Collection Management Policy - Appendix 1: Collection Policies for Schools and Subjects

This information relates only to materials in the general library collections, and not to items held in the Special Collections Centre (for which, see Appendices 2 and 5).

Broadly, material will be collected in any format that supports teaching, learning and research at the University, usually on the recommendation of academic staff.  Individual Departments and Subjects may request a departmental-specific variance to these policies where these do not conflict with the overall aims of building a collection that will support both present and future generations of Library users.

For example, the School of Education currently applies the following policy to their Teaching Resource Centre collection, very much a current, contemporary resource with no archival role:

1. All resources in the Teaching Resource Centre are of the type found in schools, used by students whilst preparing material for school experience, or materials for the application of theories or concepts. For example

• Children's books
• Posters and artefacts
• Photocopiable resources

2. The Teaching Resource Centre should not be considered as a 'store' for out of date material. The Centre will be dynamic - reflecting the needs of Education students, and not a 'historic' resource.
 
3. A library representative will be responsible for the Teaching Resource Centre budget. S/he will authorise all requests and manage the budget. The library rep will also be responsible for contacting groups of staff based on the curricular areas for requests. All students will also be advised (through a fact sheet about the resource) that the TRC Committee welcomes suggestions for orders from them. The committee was formed to oversee the modernisation and maintenance of the resource.  The committee will advise library staff on the suitability and relevance of recommendations and library staff in turn will advise on resource management.

Relegation Policies for Schools and Subjects                                        

In addition to the Acquisition and Collection Maintenance details outlined in the main document, relegation rules may differ between Colleges/Schools and are currently represented thus:

College of Life Sciences and Medicine

• Schools of Medicine & Medical Sciences – pre-1860 material in Special Collections; Medical Library pre-1920 books in locked storage; older, lesser-used book material in Medical Library Lower Ground Floor stack; periodicals relegated from general open access to the open-access stack on a rolling five-year programme (currently displaying post 1995 items only); all other materials on general open access.
• School of Biological Sciences – pre-1860 material in Special Collections; for all subjects, lesser used books and pre-1970 print periodicals in Closed Access Store; all other materials on general open access.. 
• School of Psychology - pre-1860 material in Special Collections; lesser used books and pre-1970 print periodicals in Closed Access Store; all other materials on open access.

College of Physical Sciences

• All Schools - pre-1860 material in Special Collections; lesser used books and pre-1970 print periodicals in Closed Access Store; all other materials on open access.

College of Arts and Social Sciences

• All areas - pre-1840 material in Special Collections; lesser used books and pre-1970 print periodicals in Closed Access Store; all other materials on open access.
• School of Law – Most pre-1840 material in Special Collections, some in Taylor Library; some Official Publications with electronic availability are in Closed Access Store; print Official Publications collections are on open access in Taylor Library; all other materials on open access