SITCM Library
Collection Policy
Section
1 - Purpose and Context
(1) SIHS
Library is the primary scholarly information service provider. Through its the
Library provides and promotes access to those information resources and services
integral to the scholarly endeavors of students, staff of the Institute.
(2) The
information industry is in an era of massive and far reaching transformation
impacting upon the creation, use and maintenance of scholarly materials.
Exponential growth in the volume of electronically published materials has not
been matched, as was widely predicted, by a decline in the volume of print
publishing, which continues to increase dramatically. The Library must
effectively serve as a both a 'gateway' to electronic collections, and as a
'place' from which physical collections and services may be accessed.
(3) The development of the SIHS Library
collection, in all formats, is an inclusive program involving Library and Academic
staff, as well as SIHS student users. This document is intended to clarify the
policy and guidelines for purchase of, and provision of access to, materials in
all formats for the Sydney Institute of Health Sciences community.
(4) The Library
Collection Development and Access Policy guides the Library's collection
development activity in order to ensure the creation and maintenance of
scholarly information directly relevant and supportive to the learning, teaching,
and research endeavors of the Institute.
Part A - Collection Development
Principles
(5) SIHS
Library is the gateway to scholarly information for the SIHS community.
(6) The Library aims to:
Underlying
Principles for Development
(7) The Library
collections will support the teaching, learning and research of SIHS staff and
students.
(8) Materials
expenditure will be maintained at no less than 55% of Library recurrent funding
(9) Recognizing
the importance of a strong journal collection (either print or electronic), an
appropriate balance between monograph and journal expenditure will be
maintained. Generally, the Library will endeavor to ensure that no more than 50%
of materials expenditure will be on journals.
(10) All
requests for new journal subscriptions will be submitted to the Library
Advisory Committee for consideration and decision. Such requests will be
accompanied by supporting documentation underlying the rationale for inclusion
in the collection or provision of electronic access.
(11) In support
of cross Institute teaching, the Library will support purchase of multiple
copies of texts, up to 3 copies.
(12) Other than
in exceptional circumstances, all material required supporting teaching,
learning and research will be purchased by the Library's staff, utilizing
regular Library Suppliers with whom substantial discounts have been negotiated.
(13) Where
Academic staff wish to purchase material directly, for subsequent reimbursement
by the Library.
Part B - Collection Development Practices and Procedures
(14) Librarian share
responsibility for the development of the Institute collections with their
academic colleagues.
Texts, essential and recommended readings
(15) The
Library supports the teaching and learning endeavors of the Institute by
providing copies of texts, essential and recommended readings as cited on
Course Reading Lists.
(16) The
Library will generally purchase one copy of recommended readings per requisite.
(17) Text
material and essential readings will be purchased on the following ratio:
|
Number
of Students |
Copies |
|
1
- 40 |
1
copy |
|
41
- 80 |
2
copies |
|
81
– 120 + |
3
copies |
(18) Material
to support teaching, learning and research is not, however, limited to Reading
Lists. Order requests to purchase support material will be placed upon receipt
from the relevant library signatory. Generally only single copies of such
material will be purchased for the library.
(19) The Library
Advisory Committee provides advice and recommendations on all aspects of
operation, services and re sourcing of the Library.
(20) In fulfilling its role to ensure the best
support for learning, teaching and research of the Institute, the Committee
will review all requests for new journal subscriptions.
(21) All
requests for journal subscriptions must be accompanied by supporting
documentation. This documentation will be presented in summary and complete
form to the LAC for consideration and approval/rejection. All requests will be
considered individually, and may require the cancellation of a title of similar
value.
(22) Where a
journal is available electronically, this is the preferred 'format' and print
subscriptions will not be placed other than in exceptional circumstances.
(23) Only in
exceptional circumstances will single issues of a journal be purchased for the
Library collection.
(24) Whilst
substantial donations may have added depth and breadth to some of the SIHS
Library collections, the complexities and costs associated with donated
material - administrative and processing - tend to militate against the
perceived value in most instances.
(25) As a
general rule, donated materials should be of sufficient value, and direct relevance
that the Library would have been prepared to purchase them.
(26) All offers
of material should be referred to the librarian and Administrators.
(27) Monographs
must be current, relevant to the teaching and/or research profile of the
Institute and in good condition. Other than in exceptional circumstances,
second or third copies of titles already held will not be accepted. The Librarian
and Administrators will make the ultimate decision on the inclusion or
exclusion of all titles.
(28) Offers of ongoing donations of journals
will only be accepted and such titles added to the collection if relevant to
the teaching and/or research profile of the Institute, and it can be
ascertained that such donations will, as far as possible, continue into the
foreseeable future.
(29) All offers
of serials must be referred to the Librarian who will ensure that appropriate
documentation is completed and forwarded to LAC for consideration.
General
Collections: print and electronic
(30) Most print
and electronic collections are accessible to all SIHS staff and students. In
rare cases, License Agreements may restrict access to an electronic resource to
limited staff/postgraduate students.
(31) Access to
all print resources is available through the Library's catalogue, with an
increasing number of electronic resources being added.
(32) Reserve
Collections: Print and Digital - provide ready access to high demand, high use
materials supporting teaching and learning at Institute.
(33) When
teaching material is in high demand, a copy may be requested for Library
Reserve Collections. Wherever possible under copyright restrictions, journal
articles required for Reserve are scanned and made available via the SIHS Reserve
page. Similarly, chapters of books are scanned and added to the Reserve page
collection wherever copyright permits.
(34) Where
copyright restrictions do not permit (e.g. several chapters of a book are
required for Reserve) the whole book will be placed on Reserve at the Library.
(35) Physically
damaged items which are still in demand will be treated by one of the following
methods:
(36) Print
journal volumes will be rebound after all volume issues have been received.
Part C – De-selection of Print Materials
(37) De-selection
(weeding) of library materials is essential to ensure an active, academically
useful library collection. De-selection provides quality control for the
collection by elimination of outdated, inaccurate, and worn-out materials.
Library staff are responsible for conducting ongoing evaluation and for
maintaining the quality of the collection.
(38) As an
overall principle, the Library will retain a single, 'last copy' of all titles
held.
(39) Superseded
editions will generally be withdrawn unless they continue to provide valuable,
relevant information.
(40) Materials
which cannot be repaired or rebound or for which the cost of preservation
exceeds the value of the information contained are weeded.
(41) Currency
of information is extremely important in some fields such as health sciences,
technology, and business. Materials older than 5 years must be regularly
deselected to eliminate outdated or inaccurate information.
(42) Material
that has not been used, based on circulation and browsing statistics, may be
weeded after five years of inactivity.
(43) Incomplete
and short runs of a title may be withdrawn if title is
not currently received.
(44) Titles
which contain information that is not useful long-term, such as newsletters and
trade magazines, usually have automatic discard patterns established such as
"Current year only"
(45) Regularly
updated editions of guidebooks, handbooks, almanacs and directories etc will
generally be discarded upon receipt of the current issue.
(46) Due to
lack of space, print issues which are replaced by microfilm will be discarded.
(47) Duplicate
issues of periodicals and journals will be discarded when a volume has been
bound.
© Sydney Institute of Health Sciences,
Sydney Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine