Collection Development Policy

The Library Collection Development Policy purpose is to assist the library staff in the selection of materials for inclusion in the collection, and guides how allocated funds are spent, in support of the University’s mission. Furthermore, it makes transparent the principles used for selections. It is intended for this policy to be responsive to the evolving nature of the University and changes in libraries and higher education. Therefore, it will be reviewed every two years.

The goal of the collection is to provide access to diverse, equitable, and inclusive resources that promote the free exchange of ideas, directly support learners and researchers of the University across four campus locations, and align with the UW System Libraries’ cooperative collection development policy. The collection will be available to all potential patrons and will offer a variety of perspectives. No censorship will be exercised based on frankness of language or illustration, or the controversial manner an author may use in addressing an issue.

The general responsibility for collection development belongs to the Manager of Collection Development under the supervision of the Library Director. The Manager of Collection Development and research librarians strive to inform faculty and academic departments about the library’s resources and to seek input on resource selection as part of the ongoing collection development process. Therefore, the development of the collection also includes consultation with the faculty and instructional staff, students, and other library staff as applicable.

Collection development aims to:

1. Provide resources via multiple formats in direct support of academic programs and the curriculum by monitoring resources in subject areas offered by the University and acquiring materials as budget permits, and by maintaining currency of and access to the collection through continuous evaluation and deselection of outdated materials. 
2. Support the information, curricular, and research needs of students and faculty by actively seeking input and maintaining communication.
3. Support the “One System, One Library” concept of cooperative collection development, reducing excessive duplication and utilizing the sharing of resources within the UW System libraries.

The Library considers the following when evaluating resources:

1. Availability of materials on the subject
2. Faculty input of curriculum support 
3. Author’s reputation or significance in their field 
4. Current number of holdings with the UW System libraries 
5. Format of resource, with preference for electronic access as available 
6. Recent or projected use 
7. Ownership vs. leased access, with preference for ownership 
8. Critical reviews of the material 
9. Timeliness or perceived long-term value of the resource 
10. Accessibility relative to the format 
11. Cost to purchase and maintain

The Library’s collection can be categorized into the following three basic groups: 

1. General collection – The general collection, in both print and electronic format, supports the University’s curriculum, instruction, and research; and, when possible, the general needs of the university community. Resources consist of a variety of material types and are selected based on the criteria as stated above. A limited selection of popular, non- academic resources is maintained as well.
2. Government documents – As a participant of the depository program, the Library is a Selective Depository for U.S. Government publications, and as such, provides the basic government information needs for residents of the 8th Congressional District in both print and electronic formats. Federal documents will be selected to meet the needs of the 8th Congressional District and to supplement the collection following the criteria stated above. The Library also maintains a collection of Wisconsin documents as a Regional State Depository, retaining publications for a minimum of five years.
3. Instructional materials – A selection of instructional materials is available, both in print and electronic formats, to support the Education academic program. Resources primarily support K-12 education and include teachers’ editions of textbooks, lesson planning materials, activities, and learning tools. The Library also maintains a selection of literature and non-fiction children’s books with an emphasis on content promoting ethnic and cultural diversity.

The Library may utilize additional criteria when evaluating the following resources:

1. Faculty publications – The Library will attempt to purchase one copy of monographs published by University faculty that conform to the policy criteria as stated above.
2. Textbooks – The Library does not collect or purchase textbooks. In an effort to promote and support Open Educational Resources, the library will make electronic open textbooks available through the catalog as applicable.
3. Journals/Newspapers – The Library maintains access to a large collection of journals, including individually-subscribed, subscription packages, and perpetually-owned titles within the scope of the criteria stated above. In an effort to best allocate the limited physical space, the library will not start new print subscriptions. 
4. Duplicate resources – Generally, the Library will retain only one copy of a resource. Exceptions may include regionally-important works and works available in multiple formats.
5. Out-of-print resources – Resource selections are generally of current publications and purchased with regard to perceived long-term worth. Out-of-print items will not be purchased unless alternatives are unavailable. 
6. Rare resources – The Library will not purchase resources for their rarity alone.
7. Replacement resources – The Library will evaluate lost, missing, or damaged resources to determine if a replacement is suitable based on the policy criteria. If the original is no longer available, an alternate similar resource may be acquired.
8. Donation of resources – All donations will be evaluated against the policy criteria as stated above.