Have you ever wondered how libraries decide what materials to include in their collections? Well it's no mystery; they create policies that reflect the needs of their individual communities. The Scott Memorial Library has operated for over 30 years under a Collection Development Policy which supports the educational, clinical and research needs of the University and the Hospital. In broad terms the Policy includes definitions of collecting levels in general subject areas for its resources, a description of its various collections, guidelines on what types of resources the Library does and does not collect and retention practices.
It's been 14 years since the Library's last revision of the Policy and there have been dramatic changes in the publishing industry and the types of resources available in and outside of the Library since then. A newly revised Policy has been drafted to include descriptions of electronic resources and other changes in the Library's collections along with an overview of trends affecting libraries' collecting practices.
For the first time, a draft of the revised Policy is available electronically. I invite you to please take a few minutes to review the Policy and send me your comments and questions at: Diana.Ryan@jefferson.edu
A final version of the Collection Development Policy will be available on JEFFLINE in a few months. Thank you for your interest and participation!
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