EIU Office of Internal Auditing

#55 - Library Collection Development

Approved: January 5, 2009

Monitor: Vice President for Academic Affairs

Booth Library shall be responsible for serving the reading, reference and research needs of the University community. With the resources available in nearby libraries and with the possibility of various cooperative programs, the Library shall build a collection of the highest degree of excellence, both qualitative and quantitative, in all appropriate fields.

In developing its collections, the Library shall observe the following general guidelines:

1. Current publications of lasting and scholarly value shall be given priority over older and out-of-print materials.
2. Publications in the English language shall be given priority over non-English language publications, except for the acquisition of materials for disciplines requiring foreign materials.
3. Materials shall be acquired in a variety of formats.
4. Duplicate copies shall be purchased only on expectation of heavy and continued use.
5. Acquiring resources for undergraduate and graduate students shall take priority over the purchase of research materials solely for individual faculty use. The Library shall not purchase extensive in-depth materials for specific theses topics of graduate students or for research projects for faculty members beyond the level of the graduate program. Faculty members and graduate students, who need in-depth materials in areas which have not been collected, shall be encouraged to utilize the Library's borrowing services or to make use of the resources available at other institutions in the area.
6. The strengths and weaknesses of other library collections in this geographic region shall be considered in the selection of areas for intensive collection development.

Allocation of Funds

The Dean of Library Services, as account manager for the Library, shall be responsible for the management of all Library funds, including the funds utilized for the purchase of materials in all formats. In managing these funds, the Dean shall work with the subject librarians and the academic departments.

In determining the funds to be reserved for library materials for specific disciplines, the Dean shall consult with the Library faculty and the Library Advisory Committee. The following criteria shall be considered:

1. total funds available,
2. library materials essential for the instructional needs of each department,
3. number of faculty in each department,
4. number of undergraduate and graduate courses taught,
5. new courses offered,
6. deficiencies in the existing collection,
7. number of students enrolled, and
8. the average prices of books and other materials in the subject areas.

Funds reserved for use for specific disciplines are not transferred from the library budget to the academic departments. They are reserved for the purchase of materials requested by the faculty, students and subject librarians, and remain at all times a part of the Library budget. Library funds shall not be used to acquire materials for the exclusive use of any group or individual. All materials purchased shall be available for the use of the entire University community. 

Selection Responsibility

Selection of library materials shall be the joint responsibility of the faculty and the library staff. Faculty members may participate in the book selection process in areas of their expertise; however, the primary responsibility for collection development lies with the Subject Librarians in the Library. The Subject Librarians shall work closely with faculty library coordinators from the academic departments.

The Library faculty shall be responsible for achieving a balanced collection and for coordinating the resources development of the library as a whole.

Additional information is available from the library's website, including the complete Collection Development Policy.

LSC Approval: April 4, 2006

LAB Approval: October 18, 2006