Muir S. Fairchild Research Information Center

Collection Development and Management

LR Operating Instruction 34-4

November 2004  

READER SERVICES DIVISION                                                                                  LR OPERATING INSTRUCTION 34-4

Fairchild Research Information Center (FRIC)

Maxwell AFB AL  36112                                                                                               29 November 2004

Morale, Welfare, and Recreation

This operating instruction sets forth the Collection Development policy of FRIC.  It applies to all staff members involved in the selection/deselection of materials for the FRIC collection. 

1.  References:  FRICR 34-4, Acquisition of FRIC Material.

2.  Policy:

     a.  FRIC provides academic research support as required by the educational and research missions of Air University (AU).  The Chief, Reader Services Division, is responsible for the selection of FRIC materials and for the general development and management of all parts of the FRIC collections with the exception of map collection, which is the responsibility of the Cartographic Technician, Circulation Branch.

     b.  An inclusive basic acquisitions policy was first developed and published in 1955.  The present policy evolved from later versions of the first publication, but incorporates changes of emphasis and direction as required by events and developments of recent years.  This policy is included as Attachment 1 to the Instruction.

Terry L. Hawkins                                               1Atch

Chief, Reader Services Division                     FRIC Acquisitions Policy

__________

Supersedes LR OI 34-4, January 2003

OPR:  LR

DISTRIBUTION: X; LD,ES,LR,LRB,LRC,LRR,LT

Attachment 1

1.  Introduction.    This operating instruction provides staff guidance on and user clarification of the acquisition of information in support of the instructional and research needs of Air University.  Historically, the FRIC collections have consisted of monographs, periodicals, documents, maps and authority materials.  These terms still apply; however the formats now encompass print, microform, in-FRIC electronic media, remote electronic media, and audio/video/graphic media.  Although the scope and emphasis of the collection continues relatively unchanged, the trend of delivering information is gradually evolving to include both in-house physical volumes and electronic access by the user both within and outside the FRIC facility.  The following sections describe the priorities and contextual scope of the information, modes of delivery and the tiers of access, and they serve as acquisition criteria.  The policies are intended to be broad enough to anticipate known requirements and yet be flexible enough to encompass the unknown.

2.  Acquisition Patterns and Priorities.     Acquisition priorities form concentric  circles, with highest priority given to AU curriculum and research support.  Basically three levels of priority are identified: 

         core mission support, primarily AU school curriculum/assignment information in the English language

         supplemental mission support, including research and in-depth concentrations in various languages

         strengthening and broadening of undergraduate collection goals

Recommendations by AU faculty are sought and, if approved, expedited.  As discussed previously, the format of the information may be in other than print volumes.  It is the FRIC’s goal to acquire information in the format most appropriate for intended application, and for broadest access affordable.

3.  Modes of Information Delivery.     Historically, AU FRIC acquired and stored information in a tangible format that the patron accessed within the FRIC facility.  The world of information today does not necessarily require the physical presence of the user, nor that the information be in a tangible format.  These modes of delivery are currently in place:

• in-house, permanent collection--accessed by the user within the building or charged out for a specified period includes print and microform.

• electronic access--depending on access configuration, user may retrieve information within the facility or from classroom/office/home, on base or remotely.  Includes CD-ROM, diskette, locally created databases, remote database subscriptions, and Internet sites.

• document delivery--FRIC staff acts as intermediary to locate and negotiate loan of items or delivery of copies/files to users.  Includes interlibrary loans, commercial document delivery services, or contacts with appropriate individuals or offices.

• resource sharing--user is referred to another library with concentrations that FRIC does not maintain.  Examples are the full federal depository library at Auburn, AUM or University of Alabama; the Air Force Legal Information Services Library at the JAG School; the School of Aerospace Medicine at Brooks AFB TX; the engineering resources at Air Force Institute Technology.

As opportunities for electronic access to information mature, FRIC will evaluate those alternatives and, where appropriate and affordable, will adopt the electronic options.  The goal is to maintain a high-level of convenient, dependable resources accessible to resident and remote users.

4. Gifts and Donations.  The Director and the Chief, Reader Services Division, divide the responsibility for dealing with prospective gift offers. 

• Routine offers from students, faculty, and members of the local civilian community are generally dealt with by the Reader Services Chief without referral to the Director.

• Other more major prospective offers of collections, items of value due to rarity or cost, are referred to the FRIC director and dealt with in consultation with the division chief and other interested staff members.

• No gifts from outside donors will be accepted by any other staff member unless one of the two individuals referred to above concurs. 

• In general, FRIC accepts gift materials but carefully screens each item for collection relevance and value.  Items not selected for retention are either returned to the donor or may be offered to other libraries or to the Defense Redistribution and Marketing Office as appropriate.

• The FRIC director does not provide monetary appraisals of prospective donations, but will provide written acknowledgment of receipt if requested.

5.  Development and Preservation of the Collections.  

        a.  Selection.  The Chief, Reader Services Division, is the staff officer responsible for overall development of the print, microform, and electronic media collections.

To achieve diverse and informed coverage of relevant subject fields this individual will be assisted by FRIC staff, faculty, researchers, and students.

       b.  The FRIC staff functions in collection development in two primary methods.  Members of the Reference Branch will constitute an unassembled selection committee for books, journals, videos, microforms, and electronic/digital products and services.  The division chief will rotate selection journals, slips from the approval vendor, and other relevant documents to them.  Using their general knowledge of customer requirements, expectations, and needs, initial recommendations will be made by these librarians.  The Chief will review recommendations, consult with individual selectors and/or branch chiefs, and forward approved selections to the acquisitions librarian.

      Members of the Bibliography Branch will have primary responsibility for selection of materials for the Military Document Collection.  They will screen incoming documents that are received “on distribution” (i.e., because the Center has previously indicated to specific agencies our desire to receive all of their publications) and select those considered appropriate for FRIC.  They will review and select from announcement publications such as the Cumulative Abstracts Bulletin from the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC).

      Teaching faculty and other researchers will be encouraged to play a role in the development of the collections.  During new faculty orientations, each instructor will be informed of the process by which recommendations for the collection may be made.  Faculty recommendations will be processed through the appropriate school bibliographer.  The Chief, Reader Services Division, will review faculty recommendations, approve/disapprove, forward the item(s) to acquisitions for purchase, and maintain a dialogue with the instructor for feedback and discussion as appropriate.                                                                                                                                         

        c.  Deselection.  The Chief, Reader Services Division, will also preside over the processes associated with deselection of materials, including journals, subscriptions, books, documents, and electronic products and services.

               (1) Journal subscriptions will be reviewed twice annually upon the receipt of vendor invoices.  Primary responsibility will lie with the Chief Periodical Reference Librarian, but consultations with the Chief Reference Librarian, other affected librarians, and with faculty are undertaken as appropriate.

               (2) The Document Collection will be weeded on a continuing basis by a team of bibliographers under the review of the division chief.

               (3) The book Collection is regarded as a permanent research collection.  Deselection is rare but may be undertaken by teams of reference librarians and bibliographers when the division chief deems it appropriate.
 

                (4) Electronic products, because they are still new and novel, will be reviewed annually by the Chief Reference Librarian and the Chief Bibliographer in consultation with the Electronic Resources Librarian.  Primary  criteria for deselection will include continued relevance to the curriculum, cost-effectiveness, availability of better products, etc.

       d.  Deteriorating Print Materials.  Circulation staff will be alert to the need for an ongoing surveillance program that concerns itself with endangered volumes.  Experience teaches that some materials that deteriorate from heavy use can be rebound without much further consideration depending on age,  currency, dollar value, curriculum relevance, etc.  Others require more investigation.  Generally, books with a pre-1900 imprint deserve close scrutiny by the Chief, Reader Services Division, before any steps are taken to bind, repair, replace, or protect.  Pre-1850 volumes generally belong in the Air University Collection.  Pre-1920 volumes with potentially valuable illustrations or maps also deserve inspection for inclusion in the Air University Collection.  

            Preservation of our collections is a Center-wide responsibility.  Staff members will take every opportunity to direct the division chief’s attention to items in need of care, repair, replacement, binding, etc.

 

        e.   General Criteria for Selection/Deselection.  These criteria are intended to provide broad parameters for collection management activities.  They should not be regarded as limiting, categorical, or interpreted as the sum total of considerations that can be applied to specific decisions.

            (1)   Selection Criteria:

·        Consider the relationship of the item under inspection to the subject area (to which it belongs) as a whole.

            ·        Is the coverage this item provides important, either currently or historically, to the collection?  Is it needed to

support AU curriculum requirements.

·        If this is a new or revised edition of an earlier book held by FRIC, does it different significantly.

·        Consider the author.  Which other items by this individual are owned by FRIC?  Consider the author's

credentials, evidence of reliable scholarship, etc.

·        Consider existing coverage of this subject in the FRIC collection.  Is another (book, journal, document, electronic product,

or service) a needed, justifiable, cost-effective addition?

·        If the book is a foreign imprint, consider publisher and price as well as language.  In general, we will not purchase

extensively in languages other than English unless a faculty member recommends the item.

·        Consider the intrinsic value of the item.  Is it a definitive study of the kind no academic research center should be without?  This is

a powerful justification that also serves to keep the collections diverse and wide-ranging.

               (2)  Deselection Criteria:
 
   

·        Items should be weeded if they lend "negative value" or impression to the collection due to outdated or misinformation,

inappropriate format, or other contributing factors.

·        Items should be weeded if they are marginal to FRIC customer interests, older than 10 years, and available in other collections.  Classics in core fields can be identified by checking Books for College Libraries.   

·        Bibliographer and faculty review of deselection candidates in

their areas of expertise is appropriate and valuable.  The designated weeder will be responsible for coordinating the process with faculty members.

·        Items older than 1950 should be checked in OCLC prior to

deselection to determine uniqueness; this factor could influence the item’s return to the collection, or relocation to Special Collections.

·        Volumes in poor physical condition may be forwarded to

Circulation for rebinding, or replacements may be ordered.

·        There may be occasions when it is appropriate to retain an item

regardless of condition or usefulness to the collection.  Usually, that will be a consensus decision between the weeder, LR, and FRIC director.

·        Generally, textbooks older than 5 years should be withdrawn.

·        Full runs of superseded editions that provide useful historical

data, such as encyclopedia yearbooks, or The Uniformed Services Almanac, should be retained.
 

·        Generally, superseded and updated directories, chronologies, and encyclopedias should be withdrawn

 

            (3)  Additional Selection/Deselection Criteria Specifically for Journal Subscriptions and Standing Orders.     

                   Does the item provide significant coverage in its field, and is it a value-added title for FRIC?

                   Is the item’s cost justified in terms of the research value it provides?

                   Is the title indexed in indexes held by FRIC?

                   Is the full-text equivalent available via a current electronic database, subscription service or the Internet?

                   Will it continue to be accessible in the future?

                   Is the item used, or will it be used, in sufficient numbers to justify purchase as opposed to acquiring

                   needed articles or issues via document delivery or interlibrary loan?

6.  Specific Collections. Historically, FRIC has found it appropriate to organize certain materials separately for improved control or access.  These collections have unique properties that deserve to be addressed individually.  As a selective depository in the Federal Depository Library Program since 1963, FRIC receives core federal publications from the Superintendent of  Documents and individual agencies, concentrating in the areas of national defense and international security.  These materials are incorporated into the book,  technical report, periodical, microform, and  electronic collections as appropriate,  rather than housed separately.  Accordingly, the same selection, deselection and preservation guidelines apply to depository item as to other library materials.