St. Olaf College Library Collection Development Policy
This collection development policy lays out guidelines for the continuing development of collections that provide a foundation for the instructional activities of the college, expressed in the St. Olaf College Mission Statement, and the Mission Statements of the St. Olaf College Library and the Bridge Library Consortium.
To foster the development of a coherent, flexible, and balanced collection, the St. Olaf College Library provides substantial support for a dynamic, multi-disciplinary and diverse curriculum.
To provide sufficient depth and breadth of support for the curriculum, and to prepare students for study at the graduate level, the St. Olaf College Library collects in most curriculum-defined areas at the Advanced Study Level as defined in the ALA Guidelines for the Formulation of Collection Development Policies. Collection at this level provides complete collections of the works of all major authors, a wide selection of materials from minor authors, critical and theoretical studies, bibliographic tools, an expansive selection of journals, and the relevant publishing output of English-language university presses.
When possible, the Library will provide sufficient access to large collections of primary materials that will sustain student research. The Library cannot, as a rule, substantially support specialized research of the faculty, unless such material also contributes to other goals of the collection, such as support for
curriculum, student research, or the long-term shape and balance of the collection. The Library will strive to make materials that are not in the collection available to researchers through electronic access, interlibrary loan, and other forms of document delivery.
General Guidelines
for
Collection,
Retention,
and
De-selection
of
Materials
Most
resources
will
be
in
English.
Exceptions
are
foreign
language
dictionaries,
encyclopedias,
other
reference
tools,
literature
and
other
primary
sources
in
foreign
languages
taught
at
St.
Olaf
College,
and
other
materials
necessary
to
support
the
curriculum.
To
ensure
that
the
Library
continues
to
provide
a
rich
milieu
for
resource-based
learning
and
research
into
the
foreseeable
future,
the
collections
will
be
augmented
by
new
and
developing
opportunities
for
access-based
electronic
information
delivery,
rather
than
continued
strict
reliance
on
proprietary
models.
Because
the
acquisition
of
material
is
driven
by
curricular
interests,
there
may
be
gaps
in
the
collection
when
a
new
course
is
taught
or
as
new
areas
of
study
enter
the
curriculum.
Faculty
should
work
closely
with
their
Library
Liaison
and
the
Head
of
Collection
Development
as
departments
and
curriculum
evolve.
Although
the
primary
goal
in
developing
the
collection
is
acquiring
material
recently
published,
the
Library
will
make
every
effort
to
fill
existing
gaps
when possible.
Specific Policies and Guidelines
One-time
Purchases
Policy
statements
for
one-time
purchases
are
under
development.
Continuations
Continuations include journals and magazines, standing orders, and subscription electronic resources.
De-selection
St.
Olaf
College
Library’s
legacy
print
collections
represent
an
important
aspect
of
the
intellectual
activity
of
the
College
community
since
its
founding
in
1874
and
contain
historically
useful
material,
often
not
readily
available
in
the
United
States.
However,
judicious
de-selection
of
material
is
important
to
keep
the
Library's
collections
vibrant
and
useful,
as
well
as
to
allow
for
the
housing
of
new
acquisitions.
Gifts
Critical space and resource constraints have required the St. Olaf College Libraries to tighten the criteria for the types of gifts we can accept. Please take a moment to read through the policy statement below to see if your gift meets our current needs.
Approved by the Library Faculty Committee, May 18, 2011. |
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