Collection development policy
The primary function of University Libraries is to provide the faculty,
students, and staff of the university with materials supporting teaching, extension,
and research programs.
A secondary function is to acquire a broad and deep range of material sufficient
to answer general information needs as well as to assist the many self-directed
and independent studies which are not explicitly delineated in the formal research
and degree programs.
The need for a collection development policy
The immense number of publications available combined with the ever-increasing
costs of books and serials, as well as the cost of processing these materials,
makes it mandatory that the library have a written collection development policy
which emphasizes prudent selection to strengthen library resources. Such a document
should not be unalterable. The library is not a rigidly fixed institution but
a constantly evolving organization which must reflect - and sometimes anticipate
- the needs of the university.
Visual Resources Library collection development policy
The collection development policy for the Visual Resources Library is in keeping
with the University's mission and goals statement. Images supporting classroom
instruction, faculty and staff presentations, and research projects will be acquired
as the acquisitions budget allows and as the request is consonant with the collection
development plan. This policy addresses issues of purchasing new images, reproducing
images, donations, and replacing lost or discolored materials.
Purchase of new images
- Images from vendors that are requested by faculty members may be purchased
for the collection and paid for by the Visual Resources Library budget. All requests
must be made in writing to the head of the Visual Resources Library. Requests
must be accompanied by acquisition information.
- Orders for image sets will be processed by the University Libraries acquisitions
office. They will be cataloged as a complete set and will appear on the library's
OPAC. Slide sets will be housed and circulated through the Visual Resources Library
in 2213 Sangren Hall. Individual images will be purchased by the University Libraries
acquisitions office. They will be mounted in archival mounts, cataloged, and
filed with the slide collection in the Visual Resources Library. Individual images
will also be cataloged and appear on the University Libraries OPAC.
Creating new images from a print source
As of April 30, 2003, the VRL will no longer be making slides from print sources
to add to the permanent collection on a regular basis. Creating slides from print
sources will become a fee service as of May 1, 2003. New faculty, during their
first year of teaching, may request up to 150 slides from print sources that
will be added to the permanent collection at no cost.
- Copy photography will be employed for the making of images from print sources
as long as the image is used for instructional, scholarly, and research purposes.
- Images will be reproduced, mounted in archival mounts, cataloged, labeled,
and filed with the permanent Visual Resources Collection.
- Requests for images must be made in writing using the image order form available
at the VRL circulation desk or by downloading the Slide
Shooting Request Form. The form must accompany the print source that
is to be photographed.
- In keeping with copyright limitations, complete books will not be photographed.
Instructors requesting images must select the most appropriate images for their
lectures as no more than 10% of the images can be copied.
Textbook images
- Publishers offer slide series to accompany text. If a course is taught each
semester the Visual Resources Librarian will look into ordering this slide set.
It will be purchased as a set if the acquisitions budget allows.
- If the acquisitions budget does not allow for the purchase of sets from
publishers, copy photography will be undertaken to create necessary images up
to 10% of the images. Visual Resources Library staff will shoot, mount, and label
the images to go into the Visual Resources Library collection. When a black and
white image appears in a text, all efforts will be made to substitute a color
image for the black and white. In many cases faculty will be asked to advise
the Visual Resources Library staff on the most significant images in a text.
- Instructors must inform the Visual Resources Librarian in writing when a
new textbook has been adopted by their departments as soon as possible so that
images can be acquired.
Donations of images
- Image donations from within the university and from outside sources can
be accepted.
- Image donations will be accepted under the following conditions:
- images are in excellent condition, that is, not discolored or torn
- images are accompanied by complete documentation
- subject matter of the images supports university instruction
- Images become the property of the Western Michigan University Visual Resources
Library collection.
- Donors requiring an appraisal for the donation must have one made by an outside
appraiser. The Visual Resources Librarian or any other staff members are not
responsible for appraising the monetary value of any donation.
- Donors will be issued a receipt for their donation.
Duplication of faculty images
For images from faculty members' personal image collections:
- Duplication of images will be carried out by the Visual Resources Library
Technician.
- All duplicate images will be paid for by the Visual Resources Library acquisitions
budget.
- Images will be mounted in archival mounts, cataloged, labeled, and filed
into the Visual Resources Library collection. All duplicated images become the
property of the Visual Resources Library.
- Duplication must be approved by the head of the Visual Resources Library.
For frequently used images:
- Duplicate copies of image will be made by the Visual Resources Library staff
if the need occurs. All measures will be taken to make sure that duplication
occurs only when necessary. Too many duplicates are costly and take up valuable
storage space.
- Faculty members who are concerned about the number of copies of a high demand
slide should talk with the Visual Resources Librarian.
Slide replacement
- Frequently used and important images that are faded or damaged will be replaced.
- Black and white images will be replaced by color images where possible.
Replacement images will be purchased from vendors in most cases. In instances
where an image cannot be purchased from a vendor, Visual Resources Library staff
will copy the image from a print source if available.
|
