Library Collections Policy

1.0 Document administration

The document outlines the Library’s approach to providing high quality, fit for purpose collections which support the University’s strategic goals for learning, teaching and research.

2.0 Purpose

The quality of Library collections is fundamental to the University’s success in  learning, teaching and research. The Vision for the Future of the University Library envisaged the provision of:

• Seamless access to high quality content in support of learning, teaching and research
• Physical collections that reduce in size as digital alternatives are provided collections that are well managed and edited to ensure currency and value, with the focus on access rather than storage
• Retention policies that focus mainly on preserving, digitising and promoting unique collections of archives and heritage collections 

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance for staff and students involved in delivering this vision for the future of the library’s collections.

3.0 Scope

In this policy, the term ‘collections’ refers to all information resources managed by the library, with the following exceptions:

• Archives and Special Collections
• Salford Archives Repository Collections
• Open Access Repository Collection
• Research Data
• Resources purchased or licensed for use by partner institutions

The management and development of these collections are covered by separate policies, listed in section 7 of this document, or by the agreements entered into with partner institutions.

4.0 Governance and management

The successful implementation of this policy is dependent upon collaboration between the library, academic staff and students. The roles and responsibilities of staff and students are set out below. 

• 4.1 The Library
   
  • The University Librarian is responsible for the implementation, review and regular update of this policy.
  • The Associate University Librarian is responsible for the overall management of Library collections.
  • The Collections Team is responsible for the acquisition, preservation, digitisation, and management of resources in the Library collections.
  • Academic Support Librarians are the principal channels of communication between schools, colleges and the Library. They are responsible for liaison with academic staff and students about new purchases and withdrawals.
• 4.2 Academic staff
   
  • Academic Staff are required to engage with the library in resource planning for current and new programmes, to provide the library with reading lists and to assist in the selection of new resources to be added to the Library collections.
• 4.3 Students
   
  • Students are encouraged to assist in the selection of appropriate resources to be added to the Library collections. Students are asked to provide feedback on their experience of using the Library collections and whether they meet their needs.

5.0 Policy statements

• 5.1 General Principles
  
  Resources are acquired for the collections on the basis of their relevance to the University’s learning, teaching and research. The Library will:
  • work with academic staff and students to identify relevant materials and add them to the collections;
  • make resources available in electronic format, maintaining printed collections where appropriate;
  • provide access to resources in the most appropriate and cost effective way;
  • not exclude material from the collections on the grounds of ethnicity, gender, sexuality, or the religious or political views of the author(s).
• 5.2 Selection of Resources
   
  • 5.2.1 Reading List materials
    
    The Library aims to provide sufficient copies of, or electronic access to, items on reading lists. The Reading List Policy sets out how the Library aims to achieve this goal.
  • 5.2.2 Textbooks and Monographs
    
    The Library will consider purchasing textbooks and monographs recommended by academic staff or students of the University where they:
     
    • are relevant to current learning, teaching and research;
    • assist academic staff in keeping up-to-date with developments in their subjects;
    • encourage students to study a wide range of relevant material in line with the aims of the Learning and Teaching Strategy
  • 5.2.3 Journals
    
    The Library will carry out regular reviews of journal subscriptions to achieve value for money and ensure continued relevance to learning, teaching and research. The Library will purchase electronic access where possible and will usually only keep print journals when electronic access is not available. It is expected that where new subscriptions are required existing journal titles will need to be cancelled in order to pay for them.
  • 5.2.4 Theses and Dissertations
    
    The University Regulations require that a thesis, report or portfolio of each candidate who has had conferred a Research Award shall be deposited in the University of Salford’s Institutional Repository (USIR). Undergraduate and Taught Postgraduate dissertations and projects are collected by exception only.
  • 5.2.5 Exam papers
    
    University of Salford examination papers will be made available online in the USIR Examination Collection.
  • 5.2.6 Other formats
    
    The library will collect materials in other formats including, but not limited to, DVD, CD, streaming media, audio collections, images, learning resources and other digital objects where they are relevant to current learning, teaching and research.
  • 5.2.7 Donations
    
    The Library will accept donations if the items are relevant to current learning, teaching and research; there is sufficient space available to shelve them; they are in good physical condition; the cost of making them available for use is proportionate and there is full agreement that they may be withdrawn from the collection at a later date. Donations that fail to meet these criteria will not be added to the Library Collection.
• 5.3 Preservation
  
  The Library participates in a number of initiatives to ensure continuity of access to electronic resources. The Library subscribes to Portico (Service that preserves e-books and e-journals and makes them available to participating Libraries when they are not available from their publisher or any other source.) which preserves e-book and e-journal content supplied by participating publishers. This content will be made available to the library when specific e-journals or e-books are no longer available from the publisher or any other source. The Library does not routinely conserve printed materials outside its archive collections but will carry out repairs when appropriate. The Library digitises materials from our collections in the interests of conservation and to enhance access. Materials for teaching purposes will be digitised under the terms of the CLA Photocopying and Scanning Licence (Digitisation of copyright material).
• 5.4 Acquisition
  
  The Library obtains resources from a range of suppliers, taking advantage of contracts negotiated by regional and national purchasing consortia. The services provided by these suppliers are monitored to ensure they are performing to the required standard and that the contracts are providing value for money. The usage of our collections is continually monitored to ensure that they are cost effective and meeting the learning, teaching and research needs of the University.
• 5.5 Alternatives to acquisition
  
  Alternatives to acquisition will be pursued where it is more cost effective for the University.
   
  • 5.5.1 Document delivery
    
    The Document Delivery service enables academic staff and students to obtain resources not held in the Library Collections. Obtaining resources from other libraries is a cost effective alternative to purchasing them, particularly when demand is limited.
  • 5.5.2 Use of other libraries
    
    The Library participates in a number of national and regional schemes which enable University members to gain access to the collections held by other libraries which complement our own. The Library encourages the use of such schemes by staff and students to enable wider access to background reading and to support off campus library users.
• 5.6 Relegation and withdrawal
  
  Regular editing of resources is necessary in order to maximise the usefulness of the collections, make best use of limited space, and eliminate unnecessary administrative and storage costs. The library will withdraw:
  • Books that have not been used for 5 years (Items issued on the library management system and/or items identified as having been used within the library);
  • Older editions of books when a more recent edition is added to the collection;
  • Printed journals where they are also available electronically;
  • Material in other formats that have not been used for five years and/or where the format is no longer supported;
  • Material that is damaged and cannot be repaired;
  • Items which are not relevant to current university learning, teaching or research.

Resources withdrawn from the collections may be sold, donated to another institution or discarded.

The Library will ensure that resources withdrawn from the collections are managed in a way that is compatible with the University Environmental Sustainability Policy.

6.0 Policy enforcement and sanctions

The University Librarian is responsible for the implementation of this policy.

7.0 Related documentation

The policy takes into account the current legal, financial and operating environment, including the need to comply with relevant University Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Financial Management, Governance and Management, Information Technology and Library and Information Resources policies:

• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
• Financial Management
• Governance and Management
• Information Technology
• Library and Information Resources

Other relevant policies and documents, referenced in section 1.0, 3.0 and 5.0 of this document are:

• Vision for the Future of the University Library
• Special Collections and Archives Policy 
• USIR Open Access Policy
• Research Data Management Policy
• Reading List Policy