ORIGINATOR: Director, Library Services

SUBJECT: Collection Development

I. The Office of Library Services (OLS) shall have available a budget for the acquisition of library materials (books, periodicals, non-print materials, etc.) in the following categories:

A. Funds will be used to purchase materials to be housed in UMCP libraries, as well as other cooperating libraries around the state and the D.C. metropolitan area, as appropriate and needed for course reserve purposes or to enhance support of University of Maryland University College (UMUC) courses. Materials purchased for cooperating libraries become the property of those libraries as "quid pro quo" for providing processing and services for UMUC users. Whenever possible, these materials will be placed on reserve or in the reference department to provide maximum access for UMUC students.

B. Materials will be purchased for the staff library to support professional staff needs. The librarian, in cooperation with UMUC staff, will develop a basic reference collection and circulating collection by selecting and purchasing books, periodicals, and non-print materials in the following subject areas for the staff library:

1. Adult and Continuing Education
2. Distance Education
3. Higher Education
4. Computer and other technological applications for education, specifically as it relates to distance learning
5. Maryland statistical, demographic, economic/political data
6. Maryland and DC maps and phone books

General reference tools (e.g., biographical and organizational directories) will also be acquired. Only the latest editions will be retained unless need dictates otherwise; superseded materials will be weeded from the collections regularly, deleted from the library inventory, and offered to other UMUC departments, off-campus sites, or discarded as necessary. The library will purchase major continuing education journals not purchased by other UMUC departments.

II. UMUC departments purchase office copies of materials appropriate to their specific activities or special projects from their own departmental funds or from special grant funds.

III. Weeding: The objective of weeding is to maintain a core collection that satisfies the majority of demands made by UMUC staff. Weeding is conducted on an ongoing basis.

The decision to weed will be based upon the following criteria: usage; superceded editions; duplication; or physical condition.

The last copy of a weeded title, verified on VICTOR, will go to UMCP for possible retention as the last copy in the system.

One complete weeding of the collection shall take place every 5 years.

IV. UMUC Archival Collection: The UMUC librarian will solicit from UMUC departments basic UMUC publications, including all course catalogs, class schedules, commencement programs, annual and special reports of UMUC divisions, special services brochures, conference proceedings, newsletters, yearbooks, and any other items of permanent value. UMUC offices will routinely send such items to the library. The librarian will also maintain a core collection of course catalogs of the European and Asian Divisions and will accept other materials sent from these divisions. The main responsibility for collecting overseas division materials rests with the overseas librarians. Archival materials will be organized and maintained by the librarian in a suitable fashion to facilitate access when inquiries are made.

The librarian will also forward UMUC catalogs and class schedules to the archives in McKeldin Library at UMCP as they are published. A cooperative arrangement with the UMCP Archives for deposit of overseas divisions' student records on microfilm will be continued.