Collection Development Manual
I. INTRODUCTION and MISSION STATEMENT
The principal mission of the University of Evansville Libraries is to support the curricular and research needs of the students and faculty of the University. The Libraries will accomplish this by systematically and continuously acquiring and maintaining a high quality core collection of those materials most apt to be needed by the students and faculty on an immediate or repetitive basis, or by providing access to external resources which satisfy these same criteria.
While the traditional means of scholarly discourse has been print on paper, all forms of information which the library can reasonably accommodate will be considered for purchase. The Libraries will embrace those forms of information storage and transmission which will enhance its ability to serve its clientele recognizing that in some cases these will replace rather than supplement traditionally-acquired materials. Prudent fiscal management precludes the acquisition of esoteric scholarly materials not appealing to a reasonably broad spectrum of undergraduate students; the Libraries will provide timely access to these materials by electronic or other means.
The educational needs of the university's principal clientele are the primary focus of the collection, and so materials for recreational reading or about subjects not taught at the university will be acquired on a very limited basis. For the same reason, archival materials, rare books, and other special collections will be acquired only for exceptional reasons which relate to the university's or Libraries's mission or position in the community, its relationship to the United Methodist Church, or other similar factors which make their acquisition appropriate.
The purpose of this document is to (1) specifically relate the building of the collection to the mission of the university and the teaching and research needs of its faculty and students; (2) provide guidance as to subject matter and depth in the acquisition of new materials; (3) assist in the evaluation of the collection; (4) inform interested persons about the nature of the collection and its future development; and (5) describe the shared nature and process of collection building activity.
University of Evansville Mission
The mission of the University of Evansville is to provide talented and motivated students with the highest quality educational experience so that they may develop worthwhile goals for a meaningful life, develop the skills to accomplish those goals with distinction, and by this process realize their full potential.
To support the University's mission the Libraries must:
- Select, acquire, organize and preserve as economically and expeditiously as possible those materials and services which are most relevant to the University's present and future teaching and research programs.
- Provide timely on-site or remote access to recorded knowledge whose permanent ownership is not essential but which may still be needed to support the University's present and future teaching and research programs while considering the needs of Harlaxton College in so far as is possible.
- Continuously evaluate the collection both quantitatively and qualitatively against known or recognized standards and recommendations, improving and adapting as conditions and programs change.
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Revised 7/17/2003 mg