Collection Development Policy - Overview

Revised September 2003

Contents

1. Murdoch University Mission Statement

The Library is committed to the University’s mission:

To extend knowledge, stimulate learning, and promote understanding, for the benefit of the community

2. The Library collection

Murdoch University Library has a medium-sized collection which has been built up over 30 years - since prior to the opening of the University for teaching in 1975. During this period the collection has grown significantly, partly as a result of donations and fund raising efforts, and more recently as a result of the evolution of electronic publishing. Interlibrary lending or document delivery has been an important part of provision of resources for research, and continues to have a significant role. Undergraduate collections cater well for teaching purposes, and a focussed Special Collection provides access to materials relevant to popular culture and gender studies in particular. The Library has developed significant collections to support the research of the Asia Research Centre, and the teaching and research of the Asian Studies teaching program. The Library’s Theology Collection has been extended significantly by approximately 35,000 volumes which formed part of the Anglican Institute Library, and the Ada Purnell Library of the Perth Theological Hall.

During the past few years there has been a concerted effort to increase the proportion of the collection available via the network to people both on and off campus. Where possible print journal subscriptions have been replaced with electronic versions, and a high proportion of the journal collection is now available electronically. Future enhancements will see the introduction of specialised portal services to improve searching capability across collections, and facilitate selection and retrieval of appropriate resources. Another significant change in the way resources are made available is evident in the development of the Electronic Course Materials Service (ECMS) which provides access to digitised versions of required readings for units. The ECMS also acts as the University’s digital copyright management system.

A major challenge for the Library is to provide access to adequate resources given a relatively small client base and a consequently restricted budget.

In 1996 Murdoch University began teaching from its Rockingham Regional Campus. A joint library service involving Challenger TAFE and the City of Rockingham Public Library service was subsequently developed. Items in the collections of all three partners in the library service are available to all library clients, while belonging to the purchasing partner. The Rockingham university collection is being developed to complement existing Murdoch collections, with duplication kept to a minimum. Specialised collections are developed to support the unique teaching and research interests of the Rockingham campus. Where possible, resources are provided in electronic format, and document delivery services potentially play a key role. The Peel campus development also has implications for the library collection, though a similar approach will be developed – electronic resources, minimal duplication, and development of specialised collections to support unique teaching and research areas.

2.1 Current state of the collection

The collection consists of materials in a range of formats. Statistics for monographs and serials are as follows (end of 2003):

Serial subscriptions: 25,418, including 20,670 titles received as part of electronic aggregations

Total collection volumes: 652,187

2.2 Role of the collection

The Library aims to provide at least 90% of items required to support undergraduate teaching, and offers access to document delivery services to supplement the collection as required.

Murdoch University staff and students have access to the collections of the other universities in Western Australia through a local reciprocal borrowing scheme, and access to university libraries Australia-wide through the University Library Australia national borrowing scheme. Other library collections are also available on a reciprocal basis, including those of Challenger and Central TAFE. Access to journal literature primarily intended for undergraduate use is provided through the acquisition of bundled electronic journal databases. Support for research is carried out through the selective acquisition of journals, the purchase of specific formed collections, acceptance of relevant donations, and provision of document delivery on demand. The Library subscribes to a number of publishers’ complete electronic journal collections through the CAUL purchasing cooperative (eg Wiley Interscience, OUP). The availability of these deals has resulted in an expansion in our journal collection, though the sustainability of the collection is uncertain. The role of document delivery remains important as the Library’s budget is less able to purchase a wider range of materials. Provision of access to bibliographic information through services such as Web of Knowledge is critical when complemented by document delivery services.

The University supports the principle of open access to scholarly research literature. Through its membership of CAUL and the University’s membership of the AVCC, the Library supports the SPARC initiative. SPARC aims to improve access to scholarly information through the development of new and sustainable systems for the communication of scholarly information. This includes the development of cost-effective journals which compete with highly-priced commercial alternatives, and support for the development of institutional repositories of research publications.

3. Funding

The Library receives funding for monographs and journals amounting to approximately 2.7% of the University’s operating budget. 73% of this amount is received via the Board of Research and Development, highlighting the role of the collection in supporting research. Occasional additional funding is also received from academic Divisions to support specific purchases, frequently for research purposes. Funds may be made available for the development of new courses/units, as part of the approval process. Special funding is made available by the Anglican and Uniting churches to support the theology collection.

A number of special purpose trust funds exist to support the collection, the largest being the Law Trust Fund resulting from the Law Appeal in 1990. Interest from this Trust account is used to supplement the university funding allocation.

Donations are also received from time to time, again usually for specific purposes.

The Library also applies for grants from funding bodies, though these are normally not appropriate for the support of on-going collections, and are used to acquire journal backsets, or monograph collections in specific areas.

3.1 Allocation of funds

Funds are allocated at the level of academic Divisions for the purchase of both serial and monograph items. The Divisions may then determine what proportion of their allocation is spent on serials and monographs, and how the allocation is divided between Schools. The Library, through the Library Advisory Committee, provides advice on appropriate allocations. An amount is taken “off the top” to purchase reference works and aggregated electronic journal collections.

The Divisional allocation is formula-based. The primary elements of the formula are EFTSUs, cost (average serial and monograph costs by School), a research index, and a weighting aimed at recognising collection value to different disciplines.

The Rockingham Regional Campus university collection is funded through the same formula, though additional funds for collection-building are provided by the partners for their own purposes.

4. Selection of Materials

Selection of materials is carried out by a variety of library staff with input from academic staff and other library users, and relates to materials to be housed in the Library, or accessed from the Library, whether purchased or free.

4.1 Responsibility

Selection is carried out by librarians with responsibility for specific subject areas based on the University’s teaching and research areas, in negotiation with academic staff, who also submit proposals for purchase. Normally new journal titles are selected by academic staff, who also recommend cancellation of existing titles, again in negotiation with the Library. Set texts and recommended readings are acquired automatically through the University bookshop. Suggestions for purchase are accepted from all Library users.

All proposals are reviewed and approved by liaison librarians with responsibility for selected Schools. Expensive items (priced at over A$750) are approved by the Director of Library Services.

4.2 Broad selection criteria

Broad selection criteria may include the following: reputation of the author/s; reputation of the publisher; favourable reviews; price; relevance to teaching or research; relevance to the existing collection.

Specific criteria apply to electronic resources (see 4.3).

4.3 Electronic materials

As noted below, the journal selection policy is to acquire journals in electronic format subject to certain criteria. Monographs have not been specifically acquired in electronic format, due partly to the lack of stability in the marketplace, uncertainty about technology, and the unavailability of required titles. However, where appropriate titles are available electronically, and can be made available over the network without requiring end users to install software which is not readily or freely available, they will be purchased. Specific decisions about issues such as upfront purchase, or continuing licensing, will be made in the context of the titles and their long term roles within the collection.

The library provides electronic access to Murdoch examination papers (where released), and to other resources provided for student use eg articles recommended for Reserve Collection. A small proportion of exam papers are not released for general access at the request of unit coordinators.

A form provided in Appendix 1 identifies those criteria normally used to assess electronic materials being considered for purchase.

4.4 Journals

The Library Advisory Committee has approved a specific policy related to the acquisition of journals.

Journal Subscriptions and Cancellations: Policy, Criteria & Guidelines

1. Electronic versus Print
Journals are increasingly available in both print and electronic formats, with new titles sometimes available only electronically. Electronic journals come in various constructions:

individual titles, with content completely replicating (or replacing) print versions, sometimes available “free with print”;

packages of individual titles sold as a publisher set, rather than individually (eg IDEAL);

aggregated journal databases, containing most of the content of the print versions of the titles included, but usually not all, and containing a mix of useful and not so useful titles.

The primary benefit of electronic journals lies in their ease of access from on and off campus, 24-hour availability, and improved functionality (ability to search the full text, link to other relevant titles and articles etc). There are sometimes cost benefits, particularly when purchasing aggregated databases in specific subject areas, or as publisher collections.

When acquiring electronic titles, the following issues need to be considered:

completeness of content by comparison with the print version, if one exists;

volatility of content in aggregator databases;

the need for, and availability of, access to backsets in the case of cancellation;

price, including infrastructure costs;

means of access (eg via a publisher site only, or a gateway eg Swets, use of ip address or password authentication);

quality of the search interface (ease of use, functionality, interconnectivity);

licence conditions (eg walk in access permitted, availability for ILL ).

In principle, electronic subscriptions to journal literature will be preferred over print subscriptions, where the issues listed above are resolved satisfactorily. Aggregator databases (eg ABI Full Text) will be acquired where the content is relevant for teaching and learning purposes, and the cost for the package is reasonable by comparison with the cost of acquiring the same data and functionality in another format.

Print subscriptions will be acquired when a suitable electronic alternative is not available, or when there is a specific reason for purchasing a printed version (for example, where graphics are inadequately reproduced).  

2. Cooperation with other libraries

The availability of titles in local libraries is taken into account when selecting journals for addition to the collection. The Library will actively seek to develop collaborative agreements with other libraries to minimise duplication of journal subscriptions, maximise the number of titles available, and reduce costs.

3. Journal cancellations

Decisions about journal cancellations are taken by negotiation between the library and academic staff.  

4. Document Delivery

Document delivery services (including interlibrary loan and commercial document supply) are used to supplement library holdings. Document delivery costs are charged back to Schools or individuals at cost (ie cost charged by the supplying library or organisation). Schools may choose to use a portion of their collections budget on document delivery. The Library negotiates with requesters in order to provide the most cost-effective service.

5. Cost accounting

The cost of subscriptions to journals will normally be charged to the School allocation. If a title is of interest to more than one School, the cost will be appropriately apportioned. Schools may provide divisional funds to supplement the allocation from the Library acquisitions budget to subscribe to additional titles.

 General reference, abstracting and indexing sources and bundled electronic resources will generally be paid out of central funds (currently 25% of the acquisitions budget) notionally allocated to the Library.

Publisher collections of electronic titles are paid from School allocations, and apportioned as appropriate.

 (LAC, 22 March 2001 )

4.4 Special collections

Vulnerable items will be placed in the Special Collection for preservation purposes. Collections specifically acquired for the Special Collection fall into the following subject areas:

Australian popular culture, with an emphasis on ephemeral materials;
Women’s and men’s magazines;
fanzines;
comics;
posters;
Gender studies, including archival materials;
Science fiction;
Political and social change;
Environmental studies.

5. Collaborative collection development activities

The Library participates in collaborative activities which extend access to information for our users, and/or reduce acquisition costs.

The Library is a member of CEIRC (CAUL Electronic Information Resources Committee), and participates in relevant collaborative deals.

WAGUL (Western Australian Group of University Librarians) currently collaborates to acquire both monographs and serials through selected suppliers, resulting in lower costs than would apply to individual libraries. Murdoch participates in both monograph and serial purchasing consortia. WAGUL also applies for grant funding when opportunities arise.

The Library has participated in purchasing opportunities provided through the AVCC and DEST (eg the acquisition of a backset to Web of Knowledge).

The Rockingham Regional Campus Community Library collection is enhanced by the addition of public library materials provided by the State Library (public library) service, those purchased on behalf of the City of Rockingham for public library purposes, and those purchased on behalf of Challenger TAFE to support their teaching programmes. Many of the materials added to the collection are of use to all the users, not just those for whom they may have been specifically purchased. Where appropriate, joint subscriptions are taken out to relevant electronic databases.

In an arrangement with the library of the University of Notre Dame Australia, information about potential and new purchases in Law is shared, with the intention of reducing duplication of expensive resources, and encouraging reciprocal use of collections.

6. Collection maintenance

6.1 Preservation

Preservation activities include binding and repairs, some digitisation, and storage of fragile items using acid-free papers and boxes. The binding budget has been reduced since 1995 in order to release funds for serial acquisition. The following criteria apply to binding decisions:

vulnerable (content prone to theft or mutilation);
titles with limited Australian holdings;
titles which are hard to use unbound.

Damaged titles are reviewed as they are returned from loan. Simple repairs are carried out in-house. In the case of high use titles, replacement purchase is preferred to repair.

Murdoch examination papers are digitised and the digital copy is retained. Murdoch is also a member of the Australian Digital Theses program. One paper copy of theses is retained as the archival copy, while the copy for use is made available electronically, assuming this is possible.

6.2 Weeding

Works to be considered for discard include:

items containing obsolete or misleading information;
surplus multiple copies;
superseded editions or parts;
small journal runs (ie two years or less);
damaged items with low usage.

Discard generally involves relegation first to storage, then to permanent discard based on usage of stored items.

6.3 Shelving standards

The Library aims to have its shelves not more than 80% full in order to reduce wear and tear on books during re-shelving, as well as to facilitate use of the collection.

7. Access

7.1 Print collections

The bulk of the Library collection is available on open access, though Special Collections and some other vulnerable materials are kept under conditions of restricted access, as noted in the Library catalogue. Low use material is kept in compactus in Store and is available on demand. High demand titles are placed in Reserve, and are available for limited loan periods (typically two hours, or overnight).

7.2 Electronic collections

Access to these collections is available according to the relevant licence agreements. The Library will always attempt to acquire access for walk-in users, and the ability to use full text collections for document delivery purposes. Access for alumni is an increasingly important aspect of licences, and is addressed where appropriate. Items scanned for inclusion in the Electronic Course Materials Services (ECMS) are only available to Murdoch students and staff, in accord with copyright regulations.

7.3 Borrowing

The collection may be used within the Library by anyone; members of the University (staff, students, members of Senate) and other approved persons may borrow from the Library in accordance with its regulations

The Library is a member of the reciprocal borrowing scheme run by WAGUL, and also the Australia-wide borrowing scheme, University Library Australia

Reciprocal borrowing arrangements are also in place with Challenger TAFE, and Central TAFE.

Collections are available for interlibrary loan to WAGUL libraries according to the WAGUL agreement

For other institutions, the library adheres to the Australian Interlibrary Resource Sharing Code

7.4 Cataloguing

Titles purchased for the Library’s permanent collection are catalogued to comply with national and international standards for bibliographic description and subject classification.

Under agreements with the Kinetica service for the National Bibliographic Database (NBD) all new titles purchased for the collection have holdings input to the NBD within 4 weeks of receipt in the Library’s Collection Services section. Higher degree research theses are fully catalogued with records submitted to the NBD, within 8 weeks of receipt in Collection Services. High quality catalogue records are sourced from the NBD or obtained from vendors at time of delivery of the items. Where no record is available Library staff compile a high level catalogue record for the NBD and the Library’s catalogue.

Where available Table of Contents data is loaded as an integral part of catalogue records. Where full text is available, the catalogue record includes a title level link.

The online catalogue serves as a central authoritative source of order, catalogue and location data, and provides access to full text resources. Data is reviewed regularly for consistency and accuracy.

7.5 Technical infrastructure

In order to ensure adequate access to electronic collections, the Library has an equipment replacement program which ensures the regular updating or replacement of computer workstations, servers, printing and copying facilities etc. The adequacy of computer workstations available to in-house users is continuously monitored.

The Library is a member of the AARLIN project, which provides a portal into the library’s collections and those of other libraries.

The WAGUL consortium has implemented an authentication solution to facilitate and regulate access to collections. The Library also uses Millennium’s WAMPROXY to restrict off-campus access to authorised users.

8. Collection evaluation

Collection evaluation is carried out in a number of contexts:

assessment of journal holdings in order to select titles for cancellation with the aim of reducing expenditure;
assessment of existing holdings in order to select new items for the collection;
assessment of usage of individual items, or areas of the collection, in order to determine whether additional copies are required, or to assist in relegation of items to storage, or to determine whether or not to continue subscribing.

Evaluation strategies include annual collation of usage statistics for electronic resources; annual collation of lending and document delivery statistics; occasional collection of total lending activity associated with parts of the collection; occasional collection of re-shelving statistics by parts of the collection; collection of information about journal titles acquired, and supplied, through document delivery; collection of statistics relating to multiple borrowing of Reserve monographs; and checking of lists, bibliographies and other catalogues for assessing existing collection adequacy, or to enable development of new collecting areas.

9. Copyright

The Library operates in accord with the Copyright Act and the digital amendments to the Act. The Library’s Millennium system is used to manage compliance with the digital amendaments on a university-wide basis.

10. Collection development statements by subject

Select from the following:

Law

11. Appendix 1 (from 4.3)

Criteria used to assess electronic materials being considered for purchase
Database name:
Database type:
Full text
Bibliographic
Both
Interface:
How intuitive is it?
How different/difficult is it to use?
Which browsers and browser versions does it work with?
Are there any other resources, which use the same interface? If yes, can you search both (or all) simultaneously?
Does the interface include distracting/excessive advertising or graphics?
Search features - does it allow:
Keyword searching?
Truncation (or searches for singular and plural)?
Index/thesaurus searching?
Limiting?
Combining?
Marking?
‘Search for similar articles’ or ‘more like this’?
Is response time acceptable?
Hyperlinks to allow retrieval of all articles sharing that authority field?
Broadcast searching? (eg Metalib)
Cited reference linking?
Is it compatible with Endnote?
Are any features that you particularly liked/did not like/would have liked but were not available? (specify):
Copies of documents/records:
Can you print/download/email?
Are there other options available?
What formats for documents? Is there a choice? (eg plain text, HTML, PDF)
Is it legible on the screen AND when printed?
Full text – holdings, links:
For non-full text databases, is it possible to link to full text? Is there a charge for this? Which publishers? How much work is involved for us?
For non-full text databases, is it possible to link to our/others' catalogues? How much work is involved?
Can we link to subscribed full text for, eg electronic reserve?
Is it open URL enabled?
Is it compatible with Endnote?
Are there embargo periods applied to any/some full text?
If both subscribed and nonsubscribed data is available, is it clear which is which?
Is there provision for archival access if we subsequently cancel the electronic subscription?
Citations:
Does the format facilitate citing? (eg PDF vs. ASCII text)
Is it compatible with Endnote?
Content and relevance:
Does it provide adequate breadth and depth of coverage for the expected user population?
How many/what proportion of users would find it relevant?
How many years' worth of data is accessible? Would we have to purchase backfiles?
What overlap is there with other resources to which we already subscribe?
Access and other licence issues:
What does the licence NOT allow that we could do with the print version? (eg Doc Del , walk-in use, incorporate into course readers, electronic reserve links)
Is access IP-linked/password/other? (eg locally mounted)
Can we allow access outside the library, multicampus, offcampus, offshore?
Are there user limits?
Where there are user limits, does the supplier provide passwords/extra access for training purposes?
Can we provide title level links? (eg in Innopac)
Are good quality MARC records, and updates, available free?
Is there a cancellation clause in the licence?
Customisation and personalisation:
Can we personalise? (eg add Murdoch logo, branding)
Can users set up email alerts? (eg for TOCs of new issues)
Can users save searches? Are these saved on the user's computer or on the provider's server?
Support, help, availability, reliability:
What support is available? (eg email contact, online documentation/help screens, training materials)
Help screens - are they helpful for us and for users?
Where there are user limits, does the supplier provide passwords/extra access for training purposes?
Do the vendors offer availability 24 x 7, and is the resource actually available as promised?
During what hours is support available?
Is there a backup procedure in place if unexpected downtime does occur? (eg available from another server)
Format:
What would we lose (if anything) by moving from print to electronic?
What formats for full text documents? Is there a choice? (eg plain text, HTML, PDF)
Usage statistics:
Are they available?
How often?
Can we access ourselves or set up email notification?
Are they meaningful? Do they conform with current standards and/or (ICOLC, ARL, COUNTER) guidelines?
Can they be downloaded and configured to suit our needs?
User feedback:
What comments have you had from users?
Were there features that you particularly:
Liked? (specify)
Did not like? (specify)
Would have liked but were not available? (specify)
Overall, was access and use:
Very easy
Acceptable
Difficult
Very difficult
Comments:
Please email this form to Sue Dowling (s.dowling@murdoch.edu.au) when completed. Thank you.