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Walter Steirn Library

Collection Development Policy


Department Liaisons

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1. Introduction
2. Objectives
3. Collecting Levels
3.1 Minimal Level
3.2 Basic Level
3.3 Study Level
3.4 Research Level
4. Core Collection Development Criteria
5. Collection Development Statement/Books
5.1 Selection Responsibility
5.2 Approval Plans
5.3 Criteria for Selection of Materials
5.4 Deselection
6. Collection Development Statement/Periodicals
6.1 Selection Responsibility
6.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials
6.3 Electronic Periodicals
6.4 Backruns
6.5 Deselection
7. Collection Development Statement/Reference
7.1 Selection Responsibility
7.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials
7.3 Deselection
8. Collection Development Statement/Electronic Resources
8.1 Selection Responsibility
8.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials
8.3 Deselection
9. Collection Development Statement/Non-Print Media
9.1 Selection Responsibility
9.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials
9.3 Deselection
10. Collection Development Statement/Specific Collections
10.1 Archives
10.1.1 Selection Responsibility
10.1.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials
10.1.3 Deselection
10.2 Children's Literature Collection
10.2.1 Selection Responsibility
10.2.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials
10.2.3 Deselection
10.3 Curriculum Collection
10.3.1 Selection Responsibility
10.3.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials
10.3.3 Deselection
10.4 Faculty Authors Collection
10.4.1 Selection Responsibility
10.4.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials
10.4.3 Deselection
10.5 Government Documents
10.5.1 Selection Responsibility
10.5.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials
10.5.3 Deselection
10.6 Law
10.6.1 Selection Responsibility
10.6.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials
10.6.3 Deselection
10.7 Map Collection
10.7.1 Selection Responsibility
10.7.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials
10.7.3 Deselection
10.8 Masters Theses
10.9 Special Collections
10.10.1 Selection Responsibility
10.10.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials
10.10.3 Deselection
10.10 Vertical File
10.11.1 Selection Responsibility
10.11.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials
10.11.3 Deselection
11. Gifts
11.1 Disposition
11.2 Books
11.3 Periodicals
11.4 Gift Subscriptions
11.5 Periodical Backruns
11.6 Faculty Authors Collection


1. Introduction

The mission of the Walter W. Stiern Library is to collect, organize, and provide access to recorded knowledge, information and data to support instruction and student research.

The purpose of this Collection Development Policy is to guide the Library in exercising its collection development responsibilities.

All materials selected for inclusion in the Library's holdings must be clearly related to the educational mission and stated goals of the University. Because the University is dedicated to the principle of unrestricted inquiry and scholarly examination of all ideas and current knowledge germane to any discipline, constant care will be taken by the Library to assure the University community that no form of censorship, whether based on personal or ideological bias, will be allowed to circumscribe the development of any subject area of the Library's collections. The Stiern Library supports the Intellectual Freedom Statement of the American Library Association and will act in accordance with this statement.

2. Objectives

In order to achieve the goals of this Collection Development Policy, the Library has established the following major objectives:

  1. To acquire and make available library materials needed for the instructional programs offered by the University.

  2. To acquire and make available library materials required by the students and faculty for their general research.

  3. To develop collections that support new or expanded academic programs.

  4. To collect and preserve materials relating to the history, development and character of California State University Bakersfield.

Attainment of these objectives requires that librarians and faculty work cooperatively as partners to develop the Library's collections.

3. Collecting Levels

As the basis for determining the collection parameters of the Library, four collecting levels are defined. Each of these levels meets particular needs for developing the overall Library collection.

3.1 Minimal Level

The purpose of collecting at the Minimal Level is to acquire a few representative or essential works in a given subject. Selection at this level is limited to a few very basic works.

3.2 Basic Level

The purpose of collecting at the Basic Level is to build a highly selective core collection which serves to introduce and define the subject and to indicate the varieties of information available elsewhere. Selection at this level includes major dictionaries and encyclopedias, essential reference works, selected standard works and a few major periodicals in the field.

3.3 Study Level

The purpose of collecting at the Study Level is to provide materials necessary to support undergraduate instruction or sustained independent study. Selection at this level includes core reference materials, indexes/abstracts necessary to identify the journal literature, core periodicals, and a wide range of books, government publications, and audiovisual materials.

3.4 Research Level

The purpose of collecting at the Research Level is to provide research materials for graduate instruction and research, thesis research and independent research in subject disciplines included in the University curriculum. Selection at this level includes all important reference works, specialized indexes/abstracts, an extensive collection of journals, a wide selection of specialized monographs, and an in-depth collection of government publications.

4. Core Collection Development Criteria

The following criteria have been established as core criteria that apply to all areas of the Library's collection development program.

  1. Generally only English language materials are collected. Non-English language materials may be selected to support specific academic programs.

  2. Priority is given to acquisition of current materials. Older materials may be acquired as necessary to fill gaps in the collection.

  3. Multiple copies are purchased only when heavy and continued non-classroom uses are projected.

  4. Class related materials, such as textbooks, generally are purchased only if they have value as reference sources. Materials to be added to the Curriculum Collection are exceptions to this criterion.

  5. Other media, including but not limited to video recordings, CD-ROMS, DVDs, and software programs are purchased only if they support the University's curriculum.

5. Collection Development Statement/Books

The Book Collection consists of academic titles that support the University's curriculum and selected titles that support the interests of the University community.

5.1 Selection Responsibility

The librarians and teaching faculty share primary responsibility for the selection of books.

5.2 Approval Plans

To complement individual selections of books by teaching faculty and librarians, the Library maintains an approval plan in humanities, social sciences, behavioral sciences, education, and the fine and performing arts. The approval plan gives the Library timely, year round access to current books in the above subject areas as specified in the approval plan profile. Detailed profiles by subject area are available. Because of the more specialized subject matter of books in sciences, mathematics and technology, the Library does not maintain an approval plan in these subjects.

5.3 Criteria for Selection of Materials

Faculty in the academic departments and librarians select books to support the University's instructional programs. Book selection has four criteria:

  1. Discipline-specific works.
  2. Interdisciplinary works that support the curriculum.
  3. Works in subject areas outside the curriculum that support instruction.
  4. Works that are appropriate to the interests of the University community.

When there is a choice between hardcover and paper, the Library will purchase the work in hardcover unless there is a price difference of $25 or more.

Consideration is given to the following when selecting monographs: University curriculum, gaps in the collection, currency, reputation of author and/or publisher, cost, relationship to other works in the collection, etc.

5.4 Deselection

Librarians will review their respective subject areas in the main collection to identify outdated materials or materials no longer needed to support the curriculum.

The following criteria will be considered to deselect materials from the collection:

  1. Outdated volumes of no research or historical value will be deselected.

  2. Items which have not been checked out in the previous five years unless the book has permanent historical or research value.

  3. Multiple copies unless needed to meet current circulation demands.

6. Collection Development Statement/Periodicals

The Periodicals Collection contains a variety of academic titles that support the University's curriculum and selected titles that support the interests of the University community.

6.1 Selection Responsibility

The Subject Liaison, in consultation with the librarians and faculty, is primarily responsible for the selection of materials from his subject area.

6.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials

The selection of periodical titles has three criteria:

  1. To support the general interests of the University community. These works will include, but not be limited to, general titles, newspapers, and popular titles.

  2. To provide the University's students with access to current discipline-based academic journal literature. Periodical titles should include the major journals essential to study in the academic disciplines taught at the University.

  3. To provide a limited number of periodicals supporting the specialized study interests of students and faculty. Librarians, in consultation with the professorate, will select highly specialized journals only if cost and need by students make the selection feasible.

Because periodical subscriptions require an ongoing funding commitment, all requests for new titles must include a sample issue, written justification summarizing the University's need for the title, and approval by the Library's departmental liaison. Before subscribing to a new periodical, the quality of its scholarship and whether it can be accessed via the Library's various indexes/abstracts should be considered.

6.3 Electronic periodicals

When acquiring a periodical available electronically, such issues as accessibility, archiving, long-term availability of the title, and licensing fees should be considered.

6.4 Backruns

When backruns of titles are purchased, the Library prefers them in paper format. Secondarily, as an alternative to paper, the Library prefers microfiche. Paper or microform back runs should be maintained for the significant titles within each discipline.

6.5 Deselection

Librarians will review titles and make retention decisions based on cost and need.

7. Collection Development Statement/Reference

The Stiern Library reference collection provides access to summary information, data, and lists of other resources, usually found in general and subject encyclopedias, dictionaries, bibliographies, indexes and abstracts, handbooks, statistical sources, almanacs, atlases, maps and other geographical sources, directories, and biographical sources. Reference sources are purchased in the most convenient and easily accessible format whether in print or electronic formats.

7.1 Selection Responsibility

Selection decisions are the responsibility of the librarian liaison for the designated subject area. While it is the liaison's decision, suggestions may be forwarded by other librarians and/or faculty to the liaison for consideration. Decisions regarding interdisciplinary or overlapping areas are made cooperatively by all appropriate liaisons.

The Reference Services Coordinator makes selection, deselection, and retention/relocation decisions regarding general subject and ready-reference materials. While it is the Coordinator's decision, suggestions may be forwarded by other librarians and/or faculty to the Coordinator for consideration.

Purchasing decisions concerning expensive reference sources and all electronic reference, indexes/abstracts, and full-text/full-image databases are made collaboratively among all the librarians. The Reference Sources Home Page is also reviewed by the Reference Service Coordinator, and when appropriate, by the Home Page Committee and the Library Advisory Committee.

7.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials

Subject and Library collection policy objectives are the most important measure for reference collection selection. Additionally, reference selections are based on the following general criteria.

  1. Scope. Reference materials support the curriculum or assist in answering questions received by reference personnel. The liaison also notes if material fills a need in the collection by providing unique reference coverage or is unduly duplicating already existing information. Selections are also based on the estimated frequency of use.
  2. Currency. Generally, reference sources, by nature, should provide current data and information. However, there may be cases where materials are selected for the reference collection based on historical or archival value.
  3. Comprehensiveness. In general, comprehensive coverage of a topic is preferred over little used cursory treatments.
  4. Audience. Materials selected should be geared to the college and university level reader at the basic, study, and research collection levels.
  5. Authoritative. Materials should provide authoritative information, generally presenting assigned authorship, documentation and bibliographies.
  6. Design and Access. Sources should provide logical and useful arrangements, indexing, easily used interfaces, and where appropriate, useful illustrations.
  7. Format. Selected materials should generally be in a "reference format," whether in paper or electronically accessible. Web based online resources are the preferred format for electronic materials. Free Internet sources are included on the Library's Home Page if the sources meet the criteria described within this policy.
  8. Multiple copies/access. Duplicate copies are not purchased except in cases of dictionaries, thesauri, style manuals, damaged or lost materials. Electronic resources that allow multiple-user access are encouraged when appropriate.
  9. Cost. Cost and budget should be considered in balance with issues of source value, uniqueness, duration of usefulness, and durability of format (hard or paperback).

7.3 Deselection

Reference subject areas are reviewed by the appropriate subject liaison librarian at least once a year regarding deselection or retention/relocation decisions. While it is the liaison's decision, suggestions may be forwarded by other librarians and/or faculty to the liaison for consideration. Decisions regarding interdisciplinary or overlapping areas are made cooperatively by all appropriate liaisons. Reasons for deselecting resources, relocating resources to other collections, and/or changing retention decisions are based on such assessment criteria as:

  1. Appropriateness for reference purposes,
  2. Currency,
  3. Usage, and
  4. Comparability and compatibility with other sources.

8. Collection Development Statement/Electronic Resources

The Stiern Library considers electronic resources to be an essential element in collection development. As the formats of primary and secondary materials develop and change, the Stiern Library will evaluate these formats for possible inclusion in the collections.

The acquisition of electronic resources will be initiated in the same manner as other resources: an academic department or an area in the Library assigned a material budget will submit a request to purchase or license the materials. After the request has been received, the Library Advisory Committee will evaluate the request in order to determine the impact on Library patrons and operations, as well as to determine any equipment needs.

8.1 Selection Responsibility

The Library Advisory Committee is responsible for selecting appropriate electronic resources.

8.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials

The Walter W. Stiern Library acquires access to electronic resources that fall within the General Guidelines for Selection. Generally, electronic resources are indexing and abstracting tools and full-text academic journals. Electronic books are also becoming available. Web based access is highly preferred over other types of electronic access.

From centralized funding The California State University makes available to the campus libraries an Electronic Core Collection of electronic databases and it also funds other electronic resources. The CSU Council of Library Directors makes decisions about which databases and other electronic resources to acquire from these systemwide funds.

Factors to consider include:

  1. Meets subject scope outlined in Core Collection Development Criteria.
  2. Has broad appeal to large number of Stiern Library clients or will serve special needs of a user group.
  3. Good technical support is available.
  4. The interface is user-friendly with appropriate online help available.
  5. The license agreement allows normal rights and privileges accorded libraries under copyright law.
  6. If selected, meaningful usage statistics can be gathered to gauge utility of the material to CSUB users.
  7. The product does not require special access control.
  8. The Library is not required to subscribe to both print and electronic versions of the product, unless this is desired.
  9. The vendor allows a trial of the actual product.
  10. The license agreement gives the Library indemnification against third party copyright infringement.
  11. The product compares favorably with similar products.
  12. Multiple user access is preferred
  13. Archival rights are ensured.

8.3 Deselection

Usage statistics will be evaluated periodically to discover any resources with low usage. These may be considered for deselection. Since some products may have been selected for a specific section of Stiern Library users, consideration will be given to the size of possible user population. The Library Advisory Committee is responsible for deselecting appropriate electronic resources.

9. Collection Development Statement/Non-Print Media

The Non-Print Media Collection consists of 16 mm films, video cassettes, audio cassettes, records, compact discs, and laser discs that support the University's curriculum and selected items that support the interests of the University community.

9.1 Selection

The Librarians and teaching faculty share primary responsibility for the selection of the non-print media collection.

9.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials

Non-print media are selected by faculty in the academic departments and librarians to support the University's instructional programs. Non-print media selection has four criteria:

  1. Discipline specific works.
  2. Interdisciplinary works that support the curriculum.
  3. Works in subject areas outside the curriculum that support instruction.
  4. Works that are appropriate to the interest of the University community.

Consideration is given to the following when selecting non-print media: University curriculum, gaps in the collection, currency, reputation of author and/or publisher, cost, relationship to other works in the collection, etc.

9.3 Deselection

Librarians will review their respective subject areas in the main collection to identify outdated materials or materials no longer needed to support the curriculum.

The following criteria will be considered to deselect materials from the collection:

  1. Outdated items of no research or historical value will be deselected.
  2. Items which have not been checked out in the previous five years unless the item has permanent historical or research value.
  3. Multiple copies unless needed to meet current circulation demands.

10. Collection Development Statement/Specific Collections

10.1 Archives

The Archives is a repository for materials from the organizations and offices of California State University, Bakersfield. Materials about the University from other sources are also collected. Other primary source materials may be collected if they are deemed to be of unique historical or cultural significance to the University.

10.1.1 Selection Responsibility

The Archives Coordinator is primarily responsible for the selection and processing of archival materials. Major decisions regarding selection and deselection of materials and collections will be made in consultation with the Library Director and the librarians.

10.1.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials

Archival selection has three criteria:

  1. To serve as a repository for materials circulated at the University.
  2. To serve as a repository for manuscript versions of University masters' theses.
  3. To obtain materials that document the history of the University.

The Archives will accept complete, donated collections of papers and other materials used in the development of important scholarly works. It will occasionally accept collections of unpublished papers from individuals or groups that have had a significant historical influence on the University or community.

The Archives will not accept individual items, such as photographs or documents, that are not part of an ongoing collection. The Archives does not normally accept published materials that are available elsewhere. The Archives does not normally accept teaching materials from faculty, unless those materials are donated as part of a collection that has significant historical, scholarly, or cultural value. The Archives will not purchase collections of archival materials.

Consideration is given to the following when accepting a donated archival collection: Space, processing costs, and historical, cultural or scholarly value.

10.1.3 Deselection

Materials are deselected during the processing of newly acquired items.

The following criteria will be used to deselect materials from a collection:

  1. Redundant materials.
  2. Materials that are not an integral part of an ongoing or accepted collection.
  3. Published materials that are available elsewhere.

10.2 Children's Literature Collection

The Children's Literature Collection is made up of award-winning children's books and books that are deemed to be important works of children's literature by the Education liaison and Education faculty. The collection exists to support the curriculum of the School of Education.

10.2.1 Selection Responsibility

The Education liaison, in consultation with Education faculty, is primarily responsible for the selection of materials in the Children's Literature Collection.

10.2.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials

Selection for the Children's Literature Collection has two criteria:

  1. To support the curriculum and supplement the needs of the School of Education.
  2. To acquire significant works from the western literary tradition that belong to the children's literature genre.

In addition to English language books, the Children's Literature Collection may include books in Spanish. Priority will be given to books that have earned major literary awards.

Consideration is given to the following when acquiring children's literature: space, University curriculum, gaps in the collection, reputation of author and/or publisher, cost, relationship to other works in the collection, and value as a potential teaching tool.

  • 10.2.3 Deselection

    The Education liaison will review the Children's Literature Collection to identify outdated materials or materials that are no longer needed to support the curriculum.

    10.3 Curriculum Collection

    The Curriculum Collection is made up of current textbooks, readers, and curriculum materials used by teachers in schools in Kern County and California. It also contains older materials that show past classroom teaching priorities and practices.

    10.3.1 Selection Responsibility

    The Education Liaison, in consultation with Education Faculty, is primarily responsible for the selection of materials in the Curriculum Collection.

    10.3.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials

    Selection for the Curriculum Collection has three criteria:

    1. To support the curriculum and supplement the needs of the School of Education.
    2. To familiarize Education students and teachers with the materials currently being used in Kern County classrooms.
    3. To provide practical examples of present and past classroom teaching methodologies and priorities.

    Additions to the collection will be limited to new classroom materials that have been formally adopted by the California Board of Education. In addition to English language books, some subject areas may include books in Spanish.

    Consideration is given to the following when acquiring materials for the Curriculum Collection: State adoption, space, cost, use by Kern County public schools, currency, University curriculum, reputation of author and/or publisher, relationship to other works in the collection, and value as a potential teaching tool.

    10.3.3 Deselection

    The Education Liaison will review the Curriculum Collection to identify outdated materials or materials that are no longer needed to support the curriculum.

    10.4 Faculty Authors Collection

    The Walter W. Stiern Library will add to the Faculty Authors Collection a copy of every book written, edited, or translated by a CSUB professor or other staff member. Books containing chapters or essays by CSUB authors are included. Books written before, during, or after their service here are also included.

    10.4.1 Selection Responsibility

    The Special Collections Coordinator is primarily responsible for the selection and deselection of materials in the Faculty Authors Collection, although librarian liaisons should keep abreast of their respective areas so that newly published faculty-authored materials can be acquired in a timely manner.

    10.4.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials

    If there is only one copy, it will go into the Faculty Authors Collection. If there is a second copy, it will go in the general circulating collection. More than two copies will be held only when heavy use is expected.

    10.4.3 Deselection

    Normally materials in the Faculty Authors Collection are not deselected.

    10.5 Government Documents

    The Government Documents Collection consists of a physical collection of print and microform materials as well as access to publications available electronically. Materials are received as part of the United States Depository Library Program, State of California depository program or directly from agencies; purchased; or, accessed via the Internet.

    The purpose of this collection is to support the educational mission of the University.

    Collection efforts focus on acquisition of or access to publications from the United States Government and State of California. Electronic access is provided to publications from other states, local governments, foreign governments and non-governmental organizations via the Internet.

    Materials are acquired or accessed in print, microform and electronic formats.

    10.5.1 Selection Responsibility

    The Government Documents Coordinator is primarily responsible for the selection of materials in the Documents Collection.

    10.5.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials

    Selection for the Government Documents Collection follows these criteria:

    1. Publications that support the curriculum.
    2. Frequently used or important publications may be acquired in print or microform and accessed electronically.
    3. A publication will be selected in microform only if the publication is not available in either print or electronic format or as a backup to the electronic version.

    10.5.3 Deselection

    The Government Documents Coordinator is primarily responsible for the deselection of materials in the Law Collection.

    Retention of documents published by the United States Government and State of California is influenced by the depository policies of each government.

    The United States Depository Library Program requires that all publications received through the program must be retrained for at least five years. Those publications deemed by the Federal Government to be obsolete may be removed from the collection when they are superseded by more current information.

    The California State Library Distribution Act allows depository libraries to discard materials at their own discretion with the exception of the following classes of materials which must be retained for at least five years: periodicals, administrative and statistical reports of an agency's activities, basic state level fiscal documents and basic legislative reference works.

    10.6 Law

    The Law Collection consists of a physical collection of print materials and electronic access to legal materials.

    The purpose of this collection is to support the educational mission of the University.

    Collection efforts focus on acquisition of or access to core legal materials for the United States Government and State of California and important secondary legal resources. Legal materials from other states, foreign countries and local governments are acquired as parts of electronic legal databases or accessed via the Internet.

    Materials are acquired or accessed in print, microform and electronic formats.

    10.6.1 Selection Responsibility

    The Law liaison librarians are primarily responsible for the selection of materials in the Law Collection.

    10.6.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials

    Selection for the Law Collection follows these criteria:

    1. Official versions of United States or State of California primary legal materials are preferred unless commercial products contain significant value-added content.
    2. Official and equivalent commercial versions of the same primary legal source material may be acquired or accessed.
    3. For primary legal materials, preference is given to electronic format wherever possible, given the superior retrieval capabilities of electronic access.
    4. Print publications may duplicate electronic access to primary legal materials.
    5. Whenever there are multiple commercial publications for the same primary legal material, only one publication will be selected.
    6. Secondary legal sources must pertain to United States or State of California law or some specialized aspect of law within these jurisdictions.
    7. A publication will be selected in microform only if the publication is not available in either print or electronic format or as a backup to the electronic version.

    10.6.3 Deselection

    The Law liaison librarians are primarily responsible for the deselection of materials in the Law Collection.

    Primary legal materials normally will not be deselected although not all formats for the material may be retained.

    As currency is an important consideration in legal research, secondary legal sources will be kept current. Outdated materials will be removed from the collection.

    10.7 Map Collection

    The Map Collection consists of topographic maps, satellite and aerial photographs, and historical and specialty maps which support the CSUB curriculum.

    10.7.1 Selection Responsibility

    The Map Coordinator is primarily responsible for the selection of materials in the Map Collection.

    10.7.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials

    Selection for the Map Collection has three criteria:

    1. To support the geology curriculum and supplement the needs of the University.
    2. To provide patrons with access to geographic information that relates to other collections in the Library.
    3. To provide patrons with topographic information about the state of California.

    Consideration is given to the following when acquiring materials for the Map Collection: space, cost, University curriculum, reputation of the publisher, and relationship to other works in the collection.

    10.7.3 Deselection

    The Map Coordinator will review the Map Collection to identify materials that are no longer needed to support the curriculum.

    10.8 Masters Theses

    Master's Theses should be deposited with the Office of Graduate Studies and Research. For questions, please call 661-664-2231.

    The Walter W. Stiern Library will continue to maintain the original, unbound copies of master's theses in the Archives. In addition, students are required to arrange for binding one copy of their thesis for the Library' circulating collection. Please consult for detailed instructions and requirements.

    10.9 Special Collections

    The Special Collections contain rare books, fragile materials, and materials in any format that require special care because of value, rarity, or unique significance to the University.

    10.10.1 Selection Responsibility

    The Special Collections Coordinator is primarily responsible for the selection of items for Special Collections, although any librarian, faculty member or library patron may suggest materials for inclusion.

    10.10.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials

    Special Collections selection has three criteria:

    1. To preserve fragile, unique or rare published materials by removing them from general circulation.
    2. To provide limited access by scholars and patrons to fragile, rare or unique materials.
    3. To obtain and maintain unique collections of significant materials that document the history and culture of the Southern San Joaquin Valley.

    Special Collections will not accept materials that can be easily replaced. Items included in Special Collections must have some unique scholarly value or be too expensive or too rare to be easily replaced.

    Consideration is given to the following when accepting material for the Special Collections: space, preservation and conservation costs, and historical, cultural or scholarly value, rarity, and condition of the material.

    10.10.3 Deselection

    Materials are normally not deselected from Special Collections. However, if an item in the collection is found to be widely available and no scholarly purpose is served by removing it from general circulation, it may be deselected.

    10.10 Vertical File

    The Stiern Library has a specialized collection of pamphlets that focus on current events. These sources provide lower division students with background information to assist them in developing paper topics.

    10.11.1 Selection Responsibility

    The Instruction Coordinator is primarily responsible for the selection of pamphlets in the vertical file.

    10.11.2 Criteria for Selection of Materials

    The goal for the selection of vertical file materials is to provide information that introduces students to the opposing arguments on specific issues of interest to the public such as, abortion, gun control, and death penalty.

    10.11.3 Deselection

    The Instruction Coordinator will review the vertical file to identify outdated materials that are no longer needed to support the curriculum.

    11. Gifts

    The Walter W. Stiern Library welcomes donations of books and other materials. Any donated item must support the University's curriculum. The Library will only accept items provided without conditions. Librarians will screen all donated materials from their subject areas to determine whether they meet the Library's collection criteria. The Library retains the right to dispose of donated materials. The Library accepts monetary gifts through the Stiern Library Associates. Monies are used to purchase library resources based on appropriate selection criteria.

    11.1 Disposition

    Material not wanted by the Library may be offered for sale within the Library or donated to another library, state facility, or charitable organization, or discarded.

    11.2 Books

    Any donated book must support the University's curriculum. Textbooks or vanity press books are ordinarily not added to the collection. Duplicates are added if the Library copy is checked out, in mending, missing or on Reserve, or the title is one for which multiple copies are judged useful. When the Library has an earlier edition, a later gift edition may replace it.

    11.3 Periodicals

    The Library does not accept personal gift subscriptions when the donor wants to read the issues first and then send them to the Library.

    11.4 Gift Subscriptions

    Gift subscriptions for a specified period to come directly to the Library may be accepted, if useful. When these espouse a particular point of view, the Library must have opposing material for balance. Accepting a direct gift subscription in no way assures a paid renewal by the Library when the gift expires.

    11.5 Periodical Backruns

    The library will accept periodical backruns for which it has no current subscription only if the donation is complete and covers a significant period of time. A periodical backrun will also be accepted if it fills gaps in a run of materials to which the library currently subscribes. Normally, duplicate issues will not be accepted or added.

    11.6 Faculty Authors Collection

    A faculty-authored book that is donated to the library will be added to the Faculty Authors Collection.