Xavier University Library Collection Development Policy

Introduction and Guiding Principles

Collection Development Overview

The goal of collection development is to maintain a collection of library materials that best supports the needs of the university community. The collection consists of a wide range of resources which include print, electronic, audiovisual, and multimedia materials. Materials of a non-academic nature, such as best sellers, games, and films, may be purchased when funds are available.

In line with the University’s mission and Jesuit values, it is particularly important to consider material that thoughtfully represents a variety of viewpoints. Inclusion of relevant academic material from underrepresented groups, authors, and research areas that enhances the University’s commitment to diversity and equity is a priority.

Collection Development Principles

• All materials purchased with library funds shall be housed in the McDonald Library or Conaton Learning Commons, Alumni Center Annex, or in the case of electronic resources, be accessed via the University Library web page.
• Where multiple formats (electronic, print, microform, audio-visual, etc.) are available for a given item, the format is selected at the discretion of the library, but considering the greatest benefit in terms of access, ease of use, and perpetuity, to the library's users.
• Only English language materials will be purchased with library funds except where a world language is the basis for an existing major (Modern and Classical languages).
• All newly received library materials must be cataloged and processed before they can be taken out of the library. Exceptions may be made under unusual circumstances.
• The library will abide by license agreements and copyright restrictions for all materials, including ebooks, ejournals, streaming media, databases, and digital archives.
• Materials purchased by the library must be as fully accessible for all patrons as possible.

Intellectual Freedom Principles

In all cases, Xavier University Library staff members uphold the American Library Association's policies and statements on intellectual freedom.

As long as materials fit within the general collection parameters of the library, all points of view and subjects will be considered without prejudice. Our goal is to ensure equity and freedom of access to information unimpeded by social or cultural barriers. To facilitate this access, arrangement of library materials is in accordance with standard library classification schemes.

Placement of items on shelves is determined solely by the classification system employed. 

Acquisition of Material

Faculty role in collection development

• The largest portion of the library’s (print and electronic) book, streaming media, and periodical budget is reserved for faculty purchases. Other library purchases, including research databases and electronic journal packages, are evaluated on a case by case basis by the Head of Collection Services with input from faculty and librarian liaisons.
• The library’s primary communication with the faculty about library resources and services is through the library liaison program. Librarians work with academic departments to improve collections and to assist with resource selection for existing as well as new courses and programs. Each academic department appoints a faculty library liaison who works with their librarian liaison and coordinates requests for library resources from the faculty. Requests should be made using the forms on the library website.
• These requests are reviewed by the library acquisitions staff to prevent duplication and to establish preferred format and edition.
• Librarians participate as ex-officio members of the curriculum committees for each of the colleges in order to stay abreast of new courses and changes in the curriculum that may require addition or cancelation of library resources.
• Librarians work with faculty in reviewing and updating the Library’s collections to ensure that the materials in the collections are up to date and regularly used. Resources which are not being used may be canceled or removed from the collection through consultation between faculty and library liaisons. [See Deselection below]

Acquisitions Budget

The acquisitions budget supports the purchase of all formats designated in the collection development policy. Major budget adjustments between material types are made by the Head of Collection Services with the approval of the Library Director and the Library Committee. Small adjustments are made as needed by the Electronic Resources and Acquisitions Librarian. 

Criteria for Selection of Materials

The selection of materials for the library’s collections involves consideration of a number of factors, including:

• Importance of the subject in relation to the curriculum
• Currency and accuracy of information
• Timeliness and importance of information
• Author's reputation and significance
• Publisher reputation
• Availability of other material on the subject in the library, in other area libraries, and in print
• Recommendation in standard reviewing sources
• Price
• Language (Generally only English language material is selected unless it supports Modern Languages curriculum or is an important work not available in English.)
• Scope and depth of subject coverage
• Ease of use
• Likelihood of use

Award Winning Books 

The library is enrolled in a program through which the library automatically receives a wide range of award-winning books for adults, young adults, and children.

Demand Driven, Patron Driven or Evidence-based Acquisitions

The library may set aside funds to establish demand driven, patron driven, and evidence-based acquisitions programs. Through these programs the library provides patrons access to a pool of electronic books and streaming videos selected according to a subject profile developed by the library. The library incurs costs only when patrons access the resource.

Policies for Material Types

Electronic Databases

• The library maintains access to a wide variety of electronic databases, including indexes & abstracts (many with full text of articles), primary sources, digital book and journal collections that support academic programs.
• The OhioLINK consortium provides a strong core of the electronic database collection. Xavier receives these collections through its continued membership in OhioLINK.
• Before beginning a subscription to a database, the library may arrange for a trial to get feedback from librarians and faculty about the resource.
• The library will review the licensing and contract agreements to ensure that the library is able to abide by the contract and stay within copyright restrictions.
• The library also evaluates the infrastructure necessary to support the resource to ensure that the university can provide adequate technical support.
• When subscribing to an electronic resource where ownership (versus access only) is an option, a permanent (versus renewable) license will be explored, relative to financial feasibility.
• The library provides access to freely available online resources that meet the same selection criteria that has been established for online resources that are purchased or leased. Access to these freely available resources is provided through the online catalog, database lists, and subject guides.
• Existing electronic databases are reviewed regularly by the library and academic departments to assure that they meet the needs of the curriculum and are used regularly. Electronic databases with high cost per use will be monitored.

Monographs

• Out-of-print materials will be considered for purchase according to the same criteria used for in-print materials subject to this collection development policy.
• The library purchases or subscribes to electronic format books (e-books) as part of larger collections and also purchases electronic books as individual titles at faculty request.
• If an instructor requests an e-book and the library already owns the print book the requestor is notified. The library will purchase the duplicate in electronic format if requested.
• If an instructor requests a monograph in print format and the library owns the electronic version the requestor is notified. The library may still purchase the duplicate in print format if requested.
• The library will consider self-published monographs, applying the same criteria for selection as is applied to other monographs.

Reference Collection 

• The reference collection is designed to meet the basic research, curricular, and information needs of the University community in all subject fields.
• Reference resources of all types and formats, in all appropriate languages are selected in accordance with the criteria established for the selection of library materials.
• As patron demand for print reference materials has declined dramatically, print reference books are purchased only when essential for instruction or if the book is a key resource.
• Electronic reference resources are acquired in the same manner as electronic databases.

Reserve Collection

• The reserve collection is a collection of instructor-owned materials and materials owned by the library which have been separated from the larger collection for restricted use for students in particular courses.
• Most items in the reserve collection are placed on temporary reserve by faculty; the collection also includes materials designated by the library that are highly used or at high risk for theft.
• The library will purchase a library copy of an item to replace an instructor’s personal copy when appropriate.

Faculty Publications  

• The library maintains a collection of active and emeriti faculty-authored monographs. Two copies are purchased. One is housed in faculty publications and the other in the McDonald circulating collection.
• The library may purchase other faculty publications, such as edited books, chapters in multi-author books, conference presentations, and other academic publications with the same consideration of other materials, but will not purchase multiple copies.
• Faculty members are encouraged to notify the library when a book they have authored is published, so the library may obtain a copy for the faculty publications collection.
• The library does not manage this collection to remove titles when faculty members leave or otherwise become inactive.

Juvenile Collections

• The Juvenile Collections include juvenile and young adult monographs, selected juvenile serials, and appropriate non-print media. The purpose of these collections is to support the programs of the School of Education.
• This collection may contain books that contain offensive text or images content due to the curricular intent of the collection.

Textbooks

• The library acquires selected elementary and secondary school textbooks for the textbook collection in support of teacher education.
• Current course textbooks are not routinely purchased. Other textbooks are not acquired unless they meet the regular requirements for selection.
• Donations of textbooks may be accepted. Instructor’s editions, workbooks, and examination copies may not be placed in the collection.

English as a Second Language (ESL) Collection

• The ESL collection supports the academic needs of students in the ESL program.
• This collection includes books, media, and packages of books or videos with audio supplements.
• Audiovisual materials that have been purchased to support the ESL program are shelved with this collection instead of the general media collection to allow for browsing.

Leisure Reading Collection

• The library purchases popular books for leisure reading as funding allows. These materials are purchased as part of an approval plan for award winning books.
• Materials in the leisure collection are regularly reviewed; items that are no longer of current interest may be either moved to the general circulating collection or withdrawn.

Journals & Serials

General policies for journals and serials

• Journals will be acquired in electronic format unless no electronic format is available or the cost of the journal in electronic format is too expensive.
• Requests for new journal subscriptions should be made using the forms on the library website. The library will review these requests according to the criteria listed below. New subscriptions will begin in January.
• The library also gathers interlibrary loan statistics to identify highly requested journals and will consider subscribing to these journals if funding allows.
• The retention schedule of general interest magazines (i.e. non-academic titles) and newspapers is determined on a case-by-case basis. Upon recommendation by a faculty member, change in the retention rate of a given title will be considered.
• Electronic journals that require an individual username or password instead of IP access will not be considered unless essential to the curriculum and no other access is available.
• Electronic journals that do not offer institutional subscriptions will not be considered.

Criteria for selection of journals

Faculty and librarians may request that the library begin a subscription to a journal at any time.  The decision to begin a new subscription is based on the following factors:

• Relevance to the curriculum
• Cost
• Full-text availability through electronic means including the consideration of an embargo imposed by the publisher
• Impact factor
• Indexing in the library’s discovery service
• Other periodicals available to the discipline.

Criteria for cancellation of journals

Decisions regarding journal cancellations are made in consultation with faculty and involve consideration of the following factors:

• Relevance to the curriculum
• Usage
• Cost
• Full-text availability through electronic means including the consideration of an embargo imposed by the publisher

Newspapers

• The library maintains print subscriptions to a limited collection of newspapers. These papers are generally retained for a period of 3 to 6 months and then discarded.

Media

• Streaming media is the format of choice for motion picture materials, unless only DVD or Blu-ray is the only format available or cost of a streaming license is prohibitive.
• Streaming media is purchased both in subscription packages and individually by title. The Electronic Resources and Acquisitions Librarian will review individual licenses as they expire to determine if there is still need for the license.

Musical Scores & Music CD’s

• Musical scores and cd’s are acquired selectively as needed in support of the curriculum. The library also supports subscriptions to electronic resources that provide streaming audio content. Requests should be made using the forms on the library website.

Computer software

• The library does not collect computer software programs.
• Computer software for use by faculty, staff, and students is purchased and supported by the departments of Application Services and Infrastructure & Technology Support in the Division of Information Technologies.

Microforms

• The library will not consider new microform purchases. Some microform is retained when the library does not own the material in other formats.

Dissertations, Theses 

• The library accepts current Xavier University theses and dissertations in electronic format that have been submitted through the OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertation Center (ETD) after approval by the issuing departments. Xavier University Theses and Dissertations are also submitted to ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global Database. The library works with departments to set up access and workflow for the submission of works according to department guidelines and procedures. 
• The library maintains print copies of theses and dissertation produced at Xavier University if they are not available in electronic format in the ETD Center and they have been approved through the issuing departments approval workflow.
• All Xavier University theses and dissertations will be made accessible to the public. Electronic theses and dissertations may have a brief embargo period of up to two years after submission, and then be openly available.  Print theses and dissertation are made available upon request and must be viewed on site.
• Print copies are retained until available in the ETD.

University Archives and Special Collections

• University Archives and Special Collections is administered by the University

Archivist and Special Collections Librarian. The Special Collections Collection Development Policy governs the acquisition of materials into Special Collections.  

• Gifts to the library may be added to Special Collections if the materials fall within the Special Collections Collection Development Policy.
• Books from the general collection may be transferred to Special Collections if they fall within the Special Collections Collection Development Policy.
• Donations and transfers to University Archives are governed by the University Archives Collection Development Policy.

Focused Collections

• The library maintains several focused collections that provide support for administrative areas that relate to the University’s mission.
• The library will consider the establishment of a focused collection on a case by case basis, considering the potential benefits and drawbacks of separating specific materials from the general collection.  
• Current specialized collections include:

 

Gift Materials 

Gift materials are subject to the same criteria for addition to the collection as purchased materials. The library reserves the right to accept or reject gifts, with or without restricting conditions, and the right to dispose of unwanted gift material. Donated items which are not accepted may be sold to a used-book vendor, sold by the library, or recycled when possible.

Before a gift may be accepted, a donation letter must be sent to the Electronic Resources & Acquisitions Librarian. A sample letter is available upon request. The library does NOT perform appraisals, so any donation requiring an appraisal must be separately appraised or include a separate gift to cover the cost of an outside appraiser.

Due to space limitations and preservation practices, the library does not normally accept the following materials: 

• Popular magazines (i.e. National Geographic, Smithsonian, etc.)
• S. government publications
• Books and scholarly journals which duplicate our holdings
• Materials in poor condition or exhibiting signs of mold or mildew
• Material that contains excessive highlighting, underlining, or annotations (unless annotations are of significant scholarly value)
• Material in outmoded formats (e.g., videocassette tapes, cassette tapes)
• Electronic materials requiring dated software
• Materials which might cause the library to be liable for copyright infringement (i.e., illegally copied audio and video recordings, subscriptions to journals to which the library has not subscribed, copyrighted psychological tests, workbooks)
• Human remains or funerary objects
• Items of dubious provenance

Materials purchased by faculty

• The library does not reimburse faculty for materials that were purchased outside the library without approval from the Head of Collection Services. A faculty member who intends to purchase materials at an event such as a conference should obtain approval in advance from the Head of Collection Services and will be reimbursed in the amount allocated for those purchases.

Retention guidelines

Books

• Previous editions of most books will be withdrawn when a newer edition is purchased.

Journals

• The library has established guidelines for the retention of the print journal volumes that are available either electronically or in print at other OhioLINK libraries. These guidelines help ensure that the library’s collection consists of materials that are actively used.
• Print volumes of journals that are available in electronic journal collections to which the library has permanent access (e.g., JSTOR, OhioLINK’s Electronic Journal Center) are not
• Print volumes of low use journals that are available at other OhioLINK libraries or depositories may not be retained.

Deselection

Deselection is an essential, continuing library practice which provides quality control for the collection by withdrawing of outdated, inaccurate, or worn-out materials. Whenever possible, both faculty and library staff participate in this process to ensure that publications of historical or research significance are not discarded. The library will retain materials which are unique or rare in Ohio and will note its commitment to retain those items.

The same guidelines used for selection of library materials provide the criteria for de-selection.  Physical condition, age of material, date of last loan, number of loans, number of copies in the collection, obsolescence of information, language of the material, coverage of the subject by other material in the collection, and availability of the material from other libraries are all factors that are considered.

Challenged Resources

The University Library will not withdraw material based exclusively on allegations of false, misleading, pejorative, defamatory, offensive, or potentially harmful content. Resources are acquired for the needs of the members of the Xavier community and the Library does not exclude materials because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

It is not the task of the Library to judge the validity of the resources it acquires, but to make research available for scholarly inquiry.

Preservation and Conservation

The library endeavors to protect the physical integrity of materials in the collection through conservation measures such as temperature, humidity and dust control. Books in need of simple repairs will be repaired in house; materials that cannot be repaired will be returned to the shelf with damage noted, withdrawn, or replaced.

Replacements

Materials in various formats that are missing, lost or withdrawn are not automatically replaced. Potential replacements are evaluated using the same criteria for selection as regularly purchased items. Heavily used materials that are determined to be immediately necessary for teaching and research will be replaced as quickly as possible.

Lost or Damaged Items

Library materials which have been lost or damaged will be replaced as the budget allows if they are still available and considered appropriate for the collection. Patrons who are responsible for the loss or damage to the materials are charged for the item plus a processing fee.  

Sustainability

The library makes a significant effort to recycle materials that have been withdrawn from the collection. These efforts include recycling print journal volumes, sending unwanted gift books to Better World Books, selling unneeded donations on our book sale rack, and donating other books where possible.

Collection Disaster Plan

The library maintains a disaster plan that designates procedures for the initiation of action should an emergency arise involving the library's collection.  

Approved by the Library Committee 5/3/2024