
**
G GEOGRAPHY,
ANTHROPOLOGY, RECREATION
G *** Geography (General)
GA *** Mathematical Geography, Cartography
GB *** Physical Geography
GC ** Oceanography
GF *** Human Ecology
GN ** Anthropology
GR * Folklore
GT * Manners and Customs (General)
GV *** Recreation
** Outdoor life
*** Physical
Training
*** Sports
* Games
and Amusements
** Dancing
* Circuses,
spectacles, etc. (Including Rodeos)
H SOCIAL
SCIENCES
H ** Social Sciences (General)
HA ** Statistics
HB *** Economics
HC *** Economic History and Conditions, National Production
HD *** Land, Agriculture, Industry
HE ** Transportation and Communication
HF ** Commerce
HG ** Finance
HJ ** Public Finance
HM **** Sociology
HN **** Social History, Social Problems, Social Reform
HQ *** Family, Marriage, Women
HS * Societies, Clubs
HT **** Communities,
Classes, Races
Urban Sociology
Regional Planning
Rural Sociology
Social Classes
Races
HV ** Social Pathology, Social Welfare, Criminology
HX ** Socialism, Communism, Anarchism
J POLITICAL
SCIENCE
J Official
Documents (SEE GOVERNEMNT DOCUMENTS SECTION)
JA ** Collections and General Works
JC ** Political Theory
JF ** Constitutional History and Administration
JK **
JL ** British America,
JN **
JQ ** Asia, Africa,
JS ** Local Government
JV ** Colonies, Colonization, Emigration, Immigration
JX ** International law. International relations
K LAW
K ** Law (General)
KD * Law of
KE ** Law of
KF ** Law
of the
***
L EDUCATION
LA *** History of Education
LB *** Theory and Practice of Education
LC *** Special Aspects of Education
LD ***
LE ***
LF **
LG ** Asia, Africa,
LH * College and School magazines and papers
LJ * Student fraternities and societies,
LT * Textbooks (SEE TEXTBOOK SECTION)
M MUSIC
M ** Instrumental
Music
Vocal Music
Sacred Vocal
Music
ML ** Literature of Music
MT ** Music Instruction and Study
N FINE
ARTS
N ** Visual Arts
(General)
History of Art
NA * Architecture
NB ** Sculpture
NC ** Drawing, Design, Illustration
ND ** Painting
NE ** Print Media
NK ** Decorative Arts
NX ** Arts
in General
Including works dealing with two or more of the
fine arts
P LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE
P ** Philosophy and
Linguistics (General)
PA ** Classical
Languages and Literature
Greek
Latin
PB ** Modern
European Languages
PC Romance Languages
* Italian
** French
* Catalan
** Spanish
* Portuguese
PD * Germanic
Languages
* Scandinavian
PE *** English
PF * Dutch
* Flemish
* Friesian language and literature
** German
PG * Slavic, Baltic, Albanian languages and literature
PH * Finno-Ugrian, Basque languages and literatures
PJ * Oriental languages and literatures
PK * Indo-Iranian
PL * Languages and literatures of Eastern Asia, Africa,
PM * American Indian Languages
PN *** Literature
PQ ** Romance literatures
PR *** English Literature
PS *** American Literature
PT ** Germanic Literature
PZ ** Fiction and juvenile belles lettres
Q SCIENCE
Q ** Science
(General)
** Cybernetics, Information theory
QA *** Mathematics
QB ** Astronomy
QC ** Physics
QD **** Chemistry
QE ** Geology
QH ** Natural History (General)
QK *** Botany
QL *** Zoology
QM ** Human Anatomy
QP ** Physiology
QR *** Microbiology
R MEDICINE
RA ** Public Aspects if Medicine