reference collection management policies

39
This article was downloaded by: [Eastern Michigan University] On: 11 October 2014, At: 10:18 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK College & Undergraduate Libraries Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wcul20 Reference Collection Management Policies Daniel Liestman MA, MSLS a b a Kansas State University , Kansas, USA b Hale Library , Manhattan, KS, 66506, USA Published online: 11 Oct 2008. To cite this article: Daniel Liestman MA, MSLS (2001) Reference Collection Management Policies, College & Undergraduate Libraries, 8:1, 85-121, DOI: 10.1300/ J106v08n01_07 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/J106v08n01_07 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan,

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Page 1: Reference Collection Management Policies

This article was downloaded by [Eastern Michigan University]On 11 October 2014 At 1018Publisher RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number 1072954Registered office Mortimer House 37-41 Mortimer Street London W1T 3JHUK

College amp UndergraduateLibrariesPublication details including instructions forauthors and subscription informationhttpwwwtandfonlinecomloiwcul20

Reference CollectionManagement PoliciesDaniel Liestman MA MSLS a ba Kansas State University Kansas USAb Hale Library Manhattan KS 66506 USAPublished online 11 Oct 2008

To cite this article Daniel Liestman MA MSLS (2001) Reference CollectionManagement Policies College amp Undergraduate Libraries 81 85-121 DOI 101300J106v08n01_07

To link to this article httpdxdoiorg101300J106v08n01_07

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor amp Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all theinformation (the ldquoContentrdquo) contained in the publications on our platformHowever Taylor amp Francis our agents and our licensors make norepresentations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy completenessor suitability for any purpose of the Content Any opinions and viewsexpressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors andare not the views of or endorsed by Taylor amp Francis The accuracy of theContent should not be relied upon and should be independently verified withprimary sources of information Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for anylosses actions claims proceedings demands costs expenses damagesand other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly orindirectly in connection with in relation to or arising out of the use of theContent

This article may be used for research teaching and private study purposesAny substantial or systematic reproduction redistribution reselling loan

sub-licensing systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone isexpressly forbidden Terms amp Conditions of access and use can be found athttpwwwtandfonlinecompageterms-and-conditions

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Reference Collection Management Pol-icies Lessons from Kansas

Daniel Liestman

ABSTRACT The literature indicates most academic libraries do nothave formal reference collection policies or that if they do suchdocuments are not up-to-date Kansas provides an optimum settingto examine college and undergraduate libraries as most institutionsof higher learning in the state are small to medium in size Kansas isconsistent with the trends indicated in the literature All academic li-braries in the state were asked to submit a copy of their policy Eachdocument was examined in light of rationale for having a policy de-fining the nature of the collection criteria on inclusion and exclu-sion input from stakeholders managing budget costs electronicresources and weeding Selection criteria and sample polices pro-vide a practical guide for the development of a policy All formatsare considered [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth DocumentDelivery Service 1-800-342-9678 E-mail address ltgetinfohaworthpressinccomgtWebsite lthttpwwwHaworthPresscomgt copy 2001byTheHaworthPress IncAll rightsreserved]

Daniel Liestman (MA MSLS Kansas State University) is Chair of the SocialSciences amp Humanities Libraries Hale Library Manhattan KS 66506 (addresse-mail to dliestksuedu)

College amp Undergraduate Libraries Vol 8(1) 2001 2001 by The Haworth Press Inc All rights reserved 85

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KEYWORDS Reference collection development policies aca-demic libraries Kansas

The Reference Collection is the one of the most heavily used compo-nents of any academic library Yet at the same time it is often one of themost neglected in terms of having a current and viable collection manage-ment policy statement Few would dispute the importance of the refer-ence collection In many ways the reference collection influences users asto how they will utilize the rest of the library The collection is variouslydescribed as an index to the circulating collection or the framework uponwhich the libraryrsquos entire collection rests Nolan writes ldquoIf the quality ofreference service hinges on the resources marshaled for support thisclose-at-hand collection should be criticalrdquo (Nolan 1991 80)

As the driver for much of the rest of the libraryrsquos resources this im-portant collection deserves special attention There are a number ofother important reasons for reference having its own policy statementFirst it provides a systematic framework for maintaining balance in ref-erence collections especially with regard to the critical issues of formatand content Secondly it provides a mechanism for managing the sizeand growth of both the reference collection and the circulating collec-tion by stipulating what the size budget scope and other parameters ofthe collection are Moreover as reference materials tend to be amongthe most expensive items purchased by a library there should be clearlydelineated guidelines for the acquisition of such costly resources In ad-dition the quality of answers provided to users is dependent on the qual-ity of the reference collection There should be a policy in place toensure that high level of value Also as the world of reference is chang-ing it helps to have a policy statement that can be readily updated andkept current Finally as the reference collection creates a first impres-sion for the library and its collections it deserves to be given special at-tention (Nolan 1999 v vi 2 Biggs 1987 67)

Yet for all its importance reference is often given little formal atten-tion in terms of policy A 1979 review of collection policies found no spe-cific mention of the reference collection in any of the seventy policiessurveyed (Lehocky 1979 57-58) At this same time ALA guidelines forcollection development made no mention of reference Nearly a decadelater the classic Biggs study discovered ldquoin a substantial number of aca-demic libraries within all types of institutions reference selection andweeding are not guided by written policiesrdquo (Biggs 1987 67) Another sur-vey of both public and academic libraries conducted in the early 1980s

86 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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found that while seventy-two percent of academic libraries and eighty-twopercent of public libraries had written policies the reference collectionwas absent from a majority of these (Futas 1984 xix-xxix) The 1995 edi-tion of Futasrsquo Collection Development Polices and Procedures includes fourcomplete collection management policiesndashtwo each from academic andpublic libraries Only one of each library type devoted more than passingattention to the reference collection The following year collection poli-cies from five academic libraries and five public libraries were publishedin their entirety in a handbook specifically designed for writers of collec-tions policies Of these only one academic library devoted a specific head-ing to its reference collection (Wood and Hoffmann 1996 79-231) Thereare signs of improvement in the literature The Reference and Adult Ser-vices Division of ALA published an anthology of reference collection poli-cies in 1992 and in 1999 Nolan published a title specifically on managingreference collections

In spite of these recent publications the question still remains what isthe current state of reference collection policies Reference collectionmanagement policies at a number of predominantly undergraduate andtwo-year colleges in Kansas were reviewed and these are discussed in thecontext of the current literature It is assumed that the state of referencecollection policies for academic libraries in Kansas can be generalized tomost libraries of similar size and scope across the nation Kansas providesan optimum setting to examine college and undergraduate libraries asmost institutions of higher learning in the state are small to medium insize There are 13 state-supported and 3 private two-year juniorcommu-nity colleges In addition there are twenty four-year institutions includ-ing 2 with branch campusesndashmost of which offer a limited number ofgraduate programs Eight of these are state supported eleven are privateand one is municipal Among these are 3 state supported research-leveluniversities

In September 1999 all of these institutions were either sent an e-mailmessage (based on availability of an e-mail address in the ALA Library Di-rectory) or mailed a letter asking for a copy of the current collection man-agement policy andor their reference collection policy The anonymity ofthe respondents was assured To ensure their privacy each will be re-ferred to by category ie State Community College A Private Four YearCollege B and so on Those who did not respond initially received a sec-ond mailing two weeks later

All of the state universities responded one of the state regionalfour-year institutions responded seven four year-colleges responded asdid seven state community colleges and one of the independent commu-

Daniel Liestman 87

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nity colleges Some sent their policies while others such as Private FourYear College A responded that they do not have one but will be writing apolicy statement in the future The one independent community collegethe four private colleges and five of the responding community collegesreplied they did not have policies per se but shared their standard operat-ing practices Private Four Year College B literally submitted a work inprogress with several categories still blank Both State University A andState University B provided documents for the main libraryrsquos referencecollections in the humanities and the social sciences only Of these twothe latter provided a draft statement as well (Appendix B)

A reference collection management policy statement consists of manyparts This paper will discuss seven aspects common to most of the policiessubmitted These include the rationale for having a policy defining thenature of the collection criteria on inclusion and exclusion input fromstakeholders managing budget costs electronic resources and weeding

RATIONALE FOR HAVING A POLICY

Why have a reference collection policy This is a simple and importantquestion State College B says its policy is designed to ldquoprovide the mostuseful resources availablerdquo for their patrons Private Four Year College Bsees its policy as a planning document stating the document ldquoprovidesguidelines regulating the constant continued growth of learning re-sources acquired and utilized for studentsrdquo at the college adding ldquothepolicy is subject to on-going review and revision in light of changes in in-structional styles curricular requirements and resource formatsrdquo

The actual process of creating a policy is beneficial as it forces the li-brary staff to consider unspokenunrecorded assumptions about the refer-ence collection In order to successfully manage a reference collection alibraryrsquos staff must possess a shared understanding of their reference phi-losophies as well as the usersrsquo current and anticipated information needsThese are best articulated in a formal reference collection policy state-ment Developing such a document provides the opportunity for those in-volved to come to a consensus about major goals for the collection andreference service

A collection policy for reference will establish a plan for the appropri-ate and equitable allocation of funds in the budgeting process intended toyield a balanced collection Katz observes that the effort to develop po-lices is in large measure ldquoa drive to tie the reference dollar down in such away as to eliminate waste and ambiguity and to ensure that the budget will

88 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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be used in the best possible wayrdquo (Katz 1986 xi) A policy will moreoverhelp to eliminate some of the subjectivity in selecting for the collectionThose involved in selecting will be able to work with greater consistencytoward defined goals Regular review of the policy by those involved willcreate a systematic means of assessing and realigning the collection asneeded over time A policy also serves as a collective memory in the faceof staff turnover New librarians will benefit from such a document as anorientation tool

Beyond an in-house document a good policy also serves as a means ofcommunication with external constituents The director of the library atIndependent Community College A says that while lacking a formal policystatement his library seeks to ldquoprovide the best possible resources to sup-port the collegersquos mission to provide higher education to those who wouldotherwise go unservedrdquo The State University B Library assumes that itsdraft is to be a public document designed to inform the public and otherstakeholders of the principles upon which selections are made Spe-cifically policies can also be useful in defending budgetary requests to theinstitutionrsquos administration in times of financial retrenchments and grow-ing costs for both print and online resources

Private Four Year College B however has a broader audience in mindwith its statement Like many similar institutions it is denominationallysponsored and seeks to instruct students in a religious context In definingthe nature of its reference collection the collegersquos library declares that itldquoacquires materials representing a variety of perspectives both Christianand secularrdquo adding materials are included that ldquofoster a breadth of un-derstanding of other perspectives and alternate vantage points necessaryfor the development of critical thinking and researchrdquo Finally the policynotes ldquoInclusion of a title in the collection does not indicate that the Li-brary Director library staff or [college] faculties endorse all the views andconclusions of the author(s)rdquo

In short a reference collection policy must contain a clear rational forits existence state this purpose forthrightly and stick to it Those creatingsuch a policy will need to come to agreement among themselves as to whatthe policy should accomplish while at the same time keeping in mind thattheir audience includes not only those in the library but also interestedparties not directly involved

DEFINING THE NATURE OF THE COLLECTION

Daniel Liestman 89

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Defining the nature of the collection and determining the criteria of inclu-sion and exclusion are closely related In the context of this discussion defin-ing the nature of the collection will be seen as more of a strategic issue whiledeciding specifically what to keep in and what to keep out is more of a tacticalissue

State Community College A for example says the purpose of its refer-ence collection is to support the curriculum provide basic cultural andrecreational needs and ldquosupport a degree of faculty researchrdquo It addsthat current titles will be emphasized and that ldquovarying points-of-view re-garding controversial issues will be represented as availablerdquo On theother hand State University A states ldquoThe purpose of the reference col-lection is to support the Universityrsquos teaching and research programs andit does not cater to the lay readerrdquo The document adds that ldquothere is noattempt made to build the collection to meet the needs of non-Universityusersrdquo Likewise Private Four Year College B seeks to define not onlywhat its collection is but what it is not While its reference collection seeksto ldquoprovide classroom support for the programs and courses of the col-legerdquo it acknowledges the collection ldquocannot be all things to all usersrdquoThis policy then explains its twin thrusts first it gives attention to the ldquore-search needs of faculty students and other patronsrdquo Secondly it empha-sizes ldquoacquiring foundational titlesrdquo which ldquowill allow users to identifyrelevant materials that may be obtained from sources beyond the collegersquoscampusrdquo Private College H says its reference collection is selected ldquoonmatters of curricular interestrdquo but adds ldquoall areas in which factual infor-mation may be desiredrdquo are included

In defining the nature of the reference collection it is significant tonote that all of the policies received in this survey emphasize the practicaluse of their collections rather than meeting the recommendations ofsources such as Sheehy or Winchell which prescribe certain referenceclassics for any collection regardless of age language or appropriatenessStill some of the literature suggests using standard bibliographies as toolsin developing a core reference collection (Luchsinger 1992 106-110)Likewise State College B says teaching faculty are ldquoencouragedrdquo to usebibliographies However the research indicates there is little agreementeven among experts as to what basic or fundamental reference sourcesare (Hopkins 1991 84-85 and Larsen 1979 341-48) Given this lack ofconsensus such standards should not be relied upon exclusively for cre-ation of a reference collection This is not to say that such sources shouldbe ignored altogether either for bibliographies and guides germane forcollege and undergraduate level reference collections still may be con-

90 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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sulted as a starting point if local needs are kept in mind (Lang 1992Wynar 1985 Wynar 1992)

The challenge still remainsndashhow to decide which portion of the refer-ence universe a library wants to call its own Two basic ways of identifyingand acquiring new items for the collection are direct selection andor ap-proval plans Reviews are an essential component of the direct orderingprocess Most reference collection policies mention reviews as a source toconsult prior to acquiring an item The obvious shortcoming is that re-views are a reflection of the biases of the reviewer Another disadvantageof reviews is that they may not reflect the latest releases from publishersAmong library selection tools Choice sends its reviewers books as they arereleased which means the books were released weeks if not months priorto the appearance of the review Library Journal strives to be very currentIt sends its reviewers pre-publication galleys of books so the published re-view can be coordinated with the bookrsquos release date

The challenge for reference materials selectors then is to locate currentquality reviews Private Four Year College B is typical in saying ChoiceLibrary Journal and ldquoselected journals in academic disciplinesrdquo are to beldquosystematically used for selection purposesrdquo While most academic andprofessional journals do include book reviews the reviews are typicallyout of date and are for general works rather than reference books On thewhole such sources can be safely ignored for reference collection devel-opment purposes There are of course numerous other sources to con-sider such as American Libraries ARBA American Reference BooksAnnual Booklist Collection Management College and Research LibrariesCampRL News Library Journal Publishers Weekly Public Libraries and Ref-erence amp User Services Quarterly In addition as departments move beyondjust books Choice Electronic Resources Review The Scout Report(httpwwwscoutcswisceduscoutreport) the Tourbus(httpwwwtourbuscom) and others are becoming good sources for re-views of Web and electronic reference resources

The other way libraries are commonly notified of the availability of newreference resources is through advertising Direct mailing ads in journalsfaxes and calls from vendors often offer special inducements such as dis-counts on pre-publication orders The dilemma for the reference selectoris that in order to take advantage of such an offer the purchase must bemade on faithndashthat is without the advantage of reading reviews At timesit may be appropriate to purchase materials of unknown quality for whichreviews are not yet available Such circumstances would be if there is noother work of comparable scope if the collection policy calls for compre-hensive collecting in a particular area if a work is of such significance that

Daniel Liestman 91

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the library needs to purchase it regardless or if there is an immediateneed for a such a work

Although approval plans are typically beyond the reach of many collegeand undergraduate libraries they do warrant passing mention They aretypically based on a book jobberrsquos individually tailored description of a li-braryrsquos needs A well-designed profile can relieve overworked librariansof some of the work involved in scanning countless selection tools and adsBut at the same time the profile must be monitored and the librariansmust also be aware of omissions The profile also needs to be reviewedand refined regularly which also takes time Waiting for reference itemsto arrive in approval order shipments may even be slower than directly or-dering an item Moreover complete coverage of all current reference ma-terials is not possible regardless of the ldquoelegance and precisionrdquo of alibraryrsquos profile (Hattendorf 1990 2) Hattendorf also suggests that newmaterials are acquired without sufficient consideration of the pertinenceand relevance to user needs and the overall collection and to some de-gree approval plans can be blamed for this (Hattendorf 1989 220) TheBiggsrsquo study nonetheless found that most libraries are willing to acceptthe selections of an approval plan vendor regarding reference books(Biggs 1987 73)

There are a number of other factors that should be addressed in the ref-erence collection policy statement

Format

Not too long ago decisions on format were confined to cloth versuspaperbinding Now there are a plethora of formats to considerndashmost ofthem computer-based State University B says it collects ldquoall appropriateformats of materials based on content availability desirability spaceequipment requirements and costrdquo In its 1993 statement State Univer-sity C says it has ldquobegun to veer away from wide coverage of science in-dexes in print with the idea of replacing them with electronic coveragerdquoCompounding this matter are mixed-format reference resources Todaypublishers frequently include a CD-ROM in a reference book What to dowith this added material type then becomes a new access and control chal-lenge None of the policy statements received specifically addressed thisparticular issue

SerialsAnnuals

Although serials and annuals are a significant component of most ref-erence collections none of the policies received make more than passing

92 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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mention of this format Even though they are beyond the scope of mostreference collection policy statements but they still need to be consideredTracking and acquiring such sources is beyond the scope of this article andhas been dealt with elsewhere in the literature (Scott and Nolan 199370-71 Majka 1996 70-71) Nevertheless reference collection policesneed to address issues related to binding retention and irregular publica-tions

Circulation

As a rule reference materials do not circulate However most policesallow for at least one exception through which at the discretion of an ap-propriate staff member an item may go out for a limited time State Com-munity College B is typical in that it notes that at the option of thecirculation supervisor a reference item may be checked out for one day ifit is not in high demand Whatever is best for onersquos own library should beincluded in the reference policy statement

Duplicates

Rarely do reference collections include duplicates The relatively highcost of most reference works the typically brief time need for consulta-tion and their non-circulating nature obviates the need for duplication inmost instances However repeated requests and queuing for an item aswell as high potential usage may warrant the acquisition of duplicates inrare cases

Language

Most of the policies received assumed that with exception of dictionar-ies the primary emphasis of the reference collection is on material in theEnglish language However both State Universities A and B are more ex-plicit State University A says ldquoprimary considerationrdquo will be given toldquoreference tools in the English languagerdquo but the collection will also in-clude sources which support the Universityrsquos area studies programs andthe western European language sources which support research in the hu-manities It may be assumed that except as noted reference sources willbe in English However having a policy specifically stating as muchproved helpful for one library in fending off an unwanted gift encyclope-dia set written in Arabic

Recency

Daniel Liestman 93

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Most reference collections make efforts to include the most recent ma-terials possible State University B is typical in saying that ldquousually onlythe latest editionrdquo of a reference title will be kept in reference and that re-moved materials will be sent to the circulating collection There are excep-tions and Private Four Year College B acknowledges this in its statementnoting ldquo[o]lder titles may be purchased as appropriate to needrdquo Such aclause allows a library some flexibility in its reference collection

CRITERIA OF INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION

Another way of shaping the nature of the reference collection issummed up by Hattendorf who notes ldquoIt is important to know what isNOT in the collection as well as what is in itrdquo (Hattendorf 1990 7) Aca-demic libraries generally do not include certain types of materialsTypically ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes travel guides genealogy materialsvertical file materials and used car price guides are excluded PrivateFour Year College B for example states ldquoThe non-academic interests ofstudents and faculty are to be met through use of the local public libraryand the regional library systemrdquo

While such a statement is typical there are no universally acceptedstandards as to what is included or excluded State Community College Astates ldquotextbooks will normally be excluded from library purchasesrdquo Onthe other hand State Community College B will acquire textbooks pro-vided they are ldquothe best and latest reference sources availablerdquo To vary-ing degrees the pol- icies of State Universities A and B both list the typesof materials to be included in their respective collections These include anumber of typical resources ranging from almanacs to yearbooks Somesuggest that such ldquolaundry listsrdquo are not really necessary and are often ar-bitrary Batt argues that it should seem obvious when a work has referencevalue and when it does not If a book winds up in the wrong place it is re-ally not a critical matter adding ldquoany decision can be reconsidered (aslong as you remain friendly with your catalogers)rdquo (Batt 1984 318-19)Others de-emphasize certain types of sources for example State Univer-sity C says it purchases few bibliographies ldquoas they are underutilized pro-portionally to the costrdquo Conversely State College B says ldquoEffort is alsomade [to acquire] relevant subject and general bibliographies for the pur-pose of comparing library holdings to the standard materials of the fieldrdquo

Although none of the policies received addressed this directly the liter-ature indicates some libraries include books that are not reference booksin the collection The Biggs found twenty percent of the institutions in

94 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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their study used ldquolikelihood of theftrdquo as a criterion for placing a work inreference (Biggs 1987 73) Likewise in other libraries the reference col-lection is often used in lieu of a reserves collection

Censoring materials is certainly a way to exclude items from a collec-tion All the statements received save one make specific reference tosupporting intellectual freedom The one in question undoubtedly alsosupports intellectual freedom but such supporting documents are notpart of the reference collection policy per se Some such as State CollegeB even include policy and procedures on how to respond to challengedmaterials On the other hand while giving numerous statements in sup-port of intellectual freedom in its policy State Community College B doesleave the door open to removing materials noting ldquoGenerally [authorrsquositalics] no effort will be made to censor the collectionrdquo Private College Fsays while it ldquorejects no materials due to ideological reasons the librarywill refuse to retain any materials classified to be lsquoOBSCENErsquo [their capi-talization] which will be determined by the Learning Resource Commit-tee Library Director and the Academic Deanrdquo

INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS

Stakeholders are all those with a significant interest or stake in the ref-erence collectionndashlibrarians teaching faculty students etc Private Col-lege H broadly defines this group by noting ldquoResponsibility for theselection of library materials for the College Library lies with the entire col-lege communityrdquo State College Brsquos library students and administrators areldquoencouraged to recommendrdquo new works The input of faculty is ldquoessen-tialrdquo provided it is in ldquotheir teaching areasrdquo says State Community Col-lege A However the policy adds that as ldquolibrarians are ultimatelyresponsible for the overall quality and balance of the total collectionthey will select and purchase materials in all subject areas in an attemptto fill obvious gaps overlooked by instructorsrdquo The expectation or atleast hope for participation is widely held

At the same time the question quickly becomes who has the ultimate au-thority and accountability for the reference collection While all stake-holders are interested in the collection reference personnel should have asignificant measure of responsibility for involvement with the decision mak-ing process as they have the closest ties to the collection its users and relatedservices In addition they are in the best position to know the trends goalsand objectives of current and future users Teaching faculty at Private FourYear College B for example are expected to act as subject specialists in their

Daniel Liestman 95

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areas of expertise while library staff recommend materials for addition to thereference collection Still all recommendations go to the library directorwho makes the final selections

In other libraries common models are for bibliographers subject spe-cialists and reference librarians to make recommendations to the head ofreference or the collection management librarian In other cases selec-tions may be the responsibility of a reference collection team composedof internal and possibly external stakeholders An advantage of havingone person or one committee ultimately responsible for the reference col-lection is that they will be able to see that the collection is well balanced

Whatever selection model is followed communication consultationand collaboration must occur To enhance the process the person or per-sons making the selections should actually work at the reference desk Ifthis is not possible the selector for reference books should be highly recep-tive to suggestions made by those at the desk To further enhance the pro-cess and increase understanding a means of prioritizing requests can beimplemented For example a 3-star system with three stars designatingessential items two stars for important items and one star for supplemen-tary items would help the individual making selections understand thepriority of specific items If a team or committee is involved in the processa round-robin session would allow others to know what their colleaguesare ordering

MANAGING BUDGETARY COSTS

In the policies surveyed budgetary matters are generally not discussedbut there are a couple of exceptions Private College F for example notesthat its reference budget comes from the annual library budget the re-stricted library fund and duplicate book sales State Community CollegeF says it allots one third of its ten-thousand dollar book budget to the printreference collection Most libraries are less specific in their policies Agood future study would be to investigate funding and budgetary alloca-tions for reference collections

What can be gleaned from the polices is that money is tight The librarydirector at Independent Community College A observed ldquoIf I had a writ-ten-down policy it would be to do the best you can with budgets and learnto say lsquonorsquo a lotrdquo State University C says ldquoIt is necessary to try and addressa [sic] incredibly varied audience with a notably small budgetrdquo State Uni-versity A admits to financial limitations noting ldquoWe cannot purchase orsubscribe to all even if they are in our primary subject areas Added edi-tions frequent updates or supplements would improve currency In some

96 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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instances we may be able to purchase every third or fourth edition onlyrdquoPrivate Four Year College B stretches its reference dollars by requiringdiscipline-specific reference books come from that departmentrsquos book al-location while general reference works come from the reference budget

A particular challenge is for reference collection budgets to absorb thecosts of technology As Kluegel observes the advent of technology is trans-forming the reference collection into a ldquokaleidoscope of resources that canchange from one day to the next and the budget may look just as commin-gledrdquo (Kluegel 1996 454) There is no escaping the impact of technology onreference budgets State University A says improvement of ldquonetworkedelectronic access to informationrdquo is its ldquohighest priorityrdquo To better fund thisneed the libraryrsquos policy is to ldquoreplace print indexes with CD-ROM and on-line databasesrdquo Although not mentioned in any other policies this is prob-ably a common practice

Increasingly libraries are seeking ways to contain reference-relatedcosts through cooperative or consortial arrangements Some efforts havebeen made toward regional reference collection management These ef-forts can eliminate unnecessary duplication of expensive and infrequentlyused items while ensuring their accessibility to all within the systemConsortial agreements and arrangements for electronic resources areparticularly helpful Several models exist For example several librariescould acquire joint access to a database available via the Internet An-other model might involve one library deliberately buying source A whileanother does not but instead purchases source B the two could then tele-phone fax or e-mail reference questions and answers back and forthState Community College B and its local public library seem to take thisfurther in that they work together ldquoto provide access to database search-ing for faculty and studentsrdquo though the extent of this partnering is notelaborated upon in the policy

Although not mentioned in detail in any of the policies some state insti-tutions in Kansas participate in a number of consortial agreementsConsortial database agreements exist between the state-supported collegesand universities and one of the state community colleges Two of the stateuniversities participate in a large regional consortium too Such sharedbuying power allows access to resources the individual libraries would notbe able to attain on their own

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Daniel Liestman 97

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014

The explosion of electronic information resources marks the greatestchange in reference collection management Hazen states collectionsmust address the ldquoincreasingly complicated needs of users both currentand futurerdquo which are ldquoless and less limited to local holdingsrdquo (Hazen1995 30) Even though end-user electronic reference resources have beenaround for over a decade many libraries do not have a reference collec-tion management policy for such tools As a result such collections havegrown with little regard for planning Many libraries are struggling to inte-grate new forms of information technology into existing services opera-tions and policies ldquoThe challenge for this generation of librariansrdquoDemas says ldquois to seamlessly knit together a multiplicity of formats andaccess mechanisms into one intellectually cohesive user-friendly set of in-formation resources and services In shortrdquo he says ldquowe must adjust mostof our professional practices and daily operations to handle electronicpublications with a facility equal to or greater than that which we haveevolved for printed publicationsrdquo (Demas 1994 72)

One of the first issues a reference collection policy should addresswhen multiple formats are available is how the decision of whether to goelectronic is made Private College H says ldquoMachine-readable databaseswill be purchased in the most effective format available Hence some da-tabases will be accessed via the Internet and others may be on CD-ROMIn some cases print may be a totally appropriate formatrdquo Too often refer-ence sources are produced in electronic format because they can berather than because they should be As with any source attention must begiven to the intellectual organization and presentation of the informationThe question then becomes how to weigh the relative merits of contentpresentation and cost

Electronic resources present many unique challenges that a policyshould clarify Following is a list of suggested things to consider While itdoes not purport to be exhaustive it is designed to serve as a starting pointfor discussion (See Appendix A for a list of questions to be generally ap-plied to acquisition andor weeding of sources)

Technical Specifications

Is the database best utilized via the Internet on a local server on astand-alone or another option What compatibility is there between thedatabasesrsquo requirements and existing hardware and software What is thespeed and reliability of access Is the site updated and well maintainedHow stable is the database How is log in and authentication of users to behandledndashincluding distance users

98 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Documentation and Support

What level of technical support is available from the vendor Is this atan added cost Is the vendor reputable Is support service prompt and ad-equate How are licensing issues such as access by both local and remoteusers copyright data archiving etc handled What is the availability andquality of support materials If the electronic version is acquired can theprint version be canceled Will such action affect the subscription cost

Funding

How is the product itself to be paid for How will maintenance costs bepaid How will consumables (paper toner discs etc) be paid for Howmany computers are needed State University A speaks directly to thesecosts in its document In supporting the expense of these electronicsources the library admits ldquoThere is still an insufficient number ofworkstations or networking for simultaneous users for online CD-ROMand Internet searching This means that although we may have the meansto locate information we do not always have access to it at the momentneededrdquo

Database Content

Does content justify the format Is the content of the online databasethe same as the print index Is the content of the database reliable andvalid Is full textimage searching an option Will the content of the data-base meet the needs of future users How well does the database fit withinthe context of the existing collections and resources Is there a roll-off ofyears covered by the databasendashthat is if the database covers the most re-cent five years what happens to year six

User Interface

What level of instruction is needed to operate the database What isthe potential impact on public service points What output options areavailable for printing downloading and e-mailing

Continuity

How are issues such as licensing upgrading control and maintenancehandled

The answers to such questions are often beyond the ability of a singleindividual as they require substantial subject and technological knowl-

Daniel Liestman 99

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014

edge An effective reference collection policy should see to it that inputfrom both subject and systems specialists is obtained in making cost effec-tive decisions How such issues are addressed is dependent on the libraryrsquostechnology infrastructure Such issues may extend beyond the library tothe institutionrsquos systems office or academic computing department If sothe polices and practices of those departments have might influence themanagement of the libraryrsquos electronic collection The key to assimilatingnew technologies is to develop collaborative strategies that promote flexi-bility in the organization facilitate coordination and collaboration acrossorganizational divisions promote the ability of staff to adapt to constantchange and eliminate territoriality and develop shared goals and values

Another aspect of reference collection management policy is the cre-ation of a virtual reference collection that utilizes sources available on theWWW State University A says the potential of using World Wide Webresources with no direct cost to the department is ldquounlimited and mayeventually have an effect on collection development but it is difficult toassess the impact for the coming yearsrdquo Creating such a resource is be-yond the scope of this article and is better addressed by Demas McDon-ald and Lawrence who provide a solid basis for creating and maintainingsuch a digital reference collection (Demas McDonald and Lawrence1995 282-283)

Whether a reference policy incorporates an electronic virtual collec-tion or not a conspectus for electronic resources might still be useful If aconspectus is already used its collecting level categories may need only tobe adapted to reflect the use of electronic sources or a separate conspec-tus may be used

Although the use of electronic resources in a reference collection isnow an established part of the profession few of the policies received inthis research deal directly with such matters Moreover the literature isvaried and of no one opinion on how to proceed In creating a policy state-ment for onersquos own library local needs use patterns and resources will allneed to be considered

WEEDING

Most libraries see the value and benefits of weeding and although most lackwritten guidelines weeding is undertaken anyway Whether weeding is part ofa policy or not it usually occurs for two reasonsndashspace and collection philoso-phy

Space is usually given preeminent consideration as a factor involved inpromoting weeding State Community College A Library notes in its pol-

100 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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icy ldquoAs space limitations dictate materials will be considered for re-movalrdquo Beyond this the Biggs found most reference collections containmore than 10000 reference titles They concluded these were more titlesthan could be effectively mastered by most reference librarians (Biggs1987 67 69-70) Other studies support this finding and call for ldquoleanrdquo ref-erence collections filled with a few ldquohard-working titlesrdquo (Nolan 1991 80Nolan 1999 11-21 Joswick and Stierman 1993 108)

Collection philosophy is another reason for librarians to considerweeding In particular concern focuses on having the most recent andpresumably best information available Some go so far as to declare ldquoIt isbetter to do without [a reference resource] than to unintentionally pro-vide misinformation through outdated sourcesrdquo (Hattendorf 1989 222)Rettig draws an analogy between the toxic waste left at Love Canal andthe dangers of old and unreliable sources that ldquoplace library users inharmrsquos way The information in these booksrdquo he asserts ldquohas lost its util-ity but not its potencyrdquo (Rettig 1982 7) State College B acknowledgesthis concern and seeks to create a reference collection that is continuallyweeded to ldquoensure relevance validity and currencyrdquo

Despite the importance of weeding for space and philosophical rea-sons few libraries address this issue State University B Library does ac-knowledge that ldquoWeeding is as important as selectionrdquo adding that ldquoasthe Reference Collection is a working collection of important frequentlyconsulted resources careful and systematic weeding removes older lessdesirable works from the collectionrdquo This statement however providesno insight as to how such weeding is to be undertaken

Some of the institutions surveyed do discuss weeding in their referencecollection policies State Community College B for example weeds ldquoen-cyclopedias almanacs annuals yearbooks and like materials if they aremore than five years oldrdquo Yet most policies are like State University Arsquosin which the reference collection is ldquoperiodically weededrdquo In adoptingthis approach State Community College A states ldquocriteria for weedinginclude damaged titles and titles containing dated or inaccurate infor-mationrdquo

Weeding is not necessarily the same as discarding State University ALibrary for example has a ldquotrendrdquo to transfer so-called ldquostandard andclassicrdquo reference sources to the stacks or special collections as they aresuperseded or no longer used Other possibilities include using remotestorage for withdrawn reference works or transferring them to the stacksbut as non-circulating items On the other hand withdrawn referenceworks at State Community College B ldquomay be given to instructors or soldin book sales Anything not so disposed of may be given to local schools or

Daniel Liestman 101

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librariesrdquo Some libraries may also not weed their reference collections soas to avoid potential confrontations with users State Community CollegeB seeks to overcome this by having ldquothe librarian in consultation with thedirector and with input from the facultyrdquo participate in the weeding pro-cess Likewise State Community College A says faculty participation inweeding ldquoshould be encouragedrdquo Giving adequate notice of weeding anddeveloping a means for communicating the purpose of weeding and al-lowing participation in the process will go a long way to alleviate any angst

Even without these political considerations weeding is a difficult ex-pensive undertaking It is labor intensive and time consuming However ifweeding is done on a regular basis rather than all at once it can be moreeasily integrated into the work flow of those involved The questions pro-vided in Appendix A will be helpful in making weeding decisions

One question not included in Appendix A merits special considerationhow frequently is a resource used Determining usage of reference collec-tions is not often or easily undertaken Engeldinger conducted a survey of377 academic libraries and found only 23 conducted a user survey of theircollections (Engeldinger 1986 367-71) As reference collections arenon-circulating simple circulation counts are not a viable measure of useIn light of this a number of creative means have been developed to assesshow reference collections are used including dotting the spine making ticmarks to note each time a book is used over a period of time table countsexamining infrared dust beads on top of a book or placing unexposed pho-tographic paper in the pages of a book Some online systems allow booksto be recorded as ldquobrowsedrdquo if they are wanded after pick-up (Slote 1997219-225) Even as creative as some of these are they still focus on presentuser demand and fail to anticipate future needs While there may not bean easy way to weed a superior collection policy will address this matter ina manner that best serves onersquos own library

CONCLUSION

A couple of problems soon became obvious in this survey First was thelack of responses Secondly there is no way to tell how closely actual prac-tice follows the policy A possible follow-up study would be to see how welllibraries adhere to their own policies

Creating and implementing a reference collection policy for onersquos ownlibrary clearly requires a commitment of time and energy The library di-rector of Private College A wrote

102 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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There must be a break point so to speak in terms of how small a li-brary is or the ratio of staff to patrons or some other key factor thatmust explain why some libraryrsquos [sic] have a written policy while oth-ers do not revise the ancient ones they have In our case we canrsquotbreathe much less write a policy Even if we had a policy we wouldnrsquothave time to refer to it I would be the first to question the qualityand professionalism of an academic situation without a CD (Collec-tion Development) policy but as you are well aware Librarians aregenerally low man on the budget distribution totem pole

Still such a policy is worth undertaking Hazen argues a policy willhave the library ldquosolidify its own sense of purpose and also point the cam-pus toward the future by recasting its documentation in terms of all theresearch resources associated with its users and the fields they representrdquoBy including the Web and other broad based resources rather than ldquoinsist-ing on the inflexible site specific codificationrdquo of print acquisitions thepolicy will set the tone for the library as a major player in the informationage (Hazen 1995 31)

For those contemplating the creation and implementation of their ownpolicy the following points should be considered

Make a Commitment to It

Those who are directly affected by the policy should be committed to itIf they are not it will be unenforceable and useless More than one personshould be involved in the creation of the policy so that more people be-come invested in it and a variety of viewpoints are heard How and why thepolicy is being developed and for whom needs to be made clear Thereshould be meetings in which stakeholders can discuss concerns and re-solve such matters In this way everyone will be involved in the process andhave an opportunity to input ideas Whatever scope a policy takes its suc-cess depends on the degree of commitment to the policy by all involved

Keep It Unique to Onersquos Own Collection

Some argue that as there are not that many differences between librar-ies and detailed reference policies are unneeded Batt suggests one couldcreate boilerplate policies for all libraries with a final fill-in-the-blank sec-tion for special idiosyncrasies or ldquolocal peccadilloesrdquo (Batt 1984 313)Any policy needs to be individualized to the unique circumstances of thereference collection involved Any individualized policy may be one pageor severalndashthe key is whatever works best for onersquos own reference collec-

Daniel Liestman 103

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tion In constructing the policy think of issues which have been problemsin the past and how they might be best addressed

Keep Your Audience in Mind

While some such as Batt do not believe a reference collection policyhas an external audience it does and the interests of those stakeholdersneed to be kept in mind

Think Out of the Box

Donrsquot make the policy a reiteration of how things have always beendone Use this as an opportunity to think of new ways of doing things Toooften reference collection policies are written just for reference books Agood policy will include all other forms of reference sources ranging frommicrofiche to the World Wide Web

Keep It Simple

Some policies get bogged down in minutiae such as defining what a ref-erence resource is One study found a library with four guidelines devotedspecifically to telephone directories Such discussions are often esotericand have little to do with the application of the policy (Hattendorf 1989224-225)

Keep It Meaningful

On the other hand a policy should not be so succinct as to be meaning-less One library in another study noted ldquoThe basic reference collectionwill be made up of the following a basic reference collectionrdquo This gen-eralization so vague as to be meaningless (Hattendorf 1989 224-225) Apolicy should have some value and meaning to itndashif it doesnrsquot you donrsquotneed one

Donrsquot Reinvent the Wheel

While it is important even essential to tailor a policy to the needs ofonersquos own collection it may be helpful to review what others have donePeer institutions may be willing to share what they have The Web can alsobe searched for policies

Keep It Flexible

104 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Private College H says ldquoThe policies stated herein shall not be consid-ered inflexible regulationsrdquo Indeed there should be some room for ambi-guity as there will invariably be exceptions to every rule or guidelinePolicies are there to guidendashnot to enforce without reason

Donrsquot Put It Off

If collection management can be described as ldquothe task neglected whentime constraints applyrdquo writing a policy is often put off until there is timeto do it The trouble is there never is time to do it until a conscientious ef-fort is made to do so (Cuberly 1987 302) Few argue with the need for sucha policy yet few make the time to create such a policy

Keep It Current

The best policy is one which is up-to-date A policy should be reviewedannually and updated as needed A policy should be a living documentsubject to modification and adaptation as change occurs within the de-partment as well as the information environment The policy should de-velop over time in response to these changes State College A forexample describes its policy as ldquoevolutionaryrdquo and endeavors to keep itcurrent

Ask the Right Questions

To begin addressing some of these issues it is important to know whatquestions to ask Hattendorf provides some excellent suggestions for con-sideration prior to drafting a statement (Hattendorf 1989 223)

1 Why do we have a reference collection2 What is our philosophy of reference service3 What do we want the reference collection to be and do

Daniel Liestman 105

QUICK BIB

Biggs Mary and Victor ldquoReference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Surveyrdquo RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Reference Collection Development A programpresented at the 99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference No-vember 15 1990 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Re-production Service ED335049)

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

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014

4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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10

18 1

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014

Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

Daniel Liestman 109

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014

bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

Daniel Liestman 111

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014

bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

Daniel Liestman 113

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are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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Page 2: Reference Collection Management Policies

sub-licensing systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone isexpressly forbidden Terms amp Conditions of access and use can be found athttpwwwtandfonlinecompageterms-and-conditions

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Reference Collection Management Pol-icies Lessons from Kansas

Daniel Liestman

ABSTRACT The literature indicates most academic libraries do nothave formal reference collection policies or that if they do suchdocuments are not up-to-date Kansas provides an optimum settingto examine college and undergraduate libraries as most institutionsof higher learning in the state are small to medium in size Kansas isconsistent with the trends indicated in the literature All academic li-braries in the state were asked to submit a copy of their policy Eachdocument was examined in light of rationale for having a policy de-fining the nature of the collection criteria on inclusion and exclu-sion input from stakeholders managing budget costs electronicresources and weeding Selection criteria and sample polices pro-vide a practical guide for the development of a policy All formatsare considered [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth DocumentDelivery Service 1-800-342-9678 E-mail address ltgetinfohaworthpressinccomgtWebsite lthttpwwwHaworthPresscomgt copy 2001byTheHaworthPress IncAll rightsreserved]

Daniel Liestman (MA MSLS Kansas State University) is Chair of the SocialSciences amp Humanities Libraries Hale Library Manhattan KS 66506 (addresse-mail to dliestksuedu)

College amp Undergraduate Libraries Vol 8(1) 2001 2001 by The Haworth Press Inc All rights reserved 85

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rsity

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KEYWORDS Reference collection development policies aca-demic libraries Kansas

The Reference Collection is the one of the most heavily used compo-nents of any academic library Yet at the same time it is often one of themost neglected in terms of having a current and viable collection manage-ment policy statement Few would dispute the importance of the refer-ence collection In many ways the reference collection influences users asto how they will utilize the rest of the library The collection is variouslydescribed as an index to the circulating collection or the framework uponwhich the libraryrsquos entire collection rests Nolan writes ldquoIf the quality ofreference service hinges on the resources marshaled for support thisclose-at-hand collection should be criticalrdquo (Nolan 1991 80)

As the driver for much of the rest of the libraryrsquos resources this im-portant collection deserves special attention There are a number ofother important reasons for reference having its own policy statementFirst it provides a systematic framework for maintaining balance in ref-erence collections especially with regard to the critical issues of formatand content Secondly it provides a mechanism for managing the sizeand growth of both the reference collection and the circulating collec-tion by stipulating what the size budget scope and other parameters ofthe collection are Moreover as reference materials tend to be amongthe most expensive items purchased by a library there should be clearlydelineated guidelines for the acquisition of such costly resources In ad-dition the quality of answers provided to users is dependent on the qual-ity of the reference collection There should be a policy in place toensure that high level of value Also as the world of reference is chang-ing it helps to have a policy statement that can be readily updated andkept current Finally as the reference collection creates a first impres-sion for the library and its collections it deserves to be given special at-tention (Nolan 1999 v vi 2 Biggs 1987 67)

Yet for all its importance reference is often given little formal atten-tion in terms of policy A 1979 review of collection policies found no spe-cific mention of the reference collection in any of the seventy policiessurveyed (Lehocky 1979 57-58) At this same time ALA guidelines forcollection development made no mention of reference Nearly a decadelater the classic Biggs study discovered ldquoin a substantial number of aca-demic libraries within all types of institutions reference selection andweeding are not guided by written policiesrdquo (Biggs 1987 67) Another sur-vey of both public and academic libraries conducted in the early 1980s

86 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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found that while seventy-two percent of academic libraries and eighty-twopercent of public libraries had written policies the reference collectionwas absent from a majority of these (Futas 1984 xix-xxix) The 1995 edi-tion of Futasrsquo Collection Development Polices and Procedures includes fourcomplete collection management policiesndashtwo each from academic andpublic libraries Only one of each library type devoted more than passingattention to the reference collection The following year collection poli-cies from five academic libraries and five public libraries were publishedin their entirety in a handbook specifically designed for writers of collec-tions policies Of these only one academic library devoted a specific head-ing to its reference collection (Wood and Hoffmann 1996 79-231) Thereare signs of improvement in the literature The Reference and Adult Ser-vices Division of ALA published an anthology of reference collection poli-cies in 1992 and in 1999 Nolan published a title specifically on managingreference collections

In spite of these recent publications the question still remains what isthe current state of reference collection policies Reference collectionmanagement policies at a number of predominantly undergraduate andtwo-year colleges in Kansas were reviewed and these are discussed in thecontext of the current literature It is assumed that the state of referencecollection policies for academic libraries in Kansas can be generalized tomost libraries of similar size and scope across the nation Kansas providesan optimum setting to examine college and undergraduate libraries asmost institutions of higher learning in the state are small to medium insize There are 13 state-supported and 3 private two-year juniorcommu-nity colleges In addition there are twenty four-year institutions includ-ing 2 with branch campusesndashmost of which offer a limited number ofgraduate programs Eight of these are state supported eleven are privateand one is municipal Among these are 3 state supported research-leveluniversities

In September 1999 all of these institutions were either sent an e-mailmessage (based on availability of an e-mail address in the ALA Library Di-rectory) or mailed a letter asking for a copy of the current collection man-agement policy andor their reference collection policy The anonymity ofthe respondents was assured To ensure their privacy each will be re-ferred to by category ie State Community College A Private Four YearCollege B and so on Those who did not respond initially received a sec-ond mailing two weeks later

All of the state universities responded one of the state regionalfour-year institutions responded seven four year-colleges responded asdid seven state community colleges and one of the independent commu-

Daniel Liestman 87

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nity colleges Some sent their policies while others such as Private FourYear College A responded that they do not have one but will be writing apolicy statement in the future The one independent community collegethe four private colleges and five of the responding community collegesreplied they did not have policies per se but shared their standard operat-ing practices Private Four Year College B literally submitted a work inprogress with several categories still blank Both State University A andState University B provided documents for the main libraryrsquos referencecollections in the humanities and the social sciences only Of these twothe latter provided a draft statement as well (Appendix B)

A reference collection management policy statement consists of manyparts This paper will discuss seven aspects common to most of the policiessubmitted These include the rationale for having a policy defining thenature of the collection criteria on inclusion and exclusion input fromstakeholders managing budget costs electronic resources and weeding

RATIONALE FOR HAVING A POLICY

Why have a reference collection policy This is a simple and importantquestion State College B says its policy is designed to ldquoprovide the mostuseful resources availablerdquo for their patrons Private Four Year College Bsees its policy as a planning document stating the document ldquoprovidesguidelines regulating the constant continued growth of learning re-sources acquired and utilized for studentsrdquo at the college adding ldquothepolicy is subject to on-going review and revision in light of changes in in-structional styles curricular requirements and resource formatsrdquo

The actual process of creating a policy is beneficial as it forces the li-brary staff to consider unspokenunrecorded assumptions about the refer-ence collection In order to successfully manage a reference collection alibraryrsquos staff must possess a shared understanding of their reference phi-losophies as well as the usersrsquo current and anticipated information needsThese are best articulated in a formal reference collection policy state-ment Developing such a document provides the opportunity for those in-volved to come to a consensus about major goals for the collection andreference service

A collection policy for reference will establish a plan for the appropri-ate and equitable allocation of funds in the budgeting process intended toyield a balanced collection Katz observes that the effort to develop po-lices is in large measure ldquoa drive to tie the reference dollar down in such away as to eliminate waste and ambiguity and to ensure that the budget will

88 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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be used in the best possible wayrdquo (Katz 1986 xi) A policy will moreoverhelp to eliminate some of the subjectivity in selecting for the collectionThose involved in selecting will be able to work with greater consistencytoward defined goals Regular review of the policy by those involved willcreate a systematic means of assessing and realigning the collection asneeded over time A policy also serves as a collective memory in the faceof staff turnover New librarians will benefit from such a document as anorientation tool

Beyond an in-house document a good policy also serves as a means ofcommunication with external constituents The director of the library atIndependent Community College A says that while lacking a formal policystatement his library seeks to ldquoprovide the best possible resources to sup-port the collegersquos mission to provide higher education to those who wouldotherwise go unservedrdquo The State University B Library assumes that itsdraft is to be a public document designed to inform the public and otherstakeholders of the principles upon which selections are made Spe-cifically policies can also be useful in defending budgetary requests to theinstitutionrsquos administration in times of financial retrenchments and grow-ing costs for both print and online resources

Private Four Year College B however has a broader audience in mindwith its statement Like many similar institutions it is denominationallysponsored and seeks to instruct students in a religious context In definingthe nature of its reference collection the collegersquos library declares that itldquoacquires materials representing a variety of perspectives both Christianand secularrdquo adding materials are included that ldquofoster a breadth of un-derstanding of other perspectives and alternate vantage points necessaryfor the development of critical thinking and researchrdquo Finally the policynotes ldquoInclusion of a title in the collection does not indicate that the Li-brary Director library staff or [college] faculties endorse all the views andconclusions of the author(s)rdquo

In short a reference collection policy must contain a clear rational forits existence state this purpose forthrightly and stick to it Those creatingsuch a policy will need to come to agreement among themselves as to whatthe policy should accomplish while at the same time keeping in mind thattheir audience includes not only those in the library but also interestedparties not directly involved

DEFINING THE NATURE OF THE COLLECTION

Daniel Liestman 89

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Defining the nature of the collection and determining the criteria of inclu-sion and exclusion are closely related In the context of this discussion defin-ing the nature of the collection will be seen as more of a strategic issue whiledeciding specifically what to keep in and what to keep out is more of a tacticalissue

State Community College A for example says the purpose of its refer-ence collection is to support the curriculum provide basic cultural andrecreational needs and ldquosupport a degree of faculty researchrdquo It addsthat current titles will be emphasized and that ldquovarying points-of-view re-garding controversial issues will be represented as availablerdquo On theother hand State University A states ldquoThe purpose of the reference col-lection is to support the Universityrsquos teaching and research programs andit does not cater to the lay readerrdquo The document adds that ldquothere is noattempt made to build the collection to meet the needs of non-Universityusersrdquo Likewise Private Four Year College B seeks to define not onlywhat its collection is but what it is not While its reference collection seeksto ldquoprovide classroom support for the programs and courses of the col-legerdquo it acknowledges the collection ldquocannot be all things to all usersrdquoThis policy then explains its twin thrusts first it gives attention to the ldquore-search needs of faculty students and other patronsrdquo Secondly it empha-sizes ldquoacquiring foundational titlesrdquo which ldquowill allow users to identifyrelevant materials that may be obtained from sources beyond the collegersquoscampusrdquo Private College H says its reference collection is selected ldquoonmatters of curricular interestrdquo but adds ldquoall areas in which factual infor-mation may be desiredrdquo are included

In defining the nature of the reference collection it is significant tonote that all of the policies received in this survey emphasize the practicaluse of their collections rather than meeting the recommendations ofsources such as Sheehy or Winchell which prescribe certain referenceclassics for any collection regardless of age language or appropriatenessStill some of the literature suggests using standard bibliographies as toolsin developing a core reference collection (Luchsinger 1992 106-110)Likewise State College B says teaching faculty are ldquoencouragedrdquo to usebibliographies However the research indicates there is little agreementeven among experts as to what basic or fundamental reference sourcesare (Hopkins 1991 84-85 and Larsen 1979 341-48) Given this lack ofconsensus such standards should not be relied upon exclusively for cre-ation of a reference collection This is not to say that such sources shouldbe ignored altogether either for bibliographies and guides germane forcollege and undergraduate level reference collections still may be con-

90 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

sulted as a starting point if local needs are kept in mind (Lang 1992Wynar 1985 Wynar 1992)

The challenge still remainsndashhow to decide which portion of the refer-ence universe a library wants to call its own Two basic ways of identifyingand acquiring new items for the collection are direct selection andor ap-proval plans Reviews are an essential component of the direct orderingprocess Most reference collection policies mention reviews as a source toconsult prior to acquiring an item The obvious shortcoming is that re-views are a reflection of the biases of the reviewer Another disadvantageof reviews is that they may not reflect the latest releases from publishersAmong library selection tools Choice sends its reviewers books as they arereleased which means the books were released weeks if not months priorto the appearance of the review Library Journal strives to be very currentIt sends its reviewers pre-publication galleys of books so the published re-view can be coordinated with the bookrsquos release date

The challenge for reference materials selectors then is to locate currentquality reviews Private Four Year College B is typical in saying ChoiceLibrary Journal and ldquoselected journals in academic disciplinesrdquo are to beldquosystematically used for selection purposesrdquo While most academic andprofessional journals do include book reviews the reviews are typicallyout of date and are for general works rather than reference books On thewhole such sources can be safely ignored for reference collection devel-opment purposes There are of course numerous other sources to con-sider such as American Libraries ARBA American Reference BooksAnnual Booklist Collection Management College and Research LibrariesCampRL News Library Journal Publishers Weekly Public Libraries and Ref-erence amp User Services Quarterly In addition as departments move beyondjust books Choice Electronic Resources Review The Scout Report(httpwwwscoutcswisceduscoutreport) the Tourbus(httpwwwtourbuscom) and others are becoming good sources for re-views of Web and electronic reference resources

The other way libraries are commonly notified of the availability of newreference resources is through advertising Direct mailing ads in journalsfaxes and calls from vendors often offer special inducements such as dis-counts on pre-publication orders The dilemma for the reference selectoris that in order to take advantage of such an offer the purchase must bemade on faithndashthat is without the advantage of reading reviews At timesit may be appropriate to purchase materials of unknown quality for whichreviews are not yet available Such circumstances would be if there is noother work of comparable scope if the collection policy calls for compre-hensive collecting in a particular area if a work is of such significance that

Daniel Liestman 91

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014

the library needs to purchase it regardless or if there is an immediateneed for a such a work

Although approval plans are typically beyond the reach of many collegeand undergraduate libraries they do warrant passing mention They aretypically based on a book jobberrsquos individually tailored description of a li-braryrsquos needs A well-designed profile can relieve overworked librariansof some of the work involved in scanning countless selection tools and adsBut at the same time the profile must be monitored and the librariansmust also be aware of omissions The profile also needs to be reviewedand refined regularly which also takes time Waiting for reference itemsto arrive in approval order shipments may even be slower than directly or-dering an item Moreover complete coverage of all current reference ma-terials is not possible regardless of the ldquoelegance and precisionrdquo of alibraryrsquos profile (Hattendorf 1990 2) Hattendorf also suggests that newmaterials are acquired without sufficient consideration of the pertinenceand relevance to user needs and the overall collection and to some de-gree approval plans can be blamed for this (Hattendorf 1989 220) TheBiggsrsquo study nonetheless found that most libraries are willing to acceptthe selections of an approval plan vendor regarding reference books(Biggs 1987 73)

There are a number of other factors that should be addressed in the ref-erence collection policy statement

Format

Not too long ago decisions on format were confined to cloth versuspaperbinding Now there are a plethora of formats to considerndashmost ofthem computer-based State University B says it collects ldquoall appropriateformats of materials based on content availability desirability spaceequipment requirements and costrdquo In its 1993 statement State Univer-sity C says it has ldquobegun to veer away from wide coverage of science in-dexes in print with the idea of replacing them with electronic coveragerdquoCompounding this matter are mixed-format reference resources Todaypublishers frequently include a CD-ROM in a reference book What to dowith this added material type then becomes a new access and control chal-lenge None of the policy statements received specifically addressed thisparticular issue

SerialsAnnuals

Although serials and annuals are a significant component of most ref-erence collections none of the policies received make more than passing

92 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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mention of this format Even though they are beyond the scope of mostreference collection policy statements but they still need to be consideredTracking and acquiring such sources is beyond the scope of this article andhas been dealt with elsewhere in the literature (Scott and Nolan 199370-71 Majka 1996 70-71) Nevertheless reference collection policesneed to address issues related to binding retention and irregular publica-tions

Circulation

As a rule reference materials do not circulate However most policesallow for at least one exception through which at the discretion of an ap-propriate staff member an item may go out for a limited time State Com-munity College B is typical in that it notes that at the option of thecirculation supervisor a reference item may be checked out for one day ifit is not in high demand Whatever is best for onersquos own library should beincluded in the reference policy statement

Duplicates

Rarely do reference collections include duplicates The relatively highcost of most reference works the typically brief time need for consulta-tion and their non-circulating nature obviates the need for duplication inmost instances However repeated requests and queuing for an item aswell as high potential usage may warrant the acquisition of duplicates inrare cases

Language

Most of the policies received assumed that with exception of dictionar-ies the primary emphasis of the reference collection is on material in theEnglish language However both State Universities A and B are more ex-plicit State University A says ldquoprimary considerationrdquo will be given toldquoreference tools in the English languagerdquo but the collection will also in-clude sources which support the Universityrsquos area studies programs andthe western European language sources which support research in the hu-manities It may be assumed that except as noted reference sources willbe in English However having a policy specifically stating as muchproved helpful for one library in fending off an unwanted gift encyclope-dia set written in Arabic

Recency

Daniel Liestman 93

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Most reference collections make efforts to include the most recent ma-terials possible State University B is typical in saying that ldquousually onlythe latest editionrdquo of a reference title will be kept in reference and that re-moved materials will be sent to the circulating collection There are excep-tions and Private Four Year College B acknowledges this in its statementnoting ldquo[o]lder titles may be purchased as appropriate to needrdquo Such aclause allows a library some flexibility in its reference collection

CRITERIA OF INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION

Another way of shaping the nature of the reference collection issummed up by Hattendorf who notes ldquoIt is important to know what isNOT in the collection as well as what is in itrdquo (Hattendorf 1990 7) Aca-demic libraries generally do not include certain types of materialsTypically ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes travel guides genealogy materialsvertical file materials and used car price guides are excluded PrivateFour Year College B for example states ldquoThe non-academic interests ofstudents and faculty are to be met through use of the local public libraryand the regional library systemrdquo

While such a statement is typical there are no universally acceptedstandards as to what is included or excluded State Community College Astates ldquotextbooks will normally be excluded from library purchasesrdquo Onthe other hand State Community College B will acquire textbooks pro-vided they are ldquothe best and latest reference sources availablerdquo To vary-ing degrees the pol- icies of State Universities A and B both list the typesof materials to be included in their respective collections These include anumber of typical resources ranging from almanacs to yearbooks Somesuggest that such ldquolaundry listsrdquo are not really necessary and are often ar-bitrary Batt argues that it should seem obvious when a work has referencevalue and when it does not If a book winds up in the wrong place it is re-ally not a critical matter adding ldquoany decision can be reconsidered (aslong as you remain friendly with your catalogers)rdquo (Batt 1984 318-19)Others de-emphasize certain types of sources for example State Univer-sity C says it purchases few bibliographies ldquoas they are underutilized pro-portionally to the costrdquo Conversely State College B says ldquoEffort is alsomade [to acquire] relevant subject and general bibliographies for the pur-pose of comparing library holdings to the standard materials of the fieldrdquo

Although none of the policies received addressed this directly the liter-ature indicates some libraries include books that are not reference booksin the collection The Biggs found twenty percent of the institutions in

94 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

their study used ldquolikelihood of theftrdquo as a criterion for placing a work inreference (Biggs 1987 73) Likewise in other libraries the reference col-lection is often used in lieu of a reserves collection

Censoring materials is certainly a way to exclude items from a collec-tion All the statements received save one make specific reference tosupporting intellectual freedom The one in question undoubtedly alsosupports intellectual freedom but such supporting documents are notpart of the reference collection policy per se Some such as State CollegeB even include policy and procedures on how to respond to challengedmaterials On the other hand while giving numerous statements in sup-port of intellectual freedom in its policy State Community College B doesleave the door open to removing materials noting ldquoGenerally [authorrsquositalics] no effort will be made to censor the collectionrdquo Private College Fsays while it ldquorejects no materials due to ideological reasons the librarywill refuse to retain any materials classified to be lsquoOBSCENErsquo [their capi-talization] which will be determined by the Learning Resource Commit-tee Library Director and the Academic Deanrdquo

INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS

Stakeholders are all those with a significant interest or stake in the ref-erence collectionndashlibrarians teaching faculty students etc Private Col-lege H broadly defines this group by noting ldquoResponsibility for theselection of library materials for the College Library lies with the entire col-lege communityrdquo State College Brsquos library students and administrators areldquoencouraged to recommendrdquo new works The input of faculty is ldquoessen-tialrdquo provided it is in ldquotheir teaching areasrdquo says State Community Col-lege A However the policy adds that as ldquolibrarians are ultimatelyresponsible for the overall quality and balance of the total collectionthey will select and purchase materials in all subject areas in an attemptto fill obvious gaps overlooked by instructorsrdquo The expectation or atleast hope for participation is widely held

At the same time the question quickly becomes who has the ultimate au-thority and accountability for the reference collection While all stake-holders are interested in the collection reference personnel should have asignificant measure of responsibility for involvement with the decision mak-ing process as they have the closest ties to the collection its users and relatedservices In addition they are in the best position to know the trends goalsand objectives of current and future users Teaching faculty at Private FourYear College B for example are expected to act as subject specialists in their

Daniel Liestman 95

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areas of expertise while library staff recommend materials for addition to thereference collection Still all recommendations go to the library directorwho makes the final selections

In other libraries common models are for bibliographers subject spe-cialists and reference librarians to make recommendations to the head ofreference or the collection management librarian In other cases selec-tions may be the responsibility of a reference collection team composedof internal and possibly external stakeholders An advantage of havingone person or one committee ultimately responsible for the reference col-lection is that they will be able to see that the collection is well balanced

Whatever selection model is followed communication consultationand collaboration must occur To enhance the process the person or per-sons making the selections should actually work at the reference desk Ifthis is not possible the selector for reference books should be highly recep-tive to suggestions made by those at the desk To further enhance the pro-cess and increase understanding a means of prioritizing requests can beimplemented For example a 3-star system with three stars designatingessential items two stars for important items and one star for supplemen-tary items would help the individual making selections understand thepriority of specific items If a team or committee is involved in the processa round-robin session would allow others to know what their colleaguesare ordering

MANAGING BUDGETARY COSTS

In the policies surveyed budgetary matters are generally not discussedbut there are a couple of exceptions Private College F for example notesthat its reference budget comes from the annual library budget the re-stricted library fund and duplicate book sales State Community CollegeF says it allots one third of its ten-thousand dollar book budget to the printreference collection Most libraries are less specific in their policies Agood future study would be to investigate funding and budgetary alloca-tions for reference collections

What can be gleaned from the polices is that money is tight The librarydirector at Independent Community College A observed ldquoIf I had a writ-ten-down policy it would be to do the best you can with budgets and learnto say lsquonorsquo a lotrdquo State University C says ldquoIt is necessary to try and addressa [sic] incredibly varied audience with a notably small budgetrdquo State Uni-versity A admits to financial limitations noting ldquoWe cannot purchase orsubscribe to all even if they are in our primary subject areas Added edi-tions frequent updates or supplements would improve currency In some

96 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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instances we may be able to purchase every third or fourth edition onlyrdquoPrivate Four Year College B stretches its reference dollars by requiringdiscipline-specific reference books come from that departmentrsquos book al-location while general reference works come from the reference budget

A particular challenge is for reference collection budgets to absorb thecosts of technology As Kluegel observes the advent of technology is trans-forming the reference collection into a ldquokaleidoscope of resources that canchange from one day to the next and the budget may look just as commin-gledrdquo (Kluegel 1996 454) There is no escaping the impact of technology onreference budgets State University A says improvement of ldquonetworkedelectronic access to informationrdquo is its ldquohighest priorityrdquo To better fund thisneed the libraryrsquos policy is to ldquoreplace print indexes with CD-ROM and on-line databasesrdquo Although not mentioned in any other policies this is prob-ably a common practice

Increasingly libraries are seeking ways to contain reference-relatedcosts through cooperative or consortial arrangements Some efforts havebeen made toward regional reference collection management These ef-forts can eliminate unnecessary duplication of expensive and infrequentlyused items while ensuring their accessibility to all within the systemConsortial agreements and arrangements for electronic resources areparticularly helpful Several models exist For example several librariescould acquire joint access to a database available via the Internet An-other model might involve one library deliberately buying source A whileanother does not but instead purchases source B the two could then tele-phone fax or e-mail reference questions and answers back and forthState Community College B and its local public library seem to take thisfurther in that they work together ldquoto provide access to database search-ing for faculty and studentsrdquo though the extent of this partnering is notelaborated upon in the policy

Although not mentioned in detail in any of the policies some state insti-tutions in Kansas participate in a number of consortial agreementsConsortial database agreements exist between the state-supported collegesand universities and one of the state community colleges Two of the stateuniversities participate in a large regional consortium too Such sharedbuying power allows access to resources the individual libraries would notbe able to attain on their own

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Daniel Liestman 97

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The explosion of electronic information resources marks the greatestchange in reference collection management Hazen states collectionsmust address the ldquoincreasingly complicated needs of users both currentand futurerdquo which are ldquoless and less limited to local holdingsrdquo (Hazen1995 30) Even though end-user electronic reference resources have beenaround for over a decade many libraries do not have a reference collec-tion management policy for such tools As a result such collections havegrown with little regard for planning Many libraries are struggling to inte-grate new forms of information technology into existing services opera-tions and policies ldquoThe challenge for this generation of librariansrdquoDemas says ldquois to seamlessly knit together a multiplicity of formats andaccess mechanisms into one intellectually cohesive user-friendly set of in-formation resources and services In shortrdquo he says ldquowe must adjust mostof our professional practices and daily operations to handle electronicpublications with a facility equal to or greater than that which we haveevolved for printed publicationsrdquo (Demas 1994 72)

One of the first issues a reference collection policy should addresswhen multiple formats are available is how the decision of whether to goelectronic is made Private College H says ldquoMachine-readable databaseswill be purchased in the most effective format available Hence some da-tabases will be accessed via the Internet and others may be on CD-ROMIn some cases print may be a totally appropriate formatrdquo Too often refer-ence sources are produced in electronic format because they can berather than because they should be As with any source attention must begiven to the intellectual organization and presentation of the informationThe question then becomes how to weigh the relative merits of contentpresentation and cost

Electronic resources present many unique challenges that a policyshould clarify Following is a list of suggested things to consider While itdoes not purport to be exhaustive it is designed to serve as a starting pointfor discussion (See Appendix A for a list of questions to be generally ap-plied to acquisition andor weeding of sources)

Technical Specifications

Is the database best utilized via the Internet on a local server on astand-alone or another option What compatibility is there between thedatabasesrsquo requirements and existing hardware and software What is thespeed and reliability of access Is the site updated and well maintainedHow stable is the database How is log in and authentication of users to behandledndashincluding distance users

98 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Documentation and Support

What level of technical support is available from the vendor Is this atan added cost Is the vendor reputable Is support service prompt and ad-equate How are licensing issues such as access by both local and remoteusers copyright data archiving etc handled What is the availability andquality of support materials If the electronic version is acquired can theprint version be canceled Will such action affect the subscription cost

Funding

How is the product itself to be paid for How will maintenance costs bepaid How will consumables (paper toner discs etc) be paid for Howmany computers are needed State University A speaks directly to thesecosts in its document In supporting the expense of these electronicsources the library admits ldquoThere is still an insufficient number ofworkstations or networking for simultaneous users for online CD-ROMand Internet searching This means that although we may have the meansto locate information we do not always have access to it at the momentneededrdquo

Database Content

Does content justify the format Is the content of the online databasethe same as the print index Is the content of the database reliable andvalid Is full textimage searching an option Will the content of the data-base meet the needs of future users How well does the database fit withinthe context of the existing collections and resources Is there a roll-off ofyears covered by the databasendashthat is if the database covers the most re-cent five years what happens to year six

User Interface

What level of instruction is needed to operate the database What isthe potential impact on public service points What output options areavailable for printing downloading and e-mailing

Continuity

How are issues such as licensing upgrading control and maintenancehandled

The answers to such questions are often beyond the ability of a singleindividual as they require substantial subject and technological knowl-

Daniel Liestman 99

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edge An effective reference collection policy should see to it that inputfrom both subject and systems specialists is obtained in making cost effec-tive decisions How such issues are addressed is dependent on the libraryrsquostechnology infrastructure Such issues may extend beyond the library tothe institutionrsquos systems office or academic computing department If sothe polices and practices of those departments have might influence themanagement of the libraryrsquos electronic collection The key to assimilatingnew technologies is to develop collaborative strategies that promote flexi-bility in the organization facilitate coordination and collaboration acrossorganizational divisions promote the ability of staff to adapt to constantchange and eliminate territoriality and develop shared goals and values

Another aspect of reference collection management policy is the cre-ation of a virtual reference collection that utilizes sources available on theWWW State University A says the potential of using World Wide Webresources with no direct cost to the department is ldquounlimited and mayeventually have an effect on collection development but it is difficult toassess the impact for the coming yearsrdquo Creating such a resource is be-yond the scope of this article and is better addressed by Demas McDon-ald and Lawrence who provide a solid basis for creating and maintainingsuch a digital reference collection (Demas McDonald and Lawrence1995 282-283)

Whether a reference policy incorporates an electronic virtual collec-tion or not a conspectus for electronic resources might still be useful If aconspectus is already used its collecting level categories may need only tobe adapted to reflect the use of electronic sources or a separate conspec-tus may be used

Although the use of electronic resources in a reference collection isnow an established part of the profession few of the policies received inthis research deal directly with such matters Moreover the literature isvaried and of no one opinion on how to proceed In creating a policy state-ment for onersquos own library local needs use patterns and resources will allneed to be considered

WEEDING

Most libraries see the value and benefits of weeding and although most lackwritten guidelines weeding is undertaken anyway Whether weeding is part ofa policy or not it usually occurs for two reasonsndashspace and collection philoso-phy

Space is usually given preeminent consideration as a factor involved inpromoting weeding State Community College A Library notes in its pol-

100 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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icy ldquoAs space limitations dictate materials will be considered for re-movalrdquo Beyond this the Biggs found most reference collections containmore than 10000 reference titles They concluded these were more titlesthan could be effectively mastered by most reference librarians (Biggs1987 67 69-70) Other studies support this finding and call for ldquoleanrdquo ref-erence collections filled with a few ldquohard-working titlesrdquo (Nolan 1991 80Nolan 1999 11-21 Joswick and Stierman 1993 108)

Collection philosophy is another reason for librarians to considerweeding In particular concern focuses on having the most recent andpresumably best information available Some go so far as to declare ldquoIt isbetter to do without [a reference resource] than to unintentionally pro-vide misinformation through outdated sourcesrdquo (Hattendorf 1989 222)Rettig draws an analogy between the toxic waste left at Love Canal andthe dangers of old and unreliable sources that ldquoplace library users inharmrsquos way The information in these booksrdquo he asserts ldquohas lost its util-ity but not its potencyrdquo (Rettig 1982 7) State College B acknowledgesthis concern and seeks to create a reference collection that is continuallyweeded to ldquoensure relevance validity and currencyrdquo

Despite the importance of weeding for space and philosophical rea-sons few libraries address this issue State University B Library does ac-knowledge that ldquoWeeding is as important as selectionrdquo adding that ldquoasthe Reference Collection is a working collection of important frequentlyconsulted resources careful and systematic weeding removes older lessdesirable works from the collectionrdquo This statement however providesno insight as to how such weeding is to be undertaken

Some of the institutions surveyed do discuss weeding in their referencecollection policies State Community College B for example weeds ldquoen-cyclopedias almanacs annuals yearbooks and like materials if they aremore than five years oldrdquo Yet most policies are like State University Arsquosin which the reference collection is ldquoperiodically weededrdquo In adoptingthis approach State Community College A states ldquocriteria for weedinginclude damaged titles and titles containing dated or inaccurate infor-mationrdquo

Weeding is not necessarily the same as discarding State University ALibrary for example has a ldquotrendrdquo to transfer so-called ldquostandard andclassicrdquo reference sources to the stacks or special collections as they aresuperseded or no longer used Other possibilities include using remotestorage for withdrawn reference works or transferring them to the stacksbut as non-circulating items On the other hand withdrawn referenceworks at State Community College B ldquomay be given to instructors or soldin book sales Anything not so disposed of may be given to local schools or

Daniel Liestman 101

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librariesrdquo Some libraries may also not weed their reference collections soas to avoid potential confrontations with users State Community CollegeB seeks to overcome this by having ldquothe librarian in consultation with thedirector and with input from the facultyrdquo participate in the weeding pro-cess Likewise State Community College A says faculty participation inweeding ldquoshould be encouragedrdquo Giving adequate notice of weeding anddeveloping a means for communicating the purpose of weeding and al-lowing participation in the process will go a long way to alleviate any angst

Even without these political considerations weeding is a difficult ex-pensive undertaking It is labor intensive and time consuming However ifweeding is done on a regular basis rather than all at once it can be moreeasily integrated into the work flow of those involved The questions pro-vided in Appendix A will be helpful in making weeding decisions

One question not included in Appendix A merits special considerationhow frequently is a resource used Determining usage of reference collec-tions is not often or easily undertaken Engeldinger conducted a survey of377 academic libraries and found only 23 conducted a user survey of theircollections (Engeldinger 1986 367-71) As reference collections arenon-circulating simple circulation counts are not a viable measure of useIn light of this a number of creative means have been developed to assesshow reference collections are used including dotting the spine making ticmarks to note each time a book is used over a period of time table countsexamining infrared dust beads on top of a book or placing unexposed pho-tographic paper in the pages of a book Some online systems allow booksto be recorded as ldquobrowsedrdquo if they are wanded after pick-up (Slote 1997219-225) Even as creative as some of these are they still focus on presentuser demand and fail to anticipate future needs While there may not bean easy way to weed a superior collection policy will address this matter ina manner that best serves onersquos own library

CONCLUSION

A couple of problems soon became obvious in this survey First was thelack of responses Secondly there is no way to tell how closely actual prac-tice follows the policy A possible follow-up study would be to see how welllibraries adhere to their own policies

Creating and implementing a reference collection policy for onersquos ownlibrary clearly requires a commitment of time and energy The library di-rector of Private College A wrote

102 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

There must be a break point so to speak in terms of how small a li-brary is or the ratio of staff to patrons or some other key factor thatmust explain why some libraryrsquos [sic] have a written policy while oth-ers do not revise the ancient ones they have In our case we canrsquotbreathe much less write a policy Even if we had a policy we wouldnrsquothave time to refer to it I would be the first to question the qualityand professionalism of an academic situation without a CD (Collec-tion Development) policy but as you are well aware Librarians aregenerally low man on the budget distribution totem pole

Still such a policy is worth undertaking Hazen argues a policy willhave the library ldquosolidify its own sense of purpose and also point the cam-pus toward the future by recasting its documentation in terms of all theresearch resources associated with its users and the fields they representrdquoBy including the Web and other broad based resources rather than ldquoinsist-ing on the inflexible site specific codificationrdquo of print acquisitions thepolicy will set the tone for the library as a major player in the informationage (Hazen 1995 31)

For those contemplating the creation and implementation of their ownpolicy the following points should be considered

Make a Commitment to It

Those who are directly affected by the policy should be committed to itIf they are not it will be unenforceable and useless More than one personshould be involved in the creation of the policy so that more people be-come invested in it and a variety of viewpoints are heard How and why thepolicy is being developed and for whom needs to be made clear Thereshould be meetings in which stakeholders can discuss concerns and re-solve such matters In this way everyone will be involved in the process andhave an opportunity to input ideas Whatever scope a policy takes its suc-cess depends on the degree of commitment to the policy by all involved

Keep It Unique to Onersquos Own Collection

Some argue that as there are not that many differences between librar-ies and detailed reference policies are unneeded Batt suggests one couldcreate boilerplate policies for all libraries with a final fill-in-the-blank sec-tion for special idiosyncrasies or ldquolocal peccadilloesrdquo (Batt 1984 313)Any policy needs to be individualized to the unique circumstances of thereference collection involved Any individualized policy may be one pageor severalndashthe key is whatever works best for onersquos own reference collec-

Daniel Liestman 103

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014

tion In constructing the policy think of issues which have been problemsin the past and how they might be best addressed

Keep Your Audience in Mind

While some such as Batt do not believe a reference collection policyhas an external audience it does and the interests of those stakeholdersneed to be kept in mind

Think Out of the Box

Donrsquot make the policy a reiteration of how things have always beendone Use this as an opportunity to think of new ways of doing things Toooften reference collection policies are written just for reference books Agood policy will include all other forms of reference sources ranging frommicrofiche to the World Wide Web

Keep It Simple

Some policies get bogged down in minutiae such as defining what a ref-erence resource is One study found a library with four guidelines devotedspecifically to telephone directories Such discussions are often esotericand have little to do with the application of the policy (Hattendorf 1989224-225)

Keep It Meaningful

On the other hand a policy should not be so succinct as to be meaning-less One library in another study noted ldquoThe basic reference collectionwill be made up of the following a basic reference collectionrdquo This gen-eralization so vague as to be meaningless (Hattendorf 1989 224-225) Apolicy should have some value and meaning to itndashif it doesnrsquot you donrsquotneed one

Donrsquot Reinvent the Wheel

While it is important even essential to tailor a policy to the needs ofonersquos own collection it may be helpful to review what others have donePeer institutions may be willing to share what they have The Web can alsobe searched for policies

Keep It Flexible

104 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Private College H says ldquoThe policies stated herein shall not be consid-ered inflexible regulationsrdquo Indeed there should be some room for ambi-guity as there will invariably be exceptions to every rule or guidelinePolicies are there to guidendashnot to enforce without reason

Donrsquot Put It Off

If collection management can be described as ldquothe task neglected whentime constraints applyrdquo writing a policy is often put off until there is timeto do it The trouble is there never is time to do it until a conscientious ef-fort is made to do so (Cuberly 1987 302) Few argue with the need for sucha policy yet few make the time to create such a policy

Keep It Current

The best policy is one which is up-to-date A policy should be reviewedannually and updated as needed A policy should be a living documentsubject to modification and adaptation as change occurs within the de-partment as well as the information environment The policy should de-velop over time in response to these changes State College A forexample describes its policy as ldquoevolutionaryrdquo and endeavors to keep itcurrent

Ask the Right Questions

To begin addressing some of these issues it is important to know whatquestions to ask Hattendorf provides some excellent suggestions for con-sideration prior to drafting a statement (Hattendorf 1989 223)

1 Why do we have a reference collection2 What is our philosophy of reference service3 What do we want the reference collection to be and do

Daniel Liestman 105

QUICK BIB

Biggs Mary and Victor ldquoReference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Surveyrdquo RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Reference Collection Development A programpresented at the 99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference No-vember 15 1990 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Re-production Service ED335049)

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

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014

4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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014

Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

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bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

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are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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Page 3: Reference Collection Management Policies

Reference Collection Management Pol-icies Lessons from Kansas

Daniel Liestman

ABSTRACT The literature indicates most academic libraries do nothave formal reference collection policies or that if they do suchdocuments are not up-to-date Kansas provides an optimum settingto examine college and undergraduate libraries as most institutionsof higher learning in the state are small to medium in size Kansas isconsistent with the trends indicated in the literature All academic li-braries in the state were asked to submit a copy of their policy Eachdocument was examined in light of rationale for having a policy de-fining the nature of the collection criteria on inclusion and exclu-sion input from stakeholders managing budget costs electronicresources and weeding Selection criteria and sample polices pro-vide a practical guide for the development of a policy All formatsare considered [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth DocumentDelivery Service 1-800-342-9678 E-mail address ltgetinfohaworthpressinccomgtWebsite lthttpwwwHaworthPresscomgt copy 2001byTheHaworthPress IncAll rightsreserved]

Daniel Liestman (MA MSLS Kansas State University) is Chair of the SocialSciences amp Humanities Libraries Hale Library Manhattan KS 66506 (addresse-mail to dliestksuedu)

College amp Undergraduate Libraries Vol 8(1) 2001 2001 by The Haworth Press Inc All rights reserved 85

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KEYWORDS Reference collection development policies aca-demic libraries Kansas

The Reference Collection is the one of the most heavily used compo-nents of any academic library Yet at the same time it is often one of themost neglected in terms of having a current and viable collection manage-ment policy statement Few would dispute the importance of the refer-ence collection In many ways the reference collection influences users asto how they will utilize the rest of the library The collection is variouslydescribed as an index to the circulating collection or the framework uponwhich the libraryrsquos entire collection rests Nolan writes ldquoIf the quality ofreference service hinges on the resources marshaled for support thisclose-at-hand collection should be criticalrdquo (Nolan 1991 80)

As the driver for much of the rest of the libraryrsquos resources this im-portant collection deserves special attention There are a number ofother important reasons for reference having its own policy statementFirst it provides a systematic framework for maintaining balance in ref-erence collections especially with regard to the critical issues of formatand content Secondly it provides a mechanism for managing the sizeand growth of both the reference collection and the circulating collec-tion by stipulating what the size budget scope and other parameters ofthe collection are Moreover as reference materials tend to be amongthe most expensive items purchased by a library there should be clearlydelineated guidelines for the acquisition of such costly resources In ad-dition the quality of answers provided to users is dependent on the qual-ity of the reference collection There should be a policy in place toensure that high level of value Also as the world of reference is chang-ing it helps to have a policy statement that can be readily updated andkept current Finally as the reference collection creates a first impres-sion for the library and its collections it deserves to be given special at-tention (Nolan 1999 v vi 2 Biggs 1987 67)

Yet for all its importance reference is often given little formal atten-tion in terms of policy A 1979 review of collection policies found no spe-cific mention of the reference collection in any of the seventy policiessurveyed (Lehocky 1979 57-58) At this same time ALA guidelines forcollection development made no mention of reference Nearly a decadelater the classic Biggs study discovered ldquoin a substantial number of aca-demic libraries within all types of institutions reference selection andweeding are not guided by written policiesrdquo (Biggs 1987 67) Another sur-vey of both public and academic libraries conducted in the early 1980s

86 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

found that while seventy-two percent of academic libraries and eighty-twopercent of public libraries had written policies the reference collectionwas absent from a majority of these (Futas 1984 xix-xxix) The 1995 edi-tion of Futasrsquo Collection Development Polices and Procedures includes fourcomplete collection management policiesndashtwo each from academic andpublic libraries Only one of each library type devoted more than passingattention to the reference collection The following year collection poli-cies from five academic libraries and five public libraries were publishedin their entirety in a handbook specifically designed for writers of collec-tions policies Of these only one academic library devoted a specific head-ing to its reference collection (Wood and Hoffmann 1996 79-231) Thereare signs of improvement in the literature The Reference and Adult Ser-vices Division of ALA published an anthology of reference collection poli-cies in 1992 and in 1999 Nolan published a title specifically on managingreference collections

In spite of these recent publications the question still remains what isthe current state of reference collection policies Reference collectionmanagement policies at a number of predominantly undergraduate andtwo-year colleges in Kansas were reviewed and these are discussed in thecontext of the current literature It is assumed that the state of referencecollection policies for academic libraries in Kansas can be generalized tomost libraries of similar size and scope across the nation Kansas providesan optimum setting to examine college and undergraduate libraries asmost institutions of higher learning in the state are small to medium insize There are 13 state-supported and 3 private two-year juniorcommu-nity colleges In addition there are twenty four-year institutions includ-ing 2 with branch campusesndashmost of which offer a limited number ofgraduate programs Eight of these are state supported eleven are privateand one is municipal Among these are 3 state supported research-leveluniversities

In September 1999 all of these institutions were either sent an e-mailmessage (based on availability of an e-mail address in the ALA Library Di-rectory) or mailed a letter asking for a copy of the current collection man-agement policy andor their reference collection policy The anonymity ofthe respondents was assured To ensure their privacy each will be re-ferred to by category ie State Community College A Private Four YearCollege B and so on Those who did not respond initially received a sec-ond mailing two weeks later

All of the state universities responded one of the state regionalfour-year institutions responded seven four year-colleges responded asdid seven state community colleges and one of the independent commu-

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nity colleges Some sent their policies while others such as Private FourYear College A responded that they do not have one but will be writing apolicy statement in the future The one independent community collegethe four private colleges and five of the responding community collegesreplied they did not have policies per se but shared their standard operat-ing practices Private Four Year College B literally submitted a work inprogress with several categories still blank Both State University A andState University B provided documents for the main libraryrsquos referencecollections in the humanities and the social sciences only Of these twothe latter provided a draft statement as well (Appendix B)

A reference collection management policy statement consists of manyparts This paper will discuss seven aspects common to most of the policiessubmitted These include the rationale for having a policy defining thenature of the collection criteria on inclusion and exclusion input fromstakeholders managing budget costs electronic resources and weeding

RATIONALE FOR HAVING A POLICY

Why have a reference collection policy This is a simple and importantquestion State College B says its policy is designed to ldquoprovide the mostuseful resources availablerdquo for their patrons Private Four Year College Bsees its policy as a planning document stating the document ldquoprovidesguidelines regulating the constant continued growth of learning re-sources acquired and utilized for studentsrdquo at the college adding ldquothepolicy is subject to on-going review and revision in light of changes in in-structional styles curricular requirements and resource formatsrdquo

The actual process of creating a policy is beneficial as it forces the li-brary staff to consider unspokenunrecorded assumptions about the refer-ence collection In order to successfully manage a reference collection alibraryrsquos staff must possess a shared understanding of their reference phi-losophies as well as the usersrsquo current and anticipated information needsThese are best articulated in a formal reference collection policy state-ment Developing such a document provides the opportunity for those in-volved to come to a consensus about major goals for the collection andreference service

A collection policy for reference will establish a plan for the appropri-ate and equitable allocation of funds in the budgeting process intended toyield a balanced collection Katz observes that the effort to develop po-lices is in large measure ldquoa drive to tie the reference dollar down in such away as to eliminate waste and ambiguity and to ensure that the budget will

88 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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be used in the best possible wayrdquo (Katz 1986 xi) A policy will moreoverhelp to eliminate some of the subjectivity in selecting for the collectionThose involved in selecting will be able to work with greater consistencytoward defined goals Regular review of the policy by those involved willcreate a systematic means of assessing and realigning the collection asneeded over time A policy also serves as a collective memory in the faceof staff turnover New librarians will benefit from such a document as anorientation tool

Beyond an in-house document a good policy also serves as a means ofcommunication with external constituents The director of the library atIndependent Community College A says that while lacking a formal policystatement his library seeks to ldquoprovide the best possible resources to sup-port the collegersquos mission to provide higher education to those who wouldotherwise go unservedrdquo The State University B Library assumes that itsdraft is to be a public document designed to inform the public and otherstakeholders of the principles upon which selections are made Spe-cifically policies can also be useful in defending budgetary requests to theinstitutionrsquos administration in times of financial retrenchments and grow-ing costs for both print and online resources

Private Four Year College B however has a broader audience in mindwith its statement Like many similar institutions it is denominationallysponsored and seeks to instruct students in a religious context In definingthe nature of its reference collection the collegersquos library declares that itldquoacquires materials representing a variety of perspectives both Christianand secularrdquo adding materials are included that ldquofoster a breadth of un-derstanding of other perspectives and alternate vantage points necessaryfor the development of critical thinking and researchrdquo Finally the policynotes ldquoInclusion of a title in the collection does not indicate that the Li-brary Director library staff or [college] faculties endorse all the views andconclusions of the author(s)rdquo

In short a reference collection policy must contain a clear rational forits existence state this purpose forthrightly and stick to it Those creatingsuch a policy will need to come to agreement among themselves as to whatthe policy should accomplish while at the same time keeping in mind thattheir audience includes not only those in the library but also interestedparties not directly involved

DEFINING THE NATURE OF THE COLLECTION

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Defining the nature of the collection and determining the criteria of inclu-sion and exclusion are closely related In the context of this discussion defin-ing the nature of the collection will be seen as more of a strategic issue whiledeciding specifically what to keep in and what to keep out is more of a tacticalissue

State Community College A for example says the purpose of its refer-ence collection is to support the curriculum provide basic cultural andrecreational needs and ldquosupport a degree of faculty researchrdquo It addsthat current titles will be emphasized and that ldquovarying points-of-view re-garding controversial issues will be represented as availablerdquo On theother hand State University A states ldquoThe purpose of the reference col-lection is to support the Universityrsquos teaching and research programs andit does not cater to the lay readerrdquo The document adds that ldquothere is noattempt made to build the collection to meet the needs of non-Universityusersrdquo Likewise Private Four Year College B seeks to define not onlywhat its collection is but what it is not While its reference collection seeksto ldquoprovide classroom support for the programs and courses of the col-legerdquo it acknowledges the collection ldquocannot be all things to all usersrdquoThis policy then explains its twin thrusts first it gives attention to the ldquore-search needs of faculty students and other patronsrdquo Secondly it empha-sizes ldquoacquiring foundational titlesrdquo which ldquowill allow users to identifyrelevant materials that may be obtained from sources beyond the collegersquoscampusrdquo Private College H says its reference collection is selected ldquoonmatters of curricular interestrdquo but adds ldquoall areas in which factual infor-mation may be desiredrdquo are included

In defining the nature of the reference collection it is significant tonote that all of the policies received in this survey emphasize the practicaluse of their collections rather than meeting the recommendations ofsources such as Sheehy or Winchell which prescribe certain referenceclassics for any collection regardless of age language or appropriatenessStill some of the literature suggests using standard bibliographies as toolsin developing a core reference collection (Luchsinger 1992 106-110)Likewise State College B says teaching faculty are ldquoencouragedrdquo to usebibliographies However the research indicates there is little agreementeven among experts as to what basic or fundamental reference sourcesare (Hopkins 1991 84-85 and Larsen 1979 341-48) Given this lack ofconsensus such standards should not be relied upon exclusively for cre-ation of a reference collection This is not to say that such sources shouldbe ignored altogether either for bibliographies and guides germane forcollege and undergraduate level reference collections still may be con-

90 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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sulted as a starting point if local needs are kept in mind (Lang 1992Wynar 1985 Wynar 1992)

The challenge still remainsndashhow to decide which portion of the refer-ence universe a library wants to call its own Two basic ways of identifyingand acquiring new items for the collection are direct selection andor ap-proval plans Reviews are an essential component of the direct orderingprocess Most reference collection policies mention reviews as a source toconsult prior to acquiring an item The obvious shortcoming is that re-views are a reflection of the biases of the reviewer Another disadvantageof reviews is that they may not reflect the latest releases from publishersAmong library selection tools Choice sends its reviewers books as they arereleased which means the books were released weeks if not months priorto the appearance of the review Library Journal strives to be very currentIt sends its reviewers pre-publication galleys of books so the published re-view can be coordinated with the bookrsquos release date

The challenge for reference materials selectors then is to locate currentquality reviews Private Four Year College B is typical in saying ChoiceLibrary Journal and ldquoselected journals in academic disciplinesrdquo are to beldquosystematically used for selection purposesrdquo While most academic andprofessional journals do include book reviews the reviews are typicallyout of date and are for general works rather than reference books On thewhole such sources can be safely ignored for reference collection devel-opment purposes There are of course numerous other sources to con-sider such as American Libraries ARBA American Reference BooksAnnual Booklist Collection Management College and Research LibrariesCampRL News Library Journal Publishers Weekly Public Libraries and Ref-erence amp User Services Quarterly In addition as departments move beyondjust books Choice Electronic Resources Review The Scout Report(httpwwwscoutcswisceduscoutreport) the Tourbus(httpwwwtourbuscom) and others are becoming good sources for re-views of Web and electronic reference resources

The other way libraries are commonly notified of the availability of newreference resources is through advertising Direct mailing ads in journalsfaxes and calls from vendors often offer special inducements such as dis-counts on pre-publication orders The dilemma for the reference selectoris that in order to take advantage of such an offer the purchase must bemade on faithndashthat is without the advantage of reading reviews At timesit may be appropriate to purchase materials of unknown quality for whichreviews are not yet available Such circumstances would be if there is noother work of comparable scope if the collection policy calls for compre-hensive collecting in a particular area if a work is of such significance that

Daniel Liestman 91

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the library needs to purchase it regardless or if there is an immediateneed for a such a work

Although approval plans are typically beyond the reach of many collegeand undergraduate libraries they do warrant passing mention They aretypically based on a book jobberrsquos individually tailored description of a li-braryrsquos needs A well-designed profile can relieve overworked librariansof some of the work involved in scanning countless selection tools and adsBut at the same time the profile must be monitored and the librariansmust also be aware of omissions The profile also needs to be reviewedand refined regularly which also takes time Waiting for reference itemsto arrive in approval order shipments may even be slower than directly or-dering an item Moreover complete coverage of all current reference ma-terials is not possible regardless of the ldquoelegance and precisionrdquo of alibraryrsquos profile (Hattendorf 1990 2) Hattendorf also suggests that newmaterials are acquired without sufficient consideration of the pertinenceand relevance to user needs and the overall collection and to some de-gree approval plans can be blamed for this (Hattendorf 1989 220) TheBiggsrsquo study nonetheless found that most libraries are willing to acceptthe selections of an approval plan vendor regarding reference books(Biggs 1987 73)

There are a number of other factors that should be addressed in the ref-erence collection policy statement

Format

Not too long ago decisions on format were confined to cloth versuspaperbinding Now there are a plethora of formats to considerndashmost ofthem computer-based State University B says it collects ldquoall appropriateformats of materials based on content availability desirability spaceequipment requirements and costrdquo In its 1993 statement State Univer-sity C says it has ldquobegun to veer away from wide coverage of science in-dexes in print with the idea of replacing them with electronic coveragerdquoCompounding this matter are mixed-format reference resources Todaypublishers frequently include a CD-ROM in a reference book What to dowith this added material type then becomes a new access and control chal-lenge None of the policy statements received specifically addressed thisparticular issue

SerialsAnnuals

Although serials and annuals are a significant component of most ref-erence collections none of the policies received make more than passing

92 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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mention of this format Even though they are beyond the scope of mostreference collection policy statements but they still need to be consideredTracking and acquiring such sources is beyond the scope of this article andhas been dealt with elsewhere in the literature (Scott and Nolan 199370-71 Majka 1996 70-71) Nevertheless reference collection policesneed to address issues related to binding retention and irregular publica-tions

Circulation

As a rule reference materials do not circulate However most policesallow for at least one exception through which at the discretion of an ap-propriate staff member an item may go out for a limited time State Com-munity College B is typical in that it notes that at the option of thecirculation supervisor a reference item may be checked out for one day ifit is not in high demand Whatever is best for onersquos own library should beincluded in the reference policy statement

Duplicates

Rarely do reference collections include duplicates The relatively highcost of most reference works the typically brief time need for consulta-tion and their non-circulating nature obviates the need for duplication inmost instances However repeated requests and queuing for an item aswell as high potential usage may warrant the acquisition of duplicates inrare cases

Language

Most of the policies received assumed that with exception of dictionar-ies the primary emphasis of the reference collection is on material in theEnglish language However both State Universities A and B are more ex-plicit State University A says ldquoprimary considerationrdquo will be given toldquoreference tools in the English languagerdquo but the collection will also in-clude sources which support the Universityrsquos area studies programs andthe western European language sources which support research in the hu-manities It may be assumed that except as noted reference sources willbe in English However having a policy specifically stating as muchproved helpful for one library in fending off an unwanted gift encyclope-dia set written in Arabic

Recency

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Most reference collections make efforts to include the most recent ma-terials possible State University B is typical in saying that ldquousually onlythe latest editionrdquo of a reference title will be kept in reference and that re-moved materials will be sent to the circulating collection There are excep-tions and Private Four Year College B acknowledges this in its statementnoting ldquo[o]lder titles may be purchased as appropriate to needrdquo Such aclause allows a library some flexibility in its reference collection

CRITERIA OF INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION

Another way of shaping the nature of the reference collection issummed up by Hattendorf who notes ldquoIt is important to know what isNOT in the collection as well as what is in itrdquo (Hattendorf 1990 7) Aca-demic libraries generally do not include certain types of materialsTypically ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes travel guides genealogy materialsvertical file materials and used car price guides are excluded PrivateFour Year College B for example states ldquoThe non-academic interests ofstudents and faculty are to be met through use of the local public libraryand the regional library systemrdquo

While such a statement is typical there are no universally acceptedstandards as to what is included or excluded State Community College Astates ldquotextbooks will normally be excluded from library purchasesrdquo Onthe other hand State Community College B will acquire textbooks pro-vided they are ldquothe best and latest reference sources availablerdquo To vary-ing degrees the pol- icies of State Universities A and B both list the typesof materials to be included in their respective collections These include anumber of typical resources ranging from almanacs to yearbooks Somesuggest that such ldquolaundry listsrdquo are not really necessary and are often ar-bitrary Batt argues that it should seem obvious when a work has referencevalue and when it does not If a book winds up in the wrong place it is re-ally not a critical matter adding ldquoany decision can be reconsidered (aslong as you remain friendly with your catalogers)rdquo (Batt 1984 318-19)Others de-emphasize certain types of sources for example State Univer-sity C says it purchases few bibliographies ldquoas they are underutilized pro-portionally to the costrdquo Conversely State College B says ldquoEffort is alsomade [to acquire] relevant subject and general bibliographies for the pur-pose of comparing library holdings to the standard materials of the fieldrdquo

Although none of the policies received addressed this directly the liter-ature indicates some libraries include books that are not reference booksin the collection The Biggs found twenty percent of the institutions in

94 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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their study used ldquolikelihood of theftrdquo as a criterion for placing a work inreference (Biggs 1987 73) Likewise in other libraries the reference col-lection is often used in lieu of a reserves collection

Censoring materials is certainly a way to exclude items from a collec-tion All the statements received save one make specific reference tosupporting intellectual freedom The one in question undoubtedly alsosupports intellectual freedom but such supporting documents are notpart of the reference collection policy per se Some such as State CollegeB even include policy and procedures on how to respond to challengedmaterials On the other hand while giving numerous statements in sup-port of intellectual freedom in its policy State Community College B doesleave the door open to removing materials noting ldquoGenerally [authorrsquositalics] no effort will be made to censor the collectionrdquo Private College Fsays while it ldquorejects no materials due to ideological reasons the librarywill refuse to retain any materials classified to be lsquoOBSCENErsquo [their capi-talization] which will be determined by the Learning Resource Commit-tee Library Director and the Academic Deanrdquo

INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS

Stakeholders are all those with a significant interest or stake in the ref-erence collectionndashlibrarians teaching faculty students etc Private Col-lege H broadly defines this group by noting ldquoResponsibility for theselection of library materials for the College Library lies with the entire col-lege communityrdquo State College Brsquos library students and administrators areldquoencouraged to recommendrdquo new works The input of faculty is ldquoessen-tialrdquo provided it is in ldquotheir teaching areasrdquo says State Community Col-lege A However the policy adds that as ldquolibrarians are ultimatelyresponsible for the overall quality and balance of the total collectionthey will select and purchase materials in all subject areas in an attemptto fill obvious gaps overlooked by instructorsrdquo The expectation or atleast hope for participation is widely held

At the same time the question quickly becomes who has the ultimate au-thority and accountability for the reference collection While all stake-holders are interested in the collection reference personnel should have asignificant measure of responsibility for involvement with the decision mak-ing process as they have the closest ties to the collection its users and relatedservices In addition they are in the best position to know the trends goalsand objectives of current and future users Teaching faculty at Private FourYear College B for example are expected to act as subject specialists in their

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areas of expertise while library staff recommend materials for addition to thereference collection Still all recommendations go to the library directorwho makes the final selections

In other libraries common models are for bibliographers subject spe-cialists and reference librarians to make recommendations to the head ofreference or the collection management librarian In other cases selec-tions may be the responsibility of a reference collection team composedof internal and possibly external stakeholders An advantage of havingone person or one committee ultimately responsible for the reference col-lection is that they will be able to see that the collection is well balanced

Whatever selection model is followed communication consultationand collaboration must occur To enhance the process the person or per-sons making the selections should actually work at the reference desk Ifthis is not possible the selector for reference books should be highly recep-tive to suggestions made by those at the desk To further enhance the pro-cess and increase understanding a means of prioritizing requests can beimplemented For example a 3-star system with three stars designatingessential items two stars for important items and one star for supplemen-tary items would help the individual making selections understand thepriority of specific items If a team or committee is involved in the processa round-robin session would allow others to know what their colleaguesare ordering

MANAGING BUDGETARY COSTS

In the policies surveyed budgetary matters are generally not discussedbut there are a couple of exceptions Private College F for example notesthat its reference budget comes from the annual library budget the re-stricted library fund and duplicate book sales State Community CollegeF says it allots one third of its ten-thousand dollar book budget to the printreference collection Most libraries are less specific in their policies Agood future study would be to investigate funding and budgetary alloca-tions for reference collections

What can be gleaned from the polices is that money is tight The librarydirector at Independent Community College A observed ldquoIf I had a writ-ten-down policy it would be to do the best you can with budgets and learnto say lsquonorsquo a lotrdquo State University C says ldquoIt is necessary to try and addressa [sic] incredibly varied audience with a notably small budgetrdquo State Uni-versity A admits to financial limitations noting ldquoWe cannot purchase orsubscribe to all even if they are in our primary subject areas Added edi-tions frequent updates or supplements would improve currency In some

96 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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instances we may be able to purchase every third or fourth edition onlyrdquoPrivate Four Year College B stretches its reference dollars by requiringdiscipline-specific reference books come from that departmentrsquos book al-location while general reference works come from the reference budget

A particular challenge is for reference collection budgets to absorb thecosts of technology As Kluegel observes the advent of technology is trans-forming the reference collection into a ldquokaleidoscope of resources that canchange from one day to the next and the budget may look just as commin-gledrdquo (Kluegel 1996 454) There is no escaping the impact of technology onreference budgets State University A says improvement of ldquonetworkedelectronic access to informationrdquo is its ldquohighest priorityrdquo To better fund thisneed the libraryrsquos policy is to ldquoreplace print indexes with CD-ROM and on-line databasesrdquo Although not mentioned in any other policies this is prob-ably a common practice

Increasingly libraries are seeking ways to contain reference-relatedcosts through cooperative or consortial arrangements Some efforts havebeen made toward regional reference collection management These ef-forts can eliminate unnecessary duplication of expensive and infrequentlyused items while ensuring their accessibility to all within the systemConsortial agreements and arrangements for electronic resources areparticularly helpful Several models exist For example several librariescould acquire joint access to a database available via the Internet An-other model might involve one library deliberately buying source A whileanother does not but instead purchases source B the two could then tele-phone fax or e-mail reference questions and answers back and forthState Community College B and its local public library seem to take thisfurther in that they work together ldquoto provide access to database search-ing for faculty and studentsrdquo though the extent of this partnering is notelaborated upon in the policy

Although not mentioned in detail in any of the policies some state insti-tutions in Kansas participate in a number of consortial agreementsConsortial database agreements exist between the state-supported collegesand universities and one of the state community colleges Two of the stateuniversities participate in a large regional consortium too Such sharedbuying power allows access to resources the individual libraries would notbe able to attain on their own

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

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The explosion of electronic information resources marks the greatestchange in reference collection management Hazen states collectionsmust address the ldquoincreasingly complicated needs of users both currentand futurerdquo which are ldquoless and less limited to local holdingsrdquo (Hazen1995 30) Even though end-user electronic reference resources have beenaround for over a decade many libraries do not have a reference collec-tion management policy for such tools As a result such collections havegrown with little regard for planning Many libraries are struggling to inte-grate new forms of information technology into existing services opera-tions and policies ldquoThe challenge for this generation of librariansrdquoDemas says ldquois to seamlessly knit together a multiplicity of formats andaccess mechanisms into one intellectually cohesive user-friendly set of in-formation resources and services In shortrdquo he says ldquowe must adjust mostof our professional practices and daily operations to handle electronicpublications with a facility equal to or greater than that which we haveevolved for printed publicationsrdquo (Demas 1994 72)

One of the first issues a reference collection policy should addresswhen multiple formats are available is how the decision of whether to goelectronic is made Private College H says ldquoMachine-readable databaseswill be purchased in the most effective format available Hence some da-tabases will be accessed via the Internet and others may be on CD-ROMIn some cases print may be a totally appropriate formatrdquo Too often refer-ence sources are produced in electronic format because they can berather than because they should be As with any source attention must begiven to the intellectual organization and presentation of the informationThe question then becomes how to weigh the relative merits of contentpresentation and cost

Electronic resources present many unique challenges that a policyshould clarify Following is a list of suggested things to consider While itdoes not purport to be exhaustive it is designed to serve as a starting pointfor discussion (See Appendix A for a list of questions to be generally ap-plied to acquisition andor weeding of sources)

Technical Specifications

Is the database best utilized via the Internet on a local server on astand-alone or another option What compatibility is there between thedatabasesrsquo requirements and existing hardware and software What is thespeed and reliability of access Is the site updated and well maintainedHow stable is the database How is log in and authentication of users to behandledndashincluding distance users

98 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Documentation and Support

What level of technical support is available from the vendor Is this atan added cost Is the vendor reputable Is support service prompt and ad-equate How are licensing issues such as access by both local and remoteusers copyright data archiving etc handled What is the availability andquality of support materials If the electronic version is acquired can theprint version be canceled Will such action affect the subscription cost

Funding

How is the product itself to be paid for How will maintenance costs bepaid How will consumables (paper toner discs etc) be paid for Howmany computers are needed State University A speaks directly to thesecosts in its document In supporting the expense of these electronicsources the library admits ldquoThere is still an insufficient number ofworkstations or networking for simultaneous users for online CD-ROMand Internet searching This means that although we may have the meansto locate information we do not always have access to it at the momentneededrdquo

Database Content

Does content justify the format Is the content of the online databasethe same as the print index Is the content of the database reliable andvalid Is full textimage searching an option Will the content of the data-base meet the needs of future users How well does the database fit withinthe context of the existing collections and resources Is there a roll-off ofyears covered by the databasendashthat is if the database covers the most re-cent five years what happens to year six

User Interface

What level of instruction is needed to operate the database What isthe potential impact on public service points What output options areavailable for printing downloading and e-mailing

Continuity

How are issues such as licensing upgrading control and maintenancehandled

The answers to such questions are often beyond the ability of a singleindividual as they require substantial subject and technological knowl-

Daniel Liestman 99

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edge An effective reference collection policy should see to it that inputfrom both subject and systems specialists is obtained in making cost effec-tive decisions How such issues are addressed is dependent on the libraryrsquostechnology infrastructure Such issues may extend beyond the library tothe institutionrsquos systems office or academic computing department If sothe polices and practices of those departments have might influence themanagement of the libraryrsquos electronic collection The key to assimilatingnew technologies is to develop collaborative strategies that promote flexi-bility in the organization facilitate coordination and collaboration acrossorganizational divisions promote the ability of staff to adapt to constantchange and eliminate territoriality and develop shared goals and values

Another aspect of reference collection management policy is the cre-ation of a virtual reference collection that utilizes sources available on theWWW State University A says the potential of using World Wide Webresources with no direct cost to the department is ldquounlimited and mayeventually have an effect on collection development but it is difficult toassess the impact for the coming yearsrdquo Creating such a resource is be-yond the scope of this article and is better addressed by Demas McDon-ald and Lawrence who provide a solid basis for creating and maintainingsuch a digital reference collection (Demas McDonald and Lawrence1995 282-283)

Whether a reference policy incorporates an electronic virtual collec-tion or not a conspectus for electronic resources might still be useful If aconspectus is already used its collecting level categories may need only tobe adapted to reflect the use of electronic sources or a separate conspec-tus may be used

Although the use of electronic resources in a reference collection isnow an established part of the profession few of the policies received inthis research deal directly with such matters Moreover the literature isvaried and of no one opinion on how to proceed In creating a policy state-ment for onersquos own library local needs use patterns and resources will allneed to be considered

WEEDING

Most libraries see the value and benefits of weeding and although most lackwritten guidelines weeding is undertaken anyway Whether weeding is part ofa policy or not it usually occurs for two reasonsndashspace and collection philoso-phy

Space is usually given preeminent consideration as a factor involved inpromoting weeding State Community College A Library notes in its pol-

100 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

icy ldquoAs space limitations dictate materials will be considered for re-movalrdquo Beyond this the Biggs found most reference collections containmore than 10000 reference titles They concluded these were more titlesthan could be effectively mastered by most reference librarians (Biggs1987 67 69-70) Other studies support this finding and call for ldquoleanrdquo ref-erence collections filled with a few ldquohard-working titlesrdquo (Nolan 1991 80Nolan 1999 11-21 Joswick and Stierman 1993 108)

Collection philosophy is another reason for librarians to considerweeding In particular concern focuses on having the most recent andpresumably best information available Some go so far as to declare ldquoIt isbetter to do without [a reference resource] than to unintentionally pro-vide misinformation through outdated sourcesrdquo (Hattendorf 1989 222)Rettig draws an analogy between the toxic waste left at Love Canal andthe dangers of old and unreliable sources that ldquoplace library users inharmrsquos way The information in these booksrdquo he asserts ldquohas lost its util-ity but not its potencyrdquo (Rettig 1982 7) State College B acknowledgesthis concern and seeks to create a reference collection that is continuallyweeded to ldquoensure relevance validity and currencyrdquo

Despite the importance of weeding for space and philosophical rea-sons few libraries address this issue State University B Library does ac-knowledge that ldquoWeeding is as important as selectionrdquo adding that ldquoasthe Reference Collection is a working collection of important frequentlyconsulted resources careful and systematic weeding removes older lessdesirable works from the collectionrdquo This statement however providesno insight as to how such weeding is to be undertaken

Some of the institutions surveyed do discuss weeding in their referencecollection policies State Community College B for example weeds ldquoen-cyclopedias almanacs annuals yearbooks and like materials if they aremore than five years oldrdquo Yet most policies are like State University Arsquosin which the reference collection is ldquoperiodically weededrdquo In adoptingthis approach State Community College A states ldquocriteria for weedinginclude damaged titles and titles containing dated or inaccurate infor-mationrdquo

Weeding is not necessarily the same as discarding State University ALibrary for example has a ldquotrendrdquo to transfer so-called ldquostandard andclassicrdquo reference sources to the stacks or special collections as they aresuperseded or no longer used Other possibilities include using remotestorage for withdrawn reference works or transferring them to the stacksbut as non-circulating items On the other hand withdrawn referenceworks at State Community College B ldquomay be given to instructors or soldin book sales Anything not so disposed of may be given to local schools or

Daniel Liestman 101

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014

librariesrdquo Some libraries may also not weed their reference collections soas to avoid potential confrontations with users State Community CollegeB seeks to overcome this by having ldquothe librarian in consultation with thedirector and with input from the facultyrdquo participate in the weeding pro-cess Likewise State Community College A says faculty participation inweeding ldquoshould be encouragedrdquo Giving adequate notice of weeding anddeveloping a means for communicating the purpose of weeding and al-lowing participation in the process will go a long way to alleviate any angst

Even without these political considerations weeding is a difficult ex-pensive undertaking It is labor intensive and time consuming However ifweeding is done on a regular basis rather than all at once it can be moreeasily integrated into the work flow of those involved The questions pro-vided in Appendix A will be helpful in making weeding decisions

One question not included in Appendix A merits special considerationhow frequently is a resource used Determining usage of reference collec-tions is not often or easily undertaken Engeldinger conducted a survey of377 academic libraries and found only 23 conducted a user survey of theircollections (Engeldinger 1986 367-71) As reference collections arenon-circulating simple circulation counts are not a viable measure of useIn light of this a number of creative means have been developed to assesshow reference collections are used including dotting the spine making ticmarks to note each time a book is used over a period of time table countsexamining infrared dust beads on top of a book or placing unexposed pho-tographic paper in the pages of a book Some online systems allow booksto be recorded as ldquobrowsedrdquo if they are wanded after pick-up (Slote 1997219-225) Even as creative as some of these are they still focus on presentuser demand and fail to anticipate future needs While there may not bean easy way to weed a superior collection policy will address this matter ina manner that best serves onersquos own library

CONCLUSION

A couple of problems soon became obvious in this survey First was thelack of responses Secondly there is no way to tell how closely actual prac-tice follows the policy A possible follow-up study would be to see how welllibraries adhere to their own policies

Creating and implementing a reference collection policy for onersquos ownlibrary clearly requires a commitment of time and energy The library di-rector of Private College A wrote

102 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

There must be a break point so to speak in terms of how small a li-brary is or the ratio of staff to patrons or some other key factor thatmust explain why some libraryrsquos [sic] have a written policy while oth-ers do not revise the ancient ones they have In our case we canrsquotbreathe much less write a policy Even if we had a policy we wouldnrsquothave time to refer to it I would be the first to question the qualityand professionalism of an academic situation without a CD (Collec-tion Development) policy but as you are well aware Librarians aregenerally low man on the budget distribution totem pole

Still such a policy is worth undertaking Hazen argues a policy willhave the library ldquosolidify its own sense of purpose and also point the cam-pus toward the future by recasting its documentation in terms of all theresearch resources associated with its users and the fields they representrdquoBy including the Web and other broad based resources rather than ldquoinsist-ing on the inflexible site specific codificationrdquo of print acquisitions thepolicy will set the tone for the library as a major player in the informationage (Hazen 1995 31)

For those contemplating the creation and implementation of their ownpolicy the following points should be considered

Make a Commitment to It

Those who are directly affected by the policy should be committed to itIf they are not it will be unenforceable and useless More than one personshould be involved in the creation of the policy so that more people be-come invested in it and a variety of viewpoints are heard How and why thepolicy is being developed and for whom needs to be made clear Thereshould be meetings in which stakeholders can discuss concerns and re-solve such matters In this way everyone will be involved in the process andhave an opportunity to input ideas Whatever scope a policy takes its suc-cess depends on the degree of commitment to the policy by all involved

Keep It Unique to Onersquos Own Collection

Some argue that as there are not that many differences between librar-ies and detailed reference policies are unneeded Batt suggests one couldcreate boilerplate policies for all libraries with a final fill-in-the-blank sec-tion for special idiosyncrasies or ldquolocal peccadilloesrdquo (Batt 1984 313)Any policy needs to be individualized to the unique circumstances of thereference collection involved Any individualized policy may be one pageor severalndashthe key is whatever works best for onersquos own reference collec-

Daniel Liestman 103

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tion In constructing the policy think of issues which have been problemsin the past and how they might be best addressed

Keep Your Audience in Mind

While some such as Batt do not believe a reference collection policyhas an external audience it does and the interests of those stakeholdersneed to be kept in mind

Think Out of the Box

Donrsquot make the policy a reiteration of how things have always beendone Use this as an opportunity to think of new ways of doing things Toooften reference collection policies are written just for reference books Agood policy will include all other forms of reference sources ranging frommicrofiche to the World Wide Web

Keep It Simple

Some policies get bogged down in minutiae such as defining what a ref-erence resource is One study found a library with four guidelines devotedspecifically to telephone directories Such discussions are often esotericand have little to do with the application of the policy (Hattendorf 1989224-225)

Keep It Meaningful

On the other hand a policy should not be so succinct as to be meaning-less One library in another study noted ldquoThe basic reference collectionwill be made up of the following a basic reference collectionrdquo This gen-eralization so vague as to be meaningless (Hattendorf 1989 224-225) Apolicy should have some value and meaning to itndashif it doesnrsquot you donrsquotneed one

Donrsquot Reinvent the Wheel

While it is important even essential to tailor a policy to the needs ofonersquos own collection it may be helpful to review what others have donePeer institutions may be willing to share what they have The Web can alsobe searched for policies

Keep It Flexible

104 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Private College H says ldquoThe policies stated herein shall not be consid-ered inflexible regulationsrdquo Indeed there should be some room for ambi-guity as there will invariably be exceptions to every rule or guidelinePolicies are there to guidendashnot to enforce without reason

Donrsquot Put It Off

If collection management can be described as ldquothe task neglected whentime constraints applyrdquo writing a policy is often put off until there is timeto do it The trouble is there never is time to do it until a conscientious ef-fort is made to do so (Cuberly 1987 302) Few argue with the need for sucha policy yet few make the time to create such a policy

Keep It Current

The best policy is one which is up-to-date A policy should be reviewedannually and updated as needed A policy should be a living documentsubject to modification and adaptation as change occurs within the de-partment as well as the information environment The policy should de-velop over time in response to these changes State College A forexample describes its policy as ldquoevolutionaryrdquo and endeavors to keep itcurrent

Ask the Right Questions

To begin addressing some of these issues it is important to know whatquestions to ask Hattendorf provides some excellent suggestions for con-sideration prior to drafting a statement (Hattendorf 1989 223)

1 Why do we have a reference collection2 What is our philosophy of reference service3 What do we want the reference collection to be and do

Daniel Liestman 105

QUICK BIB

Biggs Mary and Victor ldquoReference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Surveyrdquo RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Reference Collection Development A programpresented at the 99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference No-vember 15 1990 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Re-production Service ED335049)

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

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014

4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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10

18 1

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014

Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

Daniel Liestman 109

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bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

Daniel Liestman 111

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

Daniel Liestman 113

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014

are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

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014

Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

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Page 4: Reference Collection Management Policies

KEYWORDS Reference collection development policies aca-demic libraries Kansas

The Reference Collection is the one of the most heavily used compo-nents of any academic library Yet at the same time it is often one of themost neglected in terms of having a current and viable collection manage-ment policy statement Few would dispute the importance of the refer-ence collection In many ways the reference collection influences users asto how they will utilize the rest of the library The collection is variouslydescribed as an index to the circulating collection or the framework uponwhich the libraryrsquos entire collection rests Nolan writes ldquoIf the quality ofreference service hinges on the resources marshaled for support thisclose-at-hand collection should be criticalrdquo (Nolan 1991 80)

As the driver for much of the rest of the libraryrsquos resources this im-portant collection deserves special attention There are a number ofother important reasons for reference having its own policy statementFirst it provides a systematic framework for maintaining balance in ref-erence collections especially with regard to the critical issues of formatand content Secondly it provides a mechanism for managing the sizeand growth of both the reference collection and the circulating collec-tion by stipulating what the size budget scope and other parameters ofthe collection are Moreover as reference materials tend to be amongthe most expensive items purchased by a library there should be clearlydelineated guidelines for the acquisition of such costly resources In ad-dition the quality of answers provided to users is dependent on the qual-ity of the reference collection There should be a policy in place toensure that high level of value Also as the world of reference is chang-ing it helps to have a policy statement that can be readily updated andkept current Finally as the reference collection creates a first impres-sion for the library and its collections it deserves to be given special at-tention (Nolan 1999 v vi 2 Biggs 1987 67)

Yet for all its importance reference is often given little formal atten-tion in terms of policy A 1979 review of collection policies found no spe-cific mention of the reference collection in any of the seventy policiessurveyed (Lehocky 1979 57-58) At this same time ALA guidelines forcollection development made no mention of reference Nearly a decadelater the classic Biggs study discovered ldquoin a substantial number of aca-demic libraries within all types of institutions reference selection andweeding are not guided by written policiesrdquo (Biggs 1987 67) Another sur-vey of both public and academic libraries conducted in the early 1980s

86 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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found that while seventy-two percent of academic libraries and eighty-twopercent of public libraries had written policies the reference collectionwas absent from a majority of these (Futas 1984 xix-xxix) The 1995 edi-tion of Futasrsquo Collection Development Polices and Procedures includes fourcomplete collection management policiesndashtwo each from academic andpublic libraries Only one of each library type devoted more than passingattention to the reference collection The following year collection poli-cies from five academic libraries and five public libraries were publishedin their entirety in a handbook specifically designed for writers of collec-tions policies Of these only one academic library devoted a specific head-ing to its reference collection (Wood and Hoffmann 1996 79-231) Thereare signs of improvement in the literature The Reference and Adult Ser-vices Division of ALA published an anthology of reference collection poli-cies in 1992 and in 1999 Nolan published a title specifically on managingreference collections

In spite of these recent publications the question still remains what isthe current state of reference collection policies Reference collectionmanagement policies at a number of predominantly undergraduate andtwo-year colleges in Kansas were reviewed and these are discussed in thecontext of the current literature It is assumed that the state of referencecollection policies for academic libraries in Kansas can be generalized tomost libraries of similar size and scope across the nation Kansas providesan optimum setting to examine college and undergraduate libraries asmost institutions of higher learning in the state are small to medium insize There are 13 state-supported and 3 private two-year juniorcommu-nity colleges In addition there are twenty four-year institutions includ-ing 2 with branch campusesndashmost of which offer a limited number ofgraduate programs Eight of these are state supported eleven are privateand one is municipal Among these are 3 state supported research-leveluniversities

In September 1999 all of these institutions were either sent an e-mailmessage (based on availability of an e-mail address in the ALA Library Di-rectory) or mailed a letter asking for a copy of the current collection man-agement policy andor their reference collection policy The anonymity ofthe respondents was assured To ensure their privacy each will be re-ferred to by category ie State Community College A Private Four YearCollege B and so on Those who did not respond initially received a sec-ond mailing two weeks later

All of the state universities responded one of the state regionalfour-year institutions responded seven four year-colleges responded asdid seven state community colleges and one of the independent commu-

Daniel Liestman 87

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nity colleges Some sent their policies while others such as Private FourYear College A responded that they do not have one but will be writing apolicy statement in the future The one independent community collegethe four private colleges and five of the responding community collegesreplied they did not have policies per se but shared their standard operat-ing practices Private Four Year College B literally submitted a work inprogress with several categories still blank Both State University A andState University B provided documents for the main libraryrsquos referencecollections in the humanities and the social sciences only Of these twothe latter provided a draft statement as well (Appendix B)

A reference collection management policy statement consists of manyparts This paper will discuss seven aspects common to most of the policiessubmitted These include the rationale for having a policy defining thenature of the collection criteria on inclusion and exclusion input fromstakeholders managing budget costs electronic resources and weeding

RATIONALE FOR HAVING A POLICY

Why have a reference collection policy This is a simple and importantquestion State College B says its policy is designed to ldquoprovide the mostuseful resources availablerdquo for their patrons Private Four Year College Bsees its policy as a planning document stating the document ldquoprovidesguidelines regulating the constant continued growth of learning re-sources acquired and utilized for studentsrdquo at the college adding ldquothepolicy is subject to on-going review and revision in light of changes in in-structional styles curricular requirements and resource formatsrdquo

The actual process of creating a policy is beneficial as it forces the li-brary staff to consider unspokenunrecorded assumptions about the refer-ence collection In order to successfully manage a reference collection alibraryrsquos staff must possess a shared understanding of their reference phi-losophies as well as the usersrsquo current and anticipated information needsThese are best articulated in a formal reference collection policy state-ment Developing such a document provides the opportunity for those in-volved to come to a consensus about major goals for the collection andreference service

A collection policy for reference will establish a plan for the appropri-ate and equitable allocation of funds in the budgeting process intended toyield a balanced collection Katz observes that the effort to develop po-lices is in large measure ldquoa drive to tie the reference dollar down in such away as to eliminate waste and ambiguity and to ensure that the budget will

88 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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be used in the best possible wayrdquo (Katz 1986 xi) A policy will moreoverhelp to eliminate some of the subjectivity in selecting for the collectionThose involved in selecting will be able to work with greater consistencytoward defined goals Regular review of the policy by those involved willcreate a systematic means of assessing and realigning the collection asneeded over time A policy also serves as a collective memory in the faceof staff turnover New librarians will benefit from such a document as anorientation tool

Beyond an in-house document a good policy also serves as a means ofcommunication with external constituents The director of the library atIndependent Community College A says that while lacking a formal policystatement his library seeks to ldquoprovide the best possible resources to sup-port the collegersquos mission to provide higher education to those who wouldotherwise go unservedrdquo The State University B Library assumes that itsdraft is to be a public document designed to inform the public and otherstakeholders of the principles upon which selections are made Spe-cifically policies can also be useful in defending budgetary requests to theinstitutionrsquos administration in times of financial retrenchments and grow-ing costs for both print and online resources

Private Four Year College B however has a broader audience in mindwith its statement Like many similar institutions it is denominationallysponsored and seeks to instruct students in a religious context In definingthe nature of its reference collection the collegersquos library declares that itldquoacquires materials representing a variety of perspectives both Christianand secularrdquo adding materials are included that ldquofoster a breadth of un-derstanding of other perspectives and alternate vantage points necessaryfor the development of critical thinking and researchrdquo Finally the policynotes ldquoInclusion of a title in the collection does not indicate that the Li-brary Director library staff or [college] faculties endorse all the views andconclusions of the author(s)rdquo

In short a reference collection policy must contain a clear rational forits existence state this purpose forthrightly and stick to it Those creatingsuch a policy will need to come to agreement among themselves as to whatthe policy should accomplish while at the same time keeping in mind thattheir audience includes not only those in the library but also interestedparties not directly involved

DEFINING THE NATURE OF THE COLLECTION

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Defining the nature of the collection and determining the criteria of inclu-sion and exclusion are closely related In the context of this discussion defin-ing the nature of the collection will be seen as more of a strategic issue whiledeciding specifically what to keep in and what to keep out is more of a tacticalissue

State Community College A for example says the purpose of its refer-ence collection is to support the curriculum provide basic cultural andrecreational needs and ldquosupport a degree of faculty researchrdquo It addsthat current titles will be emphasized and that ldquovarying points-of-view re-garding controversial issues will be represented as availablerdquo On theother hand State University A states ldquoThe purpose of the reference col-lection is to support the Universityrsquos teaching and research programs andit does not cater to the lay readerrdquo The document adds that ldquothere is noattempt made to build the collection to meet the needs of non-Universityusersrdquo Likewise Private Four Year College B seeks to define not onlywhat its collection is but what it is not While its reference collection seeksto ldquoprovide classroom support for the programs and courses of the col-legerdquo it acknowledges the collection ldquocannot be all things to all usersrdquoThis policy then explains its twin thrusts first it gives attention to the ldquore-search needs of faculty students and other patronsrdquo Secondly it empha-sizes ldquoacquiring foundational titlesrdquo which ldquowill allow users to identifyrelevant materials that may be obtained from sources beyond the collegersquoscampusrdquo Private College H says its reference collection is selected ldquoonmatters of curricular interestrdquo but adds ldquoall areas in which factual infor-mation may be desiredrdquo are included

In defining the nature of the reference collection it is significant tonote that all of the policies received in this survey emphasize the practicaluse of their collections rather than meeting the recommendations ofsources such as Sheehy or Winchell which prescribe certain referenceclassics for any collection regardless of age language or appropriatenessStill some of the literature suggests using standard bibliographies as toolsin developing a core reference collection (Luchsinger 1992 106-110)Likewise State College B says teaching faculty are ldquoencouragedrdquo to usebibliographies However the research indicates there is little agreementeven among experts as to what basic or fundamental reference sourcesare (Hopkins 1991 84-85 and Larsen 1979 341-48) Given this lack ofconsensus such standards should not be relied upon exclusively for cre-ation of a reference collection This is not to say that such sources shouldbe ignored altogether either for bibliographies and guides germane forcollege and undergraduate level reference collections still may be con-

90 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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sulted as a starting point if local needs are kept in mind (Lang 1992Wynar 1985 Wynar 1992)

The challenge still remainsndashhow to decide which portion of the refer-ence universe a library wants to call its own Two basic ways of identifyingand acquiring new items for the collection are direct selection andor ap-proval plans Reviews are an essential component of the direct orderingprocess Most reference collection policies mention reviews as a source toconsult prior to acquiring an item The obvious shortcoming is that re-views are a reflection of the biases of the reviewer Another disadvantageof reviews is that they may not reflect the latest releases from publishersAmong library selection tools Choice sends its reviewers books as they arereleased which means the books were released weeks if not months priorto the appearance of the review Library Journal strives to be very currentIt sends its reviewers pre-publication galleys of books so the published re-view can be coordinated with the bookrsquos release date

The challenge for reference materials selectors then is to locate currentquality reviews Private Four Year College B is typical in saying ChoiceLibrary Journal and ldquoselected journals in academic disciplinesrdquo are to beldquosystematically used for selection purposesrdquo While most academic andprofessional journals do include book reviews the reviews are typicallyout of date and are for general works rather than reference books On thewhole such sources can be safely ignored for reference collection devel-opment purposes There are of course numerous other sources to con-sider such as American Libraries ARBA American Reference BooksAnnual Booklist Collection Management College and Research LibrariesCampRL News Library Journal Publishers Weekly Public Libraries and Ref-erence amp User Services Quarterly In addition as departments move beyondjust books Choice Electronic Resources Review The Scout Report(httpwwwscoutcswisceduscoutreport) the Tourbus(httpwwwtourbuscom) and others are becoming good sources for re-views of Web and electronic reference resources

The other way libraries are commonly notified of the availability of newreference resources is through advertising Direct mailing ads in journalsfaxes and calls from vendors often offer special inducements such as dis-counts on pre-publication orders The dilemma for the reference selectoris that in order to take advantage of such an offer the purchase must bemade on faithndashthat is without the advantage of reading reviews At timesit may be appropriate to purchase materials of unknown quality for whichreviews are not yet available Such circumstances would be if there is noother work of comparable scope if the collection policy calls for compre-hensive collecting in a particular area if a work is of such significance that

Daniel Liestman 91

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the library needs to purchase it regardless or if there is an immediateneed for a such a work

Although approval plans are typically beyond the reach of many collegeand undergraduate libraries they do warrant passing mention They aretypically based on a book jobberrsquos individually tailored description of a li-braryrsquos needs A well-designed profile can relieve overworked librariansof some of the work involved in scanning countless selection tools and adsBut at the same time the profile must be monitored and the librariansmust also be aware of omissions The profile also needs to be reviewedand refined regularly which also takes time Waiting for reference itemsto arrive in approval order shipments may even be slower than directly or-dering an item Moreover complete coverage of all current reference ma-terials is not possible regardless of the ldquoelegance and precisionrdquo of alibraryrsquos profile (Hattendorf 1990 2) Hattendorf also suggests that newmaterials are acquired without sufficient consideration of the pertinenceand relevance to user needs and the overall collection and to some de-gree approval plans can be blamed for this (Hattendorf 1989 220) TheBiggsrsquo study nonetheless found that most libraries are willing to acceptthe selections of an approval plan vendor regarding reference books(Biggs 1987 73)

There are a number of other factors that should be addressed in the ref-erence collection policy statement

Format

Not too long ago decisions on format were confined to cloth versuspaperbinding Now there are a plethora of formats to considerndashmost ofthem computer-based State University B says it collects ldquoall appropriateformats of materials based on content availability desirability spaceequipment requirements and costrdquo In its 1993 statement State Univer-sity C says it has ldquobegun to veer away from wide coverage of science in-dexes in print with the idea of replacing them with electronic coveragerdquoCompounding this matter are mixed-format reference resources Todaypublishers frequently include a CD-ROM in a reference book What to dowith this added material type then becomes a new access and control chal-lenge None of the policy statements received specifically addressed thisparticular issue

SerialsAnnuals

Although serials and annuals are a significant component of most ref-erence collections none of the policies received make more than passing

92 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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mention of this format Even though they are beyond the scope of mostreference collection policy statements but they still need to be consideredTracking and acquiring such sources is beyond the scope of this article andhas been dealt with elsewhere in the literature (Scott and Nolan 199370-71 Majka 1996 70-71) Nevertheless reference collection policesneed to address issues related to binding retention and irregular publica-tions

Circulation

As a rule reference materials do not circulate However most policesallow for at least one exception through which at the discretion of an ap-propriate staff member an item may go out for a limited time State Com-munity College B is typical in that it notes that at the option of thecirculation supervisor a reference item may be checked out for one day ifit is not in high demand Whatever is best for onersquos own library should beincluded in the reference policy statement

Duplicates

Rarely do reference collections include duplicates The relatively highcost of most reference works the typically brief time need for consulta-tion and their non-circulating nature obviates the need for duplication inmost instances However repeated requests and queuing for an item aswell as high potential usage may warrant the acquisition of duplicates inrare cases

Language

Most of the policies received assumed that with exception of dictionar-ies the primary emphasis of the reference collection is on material in theEnglish language However both State Universities A and B are more ex-plicit State University A says ldquoprimary considerationrdquo will be given toldquoreference tools in the English languagerdquo but the collection will also in-clude sources which support the Universityrsquos area studies programs andthe western European language sources which support research in the hu-manities It may be assumed that except as noted reference sources willbe in English However having a policy specifically stating as muchproved helpful for one library in fending off an unwanted gift encyclope-dia set written in Arabic

Recency

Daniel Liestman 93

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Most reference collections make efforts to include the most recent ma-terials possible State University B is typical in saying that ldquousually onlythe latest editionrdquo of a reference title will be kept in reference and that re-moved materials will be sent to the circulating collection There are excep-tions and Private Four Year College B acknowledges this in its statementnoting ldquo[o]lder titles may be purchased as appropriate to needrdquo Such aclause allows a library some flexibility in its reference collection

CRITERIA OF INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION

Another way of shaping the nature of the reference collection issummed up by Hattendorf who notes ldquoIt is important to know what isNOT in the collection as well as what is in itrdquo (Hattendorf 1990 7) Aca-demic libraries generally do not include certain types of materialsTypically ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes travel guides genealogy materialsvertical file materials and used car price guides are excluded PrivateFour Year College B for example states ldquoThe non-academic interests ofstudents and faculty are to be met through use of the local public libraryand the regional library systemrdquo

While such a statement is typical there are no universally acceptedstandards as to what is included or excluded State Community College Astates ldquotextbooks will normally be excluded from library purchasesrdquo Onthe other hand State Community College B will acquire textbooks pro-vided they are ldquothe best and latest reference sources availablerdquo To vary-ing degrees the pol- icies of State Universities A and B both list the typesof materials to be included in their respective collections These include anumber of typical resources ranging from almanacs to yearbooks Somesuggest that such ldquolaundry listsrdquo are not really necessary and are often ar-bitrary Batt argues that it should seem obvious when a work has referencevalue and when it does not If a book winds up in the wrong place it is re-ally not a critical matter adding ldquoany decision can be reconsidered (aslong as you remain friendly with your catalogers)rdquo (Batt 1984 318-19)Others de-emphasize certain types of sources for example State Univer-sity C says it purchases few bibliographies ldquoas they are underutilized pro-portionally to the costrdquo Conversely State College B says ldquoEffort is alsomade [to acquire] relevant subject and general bibliographies for the pur-pose of comparing library holdings to the standard materials of the fieldrdquo

Although none of the policies received addressed this directly the liter-ature indicates some libraries include books that are not reference booksin the collection The Biggs found twenty percent of the institutions in

94 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

their study used ldquolikelihood of theftrdquo as a criterion for placing a work inreference (Biggs 1987 73) Likewise in other libraries the reference col-lection is often used in lieu of a reserves collection

Censoring materials is certainly a way to exclude items from a collec-tion All the statements received save one make specific reference tosupporting intellectual freedom The one in question undoubtedly alsosupports intellectual freedom but such supporting documents are notpart of the reference collection policy per se Some such as State CollegeB even include policy and procedures on how to respond to challengedmaterials On the other hand while giving numerous statements in sup-port of intellectual freedom in its policy State Community College B doesleave the door open to removing materials noting ldquoGenerally [authorrsquositalics] no effort will be made to censor the collectionrdquo Private College Fsays while it ldquorejects no materials due to ideological reasons the librarywill refuse to retain any materials classified to be lsquoOBSCENErsquo [their capi-talization] which will be determined by the Learning Resource Commit-tee Library Director and the Academic Deanrdquo

INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS

Stakeholders are all those with a significant interest or stake in the ref-erence collectionndashlibrarians teaching faculty students etc Private Col-lege H broadly defines this group by noting ldquoResponsibility for theselection of library materials for the College Library lies with the entire col-lege communityrdquo State College Brsquos library students and administrators areldquoencouraged to recommendrdquo new works The input of faculty is ldquoessen-tialrdquo provided it is in ldquotheir teaching areasrdquo says State Community Col-lege A However the policy adds that as ldquolibrarians are ultimatelyresponsible for the overall quality and balance of the total collectionthey will select and purchase materials in all subject areas in an attemptto fill obvious gaps overlooked by instructorsrdquo The expectation or atleast hope for participation is widely held

At the same time the question quickly becomes who has the ultimate au-thority and accountability for the reference collection While all stake-holders are interested in the collection reference personnel should have asignificant measure of responsibility for involvement with the decision mak-ing process as they have the closest ties to the collection its users and relatedservices In addition they are in the best position to know the trends goalsand objectives of current and future users Teaching faculty at Private FourYear College B for example are expected to act as subject specialists in their

Daniel Liestman 95

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areas of expertise while library staff recommend materials for addition to thereference collection Still all recommendations go to the library directorwho makes the final selections

In other libraries common models are for bibliographers subject spe-cialists and reference librarians to make recommendations to the head ofreference or the collection management librarian In other cases selec-tions may be the responsibility of a reference collection team composedof internal and possibly external stakeholders An advantage of havingone person or one committee ultimately responsible for the reference col-lection is that they will be able to see that the collection is well balanced

Whatever selection model is followed communication consultationand collaboration must occur To enhance the process the person or per-sons making the selections should actually work at the reference desk Ifthis is not possible the selector for reference books should be highly recep-tive to suggestions made by those at the desk To further enhance the pro-cess and increase understanding a means of prioritizing requests can beimplemented For example a 3-star system with three stars designatingessential items two stars for important items and one star for supplemen-tary items would help the individual making selections understand thepriority of specific items If a team or committee is involved in the processa round-robin session would allow others to know what their colleaguesare ordering

MANAGING BUDGETARY COSTS

In the policies surveyed budgetary matters are generally not discussedbut there are a couple of exceptions Private College F for example notesthat its reference budget comes from the annual library budget the re-stricted library fund and duplicate book sales State Community CollegeF says it allots one third of its ten-thousand dollar book budget to the printreference collection Most libraries are less specific in their policies Agood future study would be to investigate funding and budgetary alloca-tions for reference collections

What can be gleaned from the polices is that money is tight The librarydirector at Independent Community College A observed ldquoIf I had a writ-ten-down policy it would be to do the best you can with budgets and learnto say lsquonorsquo a lotrdquo State University C says ldquoIt is necessary to try and addressa [sic] incredibly varied audience with a notably small budgetrdquo State Uni-versity A admits to financial limitations noting ldquoWe cannot purchase orsubscribe to all even if they are in our primary subject areas Added edi-tions frequent updates or supplements would improve currency In some

96 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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instances we may be able to purchase every third or fourth edition onlyrdquoPrivate Four Year College B stretches its reference dollars by requiringdiscipline-specific reference books come from that departmentrsquos book al-location while general reference works come from the reference budget

A particular challenge is for reference collection budgets to absorb thecosts of technology As Kluegel observes the advent of technology is trans-forming the reference collection into a ldquokaleidoscope of resources that canchange from one day to the next and the budget may look just as commin-gledrdquo (Kluegel 1996 454) There is no escaping the impact of technology onreference budgets State University A says improvement of ldquonetworkedelectronic access to informationrdquo is its ldquohighest priorityrdquo To better fund thisneed the libraryrsquos policy is to ldquoreplace print indexes with CD-ROM and on-line databasesrdquo Although not mentioned in any other policies this is prob-ably a common practice

Increasingly libraries are seeking ways to contain reference-relatedcosts through cooperative or consortial arrangements Some efforts havebeen made toward regional reference collection management These ef-forts can eliminate unnecessary duplication of expensive and infrequentlyused items while ensuring their accessibility to all within the systemConsortial agreements and arrangements for electronic resources areparticularly helpful Several models exist For example several librariescould acquire joint access to a database available via the Internet An-other model might involve one library deliberately buying source A whileanother does not but instead purchases source B the two could then tele-phone fax or e-mail reference questions and answers back and forthState Community College B and its local public library seem to take thisfurther in that they work together ldquoto provide access to database search-ing for faculty and studentsrdquo though the extent of this partnering is notelaborated upon in the policy

Although not mentioned in detail in any of the policies some state insti-tutions in Kansas participate in a number of consortial agreementsConsortial database agreements exist between the state-supported collegesand universities and one of the state community colleges Two of the stateuniversities participate in a large regional consortium too Such sharedbuying power allows access to resources the individual libraries would notbe able to attain on their own

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Daniel Liestman 97

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The explosion of electronic information resources marks the greatestchange in reference collection management Hazen states collectionsmust address the ldquoincreasingly complicated needs of users both currentand futurerdquo which are ldquoless and less limited to local holdingsrdquo (Hazen1995 30) Even though end-user electronic reference resources have beenaround for over a decade many libraries do not have a reference collec-tion management policy for such tools As a result such collections havegrown with little regard for planning Many libraries are struggling to inte-grate new forms of information technology into existing services opera-tions and policies ldquoThe challenge for this generation of librariansrdquoDemas says ldquois to seamlessly knit together a multiplicity of formats andaccess mechanisms into one intellectually cohesive user-friendly set of in-formation resources and services In shortrdquo he says ldquowe must adjust mostof our professional practices and daily operations to handle electronicpublications with a facility equal to or greater than that which we haveevolved for printed publicationsrdquo (Demas 1994 72)

One of the first issues a reference collection policy should addresswhen multiple formats are available is how the decision of whether to goelectronic is made Private College H says ldquoMachine-readable databaseswill be purchased in the most effective format available Hence some da-tabases will be accessed via the Internet and others may be on CD-ROMIn some cases print may be a totally appropriate formatrdquo Too often refer-ence sources are produced in electronic format because they can berather than because they should be As with any source attention must begiven to the intellectual organization and presentation of the informationThe question then becomes how to weigh the relative merits of contentpresentation and cost

Electronic resources present many unique challenges that a policyshould clarify Following is a list of suggested things to consider While itdoes not purport to be exhaustive it is designed to serve as a starting pointfor discussion (See Appendix A for a list of questions to be generally ap-plied to acquisition andor weeding of sources)

Technical Specifications

Is the database best utilized via the Internet on a local server on astand-alone or another option What compatibility is there between thedatabasesrsquo requirements and existing hardware and software What is thespeed and reliability of access Is the site updated and well maintainedHow stable is the database How is log in and authentication of users to behandledndashincluding distance users

98 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Documentation and Support

What level of technical support is available from the vendor Is this atan added cost Is the vendor reputable Is support service prompt and ad-equate How are licensing issues such as access by both local and remoteusers copyright data archiving etc handled What is the availability andquality of support materials If the electronic version is acquired can theprint version be canceled Will such action affect the subscription cost

Funding

How is the product itself to be paid for How will maintenance costs bepaid How will consumables (paper toner discs etc) be paid for Howmany computers are needed State University A speaks directly to thesecosts in its document In supporting the expense of these electronicsources the library admits ldquoThere is still an insufficient number ofworkstations or networking for simultaneous users for online CD-ROMand Internet searching This means that although we may have the meansto locate information we do not always have access to it at the momentneededrdquo

Database Content

Does content justify the format Is the content of the online databasethe same as the print index Is the content of the database reliable andvalid Is full textimage searching an option Will the content of the data-base meet the needs of future users How well does the database fit withinthe context of the existing collections and resources Is there a roll-off ofyears covered by the databasendashthat is if the database covers the most re-cent five years what happens to year six

User Interface

What level of instruction is needed to operate the database What isthe potential impact on public service points What output options areavailable for printing downloading and e-mailing

Continuity

How are issues such as licensing upgrading control and maintenancehandled

The answers to such questions are often beyond the ability of a singleindividual as they require substantial subject and technological knowl-

Daniel Liestman 99

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014

edge An effective reference collection policy should see to it that inputfrom both subject and systems specialists is obtained in making cost effec-tive decisions How such issues are addressed is dependent on the libraryrsquostechnology infrastructure Such issues may extend beyond the library tothe institutionrsquos systems office or academic computing department If sothe polices and practices of those departments have might influence themanagement of the libraryrsquos electronic collection The key to assimilatingnew technologies is to develop collaborative strategies that promote flexi-bility in the organization facilitate coordination and collaboration acrossorganizational divisions promote the ability of staff to adapt to constantchange and eliminate territoriality and develop shared goals and values

Another aspect of reference collection management policy is the cre-ation of a virtual reference collection that utilizes sources available on theWWW State University A says the potential of using World Wide Webresources with no direct cost to the department is ldquounlimited and mayeventually have an effect on collection development but it is difficult toassess the impact for the coming yearsrdquo Creating such a resource is be-yond the scope of this article and is better addressed by Demas McDon-ald and Lawrence who provide a solid basis for creating and maintainingsuch a digital reference collection (Demas McDonald and Lawrence1995 282-283)

Whether a reference policy incorporates an electronic virtual collec-tion or not a conspectus for electronic resources might still be useful If aconspectus is already used its collecting level categories may need only tobe adapted to reflect the use of electronic sources or a separate conspec-tus may be used

Although the use of electronic resources in a reference collection isnow an established part of the profession few of the policies received inthis research deal directly with such matters Moreover the literature isvaried and of no one opinion on how to proceed In creating a policy state-ment for onersquos own library local needs use patterns and resources will allneed to be considered

WEEDING

Most libraries see the value and benefits of weeding and although most lackwritten guidelines weeding is undertaken anyway Whether weeding is part ofa policy or not it usually occurs for two reasonsndashspace and collection philoso-phy

Space is usually given preeminent consideration as a factor involved inpromoting weeding State Community College A Library notes in its pol-

100 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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icy ldquoAs space limitations dictate materials will be considered for re-movalrdquo Beyond this the Biggs found most reference collections containmore than 10000 reference titles They concluded these were more titlesthan could be effectively mastered by most reference librarians (Biggs1987 67 69-70) Other studies support this finding and call for ldquoleanrdquo ref-erence collections filled with a few ldquohard-working titlesrdquo (Nolan 1991 80Nolan 1999 11-21 Joswick and Stierman 1993 108)

Collection philosophy is another reason for librarians to considerweeding In particular concern focuses on having the most recent andpresumably best information available Some go so far as to declare ldquoIt isbetter to do without [a reference resource] than to unintentionally pro-vide misinformation through outdated sourcesrdquo (Hattendorf 1989 222)Rettig draws an analogy between the toxic waste left at Love Canal andthe dangers of old and unreliable sources that ldquoplace library users inharmrsquos way The information in these booksrdquo he asserts ldquohas lost its util-ity but not its potencyrdquo (Rettig 1982 7) State College B acknowledgesthis concern and seeks to create a reference collection that is continuallyweeded to ldquoensure relevance validity and currencyrdquo

Despite the importance of weeding for space and philosophical rea-sons few libraries address this issue State University B Library does ac-knowledge that ldquoWeeding is as important as selectionrdquo adding that ldquoasthe Reference Collection is a working collection of important frequentlyconsulted resources careful and systematic weeding removes older lessdesirable works from the collectionrdquo This statement however providesno insight as to how such weeding is to be undertaken

Some of the institutions surveyed do discuss weeding in their referencecollection policies State Community College B for example weeds ldquoen-cyclopedias almanacs annuals yearbooks and like materials if they aremore than five years oldrdquo Yet most policies are like State University Arsquosin which the reference collection is ldquoperiodically weededrdquo In adoptingthis approach State Community College A states ldquocriteria for weedinginclude damaged titles and titles containing dated or inaccurate infor-mationrdquo

Weeding is not necessarily the same as discarding State University ALibrary for example has a ldquotrendrdquo to transfer so-called ldquostandard andclassicrdquo reference sources to the stacks or special collections as they aresuperseded or no longer used Other possibilities include using remotestorage for withdrawn reference works or transferring them to the stacksbut as non-circulating items On the other hand withdrawn referenceworks at State Community College B ldquomay be given to instructors or soldin book sales Anything not so disposed of may be given to local schools or

Daniel Liestman 101

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librariesrdquo Some libraries may also not weed their reference collections soas to avoid potential confrontations with users State Community CollegeB seeks to overcome this by having ldquothe librarian in consultation with thedirector and with input from the facultyrdquo participate in the weeding pro-cess Likewise State Community College A says faculty participation inweeding ldquoshould be encouragedrdquo Giving adequate notice of weeding anddeveloping a means for communicating the purpose of weeding and al-lowing participation in the process will go a long way to alleviate any angst

Even without these political considerations weeding is a difficult ex-pensive undertaking It is labor intensive and time consuming However ifweeding is done on a regular basis rather than all at once it can be moreeasily integrated into the work flow of those involved The questions pro-vided in Appendix A will be helpful in making weeding decisions

One question not included in Appendix A merits special considerationhow frequently is a resource used Determining usage of reference collec-tions is not often or easily undertaken Engeldinger conducted a survey of377 academic libraries and found only 23 conducted a user survey of theircollections (Engeldinger 1986 367-71) As reference collections arenon-circulating simple circulation counts are not a viable measure of useIn light of this a number of creative means have been developed to assesshow reference collections are used including dotting the spine making ticmarks to note each time a book is used over a period of time table countsexamining infrared dust beads on top of a book or placing unexposed pho-tographic paper in the pages of a book Some online systems allow booksto be recorded as ldquobrowsedrdquo if they are wanded after pick-up (Slote 1997219-225) Even as creative as some of these are they still focus on presentuser demand and fail to anticipate future needs While there may not bean easy way to weed a superior collection policy will address this matter ina manner that best serves onersquos own library

CONCLUSION

A couple of problems soon became obvious in this survey First was thelack of responses Secondly there is no way to tell how closely actual prac-tice follows the policy A possible follow-up study would be to see how welllibraries adhere to their own policies

Creating and implementing a reference collection policy for onersquos ownlibrary clearly requires a commitment of time and energy The library di-rector of Private College A wrote

102 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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There must be a break point so to speak in terms of how small a li-brary is or the ratio of staff to patrons or some other key factor thatmust explain why some libraryrsquos [sic] have a written policy while oth-ers do not revise the ancient ones they have In our case we canrsquotbreathe much less write a policy Even if we had a policy we wouldnrsquothave time to refer to it I would be the first to question the qualityand professionalism of an academic situation without a CD (Collec-tion Development) policy but as you are well aware Librarians aregenerally low man on the budget distribution totem pole

Still such a policy is worth undertaking Hazen argues a policy willhave the library ldquosolidify its own sense of purpose and also point the cam-pus toward the future by recasting its documentation in terms of all theresearch resources associated with its users and the fields they representrdquoBy including the Web and other broad based resources rather than ldquoinsist-ing on the inflexible site specific codificationrdquo of print acquisitions thepolicy will set the tone for the library as a major player in the informationage (Hazen 1995 31)

For those contemplating the creation and implementation of their ownpolicy the following points should be considered

Make a Commitment to It

Those who are directly affected by the policy should be committed to itIf they are not it will be unenforceable and useless More than one personshould be involved in the creation of the policy so that more people be-come invested in it and a variety of viewpoints are heard How and why thepolicy is being developed and for whom needs to be made clear Thereshould be meetings in which stakeholders can discuss concerns and re-solve such matters In this way everyone will be involved in the process andhave an opportunity to input ideas Whatever scope a policy takes its suc-cess depends on the degree of commitment to the policy by all involved

Keep It Unique to Onersquos Own Collection

Some argue that as there are not that many differences between librar-ies and detailed reference policies are unneeded Batt suggests one couldcreate boilerplate policies for all libraries with a final fill-in-the-blank sec-tion for special idiosyncrasies or ldquolocal peccadilloesrdquo (Batt 1984 313)Any policy needs to be individualized to the unique circumstances of thereference collection involved Any individualized policy may be one pageor severalndashthe key is whatever works best for onersquos own reference collec-

Daniel Liestman 103

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tion In constructing the policy think of issues which have been problemsin the past and how they might be best addressed

Keep Your Audience in Mind

While some such as Batt do not believe a reference collection policyhas an external audience it does and the interests of those stakeholdersneed to be kept in mind

Think Out of the Box

Donrsquot make the policy a reiteration of how things have always beendone Use this as an opportunity to think of new ways of doing things Toooften reference collection policies are written just for reference books Agood policy will include all other forms of reference sources ranging frommicrofiche to the World Wide Web

Keep It Simple

Some policies get bogged down in minutiae such as defining what a ref-erence resource is One study found a library with four guidelines devotedspecifically to telephone directories Such discussions are often esotericand have little to do with the application of the policy (Hattendorf 1989224-225)

Keep It Meaningful

On the other hand a policy should not be so succinct as to be meaning-less One library in another study noted ldquoThe basic reference collectionwill be made up of the following a basic reference collectionrdquo This gen-eralization so vague as to be meaningless (Hattendorf 1989 224-225) Apolicy should have some value and meaning to itndashif it doesnrsquot you donrsquotneed one

Donrsquot Reinvent the Wheel

While it is important even essential to tailor a policy to the needs ofonersquos own collection it may be helpful to review what others have donePeer institutions may be willing to share what they have The Web can alsobe searched for policies

Keep It Flexible

104 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Private College H says ldquoThe policies stated herein shall not be consid-ered inflexible regulationsrdquo Indeed there should be some room for ambi-guity as there will invariably be exceptions to every rule or guidelinePolicies are there to guidendashnot to enforce without reason

Donrsquot Put It Off

If collection management can be described as ldquothe task neglected whentime constraints applyrdquo writing a policy is often put off until there is timeto do it The trouble is there never is time to do it until a conscientious ef-fort is made to do so (Cuberly 1987 302) Few argue with the need for sucha policy yet few make the time to create such a policy

Keep It Current

The best policy is one which is up-to-date A policy should be reviewedannually and updated as needed A policy should be a living documentsubject to modification and adaptation as change occurs within the de-partment as well as the information environment The policy should de-velop over time in response to these changes State College A forexample describes its policy as ldquoevolutionaryrdquo and endeavors to keep itcurrent

Ask the Right Questions

To begin addressing some of these issues it is important to know whatquestions to ask Hattendorf provides some excellent suggestions for con-sideration prior to drafting a statement (Hattendorf 1989 223)

1 Why do we have a reference collection2 What is our philosophy of reference service3 What do we want the reference collection to be and do

Daniel Liestman 105

QUICK BIB

Biggs Mary and Victor ldquoReference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Surveyrdquo RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Reference Collection Development A programpresented at the 99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference No-vember 15 1990 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Re-production Service ED335049)

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

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014

4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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10

18 1

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014

Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

Daniel Liestman 109

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014

bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

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are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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Page 5: Reference Collection Management Policies

found that while seventy-two percent of academic libraries and eighty-twopercent of public libraries had written policies the reference collectionwas absent from a majority of these (Futas 1984 xix-xxix) The 1995 edi-tion of Futasrsquo Collection Development Polices and Procedures includes fourcomplete collection management policiesndashtwo each from academic andpublic libraries Only one of each library type devoted more than passingattention to the reference collection The following year collection poli-cies from five academic libraries and five public libraries were publishedin their entirety in a handbook specifically designed for writers of collec-tions policies Of these only one academic library devoted a specific head-ing to its reference collection (Wood and Hoffmann 1996 79-231) Thereare signs of improvement in the literature The Reference and Adult Ser-vices Division of ALA published an anthology of reference collection poli-cies in 1992 and in 1999 Nolan published a title specifically on managingreference collections

In spite of these recent publications the question still remains what isthe current state of reference collection policies Reference collectionmanagement policies at a number of predominantly undergraduate andtwo-year colleges in Kansas were reviewed and these are discussed in thecontext of the current literature It is assumed that the state of referencecollection policies for academic libraries in Kansas can be generalized tomost libraries of similar size and scope across the nation Kansas providesan optimum setting to examine college and undergraduate libraries asmost institutions of higher learning in the state are small to medium insize There are 13 state-supported and 3 private two-year juniorcommu-nity colleges In addition there are twenty four-year institutions includ-ing 2 with branch campusesndashmost of which offer a limited number ofgraduate programs Eight of these are state supported eleven are privateand one is municipal Among these are 3 state supported research-leveluniversities

In September 1999 all of these institutions were either sent an e-mailmessage (based on availability of an e-mail address in the ALA Library Di-rectory) or mailed a letter asking for a copy of the current collection man-agement policy andor their reference collection policy The anonymity ofthe respondents was assured To ensure their privacy each will be re-ferred to by category ie State Community College A Private Four YearCollege B and so on Those who did not respond initially received a sec-ond mailing two weeks later

All of the state universities responded one of the state regionalfour-year institutions responded seven four year-colleges responded asdid seven state community colleges and one of the independent commu-

Daniel Liestman 87

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nity colleges Some sent their policies while others such as Private FourYear College A responded that they do not have one but will be writing apolicy statement in the future The one independent community collegethe four private colleges and five of the responding community collegesreplied they did not have policies per se but shared their standard operat-ing practices Private Four Year College B literally submitted a work inprogress with several categories still blank Both State University A andState University B provided documents for the main libraryrsquos referencecollections in the humanities and the social sciences only Of these twothe latter provided a draft statement as well (Appendix B)

A reference collection management policy statement consists of manyparts This paper will discuss seven aspects common to most of the policiessubmitted These include the rationale for having a policy defining thenature of the collection criteria on inclusion and exclusion input fromstakeholders managing budget costs electronic resources and weeding

RATIONALE FOR HAVING A POLICY

Why have a reference collection policy This is a simple and importantquestion State College B says its policy is designed to ldquoprovide the mostuseful resources availablerdquo for their patrons Private Four Year College Bsees its policy as a planning document stating the document ldquoprovidesguidelines regulating the constant continued growth of learning re-sources acquired and utilized for studentsrdquo at the college adding ldquothepolicy is subject to on-going review and revision in light of changes in in-structional styles curricular requirements and resource formatsrdquo

The actual process of creating a policy is beneficial as it forces the li-brary staff to consider unspokenunrecorded assumptions about the refer-ence collection In order to successfully manage a reference collection alibraryrsquos staff must possess a shared understanding of their reference phi-losophies as well as the usersrsquo current and anticipated information needsThese are best articulated in a formal reference collection policy state-ment Developing such a document provides the opportunity for those in-volved to come to a consensus about major goals for the collection andreference service

A collection policy for reference will establish a plan for the appropri-ate and equitable allocation of funds in the budgeting process intended toyield a balanced collection Katz observes that the effort to develop po-lices is in large measure ldquoa drive to tie the reference dollar down in such away as to eliminate waste and ambiguity and to ensure that the budget will

88 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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be used in the best possible wayrdquo (Katz 1986 xi) A policy will moreoverhelp to eliminate some of the subjectivity in selecting for the collectionThose involved in selecting will be able to work with greater consistencytoward defined goals Regular review of the policy by those involved willcreate a systematic means of assessing and realigning the collection asneeded over time A policy also serves as a collective memory in the faceof staff turnover New librarians will benefit from such a document as anorientation tool

Beyond an in-house document a good policy also serves as a means ofcommunication with external constituents The director of the library atIndependent Community College A says that while lacking a formal policystatement his library seeks to ldquoprovide the best possible resources to sup-port the collegersquos mission to provide higher education to those who wouldotherwise go unservedrdquo The State University B Library assumes that itsdraft is to be a public document designed to inform the public and otherstakeholders of the principles upon which selections are made Spe-cifically policies can also be useful in defending budgetary requests to theinstitutionrsquos administration in times of financial retrenchments and grow-ing costs for both print and online resources

Private Four Year College B however has a broader audience in mindwith its statement Like many similar institutions it is denominationallysponsored and seeks to instruct students in a religious context In definingthe nature of its reference collection the collegersquos library declares that itldquoacquires materials representing a variety of perspectives both Christianand secularrdquo adding materials are included that ldquofoster a breadth of un-derstanding of other perspectives and alternate vantage points necessaryfor the development of critical thinking and researchrdquo Finally the policynotes ldquoInclusion of a title in the collection does not indicate that the Li-brary Director library staff or [college] faculties endorse all the views andconclusions of the author(s)rdquo

In short a reference collection policy must contain a clear rational forits existence state this purpose forthrightly and stick to it Those creatingsuch a policy will need to come to agreement among themselves as to whatthe policy should accomplish while at the same time keeping in mind thattheir audience includes not only those in the library but also interestedparties not directly involved

DEFINING THE NATURE OF THE COLLECTION

Daniel Liestman 89

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Defining the nature of the collection and determining the criteria of inclu-sion and exclusion are closely related In the context of this discussion defin-ing the nature of the collection will be seen as more of a strategic issue whiledeciding specifically what to keep in and what to keep out is more of a tacticalissue

State Community College A for example says the purpose of its refer-ence collection is to support the curriculum provide basic cultural andrecreational needs and ldquosupport a degree of faculty researchrdquo It addsthat current titles will be emphasized and that ldquovarying points-of-view re-garding controversial issues will be represented as availablerdquo On theother hand State University A states ldquoThe purpose of the reference col-lection is to support the Universityrsquos teaching and research programs andit does not cater to the lay readerrdquo The document adds that ldquothere is noattempt made to build the collection to meet the needs of non-Universityusersrdquo Likewise Private Four Year College B seeks to define not onlywhat its collection is but what it is not While its reference collection seeksto ldquoprovide classroom support for the programs and courses of the col-legerdquo it acknowledges the collection ldquocannot be all things to all usersrdquoThis policy then explains its twin thrusts first it gives attention to the ldquore-search needs of faculty students and other patronsrdquo Secondly it empha-sizes ldquoacquiring foundational titlesrdquo which ldquowill allow users to identifyrelevant materials that may be obtained from sources beyond the collegersquoscampusrdquo Private College H says its reference collection is selected ldquoonmatters of curricular interestrdquo but adds ldquoall areas in which factual infor-mation may be desiredrdquo are included

In defining the nature of the reference collection it is significant tonote that all of the policies received in this survey emphasize the practicaluse of their collections rather than meeting the recommendations ofsources such as Sheehy or Winchell which prescribe certain referenceclassics for any collection regardless of age language or appropriatenessStill some of the literature suggests using standard bibliographies as toolsin developing a core reference collection (Luchsinger 1992 106-110)Likewise State College B says teaching faculty are ldquoencouragedrdquo to usebibliographies However the research indicates there is little agreementeven among experts as to what basic or fundamental reference sourcesare (Hopkins 1991 84-85 and Larsen 1979 341-48) Given this lack ofconsensus such standards should not be relied upon exclusively for cre-ation of a reference collection This is not to say that such sources shouldbe ignored altogether either for bibliographies and guides germane forcollege and undergraduate level reference collections still may be con-

90 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

sulted as a starting point if local needs are kept in mind (Lang 1992Wynar 1985 Wynar 1992)

The challenge still remainsndashhow to decide which portion of the refer-ence universe a library wants to call its own Two basic ways of identifyingand acquiring new items for the collection are direct selection andor ap-proval plans Reviews are an essential component of the direct orderingprocess Most reference collection policies mention reviews as a source toconsult prior to acquiring an item The obvious shortcoming is that re-views are a reflection of the biases of the reviewer Another disadvantageof reviews is that they may not reflect the latest releases from publishersAmong library selection tools Choice sends its reviewers books as they arereleased which means the books were released weeks if not months priorto the appearance of the review Library Journal strives to be very currentIt sends its reviewers pre-publication galleys of books so the published re-view can be coordinated with the bookrsquos release date

The challenge for reference materials selectors then is to locate currentquality reviews Private Four Year College B is typical in saying ChoiceLibrary Journal and ldquoselected journals in academic disciplinesrdquo are to beldquosystematically used for selection purposesrdquo While most academic andprofessional journals do include book reviews the reviews are typicallyout of date and are for general works rather than reference books On thewhole such sources can be safely ignored for reference collection devel-opment purposes There are of course numerous other sources to con-sider such as American Libraries ARBA American Reference BooksAnnual Booklist Collection Management College and Research LibrariesCampRL News Library Journal Publishers Weekly Public Libraries and Ref-erence amp User Services Quarterly In addition as departments move beyondjust books Choice Electronic Resources Review The Scout Report(httpwwwscoutcswisceduscoutreport) the Tourbus(httpwwwtourbuscom) and others are becoming good sources for re-views of Web and electronic reference resources

The other way libraries are commonly notified of the availability of newreference resources is through advertising Direct mailing ads in journalsfaxes and calls from vendors often offer special inducements such as dis-counts on pre-publication orders The dilemma for the reference selectoris that in order to take advantage of such an offer the purchase must bemade on faithndashthat is without the advantage of reading reviews At timesit may be appropriate to purchase materials of unknown quality for whichreviews are not yet available Such circumstances would be if there is noother work of comparable scope if the collection policy calls for compre-hensive collecting in a particular area if a work is of such significance that

Daniel Liestman 91

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014

the library needs to purchase it regardless or if there is an immediateneed for a such a work

Although approval plans are typically beyond the reach of many collegeand undergraduate libraries they do warrant passing mention They aretypically based on a book jobberrsquos individually tailored description of a li-braryrsquos needs A well-designed profile can relieve overworked librariansof some of the work involved in scanning countless selection tools and adsBut at the same time the profile must be monitored and the librariansmust also be aware of omissions The profile also needs to be reviewedand refined regularly which also takes time Waiting for reference itemsto arrive in approval order shipments may even be slower than directly or-dering an item Moreover complete coverage of all current reference ma-terials is not possible regardless of the ldquoelegance and precisionrdquo of alibraryrsquos profile (Hattendorf 1990 2) Hattendorf also suggests that newmaterials are acquired without sufficient consideration of the pertinenceand relevance to user needs and the overall collection and to some de-gree approval plans can be blamed for this (Hattendorf 1989 220) TheBiggsrsquo study nonetheless found that most libraries are willing to acceptthe selections of an approval plan vendor regarding reference books(Biggs 1987 73)

There are a number of other factors that should be addressed in the ref-erence collection policy statement

Format

Not too long ago decisions on format were confined to cloth versuspaperbinding Now there are a plethora of formats to considerndashmost ofthem computer-based State University B says it collects ldquoall appropriateformats of materials based on content availability desirability spaceequipment requirements and costrdquo In its 1993 statement State Univer-sity C says it has ldquobegun to veer away from wide coverage of science in-dexes in print with the idea of replacing them with electronic coveragerdquoCompounding this matter are mixed-format reference resources Todaypublishers frequently include a CD-ROM in a reference book What to dowith this added material type then becomes a new access and control chal-lenge None of the policy statements received specifically addressed thisparticular issue

SerialsAnnuals

Although serials and annuals are a significant component of most ref-erence collections none of the policies received make more than passing

92 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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mention of this format Even though they are beyond the scope of mostreference collection policy statements but they still need to be consideredTracking and acquiring such sources is beyond the scope of this article andhas been dealt with elsewhere in the literature (Scott and Nolan 199370-71 Majka 1996 70-71) Nevertheless reference collection policesneed to address issues related to binding retention and irregular publica-tions

Circulation

As a rule reference materials do not circulate However most policesallow for at least one exception through which at the discretion of an ap-propriate staff member an item may go out for a limited time State Com-munity College B is typical in that it notes that at the option of thecirculation supervisor a reference item may be checked out for one day ifit is not in high demand Whatever is best for onersquos own library should beincluded in the reference policy statement

Duplicates

Rarely do reference collections include duplicates The relatively highcost of most reference works the typically brief time need for consulta-tion and their non-circulating nature obviates the need for duplication inmost instances However repeated requests and queuing for an item aswell as high potential usage may warrant the acquisition of duplicates inrare cases

Language

Most of the policies received assumed that with exception of dictionar-ies the primary emphasis of the reference collection is on material in theEnglish language However both State Universities A and B are more ex-plicit State University A says ldquoprimary considerationrdquo will be given toldquoreference tools in the English languagerdquo but the collection will also in-clude sources which support the Universityrsquos area studies programs andthe western European language sources which support research in the hu-manities It may be assumed that except as noted reference sources willbe in English However having a policy specifically stating as muchproved helpful for one library in fending off an unwanted gift encyclope-dia set written in Arabic

Recency

Daniel Liestman 93

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Most reference collections make efforts to include the most recent ma-terials possible State University B is typical in saying that ldquousually onlythe latest editionrdquo of a reference title will be kept in reference and that re-moved materials will be sent to the circulating collection There are excep-tions and Private Four Year College B acknowledges this in its statementnoting ldquo[o]lder titles may be purchased as appropriate to needrdquo Such aclause allows a library some flexibility in its reference collection

CRITERIA OF INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION

Another way of shaping the nature of the reference collection issummed up by Hattendorf who notes ldquoIt is important to know what isNOT in the collection as well as what is in itrdquo (Hattendorf 1990 7) Aca-demic libraries generally do not include certain types of materialsTypically ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes travel guides genealogy materialsvertical file materials and used car price guides are excluded PrivateFour Year College B for example states ldquoThe non-academic interests ofstudents and faculty are to be met through use of the local public libraryand the regional library systemrdquo

While such a statement is typical there are no universally acceptedstandards as to what is included or excluded State Community College Astates ldquotextbooks will normally be excluded from library purchasesrdquo Onthe other hand State Community College B will acquire textbooks pro-vided they are ldquothe best and latest reference sources availablerdquo To vary-ing degrees the pol- icies of State Universities A and B both list the typesof materials to be included in their respective collections These include anumber of typical resources ranging from almanacs to yearbooks Somesuggest that such ldquolaundry listsrdquo are not really necessary and are often ar-bitrary Batt argues that it should seem obvious when a work has referencevalue and when it does not If a book winds up in the wrong place it is re-ally not a critical matter adding ldquoany decision can be reconsidered (aslong as you remain friendly with your catalogers)rdquo (Batt 1984 318-19)Others de-emphasize certain types of sources for example State Univer-sity C says it purchases few bibliographies ldquoas they are underutilized pro-portionally to the costrdquo Conversely State College B says ldquoEffort is alsomade [to acquire] relevant subject and general bibliographies for the pur-pose of comparing library holdings to the standard materials of the fieldrdquo

Although none of the policies received addressed this directly the liter-ature indicates some libraries include books that are not reference booksin the collection The Biggs found twenty percent of the institutions in

94 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

their study used ldquolikelihood of theftrdquo as a criterion for placing a work inreference (Biggs 1987 73) Likewise in other libraries the reference col-lection is often used in lieu of a reserves collection

Censoring materials is certainly a way to exclude items from a collec-tion All the statements received save one make specific reference tosupporting intellectual freedom The one in question undoubtedly alsosupports intellectual freedom but such supporting documents are notpart of the reference collection policy per se Some such as State CollegeB even include policy and procedures on how to respond to challengedmaterials On the other hand while giving numerous statements in sup-port of intellectual freedom in its policy State Community College B doesleave the door open to removing materials noting ldquoGenerally [authorrsquositalics] no effort will be made to censor the collectionrdquo Private College Fsays while it ldquorejects no materials due to ideological reasons the librarywill refuse to retain any materials classified to be lsquoOBSCENErsquo [their capi-talization] which will be determined by the Learning Resource Commit-tee Library Director and the Academic Deanrdquo

INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS

Stakeholders are all those with a significant interest or stake in the ref-erence collectionndashlibrarians teaching faculty students etc Private Col-lege H broadly defines this group by noting ldquoResponsibility for theselection of library materials for the College Library lies with the entire col-lege communityrdquo State College Brsquos library students and administrators areldquoencouraged to recommendrdquo new works The input of faculty is ldquoessen-tialrdquo provided it is in ldquotheir teaching areasrdquo says State Community Col-lege A However the policy adds that as ldquolibrarians are ultimatelyresponsible for the overall quality and balance of the total collectionthey will select and purchase materials in all subject areas in an attemptto fill obvious gaps overlooked by instructorsrdquo The expectation or atleast hope for participation is widely held

At the same time the question quickly becomes who has the ultimate au-thority and accountability for the reference collection While all stake-holders are interested in the collection reference personnel should have asignificant measure of responsibility for involvement with the decision mak-ing process as they have the closest ties to the collection its users and relatedservices In addition they are in the best position to know the trends goalsand objectives of current and future users Teaching faculty at Private FourYear College B for example are expected to act as subject specialists in their

Daniel Liestman 95

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areas of expertise while library staff recommend materials for addition to thereference collection Still all recommendations go to the library directorwho makes the final selections

In other libraries common models are for bibliographers subject spe-cialists and reference librarians to make recommendations to the head ofreference or the collection management librarian In other cases selec-tions may be the responsibility of a reference collection team composedof internal and possibly external stakeholders An advantage of havingone person or one committee ultimately responsible for the reference col-lection is that they will be able to see that the collection is well balanced

Whatever selection model is followed communication consultationand collaboration must occur To enhance the process the person or per-sons making the selections should actually work at the reference desk Ifthis is not possible the selector for reference books should be highly recep-tive to suggestions made by those at the desk To further enhance the pro-cess and increase understanding a means of prioritizing requests can beimplemented For example a 3-star system with three stars designatingessential items two stars for important items and one star for supplemen-tary items would help the individual making selections understand thepriority of specific items If a team or committee is involved in the processa round-robin session would allow others to know what their colleaguesare ordering

MANAGING BUDGETARY COSTS

In the policies surveyed budgetary matters are generally not discussedbut there are a couple of exceptions Private College F for example notesthat its reference budget comes from the annual library budget the re-stricted library fund and duplicate book sales State Community CollegeF says it allots one third of its ten-thousand dollar book budget to the printreference collection Most libraries are less specific in their policies Agood future study would be to investigate funding and budgetary alloca-tions for reference collections

What can be gleaned from the polices is that money is tight The librarydirector at Independent Community College A observed ldquoIf I had a writ-ten-down policy it would be to do the best you can with budgets and learnto say lsquonorsquo a lotrdquo State University C says ldquoIt is necessary to try and addressa [sic] incredibly varied audience with a notably small budgetrdquo State Uni-versity A admits to financial limitations noting ldquoWe cannot purchase orsubscribe to all even if they are in our primary subject areas Added edi-tions frequent updates or supplements would improve currency In some

96 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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instances we may be able to purchase every third or fourth edition onlyrdquoPrivate Four Year College B stretches its reference dollars by requiringdiscipline-specific reference books come from that departmentrsquos book al-location while general reference works come from the reference budget

A particular challenge is for reference collection budgets to absorb thecosts of technology As Kluegel observes the advent of technology is trans-forming the reference collection into a ldquokaleidoscope of resources that canchange from one day to the next and the budget may look just as commin-gledrdquo (Kluegel 1996 454) There is no escaping the impact of technology onreference budgets State University A says improvement of ldquonetworkedelectronic access to informationrdquo is its ldquohighest priorityrdquo To better fund thisneed the libraryrsquos policy is to ldquoreplace print indexes with CD-ROM and on-line databasesrdquo Although not mentioned in any other policies this is prob-ably a common practice

Increasingly libraries are seeking ways to contain reference-relatedcosts through cooperative or consortial arrangements Some efforts havebeen made toward regional reference collection management These ef-forts can eliminate unnecessary duplication of expensive and infrequentlyused items while ensuring their accessibility to all within the systemConsortial agreements and arrangements for electronic resources areparticularly helpful Several models exist For example several librariescould acquire joint access to a database available via the Internet An-other model might involve one library deliberately buying source A whileanother does not but instead purchases source B the two could then tele-phone fax or e-mail reference questions and answers back and forthState Community College B and its local public library seem to take thisfurther in that they work together ldquoto provide access to database search-ing for faculty and studentsrdquo though the extent of this partnering is notelaborated upon in the policy

Although not mentioned in detail in any of the policies some state insti-tutions in Kansas participate in a number of consortial agreementsConsortial database agreements exist between the state-supported collegesand universities and one of the state community colleges Two of the stateuniversities participate in a large regional consortium too Such sharedbuying power allows access to resources the individual libraries would notbe able to attain on their own

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Daniel Liestman 97

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The explosion of electronic information resources marks the greatestchange in reference collection management Hazen states collectionsmust address the ldquoincreasingly complicated needs of users both currentand futurerdquo which are ldquoless and less limited to local holdingsrdquo (Hazen1995 30) Even though end-user electronic reference resources have beenaround for over a decade many libraries do not have a reference collec-tion management policy for such tools As a result such collections havegrown with little regard for planning Many libraries are struggling to inte-grate new forms of information technology into existing services opera-tions and policies ldquoThe challenge for this generation of librariansrdquoDemas says ldquois to seamlessly knit together a multiplicity of formats andaccess mechanisms into one intellectually cohesive user-friendly set of in-formation resources and services In shortrdquo he says ldquowe must adjust mostof our professional practices and daily operations to handle electronicpublications with a facility equal to or greater than that which we haveevolved for printed publicationsrdquo (Demas 1994 72)

One of the first issues a reference collection policy should addresswhen multiple formats are available is how the decision of whether to goelectronic is made Private College H says ldquoMachine-readable databaseswill be purchased in the most effective format available Hence some da-tabases will be accessed via the Internet and others may be on CD-ROMIn some cases print may be a totally appropriate formatrdquo Too often refer-ence sources are produced in electronic format because they can berather than because they should be As with any source attention must begiven to the intellectual organization and presentation of the informationThe question then becomes how to weigh the relative merits of contentpresentation and cost

Electronic resources present many unique challenges that a policyshould clarify Following is a list of suggested things to consider While itdoes not purport to be exhaustive it is designed to serve as a starting pointfor discussion (See Appendix A for a list of questions to be generally ap-plied to acquisition andor weeding of sources)

Technical Specifications

Is the database best utilized via the Internet on a local server on astand-alone or another option What compatibility is there between thedatabasesrsquo requirements and existing hardware and software What is thespeed and reliability of access Is the site updated and well maintainedHow stable is the database How is log in and authentication of users to behandledndashincluding distance users

98 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Documentation and Support

What level of technical support is available from the vendor Is this atan added cost Is the vendor reputable Is support service prompt and ad-equate How are licensing issues such as access by both local and remoteusers copyright data archiving etc handled What is the availability andquality of support materials If the electronic version is acquired can theprint version be canceled Will such action affect the subscription cost

Funding

How is the product itself to be paid for How will maintenance costs bepaid How will consumables (paper toner discs etc) be paid for Howmany computers are needed State University A speaks directly to thesecosts in its document In supporting the expense of these electronicsources the library admits ldquoThere is still an insufficient number ofworkstations or networking for simultaneous users for online CD-ROMand Internet searching This means that although we may have the meansto locate information we do not always have access to it at the momentneededrdquo

Database Content

Does content justify the format Is the content of the online databasethe same as the print index Is the content of the database reliable andvalid Is full textimage searching an option Will the content of the data-base meet the needs of future users How well does the database fit withinthe context of the existing collections and resources Is there a roll-off ofyears covered by the databasendashthat is if the database covers the most re-cent five years what happens to year six

User Interface

What level of instruction is needed to operate the database What isthe potential impact on public service points What output options areavailable for printing downloading and e-mailing

Continuity

How are issues such as licensing upgrading control and maintenancehandled

The answers to such questions are often beyond the ability of a singleindividual as they require substantial subject and technological knowl-

Daniel Liestman 99

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edge An effective reference collection policy should see to it that inputfrom both subject and systems specialists is obtained in making cost effec-tive decisions How such issues are addressed is dependent on the libraryrsquostechnology infrastructure Such issues may extend beyond the library tothe institutionrsquos systems office or academic computing department If sothe polices and practices of those departments have might influence themanagement of the libraryrsquos electronic collection The key to assimilatingnew technologies is to develop collaborative strategies that promote flexi-bility in the organization facilitate coordination and collaboration acrossorganizational divisions promote the ability of staff to adapt to constantchange and eliminate territoriality and develop shared goals and values

Another aspect of reference collection management policy is the cre-ation of a virtual reference collection that utilizes sources available on theWWW State University A says the potential of using World Wide Webresources with no direct cost to the department is ldquounlimited and mayeventually have an effect on collection development but it is difficult toassess the impact for the coming yearsrdquo Creating such a resource is be-yond the scope of this article and is better addressed by Demas McDon-ald and Lawrence who provide a solid basis for creating and maintainingsuch a digital reference collection (Demas McDonald and Lawrence1995 282-283)

Whether a reference policy incorporates an electronic virtual collec-tion or not a conspectus for electronic resources might still be useful If aconspectus is already used its collecting level categories may need only tobe adapted to reflect the use of electronic sources or a separate conspec-tus may be used

Although the use of electronic resources in a reference collection isnow an established part of the profession few of the policies received inthis research deal directly with such matters Moreover the literature isvaried and of no one opinion on how to proceed In creating a policy state-ment for onersquos own library local needs use patterns and resources will allneed to be considered

WEEDING

Most libraries see the value and benefits of weeding and although most lackwritten guidelines weeding is undertaken anyway Whether weeding is part ofa policy or not it usually occurs for two reasonsndashspace and collection philoso-phy

Space is usually given preeminent consideration as a factor involved inpromoting weeding State Community College A Library notes in its pol-

100 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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icy ldquoAs space limitations dictate materials will be considered for re-movalrdquo Beyond this the Biggs found most reference collections containmore than 10000 reference titles They concluded these were more titlesthan could be effectively mastered by most reference librarians (Biggs1987 67 69-70) Other studies support this finding and call for ldquoleanrdquo ref-erence collections filled with a few ldquohard-working titlesrdquo (Nolan 1991 80Nolan 1999 11-21 Joswick and Stierman 1993 108)

Collection philosophy is another reason for librarians to considerweeding In particular concern focuses on having the most recent andpresumably best information available Some go so far as to declare ldquoIt isbetter to do without [a reference resource] than to unintentionally pro-vide misinformation through outdated sourcesrdquo (Hattendorf 1989 222)Rettig draws an analogy between the toxic waste left at Love Canal andthe dangers of old and unreliable sources that ldquoplace library users inharmrsquos way The information in these booksrdquo he asserts ldquohas lost its util-ity but not its potencyrdquo (Rettig 1982 7) State College B acknowledgesthis concern and seeks to create a reference collection that is continuallyweeded to ldquoensure relevance validity and currencyrdquo

Despite the importance of weeding for space and philosophical rea-sons few libraries address this issue State University B Library does ac-knowledge that ldquoWeeding is as important as selectionrdquo adding that ldquoasthe Reference Collection is a working collection of important frequentlyconsulted resources careful and systematic weeding removes older lessdesirable works from the collectionrdquo This statement however providesno insight as to how such weeding is to be undertaken

Some of the institutions surveyed do discuss weeding in their referencecollection policies State Community College B for example weeds ldquoen-cyclopedias almanacs annuals yearbooks and like materials if they aremore than five years oldrdquo Yet most policies are like State University Arsquosin which the reference collection is ldquoperiodically weededrdquo In adoptingthis approach State Community College A states ldquocriteria for weedinginclude damaged titles and titles containing dated or inaccurate infor-mationrdquo

Weeding is not necessarily the same as discarding State University ALibrary for example has a ldquotrendrdquo to transfer so-called ldquostandard andclassicrdquo reference sources to the stacks or special collections as they aresuperseded or no longer used Other possibilities include using remotestorage for withdrawn reference works or transferring them to the stacksbut as non-circulating items On the other hand withdrawn referenceworks at State Community College B ldquomay be given to instructors or soldin book sales Anything not so disposed of may be given to local schools or

Daniel Liestman 101

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librariesrdquo Some libraries may also not weed their reference collections soas to avoid potential confrontations with users State Community CollegeB seeks to overcome this by having ldquothe librarian in consultation with thedirector and with input from the facultyrdquo participate in the weeding pro-cess Likewise State Community College A says faculty participation inweeding ldquoshould be encouragedrdquo Giving adequate notice of weeding anddeveloping a means for communicating the purpose of weeding and al-lowing participation in the process will go a long way to alleviate any angst

Even without these political considerations weeding is a difficult ex-pensive undertaking It is labor intensive and time consuming However ifweeding is done on a regular basis rather than all at once it can be moreeasily integrated into the work flow of those involved The questions pro-vided in Appendix A will be helpful in making weeding decisions

One question not included in Appendix A merits special considerationhow frequently is a resource used Determining usage of reference collec-tions is not often or easily undertaken Engeldinger conducted a survey of377 academic libraries and found only 23 conducted a user survey of theircollections (Engeldinger 1986 367-71) As reference collections arenon-circulating simple circulation counts are not a viable measure of useIn light of this a number of creative means have been developed to assesshow reference collections are used including dotting the spine making ticmarks to note each time a book is used over a period of time table countsexamining infrared dust beads on top of a book or placing unexposed pho-tographic paper in the pages of a book Some online systems allow booksto be recorded as ldquobrowsedrdquo if they are wanded after pick-up (Slote 1997219-225) Even as creative as some of these are they still focus on presentuser demand and fail to anticipate future needs While there may not bean easy way to weed a superior collection policy will address this matter ina manner that best serves onersquos own library

CONCLUSION

A couple of problems soon became obvious in this survey First was thelack of responses Secondly there is no way to tell how closely actual prac-tice follows the policy A possible follow-up study would be to see how welllibraries adhere to their own policies

Creating and implementing a reference collection policy for onersquos ownlibrary clearly requires a commitment of time and energy The library di-rector of Private College A wrote

102 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

There must be a break point so to speak in terms of how small a li-brary is or the ratio of staff to patrons or some other key factor thatmust explain why some libraryrsquos [sic] have a written policy while oth-ers do not revise the ancient ones they have In our case we canrsquotbreathe much less write a policy Even if we had a policy we wouldnrsquothave time to refer to it I would be the first to question the qualityand professionalism of an academic situation without a CD (Collec-tion Development) policy but as you are well aware Librarians aregenerally low man on the budget distribution totem pole

Still such a policy is worth undertaking Hazen argues a policy willhave the library ldquosolidify its own sense of purpose and also point the cam-pus toward the future by recasting its documentation in terms of all theresearch resources associated with its users and the fields they representrdquoBy including the Web and other broad based resources rather than ldquoinsist-ing on the inflexible site specific codificationrdquo of print acquisitions thepolicy will set the tone for the library as a major player in the informationage (Hazen 1995 31)

For those contemplating the creation and implementation of their ownpolicy the following points should be considered

Make a Commitment to It

Those who are directly affected by the policy should be committed to itIf they are not it will be unenforceable and useless More than one personshould be involved in the creation of the policy so that more people be-come invested in it and a variety of viewpoints are heard How and why thepolicy is being developed and for whom needs to be made clear Thereshould be meetings in which stakeholders can discuss concerns and re-solve such matters In this way everyone will be involved in the process andhave an opportunity to input ideas Whatever scope a policy takes its suc-cess depends on the degree of commitment to the policy by all involved

Keep It Unique to Onersquos Own Collection

Some argue that as there are not that many differences between librar-ies and detailed reference policies are unneeded Batt suggests one couldcreate boilerplate policies for all libraries with a final fill-in-the-blank sec-tion for special idiosyncrasies or ldquolocal peccadilloesrdquo (Batt 1984 313)Any policy needs to be individualized to the unique circumstances of thereference collection involved Any individualized policy may be one pageor severalndashthe key is whatever works best for onersquos own reference collec-

Daniel Liestman 103

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tion In constructing the policy think of issues which have been problemsin the past and how they might be best addressed

Keep Your Audience in Mind

While some such as Batt do not believe a reference collection policyhas an external audience it does and the interests of those stakeholdersneed to be kept in mind

Think Out of the Box

Donrsquot make the policy a reiteration of how things have always beendone Use this as an opportunity to think of new ways of doing things Toooften reference collection policies are written just for reference books Agood policy will include all other forms of reference sources ranging frommicrofiche to the World Wide Web

Keep It Simple

Some policies get bogged down in minutiae such as defining what a ref-erence resource is One study found a library with four guidelines devotedspecifically to telephone directories Such discussions are often esotericand have little to do with the application of the policy (Hattendorf 1989224-225)

Keep It Meaningful

On the other hand a policy should not be so succinct as to be meaning-less One library in another study noted ldquoThe basic reference collectionwill be made up of the following a basic reference collectionrdquo This gen-eralization so vague as to be meaningless (Hattendorf 1989 224-225) Apolicy should have some value and meaning to itndashif it doesnrsquot you donrsquotneed one

Donrsquot Reinvent the Wheel

While it is important even essential to tailor a policy to the needs ofonersquos own collection it may be helpful to review what others have donePeer institutions may be willing to share what they have The Web can alsobe searched for policies

Keep It Flexible

104 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Private College H says ldquoThe policies stated herein shall not be consid-ered inflexible regulationsrdquo Indeed there should be some room for ambi-guity as there will invariably be exceptions to every rule or guidelinePolicies are there to guidendashnot to enforce without reason

Donrsquot Put It Off

If collection management can be described as ldquothe task neglected whentime constraints applyrdquo writing a policy is often put off until there is timeto do it The trouble is there never is time to do it until a conscientious ef-fort is made to do so (Cuberly 1987 302) Few argue with the need for sucha policy yet few make the time to create such a policy

Keep It Current

The best policy is one which is up-to-date A policy should be reviewedannually and updated as needed A policy should be a living documentsubject to modification and adaptation as change occurs within the de-partment as well as the information environment The policy should de-velop over time in response to these changes State College A forexample describes its policy as ldquoevolutionaryrdquo and endeavors to keep itcurrent

Ask the Right Questions

To begin addressing some of these issues it is important to know whatquestions to ask Hattendorf provides some excellent suggestions for con-sideration prior to drafting a statement (Hattendorf 1989 223)

1 Why do we have a reference collection2 What is our philosophy of reference service3 What do we want the reference collection to be and do

Daniel Liestman 105

QUICK BIB

Biggs Mary and Victor ldquoReference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Surveyrdquo RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Reference Collection Development A programpresented at the 99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference No-vember 15 1990 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Re-production Service ED335049)

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

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014

4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

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bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

Daniel Liestman 111

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

Daniel Liestman 113

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are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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Page 6: Reference Collection Management Policies

nity colleges Some sent their policies while others such as Private FourYear College A responded that they do not have one but will be writing apolicy statement in the future The one independent community collegethe four private colleges and five of the responding community collegesreplied they did not have policies per se but shared their standard operat-ing practices Private Four Year College B literally submitted a work inprogress with several categories still blank Both State University A andState University B provided documents for the main libraryrsquos referencecollections in the humanities and the social sciences only Of these twothe latter provided a draft statement as well (Appendix B)

A reference collection management policy statement consists of manyparts This paper will discuss seven aspects common to most of the policiessubmitted These include the rationale for having a policy defining thenature of the collection criteria on inclusion and exclusion input fromstakeholders managing budget costs electronic resources and weeding

RATIONALE FOR HAVING A POLICY

Why have a reference collection policy This is a simple and importantquestion State College B says its policy is designed to ldquoprovide the mostuseful resources availablerdquo for their patrons Private Four Year College Bsees its policy as a planning document stating the document ldquoprovidesguidelines regulating the constant continued growth of learning re-sources acquired and utilized for studentsrdquo at the college adding ldquothepolicy is subject to on-going review and revision in light of changes in in-structional styles curricular requirements and resource formatsrdquo

The actual process of creating a policy is beneficial as it forces the li-brary staff to consider unspokenunrecorded assumptions about the refer-ence collection In order to successfully manage a reference collection alibraryrsquos staff must possess a shared understanding of their reference phi-losophies as well as the usersrsquo current and anticipated information needsThese are best articulated in a formal reference collection policy state-ment Developing such a document provides the opportunity for those in-volved to come to a consensus about major goals for the collection andreference service

A collection policy for reference will establish a plan for the appropri-ate and equitable allocation of funds in the budgeting process intended toyield a balanced collection Katz observes that the effort to develop po-lices is in large measure ldquoa drive to tie the reference dollar down in such away as to eliminate waste and ambiguity and to ensure that the budget will

88 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

be used in the best possible wayrdquo (Katz 1986 xi) A policy will moreoverhelp to eliminate some of the subjectivity in selecting for the collectionThose involved in selecting will be able to work with greater consistencytoward defined goals Regular review of the policy by those involved willcreate a systematic means of assessing and realigning the collection asneeded over time A policy also serves as a collective memory in the faceof staff turnover New librarians will benefit from such a document as anorientation tool

Beyond an in-house document a good policy also serves as a means ofcommunication with external constituents The director of the library atIndependent Community College A says that while lacking a formal policystatement his library seeks to ldquoprovide the best possible resources to sup-port the collegersquos mission to provide higher education to those who wouldotherwise go unservedrdquo The State University B Library assumes that itsdraft is to be a public document designed to inform the public and otherstakeholders of the principles upon which selections are made Spe-cifically policies can also be useful in defending budgetary requests to theinstitutionrsquos administration in times of financial retrenchments and grow-ing costs for both print and online resources

Private Four Year College B however has a broader audience in mindwith its statement Like many similar institutions it is denominationallysponsored and seeks to instruct students in a religious context In definingthe nature of its reference collection the collegersquos library declares that itldquoacquires materials representing a variety of perspectives both Christianand secularrdquo adding materials are included that ldquofoster a breadth of un-derstanding of other perspectives and alternate vantage points necessaryfor the development of critical thinking and researchrdquo Finally the policynotes ldquoInclusion of a title in the collection does not indicate that the Li-brary Director library staff or [college] faculties endorse all the views andconclusions of the author(s)rdquo

In short a reference collection policy must contain a clear rational forits existence state this purpose forthrightly and stick to it Those creatingsuch a policy will need to come to agreement among themselves as to whatthe policy should accomplish while at the same time keeping in mind thattheir audience includes not only those in the library but also interestedparties not directly involved

DEFINING THE NATURE OF THE COLLECTION

Daniel Liestman 89

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Defining the nature of the collection and determining the criteria of inclu-sion and exclusion are closely related In the context of this discussion defin-ing the nature of the collection will be seen as more of a strategic issue whiledeciding specifically what to keep in and what to keep out is more of a tacticalissue

State Community College A for example says the purpose of its refer-ence collection is to support the curriculum provide basic cultural andrecreational needs and ldquosupport a degree of faculty researchrdquo It addsthat current titles will be emphasized and that ldquovarying points-of-view re-garding controversial issues will be represented as availablerdquo On theother hand State University A states ldquoThe purpose of the reference col-lection is to support the Universityrsquos teaching and research programs andit does not cater to the lay readerrdquo The document adds that ldquothere is noattempt made to build the collection to meet the needs of non-Universityusersrdquo Likewise Private Four Year College B seeks to define not onlywhat its collection is but what it is not While its reference collection seeksto ldquoprovide classroom support for the programs and courses of the col-legerdquo it acknowledges the collection ldquocannot be all things to all usersrdquoThis policy then explains its twin thrusts first it gives attention to the ldquore-search needs of faculty students and other patronsrdquo Secondly it empha-sizes ldquoacquiring foundational titlesrdquo which ldquowill allow users to identifyrelevant materials that may be obtained from sources beyond the collegersquoscampusrdquo Private College H says its reference collection is selected ldquoonmatters of curricular interestrdquo but adds ldquoall areas in which factual infor-mation may be desiredrdquo are included

In defining the nature of the reference collection it is significant tonote that all of the policies received in this survey emphasize the practicaluse of their collections rather than meeting the recommendations ofsources such as Sheehy or Winchell which prescribe certain referenceclassics for any collection regardless of age language or appropriatenessStill some of the literature suggests using standard bibliographies as toolsin developing a core reference collection (Luchsinger 1992 106-110)Likewise State College B says teaching faculty are ldquoencouragedrdquo to usebibliographies However the research indicates there is little agreementeven among experts as to what basic or fundamental reference sourcesare (Hopkins 1991 84-85 and Larsen 1979 341-48) Given this lack ofconsensus such standards should not be relied upon exclusively for cre-ation of a reference collection This is not to say that such sources shouldbe ignored altogether either for bibliographies and guides germane forcollege and undergraduate level reference collections still may be con-

90 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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sulted as a starting point if local needs are kept in mind (Lang 1992Wynar 1985 Wynar 1992)

The challenge still remainsndashhow to decide which portion of the refer-ence universe a library wants to call its own Two basic ways of identifyingand acquiring new items for the collection are direct selection andor ap-proval plans Reviews are an essential component of the direct orderingprocess Most reference collection policies mention reviews as a source toconsult prior to acquiring an item The obvious shortcoming is that re-views are a reflection of the biases of the reviewer Another disadvantageof reviews is that they may not reflect the latest releases from publishersAmong library selection tools Choice sends its reviewers books as they arereleased which means the books were released weeks if not months priorto the appearance of the review Library Journal strives to be very currentIt sends its reviewers pre-publication galleys of books so the published re-view can be coordinated with the bookrsquos release date

The challenge for reference materials selectors then is to locate currentquality reviews Private Four Year College B is typical in saying ChoiceLibrary Journal and ldquoselected journals in academic disciplinesrdquo are to beldquosystematically used for selection purposesrdquo While most academic andprofessional journals do include book reviews the reviews are typicallyout of date and are for general works rather than reference books On thewhole such sources can be safely ignored for reference collection devel-opment purposes There are of course numerous other sources to con-sider such as American Libraries ARBA American Reference BooksAnnual Booklist Collection Management College and Research LibrariesCampRL News Library Journal Publishers Weekly Public Libraries and Ref-erence amp User Services Quarterly In addition as departments move beyondjust books Choice Electronic Resources Review The Scout Report(httpwwwscoutcswisceduscoutreport) the Tourbus(httpwwwtourbuscom) and others are becoming good sources for re-views of Web and electronic reference resources

The other way libraries are commonly notified of the availability of newreference resources is through advertising Direct mailing ads in journalsfaxes and calls from vendors often offer special inducements such as dis-counts on pre-publication orders The dilemma for the reference selectoris that in order to take advantage of such an offer the purchase must bemade on faithndashthat is without the advantage of reading reviews At timesit may be appropriate to purchase materials of unknown quality for whichreviews are not yet available Such circumstances would be if there is noother work of comparable scope if the collection policy calls for compre-hensive collecting in a particular area if a work is of such significance that

Daniel Liestman 91

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the library needs to purchase it regardless or if there is an immediateneed for a such a work

Although approval plans are typically beyond the reach of many collegeand undergraduate libraries they do warrant passing mention They aretypically based on a book jobberrsquos individually tailored description of a li-braryrsquos needs A well-designed profile can relieve overworked librariansof some of the work involved in scanning countless selection tools and adsBut at the same time the profile must be monitored and the librariansmust also be aware of omissions The profile also needs to be reviewedand refined regularly which also takes time Waiting for reference itemsto arrive in approval order shipments may even be slower than directly or-dering an item Moreover complete coverage of all current reference ma-terials is not possible regardless of the ldquoelegance and precisionrdquo of alibraryrsquos profile (Hattendorf 1990 2) Hattendorf also suggests that newmaterials are acquired without sufficient consideration of the pertinenceand relevance to user needs and the overall collection and to some de-gree approval plans can be blamed for this (Hattendorf 1989 220) TheBiggsrsquo study nonetheless found that most libraries are willing to acceptthe selections of an approval plan vendor regarding reference books(Biggs 1987 73)

There are a number of other factors that should be addressed in the ref-erence collection policy statement

Format

Not too long ago decisions on format were confined to cloth versuspaperbinding Now there are a plethora of formats to considerndashmost ofthem computer-based State University B says it collects ldquoall appropriateformats of materials based on content availability desirability spaceequipment requirements and costrdquo In its 1993 statement State Univer-sity C says it has ldquobegun to veer away from wide coverage of science in-dexes in print with the idea of replacing them with electronic coveragerdquoCompounding this matter are mixed-format reference resources Todaypublishers frequently include a CD-ROM in a reference book What to dowith this added material type then becomes a new access and control chal-lenge None of the policy statements received specifically addressed thisparticular issue

SerialsAnnuals

Although serials and annuals are a significant component of most ref-erence collections none of the policies received make more than passing

92 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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mention of this format Even though they are beyond the scope of mostreference collection policy statements but they still need to be consideredTracking and acquiring such sources is beyond the scope of this article andhas been dealt with elsewhere in the literature (Scott and Nolan 199370-71 Majka 1996 70-71) Nevertheless reference collection policesneed to address issues related to binding retention and irregular publica-tions

Circulation

As a rule reference materials do not circulate However most policesallow for at least one exception through which at the discretion of an ap-propriate staff member an item may go out for a limited time State Com-munity College B is typical in that it notes that at the option of thecirculation supervisor a reference item may be checked out for one day ifit is not in high demand Whatever is best for onersquos own library should beincluded in the reference policy statement

Duplicates

Rarely do reference collections include duplicates The relatively highcost of most reference works the typically brief time need for consulta-tion and their non-circulating nature obviates the need for duplication inmost instances However repeated requests and queuing for an item aswell as high potential usage may warrant the acquisition of duplicates inrare cases

Language

Most of the policies received assumed that with exception of dictionar-ies the primary emphasis of the reference collection is on material in theEnglish language However both State Universities A and B are more ex-plicit State University A says ldquoprimary considerationrdquo will be given toldquoreference tools in the English languagerdquo but the collection will also in-clude sources which support the Universityrsquos area studies programs andthe western European language sources which support research in the hu-manities It may be assumed that except as noted reference sources willbe in English However having a policy specifically stating as muchproved helpful for one library in fending off an unwanted gift encyclope-dia set written in Arabic

Recency

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Most reference collections make efforts to include the most recent ma-terials possible State University B is typical in saying that ldquousually onlythe latest editionrdquo of a reference title will be kept in reference and that re-moved materials will be sent to the circulating collection There are excep-tions and Private Four Year College B acknowledges this in its statementnoting ldquo[o]lder titles may be purchased as appropriate to needrdquo Such aclause allows a library some flexibility in its reference collection

CRITERIA OF INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION

Another way of shaping the nature of the reference collection issummed up by Hattendorf who notes ldquoIt is important to know what isNOT in the collection as well as what is in itrdquo (Hattendorf 1990 7) Aca-demic libraries generally do not include certain types of materialsTypically ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes travel guides genealogy materialsvertical file materials and used car price guides are excluded PrivateFour Year College B for example states ldquoThe non-academic interests ofstudents and faculty are to be met through use of the local public libraryand the regional library systemrdquo

While such a statement is typical there are no universally acceptedstandards as to what is included or excluded State Community College Astates ldquotextbooks will normally be excluded from library purchasesrdquo Onthe other hand State Community College B will acquire textbooks pro-vided they are ldquothe best and latest reference sources availablerdquo To vary-ing degrees the pol- icies of State Universities A and B both list the typesof materials to be included in their respective collections These include anumber of typical resources ranging from almanacs to yearbooks Somesuggest that such ldquolaundry listsrdquo are not really necessary and are often ar-bitrary Batt argues that it should seem obvious when a work has referencevalue and when it does not If a book winds up in the wrong place it is re-ally not a critical matter adding ldquoany decision can be reconsidered (aslong as you remain friendly with your catalogers)rdquo (Batt 1984 318-19)Others de-emphasize certain types of sources for example State Univer-sity C says it purchases few bibliographies ldquoas they are underutilized pro-portionally to the costrdquo Conversely State College B says ldquoEffort is alsomade [to acquire] relevant subject and general bibliographies for the pur-pose of comparing library holdings to the standard materials of the fieldrdquo

Although none of the policies received addressed this directly the liter-ature indicates some libraries include books that are not reference booksin the collection The Biggs found twenty percent of the institutions in

94 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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their study used ldquolikelihood of theftrdquo as a criterion for placing a work inreference (Biggs 1987 73) Likewise in other libraries the reference col-lection is often used in lieu of a reserves collection

Censoring materials is certainly a way to exclude items from a collec-tion All the statements received save one make specific reference tosupporting intellectual freedom The one in question undoubtedly alsosupports intellectual freedom but such supporting documents are notpart of the reference collection policy per se Some such as State CollegeB even include policy and procedures on how to respond to challengedmaterials On the other hand while giving numerous statements in sup-port of intellectual freedom in its policy State Community College B doesleave the door open to removing materials noting ldquoGenerally [authorrsquositalics] no effort will be made to censor the collectionrdquo Private College Fsays while it ldquorejects no materials due to ideological reasons the librarywill refuse to retain any materials classified to be lsquoOBSCENErsquo [their capi-talization] which will be determined by the Learning Resource Commit-tee Library Director and the Academic Deanrdquo

INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS

Stakeholders are all those with a significant interest or stake in the ref-erence collectionndashlibrarians teaching faculty students etc Private Col-lege H broadly defines this group by noting ldquoResponsibility for theselection of library materials for the College Library lies with the entire col-lege communityrdquo State College Brsquos library students and administrators areldquoencouraged to recommendrdquo new works The input of faculty is ldquoessen-tialrdquo provided it is in ldquotheir teaching areasrdquo says State Community Col-lege A However the policy adds that as ldquolibrarians are ultimatelyresponsible for the overall quality and balance of the total collectionthey will select and purchase materials in all subject areas in an attemptto fill obvious gaps overlooked by instructorsrdquo The expectation or atleast hope for participation is widely held

At the same time the question quickly becomes who has the ultimate au-thority and accountability for the reference collection While all stake-holders are interested in the collection reference personnel should have asignificant measure of responsibility for involvement with the decision mak-ing process as they have the closest ties to the collection its users and relatedservices In addition they are in the best position to know the trends goalsand objectives of current and future users Teaching faculty at Private FourYear College B for example are expected to act as subject specialists in their

Daniel Liestman 95

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areas of expertise while library staff recommend materials for addition to thereference collection Still all recommendations go to the library directorwho makes the final selections

In other libraries common models are for bibliographers subject spe-cialists and reference librarians to make recommendations to the head ofreference or the collection management librarian In other cases selec-tions may be the responsibility of a reference collection team composedof internal and possibly external stakeholders An advantage of havingone person or one committee ultimately responsible for the reference col-lection is that they will be able to see that the collection is well balanced

Whatever selection model is followed communication consultationand collaboration must occur To enhance the process the person or per-sons making the selections should actually work at the reference desk Ifthis is not possible the selector for reference books should be highly recep-tive to suggestions made by those at the desk To further enhance the pro-cess and increase understanding a means of prioritizing requests can beimplemented For example a 3-star system with three stars designatingessential items two stars for important items and one star for supplemen-tary items would help the individual making selections understand thepriority of specific items If a team or committee is involved in the processa round-robin session would allow others to know what their colleaguesare ordering

MANAGING BUDGETARY COSTS

In the policies surveyed budgetary matters are generally not discussedbut there are a couple of exceptions Private College F for example notesthat its reference budget comes from the annual library budget the re-stricted library fund and duplicate book sales State Community CollegeF says it allots one third of its ten-thousand dollar book budget to the printreference collection Most libraries are less specific in their policies Agood future study would be to investigate funding and budgetary alloca-tions for reference collections

What can be gleaned from the polices is that money is tight The librarydirector at Independent Community College A observed ldquoIf I had a writ-ten-down policy it would be to do the best you can with budgets and learnto say lsquonorsquo a lotrdquo State University C says ldquoIt is necessary to try and addressa [sic] incredibly varied audience with a notably small budgetrdquo State Uni-versity A admits to financial limitations noting ldquoWe cannot purchase orsubscribe to all even if they are in our primary subject areas Added edi-tions frequent updates or supplements would improve currency In some

96 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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instances we may be able to purchase every third or fourth edition onlyrdquoPrivate Four Year College B stretches its reference dollars by requiringdiscipline-specific reference books come from that departmentrsquos book al-location while general reference works come from the reference budget

A particular challenge is for reference collection budgets to absorb thecosts of technology As Kluegel observes the advent of technology is trans-forming the reference collection into a ldquokaleidoscope of resources that canchange from one day to the next and the budget may look just as commin-gledrdquo (Kluegel 1996 454) There is no escaping the impact of technology onreference budgets State University A says improvement of ldquonetworkedelectronic access to informationrdquo is its ldquohighest priorityrdquo To better fund thisneed the libraryrsquos policy is to ldquoreplace print indexes with CD-ROM and on-line databasesrdquo Although not mentioned in any other policies this is prob-ably a common practice

Increasingly libraries are seeking ways to contain reference-relatedcosts through cooperative or consortial arrangements Some efforts havebeen made toward regional reference collection management These ef-forts can eliminate unnecessary duplication of expensive and infrequentlyused items while ensuring their accessibility to all within the systemConsortial agreements and arrangements for electronic resources areparticularly helpful Several models exist For example several librariescould acquire joint access to a database available via the Internet An-other model might involve one library deliberately buying source A whileanother does not but instead purchases source B the two could then tele-phone fax or e-mail reference questions and answers back and forthState Community College B and its local public library seem to take thisfurther in that they work together ldquoto provide access to database search-ing for faculty and studentsrdquo though the extent of this partnering is notelaborated upon in the policy

Although not mentioned in detail in any of the policies some state insti-tutions in Kansas participate in a number of consortial agreementsConsortial database agreements exist between the state-supported collegesand universities and one of the state community colleges Two of the stateuniversities participate in a large regional consortium too Such sharedbuying power allows access to resources the individual libraries would notbe able to attain on their own

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

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The explosion of electronic information resources marks the greatestchange in reference collection management Hazen states collectionsmust address the ldquoincreasingly complicated needs of users both currentand futurerdquo which are ldquoless and less limited to local holdingsrdquo (Hazen1995 30) Even though end-user electronic reference resources have beenaround for over a decade many libraries do not have a reference collec-tion management policy for such tools As a result such collections havegrown with little regard for planning Many libraries are struggling to inte-grate new forms of information technology into existing services opera-tions and policies ldquoThe challenge for this generation of librariansrdquoDemas says ldquois to seamlessly knit together a multiplicity of formats andaccess mechanisms into one intellectually cohesive user-friendly set of in-formation resources and services In shortrdquo he says ldquowe must adjust mostof our professional practices and daily operations to handle electronicpublications with a facility equal to or greater than that which we haveevolved for printed publicationsrdquo (Demas 1994 72)

One of the first issues a reference collection policy should addresswhen multiple formats are available is how the decision of whether to goelectronic is made Private College H says ldquoMachine-readable databaseswill be purchased in the most effective format available Hence some da-tabases will be accessed via the Internet and others may be on CD-ROMIn some cases print may be a totally appropriate formatrdquo Too often refer-ence sources are produced in electronic format because they can berather than because they should be As with any source attention must begiven to the intellectual organization and presentation of the informationThe question then becomes how to weigh the relative merits of contentpresentation and cost

Electronic resources present many unique challenges that a policyshould clarify Following is a list of suggested things to consider While itdoes not purport to be exhaustive it is designed to serve as a starting pointfor discussion (See Appendix A for a list of questions to be generally ap-plied to acquisition andor weeding of sources)

Technical Specifications

Is the database best utilized via the Internet on a local server on astand-alone or another option What compatibility is there between thedatabasesrsquo requirements and existing hardware and software What is thespeed and reliability of access Is the site updated and well maintainedHow stable is the database How is log in and authentication of users to behandledndashincluding distance users

98 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Documentation and Support

What level of technical support is available from the vendor Is this atan added cost Is the vendor reputable Is support service prompt and ad-equate How are licensing issues such as access by both local and remoteusers copyright data archiving etc handled What is the availability andquality of support materials If the electronic version is acquired can theprint version be canceled Will such action affect the subscription cost

Funding

How is the product itself to be paid for How will maintenance costs bepaid How will consumables (paper toner discs etc) be paid for Howmany computers are needed State University A speaks directly to thesecosts in its document In supporting the expense of these electronicsources the library admits ldquoThere is still an insufficient number ofworkstations or networking for simultaneous users for online CD-ROMand Internet searching This means that although we may have the meansto locate information we do not always have access to it at the momentneededrdquo

Database Content

Does content justify the format Is the content of the online databasethe same as the print index Is the content of the database reliable andvalid Is full textimage searching an option Will the content of the data-base meet the needs of future users How well does the database fit withinthe context of the existing collections and resources Is there a roll-off ofyears covered by the databasendashthat is if the database covers the most re-cent five years what happens to year six

User Interface

What level of instruction is needed to operate the database What isthe potential impact on public service points What output options areavailable for printing downloading and e-mailing

Continuity

How are issues such as licensing upgrading control and maintenancehandled

The answers to such questions are often beyond the ability of a singleindividual as they require substantial subject and technological knowl-

Daniel Liestman 99

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edge An effective reference collection policy should see to it that inputfrom both subject and systems specialists is obtained in making cost effec-tive decisions How such issues are addressed is dependent on the libraryrsquostechnology infrastructure Such issues may extend beyond the library tothe institutionrsquos systems office or academic computing department If sothe polices and practices of those departments have might influence themanagement of the libraryrsquos electronic collection The key to assimilatingnew technologies is to develop collaborative strategies that promote flexi-bility in the organization facilitate coordination and collaboration acrossorganizational divisions promote the ability of staff to adapt to constantchange and eliminate territoriality and develop shared goals and values

Another aspect of reference collection management policy is the cre-ation of a virtual reference collection that utilizes sources available on theWWW State University A says the potential of using World Wide Webresources with no direct cost to the department is ldquounlimited and mayeventually have an effect on collection development but it is difficult toassess the impact for the coming yearsrdquo Creating such a resource is be-yond the scope of this article and is better addressed by Demas McDon-ald and Lawrence who provide a solid basis for creating and maintainingsuch a digital reference collection (Demas McDonald and Lawrence1995 282-283)

Whether a reference policy incorporates an electronic virtual collec-tion or not a conspectus for electronic resources might still be useful If aconspectus is already used its collecting level categories may need only tobe adapted to reflect the use of electronic sources or a separate conspec-tus may be used

Although the use of electronic resources in a reference collection isnow an established part of the profession few of the policies received inthis research deal directly with such matters Moreover the literature isvaried and of no one opinion on how to proceed In creating a policy state-ment for onersquos own library local needs use patterns and resources will allneed to be considered

WEEDING

Most libraries see the value and benefits of weeding and although most lackwritten guidelines weeding is undertaken anyway Whether weeding is part ofa policy or not it usually occurs for two reasonsndashspace and collection philoso-phy

Space is usually given preeminent consideration as a factor involved inpromoting weeding State Community College A Library notes in its pol-

100 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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icy ldquoAs space limitations dictate materials will be considered for re-movalrdquo Beyond this the Biggs found most reference collections containmore than 10000 reference titles They concluded these were more titlesthan could be effectively mastered by most reference librarians (Biggs1987 67 69-70) Other studies support this finding and call for ldquoleanrdquo ref-erence collections filled with a few ldquohard-working titlesrdquo (Nolan 1991 80Nolan 1999 11-21 Joswick and Stierman 1993 108)

Collection philosophy is another reason for librarians to considerweeding In particular concern focuses on having the most recent andpresumably best information available Some go so far as to declare ldquoIt isbetter to do without [a reference resource] than to unintentionally pro-vide misinformation through outdated sourcesrdquo (Hattendorf 1989 222)Rettig draws an analogy between the toxic waste left at Love Canal andthe dangers of old and unreliable sources that ldquoplace library users inharmrsquos way The information in these booksrdquo he asserts ldquohas lost its util-ity but not its potencyrdquo (Rettig 1982 7) State College B acknowledgesthis concern and seeks to create a reference collection that is continuallyweeded to ldquoensure relevance validity and currencyrdquo

Despite the importance of weeding for space and philosophical rea-sons few libraries address this issue State University B Library does ac-knowledge that ldquoWeeding is as important as selectionrdquo adding that ldquoasthe Reference Collection is a working collection of important frequentlyconsulted resources careful and systematic weeding removes older lessdesirable works from the collectionrdquo This statement however providesno insight as to how such weeding is to be undertaken

Some of the institutions surveyed do discuss weeding in their referencecollection policies State Community College B for example weeds ldquoen-cyclopedias almanacs annuals yearbooks and like materials if they aremore than five years oldrdquo Yet most policies are like State University Arsquosin which the reference collection is ldquoperiodically weededrdquo In adoptingthis approach State Community College A states ldquocriteria for weedinginclude damaged titles and titles containing dated or inaccurate infor-mationrdquo

Weeding is not necessarily the same as discarding State University ALibrary for example has a ldquotrendrdquo to transfer so-called ldquostandard andclassicrdquo reference sources to the stacks or special collections as they aresuperseded or no longer used Other possibilities include using remotestorage for withdrawn reference works or transferring them to the stacksbut as non-circulating items On the other hand withdrawn referenceworks at State Community College B ldquomay be given to instructors or soldin book sales Anything not so disposed of may be given to local schools or

Daniel Liestman 101

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librariesrdquo Some libraries may also not weed their reference collections soas to avoid potential confrontations with users State Community CollegeB seeks to overcome this by having ldquothe librarian in consultation with thedirector and with input from the facultyrdquo participate in the weeding pro-cess Likewise State Community College A says faculty participation inweeding ldquoshould be encouragedrdquo Giving adequate notice of weeding anddeveloping a means for communicating the purpose of weeding and al-lowing participation in the process will go a long way to alleviate any angst

Even without these political considerations weeding is a difficult ex-pensive undertaking It is labor intensive and time consuming However ifweeding is done on a regular basis rather than all at once it can be moreeasily integrated into the work flow of those involved The questions pro-vided in Appendix A will be helpful in making weeding decisions

One question not included in Appendix A merits special considerationhow frequently is a resource used Determining usage of reference collec-tions is not often or easily undertaken Engeldinger conducted a survey of377 academic libraries and found only 23 conducted a user survey of theircollections (Engeldinger 1986 367-71) As reference collections arenon-circulating simple circulation counts are not a viable measure of useIn light of this a number of creative means have been developed to assesshow reference collections are used including dotting the spine making ticmarks to note each time a book is used over a period of time table countsexamining infrared dust beads on top of a book or placing unexposed pho-tographic paper in the pages of a book Some online systems allow booksto be recorded as ldquobrowsedrdquo if they are wanded after pick-up (Slote 1997219-225) Even as creative as some of these are they still focus on presentuser demand and fail to anticipate future needs While there may not bean easy way to weed a superior collection policy will address this matter ina manner that best serves onersquos own library

CONCLUSION

A couple of problems soon became obvious in this survey First was thelack of responses Secondly there is no way to tell how closely actual prac-tice follows the policy A possible follow-up study would be to see how welllibraries adhere to their own policies

Creating and implementing a reference collection policy for onersquos ownlibrary clearly requires a commitment of time and energy The library di-rector of Private College A wrote

102 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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There must be a break point so to speak in terms of how small a li-brary is or the ratio of staff to patrons or some other key factor thatmust explain why some libraryrsquos [sic] have a written policy while oth-ers do not revise the ancient ones they have In our case we canrsquotbreathe much less write a policy Even if we had a policy we wouldnrsquothave time to refer to it I would be the first to question the qualityand professionalism of an academic situation without a CD (Collec-tion Development) policy but as you are well aware Librarians aregenerally low man on the budget distribution totem pole

Still such a policy is worth undertaking Hazen argues a policy willhave the library ldquosolidify its own sense of purpose and also point the cam-pus toward the future by recasting its documentation in terms of all theresearch resources associated with its users and the fields they representrdquoBy including the Web and other broad based resources rather than ldquoinsist-ing on the inflexible site specific codificationrdquo of print acquisitions thepolicy will set the tone for the library as a major player in the informationage (Hazen 1995 31)

For those contemplating the creation and implementation of their ownpolicy the following points should be considered

Make a Commitment to It

Those who are directly affected by the policy should be committed to itIf they are not it will be unenforceable and useless More than one personshould be involved in the creation of the policy so that more people be-come invested in it and a variety of viewpoints are heard How and why thepolicy is being developed and for whom needs to be made clear Thereshould be meetings in which stakeholders can discuss concerns and re-solve such matters In this way everyone will be involved in the process andhave an opportunity to input ideas Whatever scope a policy takes its suc-cess depends on the degree of commitment to the policy by all involved

Keep It Unique to Onersquos Own Collection

Some argue that as there are not that many differences between librar-ies and detailed reference policies are unneeded Batt suggests one couldcreate boilerplate policies for all libraries with a final fill-in-the-blank sec-tion for special idiosyncrasies or ldquolocal peccadilloesrdquo (Batt 1984 313)Any policy needs to be individualized to the unique circumstances of thereference collection involved Any individualized policy may be one pageor severalndashthe key is whatever works best for onersquos own reference collec-

Daniel Liestman 103

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tion In constructing the policy think of issues which have been problemsin the past and how they might be best addressed

Keep Your Audience in Mind

While some such as Batt do not believe a reference collection policyhas an external audience it does and the interests of those stakeholdersneed to be kept in mind

Think Out of the Box

Donrsquot make the policy a reiteration of how things have always beendone Use this as an opportunity to think of new ways of doing things Toooften reference collection policies are written just for reference books Agood policy will include all other forms of reference sources ranging frommicrofiche to the World Wide Web

Keep It Simple

Some policies get bogged down in minutiae such as defining what a ref-erence resource is One study found a library with four guidelines devotedspecifically to telephone directories Such discussions are often esotericand have little to do with the application of the policy (Hattendorf 1989224-225)

Keep It Meaningful

On the other hand a policy should not be so succinct as to be meaning-less One library in another study noted ldquoThe basic reference collectionwill be made up of the following a basic reference collectionrdquo This gen-eralization so vague as to be meaningless (Hattendorf 1989 224-225) Apolicy should have some value and meaning to itndashif it doesnrsquot you donrsquotneed one

Donrsquot Reinvent the Wheel

While it is important even essential to tailor a policy to the needs ofonersquos own collection it may be helpful to review what others have donePeer institutions may be willing to share what they have The Web can alsobe searched for policies

Keep It Flexible

104 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Private College H says ldquoThe policies stated herein shall not be consid-ered inflexible regulationsrdquo Indeed there should be some room for ambi-guity as there will invariably be exceptions to every rule or guidelinePolicies are there to guidendashnot to enforce without reason

Donrsquot Put It Off

If collection management can be described as ldquothe task neglected whentime constraints applyrdquo writing a policy is often put off until there is timeto do it The trouble is there never is time to do it until a conscientious ef-fort is made to do so (Cuberly 1987 302) Few argue with the need for sucha policy yet few make the time to create such a policy

Keep It Current

The best policy is one which is up-to-date A policy should be reviewedannually and updated as needed A policy should be a living documentsubject to modification and adaptation as change occurs within the de-partment as well as the information environment The policy should de-velop over time in response to these changes State College A forexample describes its policy as ldquoevolutionaryrdquo and endeavors to keep itcurrent

Ask the Right Questions

To begin addressing some of these issues it is important to know whatquestions to ask Hattendorf provides some excellent suggestions for con-sideration prior to drafting a statement (Hattendorf 1989 223)

1 Why do we have a reference collection2 What is our philosophy of reference service3 What do we want the reference collection to be and do

Daniel Liestman 105

QUICK BIB

Biggs Mary and Victor ldquoReference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Surveyrdquo RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Reference Collection Development A programpresented at the 99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference No-vember 15 1990 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Re-production Service ED335049)

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

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014

4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

Daniel Liestman 109

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bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

Daniel Liestman 111

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

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are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

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Page 7: Reference Collection Management Policies

be used in the best possible wayrdquo (Katz 1986 xi) A policy will moreoverhelp to eliminate some of the subjectivity in selecting for the collectionThose involved in selecting will be able to work with greater consistencytoward defined goals Regular review of the policy by those involved willcreate a systematic means of assessing and realigning the collection asneeded over time A policy also serves as a collective memory in the faceof staff turnover New librarians will benefit from such a document as anorientation tool

Beyond an in-house document a good policy also serves as a means ofcommunication with external constituents The director of the library atIndependent Community College A says that while lacking a formal policystatement his library seeks to ldquoprovide the best possible resources to sup-port the collegersquos mission to provide higher education to those who wouldotherwise go unservedrdquo The State University B Library assumes that itsdraft is to be a public document designed to inform the public and otherstakeholders of the principles upon which selections are made Spe-cifically policies can also be useful in defending budgetary requests to theinstitutionrsquos administration in times of financial retrenchments and grow-ing costs for both print and online resources

Private Four Year College B however has a broader audience in mindwith its statement Like many similar institutions it is denominationallysponsored and seeks to instruct students in a religious context In definingthe nature of its reference collection the collegersquos library declares that itldquoacquires materials representing a variety of perspectives both Christianand secularrdquo adding materials are included that ldquofoster a breadth of un-derstanding of other perspectives and alternate vantage points necessaryfor the development of critical thinking and researchrdquo Finally the policynotes ldquoInclusion of a title in the collection does not indicate that the Li-brary Director library staff or [college] faculties endorse all the views andconclusions of the author(s)rdquo

In short a reference collection policy must contain a clear rational forits existence state this purpose forthrightly and stick to it Those creatingsuch a policy will need to come to agreement among themselves as to whatthe policy should accomplish while at the same time keeping in mind thattheir audience includes not only those in the library but also interestedparties not directly involved

DEFINING THE NATURE OF THE COLLECTION

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Defining the nature of the collection and determining the criteria of inclu-sion and exclusion are closely related In the context of this discussion defin-ing the nature of the collection will be seen as more of a strategic issue whiledeciding specifically what to keep in and what to keep out is more of a tacticalissue

State Community College A for example says the purpose of its refer-ence collection is to support the curriculum provide basic cultural andrecreational needs and ldquosupport a degree of faculty researchrdquo It addsthat current titles will be emphasized and that ldquovarying points-of-view re-garding controversial issues will be represented as availablerdquo On theother hand State University A states ldquoThe purpose of the reference col-lection is to support the Universityrsquos teaching and research programs andit does not cater to the lay readerrdquo The document adds that ldquothere is noattempt made to build the collection to meet the needs of non-Universityusersrdquo Likewise Private Four Year College B seeks to define not onlywhat its collection is but what it is not While its reference collection seeksto ldquoprovide classroom support for the programs and courses of the col-legerdquo it acknowledges the collection ldquocannot be all things to all usersrdquoThis policy then explains its twin thrusts first it gives attention to the ldquore-search needs of faculty students and other patronsrdquo Secondly it empha-sizes ldquoacquiring foundational titlesrdquo which ldquowill allow users to identifyrelevant materials that may be obtained from sources beyond the collegersquoscampusrdquo Private College H says its reference collection is selected ldquoonmatters of curricular interestrdquo but adds ldquoall areas in which factual infor-mation may be desiredrdquo are included

In defining the nature of the reference collection it is significant tonote that all of the policies received in this survey emphasize the practicaluse of their collections rather than meeting the recommendations ofsources such as Sheehy or Winchell which prescribe certain referenceclassics for any collection regardless of age language or appropriatenessStill some of the literature suggests using standard bibliographies as toolsin developing a core reference collection (Luchsinger 1992 106-110)Likewise State College B says teaching faculty are ldquoencouragedrdquo to usebibliographies However the research indicates there is little agreementeven among experts as to what basic or fundamental reference sourcesare (Hopkins 1991 84-85 and Larsen 1979 341-48) Given this lack ofconsensus such standards should not be relied upon exclusively for cre-ation of a reference collection This is not to say that such sources shouldbe ignored altogether either for bibliographies and guides germane forcollege and undergraduate level reference collections still may be con-

90 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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sulted as a starting point if local needs are kept in mind (Lang 1992Wynar 1985 Wynar 1992)

The challenge still remainsndashhow to decide which portion of the refer-ence universe a library wants to call its own Two basic ways of identifyingand acquiring new items for the collection are direct selection andor ap-proval plans Reviews are an essential component of the direct orderingprocess Most reference collection policies mention reviews as a source toconsult prior to acquiring an item The obvious shortcoming is that re-views are a reflection of the biases of the reviewer Another disadvantageof reviews is that they may not reflect the latest releases from publishersAmong library selection tools Choice sends its reviewers books as they arereleased which means the books were released weeks if not months priorto the appearance of the review Library Journal strives to be very currentIt sends its reviewers pre-publication galleys of books so the published re-view can be coordinated with the bookrsquos release date

The challenge for reference materials selectors then is to locate currentquality reviews Private Four Year College B is typical in saying ChoiceLibrary Journal and ldquoselected journals in academic disciplinesrdquo are to beldquosystematically used for selection purposesrdquo While most academic andprofessional journals do include book reviews the reviews are typicallyout of date and are for general works rather than reference books On thewhole such sources can be safely ignored for reference collection devel-opment purposes There are of course numerous other sources to con-sider such as American Libraries ARBA American Reference BooksAnnual Booklist Collection Management College and Research LibrariesCampRL News Library Journal Publishers Weekly Public Libraries and Ref-erence amp User Services Quarterly In addition as departments move beyondjust books Choice Electronic Resources Review The Scout Report(httpwwwscoutcswisceduscoutreport) the Tourbus(httpwwwtourbuscom) and others are becoming good sources for re-views of Web and electronic reference resources

The other way libraries are commonly notified of the availability of newreference resources is through advertising Direct mailing ads in journalsfaxes and calls from vendors often offer special inducements such as dis-counts on pre-publication orders The dilemma for the reference selectoris that in order to take advantage of such an offer the purchase must bemade on faithndashthat is without the advantage of reading reviews At timesit may be appropriate to purchase materials of unknown quality for whichreviews are not yet available Such circumstances would be if there is noother work of comparable scope if the collection policy calls for compre-hensive collecting in a particular area if a work is of such significance that

Daniel Liestman 91

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the library needs to purchase it regardless or if there is an immediateneed for a such a work

Although approval plans are typically beyond the reach of many collegeand undergraduate libraries they do warrant passing mention They aretypically based on a book jobberrsquos individually tailored description of a li-braryrsquos needs A well-designed profile can relieve overworked librariansof some of the work involved in scanning countless selection tools and adsBut at the same time the profile must be monitored and the librariansmust also be aware of omissions The profile also needs to be reviewedand refined regularly which also takes time Waiting for reference itemsto arrive in approval order shipments may even be slower than directly or-dering an item Moreover complete coverage of all current reference ma-terials is not possible regardless of the ldquoelegance and precisionrdquo of alibraryrsquos profile (Hattendorf 1990 2) Hattendorf also suggests that newmaterials are acquired without sufficient consideration of the pertinenceand relevance to user needs and the overall collection and to some de-gree approval plans can be blamed for this (Hattendorf 1989 220) TheBiggsrsquo study nonetheless found that most libraries are willing to acceptthe selections of an approval plan vendor regarding reference books(Biggs 1987 73)

There are a number of other factors that should be addressed in the ref-erence collection policy statement

Format

Not too long ago decisions on format were confined to cloth versuspaperbinding Now there are a plethora of formats to considerndashmost ofthem computer-based State University B says it collects ldquoall appropriateformats of materials based on content availability desirability spaceequipment requirements and costrdquo In its 1993 statement State Univer-sity C says it has ldquobegun to veer away from wide coverage of science in-dexes in print with the idea of replacing them with electronic coveragerdquoCompounding this matter are mixed-format reference resources Todaypublishers frequently include a CD-ROM in a reference book What to dowith this added material type then becomes a new access and control chal-lenge None of the policy statements received specifically addressed thisparticular issue

SerialsAnnuals

Although serials and annuals are a significant component of most ref-erence collections none of the policies received make more than passing

92 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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mention of this format Even though they are beyond the scope of mostreference collection policy statements but they still need to be consideredTracking and acquiring such sources is beyond the scope of this article andhas been dealt with elsewhere in the literature (Scott and Nolan 199370-71 Majka 1996 70-71) Nevertheless reference collection policesneed to address issues related to binding retention and irregular publica-tions

Circulation

As a rule reference materials do not circulate However most policesallow for at least one exception through which at the discretion of an ap-propriate staff member an item may go out for a limited time State Com-munity College B is typical in that it notes that at the option of thecirculation supervisor a reference item may be checked out for one day ifit is not in high demand Whatever is best for onersquos own library should beincluded in the reference policy statement

Duplicates

Rarely do reference collections include duplicates The relatively highcost of most reference works the typically brief time need for consulta-tion and their non-circulating nature obviates the need for duplication inmost instances However repeated requests and queuing for an item aswell as high potential usage may warrant the acquisition of duplicates inrare cases

Language

Most of the policies received assumed that with exception of dictionar-ies the primary emphasis of the reference collection is on material in theEnglish language However both State Universities A and B are more ex-plicit State University A says ldquoprimary considerationrdquo will be given toldquoreference tools in the English languagerdquo but the collection will also in-clude sources which support the Universityrsquos area studies programs andthe western European language sources which support research in the hu-manities It may be assumed that except as noted reference sources willbe in English However having a policy specifically stating as muchproved helpful for one library in fending off an unwanted gift encyclope-dia set written in Arabic

Recency

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Most reference collections make efforts to include the most recent ma-terials possible State University B is typical in saying that ldquousually onlythe latest editionrdquo of a reference title will be kept in reference and that re-moved materials will be sent to the circulating collection There are excep-tions and Private Four Year College B acknowledges this in its statementnoting ldquo[o]lder titles may be purchased as appropriate to needrdquo Such aclause allows a library some flexibility in its reference collection

CRITERIA OF INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION

Another way of shaping the nature of the reference collection issummed up by Hattendorf who notes ldquoIt is important to know what isNOT in the collection as well as what is in itrdquo (Hattendorf 1990 7) Aca-demic libraries generally do not include certain types of materialsTypically ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes travel guides genealogy materialsvertical file materials and used car price guides are excluded PrivateFour Year College B for example states ldquoThe non-academic interests ofstudents and faculty are to be met through use of the local public libraryand the regional library systemrdquo

While such a statement is typical there are no universally acceptedstandards as to what is included or excluded State Community College Astates ldquotextbooks will normally be excluded from library purchasesrdquo Onthe other hand State Community College B will acquire textbooks pro-vided they are ldquothe best and latest reference sources availablerdquo To vary-ing degrees the pol- icies of State Universities A and B both list the typesof materials to be included in their respective collections These include anumber of typical resources ranging from almanacs to yearbooks Somesuggest that such ldquolaundry listsrdquo are not really necessary and are often ar-bitrary Batt argues that it should seem obvious when a work has referencevalue and when it does not If a book winds up in the wrong place it is re-ally not a critical matter adding ldquoany decision can be reconsidered (aslong as you remain friendly with your catalogers)rdquo (Batt 1984 318-19)Others de-emphasize certain types of sources for example State Univer-sity C says it purchases few bibliographies ldquoas they are underutilized pro-portionally to the costrdquo Conversely State College B says ldquoEffort is alsomade [to acquire] relevant subject and general bibliographies for the pur-pose of comparing library holdings to the standard materials of the fieldrdquo

Although none of the policies received addressed this directly the liter-ature indicates some libraries include books that are not reference booksin the collection The Biggs found twenty percent of the institutions in

94 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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their study used ldquolikelihood of theftrdquo as a criterion for placing a work inreference (Biggs 1987 73) Likewise in other libraries the reference col-lection is often used in lieu of a reserves collection

Censoring materials is certainly a way to exclude items from a collec-tion All the statements received save one make specific reference tosupporting intellectual freedom The one in question undoubtedly alsosupports intellectual freedom but such supporting documents are notpart of the reference collection policy per se Some such as State CollegeB even include policy and procedures on how to respond to challengedmaterials On the other hand while giving numerous statements in sup-port of intellectual freedom in its policy State Community College B doesleave the door open to removing materials noting ldquoGenerally [authorrsquositalics] no effort will be made to censor the collectionrdquo Private College Fsays while it ldquorejects no materials due to ideological reasons the librarywill refuse to retain any materials classified to be lsquoOBSCENErsquo [their capi-talization] which will be determined by the Learning Resource Commit-tee Library Director and the Academic Deanrdquo

INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS

Stakeholders are all those with a significant interest or stake in the ref-erence collectionndashlibrarians teaching faculty students etc Private Col-lege H broadly defines this group by noting ldquoResponsibility for theselection of library materials for the College Library lies with the entire col-lege communityrdquo State College Brsquos library students and administrators areldquoencouraged to recommendrdquo new works The input of faculty is ldquoessen-tialrdquo provided it is in ldquotheir teaching areasrdquo says State Community Col-lege A However the policy adds that as ldquolibrarians are ultimatelyresponsible for the overall quality and balance of the total collectionthey will select and purchase materials in all subject areas in an attemptto fill obvious gaps overlooked by instructorsrdquo The expectation or atleast hope for participation is widely held

At the same time the question quickly becomes who has the ultimate au-thority and accountability for the reference collection While all stake-holders are interested in the collection reference personnel should have asignificant measure of responsibility for involvement with the decision mak-ing process as they have the closest ties to the collection its users and relatedservices In addition they are in the best position to know the trends goalsand objectives of current and future users Teaching faculty at Private FourYear College B for example are expected to act as subject specialists in their

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areas of expertise while library staff recommend materials for addition to thereference collection Still all recommendations go to the library directorwho makes the final selections

In other libraries common models are for bibliographers subject spe-cialists and reference librarians to make recommendations to the head ofreference or the collection management librarian In other cases selec-tions may be the responsibility of a reference collection team composedof internal and possibly external stakeholders An advantage of havingone person or one committee ultimately responsible for the reference col-lection is that they will be able to see that the collection is well balanced

Whatever selection model is followed communication consultationand collaboration must occur To enhance the process the person or per-sons making the selections should actually work at the reference desk Ifthis is not possible the selector for reference books should be highly recep-tive to suggestions made by those at the desk To further enhance the pro-cess and increase understanding a means of prioritizing requests can beimplemented For example a 3-star system with three stars designatingessential items two stars for important items and one star for supplemen-tary items would help the individual making selections understand thepriority of specific items If a team or committee is involved in the processa round-robin session would allow others to know what their colleaguesare ordering

MANAGING BUDGETARY COSTS

In the policies surveyed budgetary matters are generally not discussedbut there are a couple of exceptions Private College F for example notesthat its reference budget comes from the annual library budget the re-stricted library fund and duplicate book sales State Community CollegeF says it allots one third of its ten-thousand dollar book budget to the printreference collection Most libraries are less specific in their policies Agood future study would be to investigate funding and budgetary alloca-tions for reference collections

What can be gleaned from the polices is that money is tight The librarydirector at Independent Community College A observed ldquoIf I had a writ-ten-down policy it would be to do the best you can with budgets and learnto say lsquonorsquo a lotrdquo State University C says ldquoIt is necessary to try and addressa [sic] incredibly varied audience with a notably small budgetrdquo State Uni-versity A admits to financial limitations noting ldquoWe cannot purchase orsubscribe to all even if they are in our primary subject areas Added edi-tions frequent updates or supplements would improve currency In some

96 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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instances we may be able to purchase every third or fourth edition onlyrdquoPrivate Four Year College B stretches its reference dollars by requiringdiscipline-specific reference books come from that departmentrsquos book al-location while general reference works come from the reference budget

A particular challenge is for reference collection budgets to absorb thecosts of technology As Kluegel observes the advent of technology is trans-forming the reference collection into a ldquokaleidoscope of resources that canchange from one day to the next and the budget may look just as commin-gledrdquo (Kluegel 1996 454) There is no escaping the impact of technology onreference budgets State University A says improvement of ldquonetworkedelectronic access to informationrdquo is its ldquohighest priorityrdquo To better fund thisneed the libraryrsquos policy is to ldquoreplace print indexes with CD-ROM and on-line databasesrdquo Although not mentioned in any other policies this is prob-ably a common practice

Increasingly libraries are seeking ways to contain reference-relatedcosts through cooperative or consortial arrangements Some efforts havebeen made toward regional reference collection management These ef-forts can eliminate unnecessary duplication of expensive and infrequentlyused items while ensuring their accessibility to all within the systemConsortial agreements and arrangements for electronic resources areparticularly helpful Several models exist For example several librariescould acquire joint access to a database available via the Internet An-other model might involve one library deliberately buying source A whileanother does not but instead purchases source B the two could then tele-phone fax or e-mail reference questions and answers back and forthState Community College B and its local public library seem to take thisfurther in that they work together ldquoto provide access to database search-ing for faculty and studentsrdquo though the extent of this partnering is notelaborated upon in the policy

Although not mentioned in detail in any of the policies some state insti-tutions in Kansas participate in a number of consortial agreementsConsortial database agreements exist between the state-supported collegesand universities and one of the state community colleges Two of the stateuniversities participate in a large regional consortium too Such sharedbuying power allows access to resources the individual libraries would notbe able to attain on their own

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

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The explosion of electronic information resources marks the greatestchange in reference collection management Hazen states collectionsmust address the ldquoincreasingly complicated needs of users both currentand futurerdquo which are ldquoless and less limited to local holdingsrdquo (Hazen1995 30) Even though end-user electronic reference resources have beenaround for over a decade many libraries do not have a reference collec-tion management policy for such tools As a result such collections havegrown with little regard for planning Many libraries are struggling to inte-grate new forms of information technology into existing services opera-tions and policies ldquoThe challenge for this generation of librariansrdquoDemas says ldquois to seamlessly knit together a multiplicity of formats andaccess mechanisms into one intellectually cohesive user-friendly set of in-formation resources and services In shortrdquo he says ldquowe must adjust mostof our professional practices and daily operations to handle electronicpublications with a facility equal to or greater than that which we haveevolved for printed publicationsrdquo (Demas 1994 72)

One of the first issues a reference collection policy should addresswhen multiple formats are available is how the decision of whether to goelectronic is made Private College H says ldquoMachine-readable databaseswill be purchased in the most effective format available Hence some da-tabases will be accessed via the Internet and others may be on CD-ROMIn some cases print may be a totally appropriate formatrdquo Too often refer-ence sources are produced in electronic format because they can berather than because they should be As with any source attention must begiven to the intellectual organization and presentation of the informationThe question then becomes how to weigh the relative merits of contentpresentation and cost

Electronic resources present many unique challenges that a policyshould clarify Following is a list of suggested things to consider While itdoes not purport to be exhaustive it is designed to serve as a starting pointfor discussion (See Appendix A for a list of questions to be generally ap-plied to acquisition andor weeding of sources)

Technical Specifications

Is the database best utilized via the Internet on a local server on astand-alone or another option What compatibility is there between thedatabasesrsquo requirements and existing hardware and software What is thespeed and reliability of access Is the site updated and well maintainedHow stable is the database How is log in and authentication of users to behandledndashincluding distance users

98 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Documentation and Support

What level of technical support is available from the vendor Is this atan added cost Is the vendor reputable Is support service prompt and ad-equate How are licensing issues such as access by both local and remoteusers copyright data archiving etc handled What is the availability andquality of support materials If the electronic version is acquired can theprint version be canceled Will such action affect the subscription cost

Funding

How is the product itself to be paid for How will maintenance costs bepaid How will consumables (paper toner discs etc) be paid for Howmany computers are needed State University A speaks directly to thesecosts in its document In supporting the expense of these electronicsources the library admits ldquoThere is still an insufficient number ofworkstations or networking for simultaneous users for online CD-ROMand Internet searching This means that although we may have the meansto locate information we do not always have access to it at the momentneededrdquo

Database Content

Does content justify the format Is the content of the online databasethe same as the print index Is the content of the database reliable andvalid Is full textimage searching an option Will the content of the data-base meet the needs of future users How well does the database fit withinthe context of the existing collections and resources Is there a roll-off ofyears covered by the databasendashthat is if the database covers the most re-cent five years what happens to year six

User Interface

What level of instruction is needed to operate the database What isthe potential impact on public service points What output options areavailable for printing downloading and e-mailing

Continuity

How are issues such as licensing upgrading control and maintenancehandled

The answers to such questions are often beyond the ability of a singleindividual as they require substantial subject and technological knowl-

Daniel Liestman 99

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edge An effective reference collection policy should see to it that inputfrom both subject and systems specialists is obtained in making cost effec-tive decisions How such issues are addressed is dependent on the libraryrsquostechnology infrastructure Such issues may extend beyond the library tothe institutionrsquos systems office or academic computing department If sothe polices and practices of those departments have might influence themanagement of the libraryrsquos electronic collection The key to assimilatingnew technologies is to develop collaborative strategies that promote flexi-bility in the organization facilitate coordination and collaboration acrossorganizational divisions promote the ability of staff to adapt to constantchange and eliminate territoriality and develop shared goals and values

Another aspect of reference collection management policy is the cre-ation of a virtual reference collection that utilizes sources available on theWWW State University A says the potential of using World Wide Webresources with no direct cost to the department is ldquounlimited and mayeventually have an effect on collection development but it is difficult toassess the impact for the coming yearsrdquo Creating such a resource is be-yond the scope of this article and is better addressed by Demas McDon-ald and Lawrence who provide a solid basis for creating and maintainingsuch a digital reference collection (Demas McDonald and Lawrence1995 282-283)

Whether a reference policy incorporates an electronic virtual collec-tion or not a conspectus for electronic resources might still be useful If aconspectus is already used its collecting level categories may need only tobe adapted to reflect the use of electronic sources or a separate conspec-tus may be used

Although the use of electronic resources in a reference collection isnow an established part of the profession few of the policies received inthis research deal directly with such matters Moreover the literature isvaried and of no one opinion on how to proceed In creating a policy state-ment for onersquos own library local needs use patterns and resources will allneed to be considered

WEEDING

Most libraries see the value and benefits of weeding and although most lackwritten guidelines weeding is undertaken anyway Whether weeding is part ofa policy or not it usually occurs for two reasonsndashspace and collection philoso-phy

Space is usually given preeminent consideration as a factor involved inpromoting weeding State Community College A Library notes in its pol-

100 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

icy ldquoAs space limitations dictate materials will be considered for re-movalrdquo Beyond this the Biggs found most reference collections containmore than 10000 reference titles They concluded these were more titlesthan could be effectively mastered by most reference librarians (Biggs1987 67 69-70) Other studies support this finding and call for ldquoleanrdquo ref-erence collections filled with a few ldquohard-working titlesrdquo (Nolan 1991 80Nolan 1999 11-21 Joswick and Stierman 1993 108)

Collection philosophy is another reason for librarians to considerweeding In particular concern focuses on having the most recent andpresumably best information available Some go so far as to declare ldquoIt isbetter to do without [a reference resource] than to unintentionally pro-vide misinformation through outdated sourcesrdquo (Hattendorf 1989 222)Rettig draws an analogy between the toxic waste left at Love Canal andthe dangers of old and unreliable sources that ldquoplace library users inharmrsquos way The information in these booksrdquo he asserts ldquohas lost its util-ity but not its potencyrdquo (Rettig 1982 7) State College B acknowledgesthis concern and seeks to create a reference collection that is continuallyweeded to ldquoensure relevance validity and currencyrdquo

Despite the importance of weeding for space and philosophical rea-sons few libraries address this issue State University B Library does ac-knowledge that ldquoWeeding is as important as selectionrdquo adding that ldquoasthe Reference Collection is a working collection of important frequentlyconsulted resources careful and systematic weeding removes older lessdesirable works from the collectionrdquo This statement however providesno insight as to how such weeding is to be undertaken

Some of the institutions surveyed do discuss weeding in their referencecollection policies State Community College B for example weeds ldquoen-cyclopedias almanacs annuals yearbooks and like materials if they aremore than five years oldrdquo Yet most policies are like State University Arsquosin which the reference collection is ldquoperiodically weededrdquo In adoptingthis approach State Community College A states ldquocriteria for weedinginclude damaged titles and titles containing dated or inaccurate infor-mationrdquo

Weeding is not necessarily the same as discarding State University ALibrary for example has a ldquotrendrdquo to transfer so-called ldquostandard andclassicrdquo reference sources to the stacks or special collections as they aresuperseded or no longer used Other possibilities include using remotestorage for withdrawn reference works or transferring them to the stacksbut as non-circulating items On the other hand withdrawn referenceworks at State Community College B ldquomay be given to instructors or soldin book sales Anything not so disposed of may be given to local schools or

Daniel Liestman 101

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librariesrdquo Some libraries may also not weed their reference collections soas to avoid potential confrontations with users State Community CollegeB seeks to overcome this by having ldquothe librarian in consultation with thedirector and with input from the facultyrdquo participate in the weeding pro-cess Likewise State Community College A says faculty participation inweeding ldquoshould be encouragedrdquo Giving adequate notice of weeding anddeveloping a means for communicating the purpose of weeding and al-lowing participation in the process will go a long way to alleviate any angst

Even without these political considerations weeding is a difficult ex-pensive undertaking It is labor intensive and time consuming However ifweeding is done on a regular basis rather than all at once it can be moreeasily integrated into the work flow of those involved The questions pro-vided in Appendix A will be helpful in making weeding decisions

One question not included in Appendix A merits special considerationhow frequently is a resource used Determining usage of reference collec-tions is not often or easily undertaken Engeldinger conducted a survey of377 academic libraries and found only 23 conducted a user survey of theircollections (Engeldinger 1986 367-71) As reference collections arenon-circulating simple circulation counts are not a viable measure of useIn light of this a number of creative means have been developed to assesshow reference collections are used including dotting the spine making ticmarks to note each time a book is used over a period of time table countsexamining infrared dust beads on top of a book or placing unexposed pho-tographic paper in the pages of a book Some online systems allow booksto be recorded as ldquobrowsedrdquo if they are wanded after pick-up (Slote 1997219-225) Even as creative as some of these are they still focus on presentuser demand and fail to anticipate future needs While there may not bean easy way to weed a superior collection policy will address this matter ina manner that best serves onersquos own library

CONCLUSION

A couple of problems soon became obvious in this survey First was thelack of responses Secondly there is no way to tell how closely actual prac-tice follows the policy A possible follow-up study would be to see how welllibraries adhere to their own policies

Creating and implementing a reference collection policy for onersquos ownlibrary clearly requires a commitment of time and energy The library di-rector of Private College A wrote

102 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

There must be a break point so to speak in terms of how small a li-brary is or the ratio of staff to patrons or some other key factor thatmust explain why some libraryrsquos [sic] have a written policy while oth-ers do not revise the ancient ones they have In our case we canrsquotbreathe much less write a policy Even if we had a policy we wouldnrsquothave time to refer to it I would be the first to question the qualityand professionalism of an academic situation without a CD (Collec-tion Development) policy but as you are well aware Librarians aregenerally low man on the budget distribution totem pole

Still such a policy is worth undertaking Hazen argues a policy willhave the library ldquosolidify its own sense of purpose and also point the cam-pus toward the future by recasting its documentation in terms of all theresearch resources associated with its users and the fields they representrdquoBy including the Web and other broad based resources rather than ldquoinsist-ing on the inflexible site specific codificationrdquo of print acquisitions thepolicy will set the tone for the library as a major player in the informationage (Hazen 1995 31)

For those contemplating the creation and implementation of their ownpolicy the following points should be considered

Make a Commitment to It

Those who are directly affected by the policy should be committed to itIf they are not it will be unenforceable and useless More than one personshould be involved in the creation of the policy so that more people be-come invested in it and a variety of viewpoints are heard How and why thepolicy is being developed and for whom needs to be made clear Thereshould be meetings in which stakeholders can discuss concerns and re-solve such matters In this way everyone will be involved in the process andhave an opportunity to input ideas Whatever scope a policy takes its suc-cess depends on the degree of commitment to the policy by all involved

Keep It Unique to Onersquos Own Collection

Some argue that as there are not that many differences between librar-ies and detailed reference policies are unneeded Batt suggests one couldcreate boilerplate policies for all libraries with a final fill-in-the-blank sec-tion for special idiosyncrasies or ldquolocal peccadilloesrdquo (Batt 1984 313)Any policy needs to be individualized to the unique circumstances of thereference collection involved Any individualized policy may be one pageor severalndashthe key is whatever works best for onersquos own reference collec-

Daniel Liestman 103

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tion In constructing the policy think of issues which have been problemsin the past and how they might be best addressed

Keep Your Audience in Mind

While some such as Batt do not believe a reference collection policyhas an external audience it does and the interests of those stakeholdersneed to be kept in mind

Think Out of the Box

Donrsquot make the policy a reiteration of how things have always beendone Use this as an opportunity to think of new ways of doing things Toooften reference collection policies are written just for reference books Agood policy will include all other forms of reference sources ranging frommicrofiche to the World Wide Web

Keep It Simple

Some policies get bogged down in minutiae such as defining what a ref-erence resource is One study found a library with four guidelines devotedspecifically to telephone directories Such discussions are often esotericand have little to do with the application of the policy (Hattendorf 1989224-225)

Keep It Meaningful

On the other hand a policy should not be so succinct as to be meaning-less One library in another study noted ldquoThe basic reference collectionwill be made up of the following a basic reference collectionrdquo This gen-eralization so vague as to be meaningless (Hattendorf 1989 224-225) Apolicy should have some value and meaning to itndashif it doesnrsquot you donrsquotneed one

Donrsquot Reinvent the Wheel

While it is important even essential to tailor a policy to the needs ofonersquos own collection it may be helpful to review what others have donePeer institutions may be willing to share what they have The Web can alsobe searched for policies

Keep It Flexible

104 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Private College H says ldquoThe policies stated herein shall not be consid-ered inflexible regulationsrdquo Indeed there should be some room for ambi-guity as there will invariably be exceptions to every rule or guidelinePolicies are there to guidendashnot to enforce without reason

Donrsquot Put It Off

If collection management can be described as ldquothe task neglected whentime constraints applyrdquo writing a policy is often put off until there is timeto do it The trouble is there never is time to do it until a conscientious ef-fort is made to do so (Cuberly 1987 302) Few argue with the need for sucha policy yet few make the time to create such a policy

Keep It Current

The best policy is one which is up-to-date A policy should be reviewedannually and updated as needed A policy should be a living documentsubject to modification and adaptation as change occurs within the de-partment as well as the information environment The policy should de-velop over time in response to these changes State College A forexample describes its policy as ldquoevolutionaryrdquo and endeavors to keep itcurrent

Ask the Right Questions

To begin addressing some of these issues it is important to know whatquestions to ask Hattendorf provides some excellent suggestions for con-sideration prior to drafting a statement (Hattendorf 1989 223)

1 Why do we have a reference collection2 What is our philosophy of reference service3 What do we want the reference collection to be and do

Daniel Liestman 105

QUICK BIB

Biggs Mary and Victor ldquoReference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Surveyrdquo RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Reference Collection Development A programpresented at the 99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference No-vember 15 1990 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Re-production Service ED335049)

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

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014

4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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014

Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

Daniel Liestman 109

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bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

Daniel Liestman 111

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

Daniel Liestman 113

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014

are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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Page 8: Reference Collection Management Policies

Defining the nature of the collection and determining the criteria of inclu-sion and exclusion are closely related In the context of this discussion defin-ing the nature of the collection will be seen as more of a strategic issue whiledeciding specifically what to keep in and what to keep out is more of a tacticalissue

State Community College A for example says the purpose of its refer-ence collection is to support the curriculum provide basic cultural andrecreational needs and ldquosupport a degree of faculty researchrdquo It addsthat current titles will be emphasized and that ldquovarying points-of-view re-garding controversial issues will be represented as availablerdquo On theother hand State University A states ldquoThe purpose of the reference col-lection is to support the Universityrsquos teaching and research programs andit does not cater to the lay readerrdquo The document adds that ldquothere is noattempt made to build the collection to meet the needs of non-Universityusersrdquo Likewise Private Four Year College B seeks to define not onlywhat its collection is but what it is not While its reference collection seeksto ldquoprovide classroom support for the programs and courses of the col-legerdquo it acknowledges the collection ldquocannot be all things to all usersrdquoThis policy then explains its twin thrusts first it gives attention to the ldquore-search needs of faculty students and other patronsrdquo Secondly it empha-sizes ldquoacquiring foundational titlesrdquo which ldquowill allow users to identifyrelevant materials that may be obtained from sources beyond the collegersquoscampusrdquo Private College H says its reference collection is selected ldquoonmatters of curricular interestrdquo but adds ldquoall areas in which factual infor-mation may be desiredrdquo are included

In defining the nature of the reference collection it is significant tonote that all of the policies received in this survey emphasize the practicaluse of their collections rather than meeting the recommendations ofsources such as Sheehy or Winchell which prescribe certain referenceclassics for any collection regardless of age language or appropriatenessStill some of the literature suggests using standard bibliographies as toolsin developing a core reference collection (Luchsinger 1992 106-110)Likewise State College B says teaching faculty are ldquoencouragedrdquo to usebibliographies However the research indicates there is little agreementeven among experts as to what basic or fundamental reference sourcesare (Hopkins 1991 84-85 and Larsen 1979 341-48) Given this lack ofconsensus such standards should not be relied upon exclusively for cre-ation of a reference collection This is not to say that such sources shouldbe ignored altogether either for bibliographies and guides germane forcollege and undergraduate level reference collections still may be con-

90 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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sulted as a starting point if local needs are kept in mind (Lang 1992Wynar 1985 Wynar 1992)

The challenge still remainsndashhow to decide which portion of the refer-ence universe a library wants to call its own Two basic ways of identifyingand acquiring new items for the collection are direct selection andor ap-proval plans Reviews are an essential component of the direct orderingprocess Most reference collection policies mention reviews as a source toconsult prior to acquiring an item The obvious shortcoming is that re-views are a reflection of the biases of the reviewer Another disadvantageof reviews is that they may not reflect the latest releases from publishersAmong library selection tools Choice sends its reviewers books as they arereleased which means the books were released weeks if not months priorto the appearance of the review Library Journal strives to be very currentIt sends its reviewers pre-publication galleys of books so the published re-view can be coordinated with the bookrsquos release date

The challenge for reference materials selectors then is to locate currentquality reviews Private Four Year College B is typical in saying ChoiceLibrary Journal and ldquoselected journals in academic disciplinesrdquo are to beldquosystematically used for selection purposesrdquo While most academic andprofessional journals do include book reviews the reviews are typicallyout of date and are for general works rather than reference books On thewhole such sources can be safely ignored for reference collection devel-opment purposes There are of course numerous other sources to con-sider such as American Libraries ARBA American Reference BooksAnnual Booklist Collection Management College and Research LibrariesCampRL News Library Journal Publishers Weekly Public Libraries and Ref-erence amp User Services Quarterly In addition as departments move beyondjust books Choice Electronic Resources Review The Scout Report(httpwwwscoutcswisceduscoutreport) the Tourbus(httpwwwtourbuscom) and others are becoming good sources for re-views of Web and electronic reference resources

The other way libraries are commonly notified of the availability of newreference resources is through advertising Direct mailing ads in journalsfaxes and calls from vendors often offer special inducements such as dis-counts on pre-publication orders The dilemma for the reference selectoris that in order to take advantage of such an offer the purchase must bemade on faithndashthat is without the advantage of reading reviews At timesit may be appropriate to purchase materials of unknown quality for whichreviews are not yet available Such circumstances would be if there is noother work of comparable scope if the collection policy calls for compre-hensive collecting in a particular area if a work is of such significance that

Daniel Liestman 91

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the library needs to purchase it regardless or if there is an immediateneed for a such a work

Although approval plans are typically beyond the reach of many collegeand undergraduate libraries they do warrant passing mention They aretypically based on a book jobberrsquos individually tailored description of a li-braryrsquos needs A well-designed profile can relieve overworked librariansof some of the work involved in scanning countless selection tools and adsBut at the same time the profile must be monitored and the librariansmust also be aware of omissions The profile also needs to be reviewedand refined regularly which also takes time Waiting for reference itemsto arrive in approval order shipments may even be slower than directly or-dering an item Moreover complete coverage of all current reference ma-terials is not possible regardless of the ldquoelegance and precisionrdquo of alibraryrsquos profile (Hattendorf 1990 2) Hattendorf also suggests that newmaterials are acquired without sufficient consideration of the pertinenceand relevance to user needs and the overall collection and to some de-gree approval plans can be blamed for this (Hattendorf 1989 220) TheBiggsrsquo study nonetheless found that most libraries are willing to acceptthe selections of an approval plan vendor regarding reference books(Biggs 1987 73)

There are a number of other factors that should be addressed in the ref-erence collection policy statement

Format

Not too long ago decisions on format were confined to cloth versuspaperbinding Now there are a plethora of formats to considerndashmost ofthem computer-based State University B says it collects ldquoall appropriateformats of materials based on content availability desirability spaceequipment requirements and costrdquo In its 1993 statement State Univer-sity C says it has ldquobegun to veer away from wide coverage of science in-dexes in print with the idea of replacing them with electronic coveragerdquoCompounding this matter are mixed-format reference resources Todaypublishers frequently include a CD-ROM in a reference book What to dowith this added material type then becomes a new access and control chal-lenge None of the policy statements received specifically addressed thisparticular issue

SerialsAnnuals

Although serials and annuals are a significant component of most ref-erence collections none of the policies received make more than passing

92 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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mention of this format Even though they are beyond the scope of mostreference collection policy statements but they still need to be consideredTracking and acquiring such sources is beyond the scope of this article andhas been dealt with elsewhere in the literature (Scott and Nolan 199370-71 Majka 1996 70-71) Nevertheless reference collection policesneed to address issues related to binding retention and irregular publica-tions

Circulation

As a rule reference materials do not circulate However most policesallow for at least one exception through which at the discretion of an ap-propriate staff member an item may go out for a limited time State Com-munity College B is typical in that it notes that at the option of thecirculation supervisor a reference item may be checked out for one day ifit is not in high demand Whatever is best for onersquos own library should beincluded in the reference policy statement

Duplicates

Rarely do reference collections include duplicates The relatively highcost of most reference works the typically brief time need for consulta-tion and their non-circulating nature obviates the need for duplication inmost instances However repeated requests and queuing for an item aswell as high potential usage may warrant the acquisition of duplicates inrare cases

Language

Most of the policies received assumed that with exception of dictionar-ies the primary emphasis of the reference collection is on material in theEnglish language However both State Universities A and B are more ex-plicit State University A says ldquoprimary considerationrdquo will be given toldquoreference tools in the English languagerdquo but the collection will also in-clude sources which support the Universityrsquos area studies programs andthe western European language sources which support research in the hu-manities It may be assumed that except as noted reference sources willbe in English However having a policy specifically stating as muchproved helpful for one library in fending off an unwanted gift encyclope-dia set written in Arabic

Recency

Daniel Liestman 93

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Most reference collections make efforts to include the most recent ma-terials possible State University B is typical in saying that ldquousually onlythe latest editionrdquo of a reference title will be kept in reference and that re-moved materials will be sent to the circulating collection There are excep-tions and Private Four Year College B acknowledges this in its statementnoting ldquo[o]lder titles may be purchased as appropriate to needrdquo Such aclause allows a library some flexibility in its reference collection

CRITERIA OF INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION

Another way of shaping the nature of the reference collection issummed up by Hattendorf who notes ldquoIt is important to know what isNOT in the collection as well as what is in itrdquo (Hattendorf 1990 7) Aca-demic libraries generally do not include certain types of materialsTypically ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes travel guides genealogy materialsvertical file materials and used car price guides are excluded PrivateFour Year College B for example states ldquoThe non-academic interests ofstudents and faculty are to be met through use of the local public libraryand the regional library systemrdquo

While such a statement is typical there are no universally acceptedstandards as to what is included or excluded State Community College Astates ldquotextbooks will normally be excluded from library purchasesrdquo Onthe other hand State Community College B will acquire textbooks pro-vided they are ldquothe best and latest reference sources availablerdquo To vary-ing degrees the pol- icies of State Universities A and B both list the typesof materials to be included in their respective collections These include anumber of typical resources ranging from almanacs to yearbooks Somesuggest that such ldquolaundry listsrdquo are not really necessary and are often ar-bitrary Batt argues that it should seem obvious when a work has referencevalue and when it does not If a book winds up in the wrong place it is re-ally not a critical matter adding ldquoany decision can be reconsidered (aslong as you remain friendly with your catalogers)rdquo (Batt 1984 318-19)Others de-emphasize certain types of sources for example State Univer-sity C says it purchases few bibliographies ldquoas they are underutilized pro-portionally to the costrdquo Conversely State College B says ldquoEffort is alsomade [to acquire] relevant subject and general bibliographies for the pur-pose of comparing library holdings to the standard materials of the fieldrdquo

Although none of the policies received addressed this directly the liter-ature indicates some libraries include books that are not reference booksin the collection The Biggs found twenty percent of the institutions in

94 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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their study used ldquolikelihood of theftrdquo as a criterion for placing a work inreference (Biggs 1987 73) Likewise in other libraries the reference col-lection is often used in lieu of a reserves collection

Censoring materials is certainly a way to exclude items from a collec-tion All the statements received save one make specific reference tosupporting intellectual freedom The one in question undoubtedly alsosupports intellectual freedom but such supporting documents are notpart of the reference collection policy per se Some such as State CollegeB even include policy and procedures on how to respond to challengedmaterials On the other hand while giving numerous statements in sup-port of intellectual freedom in its policy State Community College B doesleave the door open to removing materials noting ldquoGenerally [authorrsquositalics] no effort will be made to censor the collectionrdquo Private College Fsays while it ldquorejects no materials due to ideological reasons the librarywill refuse to retain any materials classified to be lsquoOBSCENErsquo [their capi-talization] which will be determined by the Learning Resource Commit-tee Library Director and the Academic Deanrdquo

INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS

Stakeholders are all those with a significant interest or stake in the ref-erence collectionndashlibrarians teaching faculty students etc Private Col-lege H broadly defines this group by noting ldquoResponsibility for theselection of library materials for the College Library lies with the entire col-lege communityrdquo State College Brsquos library students and administrators areldquoencouraged to recommendrdquo new works The input of faculty is ldquoessen-tialrdquo provided it is in ldquotheir teaching areasrdquo says State Community Col-lege A However the policy adds that as ldquolibrarians are ultimatelyresponsible for the overall quality and balance of the total collectionthey will select and purchase materials in all subject areas in an attemptto fill obvious gaps overlooked by instructorsrdquo The expectation or atleast hope for participation is widely held

At the same time the question quickly becomes who has the ultimate au-thority and accountability for the reference collection While all stake-holders are interested in the collection reference personnel should have asignificant measure of responsibility for involvement with the decision mak-ing process as they have the closest ties to the collection its users and relatedservices In addition they are in the best position to know the trends goalsand objectives of current and future users Teaching faculty at Private FourYear College B for example are expected to act as subject specialists in their

Daniel Liestman 95

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areas of expertise while library staff recommend materials for addition to thereference collection Still all recommendations go to the library directorwho makes the final selections

In other libraries common models are for bibliographers subject spe-cialists and reference librarians to make recommendations to the head ofreference or the collection management librarian In other cases selec-tions may be the responsibility of a reference collection team composedof internal and possibly external stakeholders An advantage of havingone person or one committee ultimately responsible for the reference col-lection is that they will be able to see that the collection is well balanced

Whatever selection model is followed communication consultationand collaboration must occur To enhance the process the person or per-sons making the selections should actually work at the reference desk Ifthis is not possible the selector for reference books should be highly recep-tive to suggestions made by those at the desk To further enhance the pro-cess and increase understanding a means of prioritizing requests can beimplemented For example a 3-star system with three stars designatingessential items two stars for important items and one star for supplemen-tary items would help the individual making selections understand thepriority of specific items If a team or committee is involved in the processa round-robin session would allow others to know what their colleaguesare ordering

MANAGING BUDGETARY COSTS

In the policies surveyed budgetary matters are generally not discussedbut there are a couple of exceptions Private College F for example notesthat its reference budget comes from the annual library budget the re-stricted library fund and duplicate book sales State Community CollegeF says it allots one third of its ten-thousand dollar book budget to the printreference collection Most libraries are less specific in their policies Agood future study would be to investigate funding and budgetary alloca-tions for reference collections

What can be gleaned from the polices is that money is tight The librarydirector at Independent Community College A observed ldquoIf I had a writ-ten-down policy it would be to do the best you can with budgets and learnto say lsquonorsquo a lotrdquo State University C says ldquoIt is necessary to try and addressa [sic] incredibly varied audience with a notably small budgetrdquo State Uni-versity A admits to financial limitations noting ldquoWe cannot purchase orsubscribe to all even if they are in our primary subject areas Added edi-tions frequent updates or supplements would improve currency In some

96 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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instances we may be able to purchase every third or fourth edition onlyrdquoPrivate Four Year College B stretches its reference dollars by requiringdiscipline-specific reference books come from that departmentrsquos book al-location while general reference works come from the reference budget

A particular challenge is for reference collection budgets to absorb thecosts of technology As Kluegel observes the advent of technology is trans-forming the reference collection into a ldquokaleidoscope of resources that canchange from one day to the next and the budget may look just as commin-gledrdquo (Kluegel 1996 454) There is no escaping the impact of technology onreference budgets State University A says improvement of ldquonetworkedelectronic access to informationrdquo is its ldquohighest priorityrdquo To better fund thisneed the libraryrsquos policy is to ldquoreplace print indexes with CD-ROM and on-line databasesrdquo Although not mentioned in any other policies this is prob-ably a common practice

Increasingly libraries are seeking ways to contain reference-relatedcosts through cooperative or consortial arrangements Some efforts havebeen made toward regional reference collection management These ef-forts can eliminate unnecessary duplication of expensive and infrequentlyused items while ensuring their accessibility to all within the systemConsortial agreements and arrangements for electronic resources areparticularly helpful Several models exist For example several librariescould acquire joint access to a database available via the Internet An-other model might involve one library deliberately buying source A whileanother does not but instead purchases source B the two could then tele-phone fax or e-mail reference questions and answers back and forthState Community College B and its local public library seem to take thisfurther in that they work together ldquoto provide access to database search-ing for faculty and studentsrdquo though the extent of this partnering is notelaborated upon in the policy

Although not mentioned in detail in any of the policies some state insti-tutions in Kansas participate in a number of consortial agreementsConsortial database agreements exist between the state-supported collegesand universities and one of the state community colleges Two of the stateuniversities participate in a large regional consortium too Such sharedbuying power allows access to resources the individual libraries would notbe able to attain on their own

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

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The explosion of electronic information resources marks the greatestchange in reference collection management Hazen states collectionsmust address the ldquoincreasingly complicated needs of users both currentand futurerdquo which are ldquoless and less limited to local holdingsrdquo (Hazen1995 30) Even though end-user electronic reference resources have beenaround for over a decade many libraries do not have a reference collec-tion management policy for such tools As a result such collections havegrown with little regard for planning Many libraries are struggling to inte-grate new forms of information technology into existing services opera-tions and policies ldquoThe challenge for this generation of librariansrdquoDemas says ldquois to seamlessly knit together a multiplicity of formats andaccess mechanisms into one intellectually cohesive user-friendly set of in-formation resources and services In shortrdquo he says ldquowe must adjust mostof our professional practices and daily operations to handle electronicpublications with a facility equal to or greater than that which we haveevolved for printed publicationsrdquo (Demas 1994 72)

One of the first issues a reference collection policy should addresswhen multiple formats are available is how the decision of whether to goelectronic is made Private College H says ldquoMachine-readable databaseswill be purchased in the most effective format available Hence some da-tabases will be accessed via the Internet and others may be on CD-ROMIn some cases print may be a totally appropriate formatrdquo Too often refer-ence sources are produced in electronic format because they can berather than because they should be As with any source attention must begiven to the intellectual organization and presentation of the informationThe question then becomes how to weigh the relative merits of contentpresentation and cost

Electronic resources present many unique challenges that a policyshould clarify Following is a list of suggested things to consider While itdoes not purport to be exhaustive it is designed to serve as a starting pointfor discussion (See Appendix A for a list of questions to be generally ap-plied to acquisition andor weeding of sources)

Technical Specifications

Is the database best utilized via the Internet on a local server on astand-alone or another option What compatibility is there between thedatabasesrsquo requirements and existing hardware and software What is thespeed and reliability of access Is the site updated and well maintainedHow stable is the database How is log in and authentication of users to behandledndashincluding distance users

98 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Documentation and Support

What level of technical support is available from the vendor Is this atan added cost Is the vendor reputable Is support service prompt and ad-equate How are licensing issues such as access by both local and remoteusers copyright data archiving etc handled What is the availability andquality of support materials If the electronic version is acquired can theprint version be canceled Will such action affect the subscription cost

Funding

How is the product itself to be paid for How will maintenance costs bepaid How will consumables (paper toner discs etc) be paid for Howmany computers are needed State University A speaks directly to thesecosts in its document In supporting the expense of these electronicsources the library admits ldquoThere is still an insufficient number ofworkstations or networking for simultaneous users for online CD-ROMand Internet searching This means that although we may have the meansto locate information we do not always have access to it at the momentneededrdquo

Database Content

Does content justify the format Is the content of the online databasethe same as the print index Is the content of the database reliable andvalid Is full textimage searching an option Will the content of the data-base meet the needs of future users How well does the database fit withinthe context of the existing collections and resources Is there a roll-off ofyears covered by the databasendashthat is if the database covers the most re-cent five years what happens to year six

User Interface

What level of instruction is needed to operate the database What isthe potential impact on public service points What output options areavailable for printing downloading and e-mailing

Continuity

How are issues such as licensing upgrading control and maintenancehandled

The answers to such questions are often beyond the ability of a singleindividual as they require substantial subject and technological knowl-

Daniel Liestman 99

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edge An effective reference collection policy should see to it that inputfrom both subject and systems specialists is obtained in making cost effec-tive decisions How such issues are addressed is dependent on the libraryrsquostechnology infrastructure Such issues may extend beyond the library tothe institutionrsquos systems office or academic computing department If sothe polices and practices of those departments have might influence themanagement of the libraryrsquos electronic collection The key to assimilatingnew technologies is to develop collaborative strategies that promote flexi-bility in the organization facilitate coordination and collaboration acrossorganizational divisions promote the ability of staff to adapt to constantchange and eliminate territoriality and develop shared goals and values

Another aspect of reference collection management policy is the cre-ation of a virtual reference collection that utilizes sources available on theWWW State University A says the potential of using World Wide Webresources with no direct cost to the department is ldquounlimited and mayeventually have an effect on collection development but it is difficult toassess the impact for the coming yearsrdquo Creating such a resource is be-yond the scope of this article and is better addressed by Demas McDon-ald and Lawrence who provide a solid basis for creating and maintainingsuch a digital reference collection (Demas McDonald and Lawrence1995 282-283)

Whether a reference policy incorporates an electronic virtual collec-tion or not a conspectus for electronic resources might still be useful If aconspectus is already used its collecting level categories may need only tobe adapted to reflect the use of electronic sources or a separate conspec-tus may be used

Although the use of electronic resources in a reference collection isnow an established part of the profession few of the policies received inthis research deal directly with such matters Moreover the literature isvaried and of no one opinion on how to proceed In creating a policy state-ment for onersquos own library local needs use patterns and resources will allneed to be considered

WEEDING

Most libraries see the value and benefits of weeding and although most lackwritten guidelines weeding is undertaken anyway Whether weeding is part ofa policy or not it usually occurs for two reasonsndashspace and collection philoso-phy

Space is usually given preeminent consideration as a factor involved inpromoting weeding State Community College A Library notes in its pol-

100 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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icy ldquoAs space limitations dictate materials will be considered for re-movalrdquo Beyond this the Biggs found most reference collections containmore than 10000 reference titles They concluded these were more titlesthan could be effectively mastered by most reference librarians (Biggs1987 67 69-70) Other studies support this finding and call for ldquoleanrdquo ref-erence collections filled with a few ldquohard-working titlesrdquo (Nolan 1991 80Nolan 1999 11-21 Joswick and Stierman 1993 108)

Collection philosophy is another reason for librarians to considerweeding In particular concern focuses on having the most recent andpresumably best information available Some go so far as to declare ldquoIt isbetter to do without [a reference resource] than to unintentionally pro-vide misinformation through outdated sourcesrdquo (Hattendorf 1989 222)Rettig draws an analogy between the toxic waste left at Love Canal andthe dangers of old and unreliable sources that ldquoplace library users inharmrsquos way The information in these booksrdquo he asserts ldquohas lost its util-ity but not its potencyrdquo (Rettig 1982 7) State College B acknowledgesthis concern and seeks to create a reference collection that is continuallyweeded to ldquoensure relevance validity and currencyrdquo

Despite the importance of weeding for space and philosophical rea-sons few libraries address this issue State University B Library does ac-knowledge that ldquoWeeding is as important as selectionrdquo adding that ldquoasthe Reference Collection is a working collection of important frequentlyconsulted resources careful and systematic weeding removes older lessdesirable works from the collectionrdquo This statement however providesno insight as to how such weeding is to be undertaken

Some of the institutions surveyed do discuss weeding in their referencecollection policies State Community College B for example weeds ldquoen-cyclopedias almanacs annuals yearbooks and like materials if they aremore than five years oldrdquo Yet most policies are like State University Arsquosin which the reference collection is ldquoperiodically weededrdquo In adoptingthis approach State Community College A states ldquocriteria for weedinginclude damaged titles and titles containing dated or inaccurate infor-mationrdquo

Weeding is not necessarily the same as discarding State University ALibrary for example has a ldquotrendrdquo to transfer so-called ldquostandard andclassicrdquo reference sources to the stacks or special collections as they aresuperseded or no longer used Other possibilities include using remotestorage for withdrawn reference works or transferring them to the stacksbut as non-circulating items On the other hand withdrawn referenceworks at State Community College B ldquomay be given to instructors or soldin book sales Anything not so disposed of may be given to local schools or

Daniel Liestman 101

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014

librariesrdquo Some libraries may also not weed their reference collections soas to avoid potential confrontations with users State Community CollegeB seeks to overcome this by having ldquothe librarian in consultation with thedirector and with input from the facultyrdquo participate in the weeding pro-cess Likewise State Community College A says faculty participation inweeding ldquoshould be encouragedrdquo Giving adequate notice of weeding anddeveloping a means for communicating the purpose of weeding and al-lowing participation in the process will go a long way to alleviate any angst

Even without these political considerations weeding is a difficult ex-pensive undertaking It is labor intensive and time consuming However ifweeding is done on a regular basis rather than all at once it can be moreeasily integrated into the work flow of those involved The questions pro-vided in Appendix A will be helpful in making weeding decisions

One question not included in Appendix A merits special considerationhow frequently is a resource used Determining usage of reference collec-tions is not often or easily undertaken Engeldinger conducted a survey of377 academic libraries and found only 23 conducted a user survey of theircollections (Engeldinger 1986 367-71) As reference collections arenon-circulating simple circulation counts are not a viable measure of useIn light of this a number of creative means have been developed to assesshow reference collections are used including dotting the spine making ticmarks to note each time a book is used over a period of time table countsexamining infrared dust beads on top of a book or placing unexposed pho-tographic paper in the pages of a book Some online systems allow booksto be recorded as ldquobrowsedrdquo if they are wanded after pick-up (Slote 1997219-225) Even as creative as some of these are they still focus on presentuser demand and fail to anticipate future needs While there may not bean easy way to weed a superior collection policy will address this matter ina manner that best serves onersquos own library

CONCLUSION

A couple of problems soon became obvious in this survey First was thelack of responses Secondly there is no way to tell how closely actual prac-tice follows the policy A possible follow-up study would be to see how welllibraries adhere to their own policies

Creating and implementing a reference collection policy for onersquos ownlibrary clearly requires a commitment of time and energy The library di-rector of Private College A wrote

102 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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There must be a break point so to speak in terms of how small a li-brary is or the ratio of staff to patrons or some other key factor thatmust explain why some libraryrsquos [sic] have a written policy while oth-ers do not revise the ancient ones they have In our case we canrsquotbreathe much less write a policy Even if we had a policy we wouldnrsquothave time to refer to it I would be the first to question the qualityand professionalism of an academic situation without a CD (Collec-tion Development) policy but as you are well aware Librarians aregenerally low man on the budget distribution totem pole

Still such a policy is worth undertaking Hazen argues a policy willhave the library ldquosolidify its own sense of purpose and also point the cam-pus toward the future by recasting its documentation in terms of all theresearch resources associated with its users and the fields they representrdquoBy including the Web and other broad based resources rather than ldquoinsist-ing on the inflexible site specific codificationrdquo of print acquisitions thepolicy will set the tone for the library as a major player in the informationage (Hazen 1995 31)

For those contemplating the creation and implementation of their ownpolicy the following points should be considered

Make a Commitment to It

Those who are directly affected by the policy should be committed to itIf they are not it will be unenforceable and useless More than one personshould be involved in the creation of the policy so that more people be-come invested in it and a variety of viewpoints are heard How and why thepolicy is being developed and for whom needs to be made clear Thereshould be meetings in which stakeholders can discuss concerns and re-solve such matters In this way everyone will be involved in the process andhave an opportunity to input ideas Whatever scope a policy takes its suc-cess depends on the degree of commitment to the policy by all involved

Keep It Unique to Onersquos Own Collection

Some argue that as there are not that many differences between librar-ies and detailed reference policies are unneeded Batt suggests one couldcreate boilerplate policies for all libraries with a final fill-in-the-blank sec-tion for special idiosyncrasies or ldquolocal peccadilloesrdquo (Batt 1984 313)Any policy needs to be individualized to the unique circumstances of thereference collection involved Any individualized policy may be one pageor severalndashthe key is whatever works best for onersquos own reference collec-

Daniel Liestman 103

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tion In constructing the policy think of issues which have been problemsin the past and how they might be best addressed

Keep Your Audience in Mind

While some such as Batt do not believe a reference collection policyhas an external audience it does and the interests of those stakeholdersneed to be kept in mind

Think Out of the Box

Donrsquot make the policy a reiteration of how things have always beendone Use this as an opportunity to think of new ways of doing things Toooften reference collection policies are written just for reference books Agood policy will include all other forms of reference sources ranging frommicrofiche to the World Wide Web

Keep It Simple

Some policies get bogged down in minutiae such as defining what a ref-erence resource is One study found a library with four guidelines devotedspecifically to telephone directories Such discussions are often esotericand have little to do with the application of the policy (Hattendorf 1989224-225)

Keep It Meaningful

On the other hand a policy should not be so succinct as to be meaning-less One library in another study noted ldquoThe basic reference collectionwill be made up of the following a basic reference collectionrdquo This gen-eralization so vague as to be meaningless (Hattendorf 1989 224-225) Apolicy should have some value and meaning to itndashif it doesnrsquot you donrsquotneed one

Donrsquot Reinvent the Wheel

While it is important even essential to tailor a policy to the needs ofonersquos own collection it may be helpful to review what others have donePeer institutions may be willing to share what they have The Web can alsobe searched for policies

Keep It Flexible

104 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Private College H says ldquoThe policies stated herein shall not be consid-ered inflexible regulationsrdquo Indeed there should be some room for ambi-guity as there will invariably be exceptions to every rule or guidelinePolicies are there to guidendashnot to enforce without reason

Donrsquot Put It Off

If collection management can be described as ldquothe task neglected whentime constraints applyrdquo writing a policy is often put off until there is timeto do it The trouble is there never is time to do it until a conscientious ef-fort is made to do so (Cuberly 1987 302) Few argue with the need for sucha policy yet few make the time to create such a policy

Keep It Current

The best policy is one which is up-to-date A policy should be reviewedannually and updated as needed A policy should be a living documentsubject to modification and adaptation as change occurs within the de-partment as well as the information environment The policy should de-velop over time in response to these changes State College A forexample describes its policy as ldquoevolutionaryrdquo and endeavors to keep itcurrent

Ask the Right Questions

To begin addressing some of these issues it is important to know whatquestions to ask Hattendorf provides some excellent suggestions for con-sideration prior to drafting a statement (Hattendorf 1989 223)

1 Why do we have a reference collection2 What is our philosophy of reference service3 What do we want the reference collection to be and do

Daniel Liestman 105

QUICK BIB

Biggs Mary and Victor ldquoReference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Surveyrdquo RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Reference Collection Development A programpresented at the 99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference No-vember 15 1990 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Re-production Service ED335049)

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

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014

4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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014

Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

Daniel Liestman 109

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bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

Daniel Liestman 111

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

Daniel Liestman 113

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014

are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

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Page 9: Reference Collection Management Policies

sulted as a starting point if local needs are kept in mind (Lang 1992Wynar 1985 Wynar 1992)

The challenge still remainsndashhow to decide which portion of the refer-ence universe a library wants to call its own Two basic ways of identifyingand acquiring new items for the collection are direct selection andor ap-proval plans Reviews are an essential component of the direct orderingprocess Most reference collection policies mention reviews as a source toconsult prior to acquiring an item The obvious shortcoming is that re-views are a reflection of the biases of the reviewer Another disadvantageof reviews is that they may not reflect the latest releases from publishersAmong library selection tools Choice sends its reviewers books as they arereleased which means the books were released weeks if not months priorto the appearance of the review Library Journal strives to be very currentIt sends its reviewers pre-publication galleys of books so the published re-view can be coordinated with the bookrsquos release date

The challenge for reference materials selectors then is to locate currentquality reviews Private Four Year College B is typical in saying ChoiceLibrary Journal and ldquoselected journals in academic disciplinesrdquo are to beldquosystematically used for selection purposesrdquo While most academic andprofessional journals do include book reviews the reviews are typicallyout of date and are for general works rather than reference books On thewhole such sources can be safely ignored for reference collection devel-opment purposes There are of course numerous other sources to con-sider such as American Libraries ARBA American Reference BooksAnnual Booklist Collection Management College and Research LibrariesCampRL News Library Journal Publishers Weekly Public Libraries and Ref-erence amp User Services Quarterly In addition as departments move beyondjust books Choice Electronic Resources Review The Scout Report(httpwwwscoutcswisceduscoutreport) the Tourbus(httpwwwtourbuscom) and others are becoming good sources for re-views of Web and electronic reference resources

The other way libraries are commonly notified of the availability of newreference resources is through advertising Direct mailing ads in journalsfaxes and calls from vendors often offer special inducements such as dis-counts on pre-publication orders The dilemma for the reference selectoris that in order to take advantage of such an offer the purchase must bemade on faithndashthat is without the advantage of reading reviews At timesit may be appropriate to purchase materials of unknown quality for whichreviews are not yet available Such circumstances would be if there is noother work of comparable scope if the collection policy calls for compre-hensive collecting in a particular area if a work is of such significance that

Daniel Liestman 91

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the library needs to purchase it regardless or if there is an immediateneed for a such a work

Although approval plans are typically beyond the reach of many collegeand undergraduate libraries they do warrant passing mention They aretypically based on a book jobberrsquos individually tailored description of a li-braryrsquos needs A well-designed profile can relieve overworked librariansof some of the work involved in scanning countless selection tools and adsBut at the same time the profile must be monitored and the librariansmust also be aware of omissions The profile also needs to be reviewedand refined regularly which also takes time Waiting for reference itemsto arrive in approval order shipments may even be slower than directly or-dering an item Moreover complete coverage of all current reference ma-terials is not possible regardless of the ldquoelegance and precisionrdquo of alibraryrsquos profile (Hattendorf 1990 2) Hattendorf also suggests that newmaterials are acquired without sufficient consideration of the pertinenceand relevance to user needs and the overall collection and to some de-gree approval plans can be blamed for this (Hattendorf 1989 220) TheBiggsrsquo study nonetheless found that most libraries are willing to acceptthe selections of an approval plan vendor regarding reference books(Biggs 1987 73)

There are a number of other factors that should be addressed in the ref-erence collection policy statement

Format

Not too long ago decisions on format were confined to cloth versuspaperbinding Now there are a plethora of formats to considerndashmost ofthem computer-based State University B says it collects ldquoall appropriateformats of materials based on content availability desirability spaceequipment requirements and costrdquo In its 1993 statement State Univer-sity C says it has ldquobegun to veer away from wide coverage of science in-dexes in print with the idea of replacing them with electronic coveragerdquoCompounding this matter are mixed-format reference resources Todaypublishers frequently include a CD-ROM in a reference book What to dowith this added material type then becomes a new access and control chal-lenge None of the policy statements received specifically addressed thisparticular issue

SerialsAnnuals

Although serials and annuals are a significant component of most ref-erence collections none of the policies received make more than passing

92 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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mention of this format Even though they are beyond the scope of mostreference collection policy statements but they still need to be consideredTracking and acquiring such sources is beyond the scope of this article andhas been dealt with elsewhere in the literature (Scott and Nolan 199370-71 Majka 1996 70-71) Nevertheless reference collection policesneed to address issues related to binding retention and irregular publica-tions

Circulation

As a rule reference materials do not circulate However most policesallow for at least one exception through which at the discretion of an ap-propriate staff member an item may go out for a limited time State Com-munity College B is typical in that it notes that at the option of thecirculation supervisor a reference item may be checked out for one day ifit is not in high demand Whatever is best for onersquos own library should beincluded in the reference policy statement

Duplicates

Rarely do reference collections include duplicates The relatively highcost of most reference works the typically brief time need for consulta-tion and their non-circulating nature obviates the need for duplication inmost instances However repeated requests and queuing for an item aswell as high potential usage may warrant the acquisition of duplicates inrare cases

Language

Most of the policies received assumed that with exception of dictionar-ies the primary emphasis of the reference collection is on material in theEnglish language However both State Universities A and B are more ex-plicit State University A says ldquoprimary considerationrdquo will be given toldquoreference tools in the English languagerdquo but the collection will also in-clude sources which support the Universityrsquos area studies programs andthe western European language sources which support research in the hu-manities It may be assumed that except as noted reference sources willbe in English However having a policy specifically stating as muchproved helpful for one library in fending off an unwanted gift encyclope-dia set written in Arabic

Recency

Daniel Liestman 93

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Most reference collections make efforts to include the most recent ma-terials possible State University B is typical in saying that ldquousually onlythe latest editionrdquo of a reference title will be kept in reference and that re-moved materials will be sent to the circulating collection There are excep-tions and Private Four Year College B acknowledges this in its statementnoting ldquo[o]lder titles may be purchased as appropriate to needrdquo Such aclause allows a library some flexibility in its reference collection

CRITERIA OF INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION

Another way of shaping the nature of the reference collection issummed up by Hattendorf who notes ldquoIt is important to know what isNOT in the collection as well as what is in itrdquo (Hattendorf 1990 7) Aca-demic libraries generally do not include certain types of materialsTypically ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes travel guides genealogy materialsvertical file materials and used car price guides are excluded PrivateFour Year College B for example states ldquoThe non-academic interests ofstudents and faculty are to be met through use of the local public libraryand the regional library systemrdquo

While such a statement is typical there are no universally acceptedstandards as to what is included or excluded State Community College Astates ldquotextbooks will normally be excluded from library purchasesrdquo Onthe other hand State Community College B will acquire textbooks pro-vided they are ldquothe best and latest reference sources availablerdquo To vary-ing degrees the pol- icies of State Universities A and B both list the typesof materials to be included in their respective collections These include anumber of typical resources ranging from almanacs to yearbooks Somesuggest that such ldquolaundry listsrdquo are not really necessary and are often ar-bitrary Batt argues that it should seem obvious when a work has referencevalue and when it does not If a book winds up in the wrong place it is re-ally not a critical matter adding ldquoany decision can be reconsidered (aslong as you remain friendly with your catalogers)rdquo (Batt 1984 318-19)Others de-emphasize certain types of sources for example State Univer-sity C says it purchases few bibliographies ldquoas they are underutilized pro-portionally to the costrdquo Conversely State College B says ldquoEffort is alsomade [to acquire] relevant subject and general bibliographies for the pur-pose of comparing library holdings to the standard materials of the fieldrdquo

Although none of the policies received addressed this directly the liter-ature indicates some libraries include books that are not reference booksin the collection The Biggs found twenty percent of the institutions in

94 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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their study used ldquolikelihood of theftrdquo as a criterion for placing a work inreference (Biggs 1987 73) Likewise in other libraries the reference col-lection is often used in lieu of a reserves collection

Censoring materials is certainly a way to exclude items from a collec-tion All the statements received save one make specific reference tosupporting intellectual freedom The one in question undoubtedly alsosupports intellectual freedom but such supporting documents are notpart of the reference collection policy per se Some such as State CollegeB even include policy and procedures on how to respond to challengedmaterials On the other hand while giving numerous statements in sup-port of intellectual freedom in its policy State Community College B doesleave the door open to removing materials noting ldquoGenerally [authorrsquositalics] no effort will be made to censor the collectionrdquo Private College Fsays while it ldquorejects no materials due to ideological reasons the librarywill refuse to retain any materials classified to be lsquoOBSCENErsquo [their capi-talization] which will be determined by the Learning Resource Commit-tee Library Director and the Academic Deanrdquo

INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS

Stakeholders are all those with a significant interest or stake in the ref-erence collectionndashlibrarians teaching faculty students etc Private Col-lege H broadly defines this group by noting ldquoResponsibility for theselection of library materials for the College Library lies with the entire col-lege communityrdquo State College Brsquos library students and administrators areldquoencouraged to recommendrdquo new works The input of faculty is ldquoessen-tialrdquo provided it is in ldquotheir teaching areasrdquo says State Community Col-lege A However the policy adds that as ldquolibrarians are ultimatelyresponsible for the overall quality and balance of the total collectionthey will select and purchase materials in all subject areas in an attemptto fill obvious gaps overlooked by instructorsrdquo The expectation or atleast hope for participation is widely held

At the same time the question quickly becomes who has the ultimate au-thority and accountability for the reference collection While all stake-holders are interested in the collection reference personnel should have asignificant measure of responsibility for involvement with the decision mak-ing process as they have the closest ties to the collection its users and relatedservices In addition they are in the best position to know the trends goalsand objectives of current and future users Teaching faculty at Private FourYear College B for example are expected to act as subject specialists in their

Daniel Liestman 95

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areas of expertise while library staff recommend materials for addition to thereference collection Still all recommendations go to the library directorwho makes the final selections

In other libraries common models are for bibliographers subject spe-cialists and reference librarians to make recommendations to the head ofreference or the collection management librarian In other cases selec-tions may be the responsibility of a reference collection team composedof internal and possibly external stakeholders An advantage of havingone person or one committee ultimately responsible for the reference col-lection is that they will be able to see that the collection is well balanced

Whatever selection model is followed communication consultationand collaboration must occur To enhance the process the person or per-sons making the selections should actually work at the reference desk Ifthis is not possible the selector for reference books should be highly recep-tive to suggestions made by those at the desk To further enhance the pro-cess and increase understanding a means of prioritizing requests can beimplemented For example a 3-star system with three stars designatingessential items two stars for important items and one star for supplemen-tary items would help the individual making selections understand thepriority of specific items If a team or committee is involved in the processa round-robin session would allow others to know what their colleaguesare ordering

MANAGING BUDGETARY COSTS

In the policies surveyed budgetary matters are generally not discussedbut there are a couple of exceptions Private College F for example notesthat its reference budget comes from the annual library budget the re-stricted library fund and duplicate book sales State Community CollegeF says it allots one third of its ten-thousand dollar book budget to the printreference collection Most libraries are less specific in their policies Agood future study would be to investigate funding and budgetary alloca-tions for reference collections

What can be gleaned from the polices is that money is tight The librarydirector at Independent Community College A observed ldquoIf I had a writ-ten-down policy it would be to do the best you can with budgets and learnto say lsquonorsquo a lotrdquo State University C says ldquoIt is necessary to try and addressa [sic] incredibly varied audience with a notably small budgetrdquo State Uni-versity A admits to financial limitations noting ldquoWe cannot purchase orsubscribe to all even if they are in our primary subject areas Added edi-tions frequent updates or supplements would improve currency In some

96 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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instances we may be able to purchase every third or fourth edition onlyrdquoPrivate Four Year College B stretches its reference dollars by requiringdiscipline-specific reference books come from that departmentrsquos book al-location while general reference works come from the reference budget

A particular challenge is for reference collection budgets to absorb thecosts of technology As Kluegel observes the advent of technology is trans-forming the reference collection into a ldquokaleidoscope of resources that canchange from one day to the next and the budget may look just as commin-gledrdquo (Kluegel 1996 454) There is no escaping the impact of technology onreference budgets State University A says improvement of ldquonetworkedelectronic access to informationrdquo is its ldquohighest priorityrdquo To better fund thisneed the libraryrsquos policy is to ldquoreplace print indexes with CD-ROM and on-line databasesrdquo Although not mentioned in any other policies this is prob-ably a common practice

Increasingly libraries are seeking ways to contain reference-relatedcosts through cooperative or consortial arrangements Some efforts havebeen made toward regional reference collection management These ef-forts can eliminate unnecessary duplication of expensive and infrequentlyused items while ensuring their accessibility to all within the systemConsortial agreements and arrangements for electronic resources areparticularly helpful Several models exist For example several librariescould acquire joint access to a database available via the Internet An-other model might involve one library deliberately buying source A whileanother does not but instead purchases source B the two could then tele-phone fax or e-mail reference questions and answers back and forthState Community College B and its local public library seem to take thisfurther in that they work together ldquoto provide access to database search-ing for faculty and studentsrdquo though the extent of this partnering is notelaborated upon in the policy

Although not mentioned in detail in any of the policies some state insti-tutions in Kansas participate in a number of consortial agreementsConsortial database agreements exist between the state-supported collegesand universities and one of the state community colleges Two of the stateuniversities participate in a large regional consortium too Such sharedbuying power allows access to resources the individual libraries would notbe able to attain on their own

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

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The explosion of electronic information resources marks the greatestchange in reference collection management Hazen states collectionsmust address the ldquoincreasingly complicated needs of users both currentand futurerdquo which are ldquoless and less limited to local holdingsrdquo (Hazen1995 30) Even though end-user electronic reference resources have beenaround for over a decade many libraries do not have a reference collec-tion management policy for such tools As a result such collections havegrown with little regard for planning Many libraries are struggling to inte-grate new forms of information technology into existing services opera-tions and policies ldquoThe challenge for this generation of librariansrdquoDemas says ldquois to seamlessly knit together a multiplicity of formats andaccess mechanisms into one intellectually cohesive user-friendly set of in-formation resources and services In shortrdquo he says ldquowe must adjust mostof our professional practices and daily operations to handle electronicpublications with a facility equal to or greater than that which we haveevolved for printed publicationsrdquo (Demas 1994 72)

One of the first issues a reference collection policy should addresswhen multiple formats are available is how the decision of whether to goelectronic is made Private College H says ldquoMachine-readable databaseswill be purchased in the most effective format available Hence some da-tabases will be accessed via the Internet and others may be on CD-ROMIn some cases print may be a totally appropriate formatrdquo Too often refer-ence sources are produced in electronic format because they can berather than because they should be As with any source attention must begiven to the intellectual organization and presentation of the informationThe question then becomes how to weigh the relative merits of contentpresentation and cost

Electronic resources present many unique challenges that a policyshould clarify Following is a list of suggested things to consider While itdoes not purport to be exhaustive it is designed to serve as a starting pointfor discussion (See Appendix A for a list of questions to be generally ap-plied to acquisition andor weeding of sources)

Technical Specifications

Is the database best utilized via the Internet on a local server on astand-alone or another option What compatibility is there between thedatabasesrsquo requirements and existing hardware and software What is thespeed and reliability of access Is the site updated and well maintainedHow stable is the database How is log in and authentication of users to behandledndashincluding distance users

98 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Documentation and Support

What level of technical support is available from the vendor Is this atan added cost Is the vendor reputable Is support service prompt and ad-equate How are licensing issues such as access by both local and remoteusers copyright data archiving etc handled What is the availability andquality of support materials If the electronic version is acquired can theprint version be canceled Will such action affect the subscription cost

Funding

How is the product itself to be paid for How will maintenance costs bepaid How will consumables (paper toner discs etc) be paid for Howmany computers are needed State University A speaks directly to thesecosts in its document In supporting the expense of these electronicsources the library admits ldquoThere is still an insufficient number ofworkstations or networking for simultaneous users for online CD-ROMand Internet searching This means that although we may have the meansto locate information we do not always have access to it at the momentneededrdquo

Database Content

Does content justify the format Is the content of the online databasethe same as the print index Is the content of the database reliable andvalid Is full textimage searching an option Will the content of the data-base meet the needs of future users How well does the database fit withinthe context of the existing collections and resources Is there a roll-off ofyears covered by the databasendashthat is if the database covers the most re-cent five years what happens to year six

User Interface

What level of instruction is needed to operate the database What isthe potential impact on public service points What output options areavailable for printing downloading and e-mailing

Continuity

How are issues such as licensing upgrading control and maintenancehandled

The answers to such questions are often beyond the ability of a singleindividual as they require substantial subject and technological knowl-

Daniel Liestman 99

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edge An effective reference collection policy should see to it that inputfrom both subject and systems specialists is obtained in making cost effec-tive decisions How such issues are addressed is dependent on the libraryrsquostechnology infrastructure Such issues may extend beyond the library tothe institutionrsquos systems office or academic computing department If sothe polices and practices of those departments have might influence themanagement of the libraryrsquos electronic collection The key to assimilatingnew technologies is to develop collaborative strategies that promote flexi-bility in the organization facilitate coordination and collaboration acrossorganizational divisions promote the ability of staff to adapt to constantchange and eliminate territoriality and develop shared goals and values

Another aspect of reference collection management policy is the cre-ation of a virtual reference collection that utilizes sources available on theWWW State University A says the potential of using World Wide Webresources with no direct cost to the department is ldquounlimited and mayeventually have an effect on collection development but it is difficult toassess the impact for the coming yearsrdquo Creating such a resource is be-yond the scope of this article and is better addressed by Demas McDon-ald and Lawrence who provide a solid basis for creating and maintainingsuch a digital reference collection (Demas McDonald and Lawrence1995 282-283)

Whether a reference policy incorporates an electronic virtual collec-tion or not a conspectus for electronic resources might still be useful If aconspectus is already used its collecting level categories may need only tobe adapted to reflect the use of electronic sources or a separate conspec-tus may be used

Although the use of electronic resources in a reference collection isnow an established part of the profession few of the policies received inthis research deal directly with such matters Moreover the literature isvaried and of no one opinion on how to proceed In creating a policy state-ment for onersquos own library local needs use patterns and resources will allneed to be considered

WEEDING

Most libraries see the value and benefits of weeding and although most lackwritten guidelines weeding is undertaken anyway Whether weeding is part ofa policy or not it usually occurs for two reasonsndashspace and collection philoso-phy

Space is usually given preeminent consideration as a factor involved inpromoting weeding State Community College A Library notes in its pol-

100 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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icy ldquoAs space limitations dictate materials will be considered for re-movalrdquo Beyond this the Biggs found most reference collections containmore than 10000 reference titles They concluded these were more titlesthan could be effectively mastered by most reference librarians (Biggs1987 67 69-70) Other studies support this finding and call for ldquoleanrdquo ref-erence collections filled with a few ldquohard-working titlesrdquo (Nolan 1991 80Nolan 1999 11-21 Joswick and Stierman 1993 108)

Collection philosophy is another reason for librarians to considerweeding In particular concern focuses on having the most recent andpresumably best information available Some go so far as to declare ldquoIt isbetter to do without [a reference resource] than to unintentionally pro-vide misinformation through outdated sourcesrdquo (Hattendorf 1989 222)Rettig draws an analogy between the toxic waste left at Love Canal andthe dangers of old and unreliable sources that ldquoplace library users inharmrsquos way The information in these booksrdquo he asserts ldquohas lost its util-ity but not its potencyrdquo (Rettig 1982 7) State College B acknowledgesthis concern and seeks to create a reference collection that is continuallyweeded to ldquoensure relevance validity and currencyrdquo

Despite the importance of weeding for space and philosophical rea-sons few libraries address this issue State University B Library does ac-knowledge that ldquoWeeding is as important as selectionrdquo adding that ldquoasthe Reference Collection is a working collection of important frequentlyconsulted resources careful and systematic weeding removes older lessdesirable works from the collectionrdquo This statement however providesno insight as to how such weeding is to be undertaken

Some of the institutions surveyed do discuss weeding in their referencecollection policies State Community College B for example weeds ldquoen-cyclopedias almanacs annuals yearbooks and like materials if they aremore than five years oldrdquo Yet most policies are like State University Arsquosin which the reference collection is ldquoperiodically weededrdquo In adoptingthis approach State Community College A states ldquocriteria for weedinginclude damaged titles and titles containing dated or inaccurate infor-mationrdquo

Weeding is not necessarily the same as discarding State University ALibrary for example has a ldquotrendrdquo to transfer so-called ldquostandard andclassicrdquo reference sources to the stacks or special collections as they aresuperseded or no longer used Other possibilities include using remotestorage for withdrawn reference works or transferring them to the stacksbut as non-circulating items On the other hand withdrawn referenceworks at State Community College B ldquomay be given to instructors or soldin book sales Anything not so disposed of may be given to local schools or

Daniel Liestman 101

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librariesrdquo Some libraries may also not weed their reference collections soas to avoid potential confrontations with users State Community CollegeB seeks to overcome this by having ldquothe librarian in consultation with thedirector and with input from the facultyrdquo participate in the weeding pro-cess Likewise State Community College A says faculty participation inweeding ldquoshould be encouragedrdquo Giving adequate notice of weeding anddeveloping a means for communicating the purpose of weeding and al-lowing participation in the process will go a long way to alleviate any angst

Even without these political considerations weeding is a difficult ex-pensive undertaking It is labor intensive and time consuming However ifweeding is done on a regular basis rather than all at once it can be moreeasily integrated into the work flow of those involved The questions pro-vided in Appendix A will be helpful in making weeding decisions

One question not included in Appendix A merits special considerationhow frequently is a resource used Determining usage of reference collec-tions is not often or easily undertaken Engeldinger conducted a survey of377 academic libraries and found only 23 conducted a user survey of theircollections (Engeldinger 1986 367-71) As reference collections arenon-circulating simple circulation counts are not a viable measure of useIn light of this a number of creative means have been developed to assesshow reference collections are used including dotting the spine making ticmarks to note each time a book is used over a period of time table countsexamining infrared dust beads on top of a book or placing unexposed pho-tographic paper in the pages of a book Some online systems allow booksto be recorded as ldquobrowsedrdquo if they are wanded after pick-up (Slote 1997219-225) Even as creative as some of these are they still focus on presentuser demand and fail to anticipate future needs While there may not bean easy way to weed a superior collection policy will address this matter ina manner that best serves onersquos own library

CONCLUSION

A couple of problems soon became obvious in this survey First was thelack of responses Secondly there is no way to tell how closely actual prac-tice follows the policy A possible follow-up study would be to see how welllibraries adhere to their own policies

Creating and implementing a reference collection policy for onersquos ownlibrary clearly requires a commitment of time and energy The library di-rector of Private College A wrote

102 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

There must be a break point so to speak in terms of how small a li-brary is or the ratio of staff to patrons or some other key factor thatmust explain why some libraryrsquos [sic] have a written policy while oth-ers do not revise the ancient ones they have In our case we canrsquotbreathe much less write a policy Even if we had a policy we wouldnrsquothave time to refer to it I would be the first to question the qualityand professionalism of an academic situation without a CD (Collec-tion Development) policy but as you are well aware Librarians aregenerally low man on the budget distribution totem pole

Still such a policy is worth undertaking Hazen argues a policy willhave the library ldquosolidify its own sense of purpose and also point the cam-pus toward the future by recasting its documentation in terms of all theresearch resources associated with its users and the fields they representrdquoBy including the Web and other broad based resources rather than ldquoinsist-ing on the inflexible site specific codificationrdquo of print acquisitions thepolicy will set the tone for the library as a major player in the informationage (Hazen 1995 31)

For those contemplating the creation and implementation of their ownpolicy the following points should be considered

Make a Commitment to It

Those who are directly affected by the policy should be committed to itIf they are not it will be unenforceable and useless More than one personshould be involved in the creation of the policy so that more people be-come invested in it and a variety of viewpoints are heard How and why thepolicy is being developed and for whom needs to be made clear Thereshould be meetings in which stakeholders can discuss concerns and re-solve such matters In this way everyone will be involved in the process andhave an opportunity to input ideas Whatever scope a policy takes its suc-cess depends on the degree of commitment to the policy by all involved

Keep It Unique to Onersquos Own Collection

Some argue that as there are not that many differences between librar-ies and detailed reference policies are unneeded Batt suggests one couldcreate boilerplate policies for all libraries with a final fill-in-the-blank sec-tion for special idiosyncrasies or ldquolocal peccadilloesrdquo (Batt 1984 313)Any policy needs to be individualized to the unique circumstances of thereference collection involved Any individualized policy may be one pageor severalndashthe key is whatever works best for onersquos own reference collec-

Daniel Liestman 103

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tion In constructing the policy think of issues which have been problemsin the past and how they might be best addressed

Keep Your Audience in Mind

While some such as Batt do not believe a reference collection policyhas an external audience it does and the interests of those stakeholdersneed to be kept in mind

Think Out of the Box

Donrsquot make the policy a reiteration of how things have always beendone Use this as an opportunity to think of new ways of doing things Toooften reference collection policies are written just for reference books Agood policy will include all other forms of reference sources ranging frommicrofiche to the World Wide Web

Keep It Simple

Some policies get bogged down in minutiae such as defining what a ref-erence resource is One study found a library with four guidelines devotedspecifically to telephone directories Such discussions are often esotericand have little to do with the application of the policy (Hattendorf 1989224-225)

Keep It Meaningful

On the other hand a policy should not be so succinct as to be meaning-less One library in another study noted ldquoThe basic reference collectionwill be made up of the following a basic reference collectionrdquo This gen-eralization so vague as to be meaningless (Hattendorf 1989 224-225) Apolicy should have some value and meaning to itndashif it doesnrsquot you donrsquotneed one

Donrsquot Reinvent the Wheel

While it is important even essential to tailor a policy to the needs ofonersquos own collection it may be helpful to review what others have donePeer institutions may be willing to share what they have The Web can alsobe searched for policies

Keep It Flexible

104 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Private College H says ldquoThe policies stated herein shall not be consid-ered inflexible regulationsrdquo Indeed there should be some room for ambi-guity as there will invariably be exceptions to every rule or guidelinePolicies are there to guidendashnot to enforce without reason

Donrsquot Put It Off

If collection management can be described as ldquothe task neglected whentime constraints applyrdquo writing a policy is often put off until there is timeto do it The trouble is there never is time to do it until a conscientious ef-fort is made to do so (Cuberly 1987 302) Few argue with the need for sucha policy yet few make the time to create such a policy

Keep It Current

The best policy is one which is up-to-date A policy should be reviewedannually and updated as needed A policy should be a living documentsubject to modification and adaptation as change occurs within the de-partment as well as the information environment The policy should de-velop over time in response to these changes State College A forexample describes its policy as ldquoevolutionaryrdquo and endeavors to keep itcurrent

Ask the Right Questions

To begin addressing some of these issues it is important to know whatquestions to ask Hattendorf provides some excellent suggestions for con-sideration prior to drafting a statement (Hattendorf 1989 223)

1 Why do we have a reference collection2 What is our philosophy of reference service3 What do we want the reference collection to be and do

Daniel Liestman 105

QUICK BIB

Biggs Mary and Victor ldquoReference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Surveyrdquo RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Reference Collection Development A programpresented at the 99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference No-vember 15 1990 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Re-production Service ED335049)

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

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014

4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

Daniel Liestman 109

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bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

Daniel Liestman 111

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

Daniel Liestman 113

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014

are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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Page 10: Reference Collection Management Policies

the library needs to purchase it regardless or if there is an immediateneed for a such a work

Although approval plans are typically beyond the reach of many collegeand undergraduate libraries they do warrant passing mention They aretypically based on a book jobberrsquos individually tailored description of a li-braryrsquos needs A well-designed profile can relieve overworked librariansof some of the work involved in scanning countless selection tools and adsBut at the same time the profile must be monitored and the librariansmust also be aware of omissions The profile also needs to be reviewedand refined regularly which also takes time Waiting for reference itemsto arrive in approval order shipments may even be slower than directly or-dering an item Moreover complete coverage of all current reference ma-terials is not possible regardless of the ldquoelegance and precisionrdquo of alibraryrsquos profile (Hattendorf 1990 2) Hattendorf also suggests that newmaterials are acquired without sufficient consideration of the pertinenceand relevance to user needs and the overall collection and to some de-gree approval plans can be blamed for this (Hattendorf 1989 220) TheBiggsrsquo study nonetheless found that most libraries are willing to acceptthe selections of an approval plan vendor regarding reference books(Biggs 1987 73)

There are a number of other factors that should be addressed in the ref-erence collection policy statement

Format

Not too long ago decisions on format were confined to cloth versuspaperbinding Now there are a plethora of formats to considerndashmost ofthem computer-based State University B says it collects ldquoall appropriateformats of materials based on content availability desirability spaceequipment requirements and costrdquo In its 1993 statement State Univer-sity C says it has ldquobegun to veer away from wide coverage of science in-dexes in print with the idea of replacing them with electronic coveragerdquoCompounding this matter are mixed-format reference resources Todaypublishers frequently include a CD-ROM in a reference book What to dowith this added material type then becomes a new access and control chal-lenge None of the policy statements received specifically addressed thisparticular issue

SerialsAnnuals

Although serials and annuals are a significant component of most ref-erence collections none of the policies received make more than passing

92 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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mention of this format Even though they are beyond the scope of mostreference collection policy statements but they still need to be consideredTracking and acquiring such sources is beyond the scope of this article andhas been dealt with elsewhere in the literature (Scott and Nolan 199370-71 Majka 1996 70-71) Nevertheless reference collection policesneed to address issues related to binding retention and irregular publica-tions

Circulation

As a rule reference materials do not circulate However most policesallow for at least one exception through which at the discretion of an ap-propriate staff member an item may go out for a limited time State Com-munity College B is typical in that it notes that at the option of thecirculation supervisor a reference item may be checked out for one day ifit is not in high demand Whatever is best for onersquos own library should beincluded in the reference policy statement

Duplicates

Rarely do reference collections include duplicates The relatively highcost of most reference works the typically brief time need for consulta-tion and their non-circulating nature obviates the need for duplication inmost instances However repeated requests and queuing for an item aswell as high potential usage may warrant the acquisition of duplicates inrare cases

Language

Most of the policies received assumed that with exception of dictionar-ies the primary emphasis of the reference collection is on material in theEnglish language However both State Universities A and B are more ex-plicit State University A says ldquoprimary considerationrdquo will be given toldquoreference tools in the English languagerdquo but the collection will also in-clude sources which support the Universityrsquos area studies programs andthe western European language sources which support research in the hu-manities It may be assumed that except as noted reference sources willbe in English However having a policy specifically stating as muchproved helpful for one library in fending off an unwanted gift encyclope-dia set written in Arabic

Recency

Daniel Liestman 93

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Most reference collections make efforts to include the most recent ma-terials possible State University B is typical in saying that ldquousually onlythe latest editionrdquo of a reference title will be kept in reference and that re-moved materials will be sent to the circulating collection There are excep-tions and Private Four Year College B acknowledges this in its statementnoting ldquo[o]lder titles may be purchased as appropriate to needrdquo Such aclause allows a library some flexibility in its reference collection

CRITERIA OF INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION

Another way of shaping the nature of the reference collection issummed up by Hattendorf who notes ldquoIt is important to know what isNOT in the collection as well as what is in itrdquo (Hattendorf 1990 7) Aca-demic libraries generally do not include certain types of materialsTypically ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes travel guides genealogy materialsvertical file materials and used car price guides are excluded PrivateFour Year College B for example states ldquoThe non-academic interests ofstudents and faculty are to be met through use of the local public libraryand the regional library systemrdquo

While such a statement is typical there are no universally acceptedstandards as to what is included or excluded State Community College Astates ldquotextbooks will normally be excluded from library purchasesrdquo Onthe other hand State Community College B will acquire textbooks pro-vided they are ldquothe best and latest reference sources availablerdquo To vary-ing degrees the pol- icies of State Universities A and B both list the typesof materials to be included in their respective collections These include anumber of typical resources ranging from almanacs to yearbooks Somesuggest that such ldquolaundry listsrdquo are not really necessary and are often ar-bitrary Batt argues that it should seem obvious when a work has referencevalue and when it does not If a book winds up in the wrong place it is re-ally not a critical matter adding ldquoany decision can be reconsidered (aslong as you remain friendly with your catalogers)rdquo (Batt 1984 318-19)Others de-emphasize certain types of sources for example State Univer-sity C says it purchases few bibliographies ldquoas they are underutilized pro-portionally to the costrdquo Conversely State College B says ldquoEffort is alsomade [to acquire] relevant subject and general bibliographies for the pur-pose of comparing library holdings to the standard materials of the fieldrdquo

Although none of the policies received addressed this directly the liter-ature indicates some libraries include books that are not reference booksin the collection The Biggs found twenty percent of the institutions in

94 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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their study used ldquolikelihood of theftrdquo as a criterion for placing a work inreference (Biggs 1987 73) Likewise in other libraries the reference col-lection is often used in lieu of a reserves collection

Censoring materials is certainly a way to exclude items from a collec-tion All the statements received save one make specific reference tosupporting intellectual freedom The one in question undoubtedly alsosupports intellectual freedom but such supporting documents are notpart of the reference collection policy per se Some such as State CollegeB even include policy and procedures on how to respond to challengedmaterials On the other hand while giving numerous statements in sup-port of intellectual freedom in its policy State Community College B doesleave the door open to removing materials noting ldquoGenerally [authorrsquositalics] no effort will be made to censor the collectionrdquo Private College Fsays while it ldquorejects no materials due to ideological reasons the librarywill refuse to retain any materials classified to be lsquoOBSCENErsquo [their capi-talization] which will be determined by the Learning Resource Commit-tee Library Director and the Academic Deanrdquo

INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS

Stakeholders are all those with a significant interest or stake in the ref-erence collectionndashlibrarians teaching faculty students etc Private Col-lege H broadly defines this group by noting ldquoResponsibility for theselection of library materials for the College Library lies with the entire col-lege communityrdquo State College Brsquos library students and administrators areldquoencouraged to recommendrdquo new works The input of faculty is ldquoessen-tialrdquo provided it is in ldquotheir teaching areasrdquo says State Community Col-lege A However the policy adds that as ldquolibrarians are ultimatelyresponsible for the overall quality and balance of the total collectionthey will select and purchase materials in all subject areas in an attemptto fill obvious gaps overlooked by instructorsrdquo The expectation or atleast hope for participation is widely held

At the same time the question quickly becomes who has the ultimate au-thority and accountability for the reference collection While all stake-holders are interested in the collection reference personnel should have asignificant measure of responsibility for involvement with the decision mak-ing process as they have the closest ties to the collection its users and relatedservices In addition they are in the best position to know the trends goalsand objectives of current and future users Teaching faculty at Private FourYear College B for example are expected to act as subject specialists in their

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areas of expertise while library staff recommend materials for addition to thereference collection Still all recommendations go to the library directorwho makes the final selections

In other libraries common models are for bibliographers subject spe-cialists and reference librarians to make recommendations to the head ofreference or the collection management librarian In other cases selec-tions may be the responsibility of a reference collection team composedof internal and possibly external stakeholders An advantage of havingone person or one committee ultimately responsible for the reference col-lection is that they will be able to see that the collection is well balanced

Whatever selection model is followed communication consultationand collaboration must occur To enhance the process the person or per-sons making the selections should actually work at the reference desk Ifthis is not possible the selector for reference books should be highly recep-tive to suggestions made by those at the desk To further enhance the pro-cess and increase understanding a means of prioritizing requests can beimplemented For example a 3-star system with three stars designatingessential items two stars for important items and one star for supplemen-tary items would help the individual making selections understand thepriority of specific items If a team or committee is involved in the processa round-robin session would allow others to know what their colleaguesare ordering

MANAGING BUDGETARY COSTS

In the policies surveyed budgetary matters are generally not discussedbut there are a couple of exceptions Private College F for example notesthat its reference budget comes from the annual library budget the re-stricted library fund and duplicate book sales State Community CollegeF says it allots one third of its ten-thousand dollar book budget to the printreference collection Most libraries are less specific in their policies Agood future study would be to investigate funding and budgetary alloca-tions for reference collections

What can be gleaned from the polices is that money is tight The librarydirector at Independent Community College A observed ldquoIf I had a writ-ten-down policy it would be to do the best you can with budgets and learnto say lsquonorsquo a lotrdquo State University C says ldquoIt is necessary to try and addressa [sic] incredibly varied audience with a notably small budgetrdquo State Uni-versity A admits to financial limitations noting ldquoWe cannot purchase orsubscribe to all even if they are in our primary subject areas Added edi-tions frequent updates or supplements would improve currency In some

96 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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instances we may be able to purchase every third or fourth edition onlyrdquoPrivate Four Year College B stretches its reference dollars by requiringdiscipline-specific reference books come from that departmentrsquos book al-location while general reference works come from the reference budget

A particular challenge is for reference collection budgets to absorb thecosts of technology As Kluegel observes the advent of technology is trans-forming the reference collection into a ldquokaleidoscope of resources that canchange from one day to the next and the budget may look just as commin-gledrdquo (Kluegel 1996 454) There is no escaping the impact of technology onreference budgets State University A says improvement of ldquonetworkedelectronic access to informationrdquo is its ldquohighest priorityrdquo To better fund thisneed the libraryrsquos policy is to ldquoreplace print indexes with CD-ROM and on-line databasesrdquo Although not mentioned in any other policies this is prob-ably a common practice

Increasingly libraries are seeking ways to contain reference-relatedcosts through cooperative or consortial arrangements Some efforts havebeen made toward regional reference collection management These ef-forts can eliminate unnecessary duplication of expensive and infrequentlyused items while ensuring their accessibility to all within the systemConsortial agreements and arrangements for electronic resources areparticularly helpful Several models exist For example several librariescould acquire joint access to a database available via the Internet An-other model might involve one library deliberately buying source A whileanother does not but instead purchases source B the two could then tele-phone fax or e-mail reference questions and answers back and forthState Community College B and its local public library seem to take thisfurther in that they work together ldquoto provide access to database search-ing for faculty and studentsrdquo though the extent of this partnering is notelaborated upon in the policy

Although not mentioned in detail in any of the policies some state insti-tutions in Kansas participate in a number of consortial agreementsConsortial database agreements exist between the state-supported collegesand universities and one of the state community colleges Two of the stateuniversities participate in a large regional consortium too Such sharedbuying power allows access to resources the individual libraries would notbe able to attain on their own

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

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The explosion of electronic information resources marks the greatestchange in reference collection management Hazen states collectionsmust address the ldquoincreasingly complicated needs of users both currentand futurerdquo which are ldquoless and less limited to local holdingsrdquo (Hazen1995 30) Even though end-user electronic reference resources have beenaround for over a decade many libraries do not have a reference collec-tion management policy for such tools As a result such collections havegrown with little regard for planning Many libraries are struggling to inte-grate new forms of information technology into existing services opera-tions and policies ldquoThe challenge for this generation of librariansrdquoDemas says ldquois to seamlessly knit together a multiplicity of formats andaccess mechanisms into one intellectually cohesive user-friendly set of in-formation resources and services In shortrdquo he says ldquowe must adjust mostof our professional practices and daily operations to handle electronicpublications with a facility equal to or greater than that which we haveevolved for printed publicationsrdquo (Demas 1994 72)

One of the first issues a reference collection policy should addresswhen multiple formats are available is how the decision of whether to goelectronic is made Private College H says ldquoMachine-readable databaseswill be purchased in the most effective format available Hence some da-tabases will be accessed via the Internet and others may be on CD-ROMIn some cases print may be a totally appropriate formatrdquo Too often refer-ence sources are produced in electronic format because they can berather than because they should be As with any source attention must begiven to the intellectual organization and presentation of the informationThe question then becomes how to weigh the relative merits of contentpresentation and cost

Electronic resources present many unique challenges that a policyshould clarify Following is a list of suggested things to consider While itdoes not purport to be exhaustive it is designed to serve as a starting pointfor discussion (See Appendix A for a list of questions to be generally ap-plied to acquisition andor weeding of sources)

Technical Specifications

Is the database best utilized via the Internet on a local server on astand-alone or another option What compatibility is there between thedatabasesrsquo requirements and existing hardware and software What is thespeed and reliability of access Is the site updated and well maintainedHow stable is the database How is log in and authentication of users to behandledndashincluding distance users

98 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Documentation and Support

What level of technical support is available from the vendor Is this atan added cost Is the vendor reputable Is support service prompt and ad-equate How are licensing issues such as access by both local and remoteusers copyright data archiving etc handled What is the availability andquality of support materials If the electronic version is acquired can theprint version be canceled Will such action affect the subscription cost

Funding

How is the product itself to be paid for How will maintenance costs bepaid How will consumables (paper toner discs etc) be paid for Howmany computers are needed State University A speaks directly to thesecosts in its document In supporting the expense of these electronicsources the library admits ldquoThere is still an insufficient number ofworkstations or networking for simultaneous users for online CD-ROMand Internet searching This means that although we may have the meansto locate information we do not always have access to it at the momentneededrdquo

Database Content

Does content justify the format Is the content of the online databasethe same as the print index Is the content of the database reliable andvalid Is full textimage searching an option Will the content of the data-base meet the needs of future users How well does the database fit withinthe context of the existing collections and resources Is there a roll-off ofyears covered by the databasendashthat is if the database covers the most re-cent five years what happens to year six

User Interface

What level of instruction is needed to operate the database What isthe potential impact on public service points What output options areavailable for printing downloading and e-mailing

Continuity

How are issues such as licensing upgrading control and maintenancehandled

The answers to such questions are often beyond the ability of a singleindividual as they require substantial subject and technological knowl-

Daniel Liestman 99

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edge An effective reference collection policy should see to it that inputfrom both subject and systems specialists is obtained in making cost effec-tive decisions How such issues are addressed is dependent on the libraryrsquostechnology infrastructure Such issues may extend beyond the library tothe institutionrsquos systems office or academic computing department If sothe polices and practices of those departments have might influence themanagement of the libraryrsquos electronic collection The key to assimilatingnew technologies is to develop collaborative strategies that promote flexi-bility in the organization facilitate coordination and collaboration acrossorganizational divisions promote the ability of staff to adapt to constantchange and eliminate territoriality and develop shared goals and values

Another aspect of reference collection management policy is the cre-ation of a virtual reference collection that utilizes sources available on theWWW State University A says the potential of using World Wide Webresources with no direct cost to the department is ldquounlimited and mayeventually have an effect on collection development but it is difficult toassess the impact for the coming yearsrdquo Creating such a resource is be-yond the scope of this article and is better addressed by Demas McDon-ald and Lawrence who provide a solid basis for creating and maintainingsuch a digital reference collection (Demas McDonald and Lawrence1995 282-283)

Whether a reference policy incorporates an electronic virtual collec-tion or not a conspectus for electronic resources might still be useful If aconspectus is already used its collecting level categories may need only tobe adapted to reflect the use of electronic sources or a separate conspec-tus may be used

Although the use of electronic resources in a reference collection isnow an established part of the profession few of the policies received inthis research deal directly with such matters Moreover the literature isvaried and of no one opinion on how to proceed In creating a policy state-ment for onersquos own library local needs use patterns and resources will allneed to be considered

WEEDING

Most libraries see the value and benefits of weeding and although most lackwritten guidelines weeding is undertaken anyway Whether weeding is part ofa policy or not it usually occurs for two reasonsndashspace and collection philoso-phy

Space is usually given preeminent consideration as a factor involved inpromoting weeding State Community College A Library notes in its pol-

100 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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icy ldquoAs space limitations dictate materials will be considered for re-movalrdquo Beyond this the Biggs found most reference collections containmore than 10000 reference titles They concluded these were more titlesthan could be effectively mastered by most reference librarians (Biggs1987 67 69-70) Other studies support this finding and call for ldquoleanrdquo ref-erence collections filled with a few ldquohard-working titlesrdquo (Nolan 1991 80Nolan 1999 11-21 Joswick and Stierman 1993 108)

Collection philosophy is another reason for librarians to considerweeding In particular concern focuses on having the most recent andpresumably best information available Some go so far as to declare ldquoIt isbetter to do without [a reference resource] than to unintentionally pro-vide misinformation through outdated sourcesrdquo (Hattendorf 1989 222)Rettig draws an analogy between the toxic waste left at Love Canal andthe dangers of old and unreliable sources that ldquoplace library users inharmrsquos way The information in these booksrdquo he asserts ldquohas lost its util-ity but not its potencyrdquo (Rettig 1982 7) State College B acknowledgesthis concern and seeks to create a reference collection that is continuallyweeded to ldquoensure relevance validity and currencyrdquo

Despite the importance of weeding for space and philosophical rea-sons few libraries address this issue State University B Library does ac-knowledge that ldquoWeeding is as important as selectionrdquo adding that ldquoasthe Reference Collection is a working collection of important frequentlyconsulted resources careful and systematic weeding removes older lessdesirable works from the collectionrdquo This statement however providesno insight as to how such weeding is to be undertaken

Some of the institutions surveyed do discuss weeding in their referencecollection policies State Community College B for example weeds ldquoen-cyclopedias almanacs annuals yearbooks and like materials if they aremore than five years oldrdquo Yet most policies are like State University Arsquosin which the reference collection is ldquoperiodically weededrdquo In adoptingthis approach State Community College A states ldquocriteria for weedinginclude damaged titles and titles containing dated or inaccurate infor-mationrdquo

Weeding is not necessarily the same as discarding State University ALibrary for example has a ldquotrendrdquo to transfer so-called ldquostandard andclassicrdquo reference sources to the stacks or special collections as they aresuperseded or no longer used Other possibilities include using remotestorage for withdrawn reference works or transferring them to the stacksbut as non-circulating items On the other hand withdrawn referenceworks at State Community College B ldquomay be given to instructors or soldin book sales Anything not so disposed of may be given to local schools or

Daniel Liestman 101

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librariesrdquo Some libraries may also not weed their reference collections soas to avoid potential confrontations with users State Community CollegeB seeks to overcome this by having ldquothe librarian in consultation with thedirector and with input from the facultyrdquo participate in the weeding pro-cess Likewise State Community College A says faculty participation inweeding ldquoshould be encouragedrdquo Giving adequate notice of weeding anddeveloping a means for communicating the purpose of weeding and al-lowing participation in the process will go a long way to alleviate any angst

Even without these political considerations weeding is a difficult ex-pensive undertaking It is labor intensive and time consuming However ifweeding is done on a regular basis rather than all at once it can be moreeasily integrated into the work flow of those involved The questions pro-vided in Appendix A will be helpful in making weeding decisions

One question not included in Appendix A merits special considerationhow frequently is a resource used Determining usage of reference collec-tions is not often or easily undertaken Engeldinger conducted a survey of377 academic libraries and found only 23 conducted a user survey of theircollections (Engeldinger 1986 367-71) As reference collections arenon-circulating simple circulation counts are not a viable measure of useIn light of this a number of creative means have been developed to assesshow reference collections are used including dotting the spine making ticmarks to note each time a book is used over a period of time table countsexamining infrared dust beads on top of a book or placing unexposed pho-tographic paper in the pages of a book Some online systems allow booksto be recorded as ldquobrowsedrdquo if they are wanded after pick-up (Slote 1997219-225) Even as creative as some of these are they still focus on presentuser demand and fail to anticipate future needs While there may not bean easy way to weed a superior collection policy will address this matter ina manner that best serves onersquos own library

CONCLUSION

A couple of problems soon became obvious in this survey First was thelack of responses Secondly there is no way to tell how closely actual prac-tice follows the policy A possible follow-up study would be to see how welllibraries adhere to their own policies

Creating and implementing a reference collection policy for onersquos ownlibrary clearly requires a commitment of time and energy The library di-rector of Private College A wrote

102 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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There must be a break point so to speak in terms of how small a li-brary is or the ratio of staff to patrons or some other key factor thatmust explain why some libraryrsquos [sic] have a written policy while oth-ers do not revise the ancient ones they have In our case we canrsquotbreathe much less write a policy Even if we had a policy we wouldnrsquothave time to refer to it I would be the first to question the qualityand professionalism of an academic situation without a CD (Collec-tion Development) policy but as you are well aware Librarians aregenerally low man on the budget distribution totem pole

Still such a policy is worth undertaking Hazen argues a policy willhave the library ldquosolidify its own sense of purpose and also point the cam-pus toward the future by recasting its documentation in terms of all theresearch resources associated with its users and the fields they representrdquoBy including the Web and other broad based resources rather than ldquoinsist-ing on the inflexible site specific codificationrdquo of print acquisitions thepolicy will set the tone for the library as a major player in the informationage (Hazen 1995 31)

For those contemplating the creation and implementation of their ownpolicy the following points should be considered

Make a Commitment to It

Those who are directly affected by the policy should be committed to itIf they are not it will be unenforceable and useless More than one personshould be involved in the creation of the policy so that more people be-come invested in it and a variety of viewpoints are heard How and why thepolicy is being developed and for whom needs to be made clear Thereshould be meetings in which stakeholders can discuss concerns and re-solve such matters In this way everyone will be involved in the process andhave an opportunity to input ideas Whatever scope a policy takes its suc-cess depends on the degree of commitment to the policy by all involved

Keep It Unique to Onersquos Own Collection

Some argue that as there are not that many differences between librar-ies and detailed reference policies are unneeded Batt suggests one couldcreate boilerplate policies for all libraries with a final fill-in-the-blank sec-tion for special idiosyncrasies or ldquolocal peccadilloesrdquo (Batt 1984 313)Any policy needs to be individualized to the unique circumstances of thereference collection involved Any individualized policy may be one pageor severalndashthe key is whatever works best for onersquos own reference collec-

Daniel Liestman 103

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014

tion In constructing the policy think of issues which have been problemsin the past and how they might be best addressed

Keep Your Audience in Mind

While some such as Batt do not believe a reference collection policyhas an external audience it does and the interests of those stakeholdersneed to be kept in mind

Think Out of the Box

Donrsquot make the policy a reiteration of how things have always beendone Use this as an opportunity to think of new ways of doing things Toooften reference collection policies are written just for reference books Agood policy will include all other forms of reference sources ranging frommicrofiche to the World Wide Web

Keep It Simple

Some policies get bogged down in minutiae such as defining what a ref-erence resource is One study found a library with four guidelines devotedspecifically to telephone directories Such discussions are often esotericand have little to do with the application of the policy (Hattendorf 1989224-225)

Keep It Meaningful

On the other hand a policy should not be so succinct as to be meaning-less One library in another study noted ldquoThe basic reference collectionwill be made up of the following a basic reference collectionrdquo This gen-eralization so vague as to be meaningless (Hattendorf 1989 224-225) Apolicy should have some value and meaning to itndashif it doesnrsquot you donrsquotneed one

Donrsquot Reinvent the Wheel

While it is important even essential to tailor a policy to the needs ofonersquos own collection it may be helpful to review what others have donePeer institutions may be willing to share what they have The Web can alsobe searched for policies

Keep It Flexible

104 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

Private College H says ldquoThe policies stated herein shall not be consid-ered inflexible regulationsrdquo Indeed there should be some room for ambi-guity as there will invariably be exceptions to every rule or guidelinePolicies are there to guidendashnot to enforce without reason

Donrsquot Put It Off

If collection management can be described as ldquothe task neglected whentime constraints applyrdquo writing a policy is often put off until there is timeto do it The trouble is there never is time to do it until a conscientious ef-fort is made to do so (Cuberly 1987 302) Few argue with the need for sucha policy yet few make the time to create such a policy

Keep It Current

The best policy is one which is up-to-date A policy should be reviewedannually and updated as needed A policy should be a living documentsubject to modification and adaptation as change occurs within the de-partment as well as the information environment The policy should de-velop over time in response to these changes State College A forexample describes its policy as ldquoevolutionaryrdquo and endeavors to keep itcurrent

Ask the Right Questions

To begin addressing some of these issues it is important to know whatquestions to ask Hattendorf provides some excellent suggestions for con-sideration prior to drafting a statement (Hattendorf 1989 223)

1 Why do we have a reference collection2 What is our philosophy of reference service3 What do we want the reference collection to be and do

Daniel Liestman 105

QUICK BIB

Biggs Mary and Victor ldquoReference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Surveyrdquo RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Reference Collection Development A programpresented at the 99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference No-vember 15 1990 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Re-production Service ED335049)

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

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014

4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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014

Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

Daniel Liestman 109

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bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

Daniel Liestman 111

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

Daniel Liestman 113

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014

are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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Page 11: Reference Collection Management Policies

mention of this format Even though they are beyond the scope of mostreference collection policy statements but they still need to be consideredTracking and acquiring such sources is beyond the scope of this article andhas been dealt with elsewhere in the literature (Scott and Nolan 199370-71 Majka 1996 70-71) Nevertheless reference collection policesneed to address issues related to binding retention and irregular publica-tions

Circulation

As a rule reference materials do not circulate However most policesallow for at least one exception through which at the discretion of an ap-propriate staff member an item may go out for a limited time State Com-munity College B is typical in that it notes that at the option of thecirculation supervisor a reference item may be checked out for one day ifit is not in high demand Whatever is best for onersquos own library should beincluded in the reference policy statement

Duplicates

Rarely do reference collections include duplicates The relatively highcost of most reference works the typically brief time need for consulta-tion and their non-circulating nature obviates the need for duplication inmost instances However repeated requests and queuing for an item aswell as high potential usage may warrant the acquisition of duplicates inrare cases

Language

Most of the policies received assumed that with exception of dictionar-ies the primary emphasis of the reference collection is on material in theEnglish language However both State Universities A and B are more ex-plicit State University A says ldquoprimary considerationrdquo will be given toldquoreference tools in the English languagerdquo but the collection will also in-clude sources which support the Universityrsquos area studies programs andthe western European language sources which support research in the hu-manities It may be assumed that except as noted reference sources willbe in English However having a policy specifically stating as muchproved helpful for one library in fending off an unwanted gift encyclope-dia set written in Arabic

Recency

Daniel Liestman 93

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Most reference collections make efforts to include the most recent ma-terials possible State University B is typical in saying that ldquousually onlythe latest editionrdquo of a reference title will be kept in reference and that re-moved materials will be sent to the circulating collection There are excep-tions and Private Four Year College B acknowledges this in its statementnoting ldquo[o]lder titles may be purchased as appropriate to needrdquo Such aclause allows a library some flexibility in its reference collection

CRITERIA OF INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION

Another way of shaping the nature of the reference collection issummed up by Hattendorf who notes ldquoIt is important to know what isNOT in the collection as well as what is in itrdquo (Hattendorf 1990 7) Aca-demic libraries generally do not include certain types of materialsTypically ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes travel guides genealogy materialsvertical file materials and used car price guides are excluded PrivateFour Year College B for example states ldquoThe non-academic interests ofstudents and faculty are to be met through use of the local public libraryand the regional library systemrdquo

While such a statement is typical there are no universally acceptedstandards as to what is included or excluded State Community College Astates ldquotextbooks will normally be excluded from library purchasesrdquo Onthe other hand State Community College B will acquire textbooks pro-vided they are ldquothe best and latest reference sources availablerdquo To vary-ing degrees the pol- icies of State Universities A and B both list the typesof materials to be included in their respective collections These include anumber of typical resources ranging from almanacs to yearbooks Somesuggest that such ldquolaundry listsrdquo are not really necessary and are often ar-bitrary Batt argues that it should seem obvious when a work has referencevalue and when it does not If a book winds up in the wrong place it is re-ally not a critical matter adding ldquoany decision can be reconsidered (aslong as you remain friendly with your catalogers)rdquo (Batt 1984 318-19)Others de-emphasize certain types of sources for example State Univer-sity C says it purchases few bibliographies ldquoas they are underutilized pro-portionally to the costrdquo Conversely State College B says ldquoEffort is alsomade [to acquire] relevant subject and general bibliographies for the pur-pose of comparing library holdings to the standard materials of the fieldrdquo

Although none of the policies received addressed this directly the liter-ature indicates some libraries include books that are not reference booksin the collection The Biggs found twenty percent of the institutions in

94 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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their study used ldquolikelihood of theftrdquo as a criterion for placing a work inreference (Biggs 1987 73) Likewise in other libraries the reference col-lection is often used in lieu of a reserves collection

Censoring materials is certainly a way to exclude items from a collec-tion All the statements received save one make specific reference tosupporting intellectual freedom The one in question undoubtedly alsosupports intellectual freedom but such supporting documents are notpart of the reference collection policy per se Some such as State CollegeB even include policy and procedures on how to respond to challengedmaterials On the other hand while giving numerous statements in sup-port of intellectual freedom in its policy State Community College B doesleave the door open to removing materials noting ldquoGenerally [authorrsquositalics] no effort will be made to censor the collectionrdquo Private College Fsays while it ldquorejects no materials due to ideological reasons the librarywill refuse to retain any materials classified to be lsquoOBSCENErsquo [their capi-talization] which will be determined by the Learning Resource Commit-tee Library Director and the Academic Deanrdquo

INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS

Stakeholders are all those with a significant interest or stake in the ref-erence collectionndashlibrarians teaching faculty students etc Private Col-lege H broadly defines this group by noting ldquoResponsibility for theselection of library materials for the College Library lies with the entire col-lege communityrdquo State College Brsquos library students and administrators areldquoencouraged to recommendrdquo new works The input of faculty is ldquoessen-tialrdquo provided it is in ldquotheir teaching areasrdquo says State Community Col-lege A However the policy adds that as ldquolibrarians are ultimatelyresponsible for the overall quality and balance of the total collectionthey will select and purchase materials in all subject areas in an attemptto fill obvious gaps overlooked by instructorsrdquo The expectation or atleast hope for participation is widely held

At the same time the question quickly becomes who has the ultimate au-thority and accountability for the reference collection While all stake-holders are interested in the collection reference personnel should have asignificant measure of responsibility for involvement with the decision mak-ing process as they have the closest ties to the collection its users and relatedservices In addition they are in the best position to know the trends goalsand objectives of current and future users Teaching faculty at Private FourYear College B for example are expected to act as subject specialists in their

Daniel Liestman 95

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areas of expertise while library staff recommend materials for addition to thereference collection Still all recommendations go to the library directorwho makes the final selections

In other libraries common models are for bibliographers subject spe-cialists and reference librarians to make recommendations to the head ofreference or the collection management librarian In other cases selec-tions may be the responsibility of a reference collection team composedof internal and possibly external stakeholders An advantage of havingone person or one committee ultimately responsible for the reference col-lection is that they will be able to see that the collection is well balanced

Whatever selection model is followed communication consultationand collaboration must occur To enhance the process the person or per-sons making the selections should actually work at the reference desk Ifthis is not possible the selector for reference books should be highly recep-tive to suggestions made by those at the desk To further enhance the pro-cess and increase understanding a means of prioritizing requests can beimplemented For example a 3-star system with three stars designatingessential items two stars for important items and one star for supplemen-tary items would help the individual making selections understand thepriority of specific items If a team or committee is involved in the processa round-robin session would allow others to know what their colleaguesare ordering

MANAGING BUDGETARY COSTS

In the policies surveyed budgetary matters are generally not discussedbut there are a couple of exceptions Private College F for example notesthat its reference budget comes from the annual library budget the re-stricted library fund and duplicate book sales State Community CollegeF says it allots one third of its ten-thousand dollar book budget to the printreference collection Most libraries are less specific in their policies Agood future study would be to investigate funding and budgetary alloca-tions for reference collections

What can be gleaned from the polices is that money is tight The librarydirector at Independent Community College A observed ldquoIf I had a writ-ten-down policy it would be to do the best you can with budgets and learnto say lsquonorsquo a lotrdquo State University C says ldquoIt is necessary to try and addressa [sic] incredibly varied audience with a notably small budgetrdquo State Uni-versity A admits to financial limitations noting ldquoWe cannot purchase orsubscribe to all even if they are in our primary subject areas Added edi-tions frequent updates or supplements would improve currency In some

96 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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instances we may be able to purchase every third or fourth edition onlyrdquoPrivate Four Year College B stretches its reference dollars by requiringdiscipline-specific reference books come from that departmentrsquos book al-location while general reference works come from the reference budget

A particular challenge is for reference collection budgets to absorb thecosts of technology As Kluegel observes the advent of technology is trans-forming the reference collection into a ldquokaleidoscope of resources that canchange from one day to the next and the budget may look just as commin-gledrdquo (Kluegel 1996 454) There is no escaping the impact of technology onreference budgets State University A says improvement of ldquonetworkedelectronic access to informationrdquo is its ldquohighest priorityrdquo To better fund thisneed the libraryrsquos policy is to ldquoreplace print indexes with CD-ROM and on-line databasesrdquo Although not mentioned in any other policies this is prob-ably a common practice

Increasingly libraries are seeking ways to contain reference-relatedcosts through cooperative or consortial arrangements Some efforts havebeen made toward regional reference collection management These ef-forts can eliminate unnecessary duplication of expensive and infrequentlyused items while ensuring their accessibility to all within the systemConsortial agreements and arrangements for electronic resources areparticularly helpful Several models exist For example several librariescould acquire joint access to a database available via the Internet An-other model might involve one library deliberately buying source A whileanother does not but instead purchases source B the two could then tele-phone fax or e-mail reference questions and answers back and forthState Community College B and its local public library seem to take thisfurther in that they work together ldquoto provide access to database search-ing for faculty and studentsrdquo though the extent of this partnering is notelaborated upon in the policy

Although not mentioned in detail in any of the policies some state insti-tutions in Kansas participate in a number of consortial agreementsConsortial database agreements exist between the state-supported collegesand universities and one of the state community colleges Two of the stateuniversities participate in a large regional consortium too Such sharedbuying power allows access to resources the individual libraries would notbe able to attain on their own

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Daniel Liestman 97

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The explosion of electronic information resources marks the greatestchange in reference collection management Hazen states collectionsmust address the ldquoincreasingly complicated needs of users both currentand futurerdquo which are ldquoless and less limited to local holdingsrdquo (Hazen1995 30) Even though end-user electronic reference resources have beenaround for over a decade many libraries do not have a reference collec-tion management policy for such tools As a result such collections havegrown with little regard for planning Many libraries are struggling to inte-grate new forms of information technology into existing services opera-tions and policies ldquoThe challenge for this generation of librariansrdquoDemas says ldquois to seamlessly knit together a multiplicity of formats andaccess mechanisms into one intellectually cohesive user-friendly set of in-formation resources and services In shortrdquo he says ldquowe must adjust mostof our professional practices and daily operations to handle electronicpublications with a facility equal to or greater than that which we haveevolved for printed publicationsrdquo (Demas 1994 72)

One of the first issues a reference collection policy should addresswhen multiple formats are available is how the decision of whether to goelectronic is made Private College H says ldquoMachine-readable databaseswill be purchased in the most effective format available Hence some da-tabases will be accessed via the Internet and others may be on CD-ROMIn some cases print may be a totally appropriate formatrdquo Too often refer-ence sources are produced in electronic format because they can berather than because they should be As with any source attention must begiven to the intellectual organization and presentation of the informationThe question then becomes how to weigh the relative merits of contentpresentation and cost

Electronic resources present many unique challenges that a policyshould clarify Following is a list of suggested things to consider While itdoes not purport to be exhaustive it is designed to serve as a starting pointfor discussion (See Appendix A for a list of questions to be generally ap-plied to acquisition andor weeding of sources)

Technical Specifications

Is the database best utilized via the Internet on a local server on astand-alone or another option What compatibility is there between thedatabasesrsquo requirements and existing hardware and software What is thespeed and reliability of access Is the site updated and well maintainedHow stable is the database How is log in and authentication of users to behandledndashincluding distance users

98 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Documentation and Support

What level of technical support is available from the vendor Is this atan added cost Is the vendor reputable Is support service prompt and ad-equate How are licensing issues such as access by both local and remoteusers copyright data archiving etc handled What is the availability andquality of support materials If the electronic version is acquired can theprint version be canceled Will such action affect the subscription cost

Funding

How is the product itself to be paid for How will maintenance costs bepaid How will consumables (paper toner discs etc) be paid for Howmany computers are needed State University A speaks directly to thesecosts in its document In supporting the expense of these electronicsources the library admits ldquoThere is still an insufficient number ofworkstations or networking for simultaneous users for online CD-ROMand Internet searching This means that although we may have the meansto locate information we do not always have access to it at the momentneededrdquo

Database Content

Does content justify the format Is the content of the online databasethe same as the print index Is the content of the database reliable andvalid Is full textimage searching an option Will the content of the data-base meet the needs of future users How well does the database fit withinthe context of the existing collections and resources Is there a roll-off ofyears covered by the databasendashthat is if the database covers the most re-cent five years what happens to year six

User Interface

What level of instruction is needed to operate the database What isthe potential impact on public service points What output options areavailable for printing downloading and e-mailing

Continuity

How are issues such as licensing upgrading control and maintenancehandled

The answers to such questions are often beyond the ability of a singleindividual as they require substantial subject and technological knowl-

Daniel Liestman 99

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edge An effective reference collection policy should see to it that inputfrom both subject and systems specialists is obtained in making cost effec-tive decisions How such issues are addressed is dependent on the libraryrsquostechnology infrastructure Such issues may extend beyond the library tothe institutionrsquos systems office or academic computing department If sothe polices and practices of those departments have might influence themanagement of the libraryrsquos electronic collection The key to assimilatingnew technologies is to develop collaborative strategies that promote flexi-bility in the organization facilitate coordination and collaboration acrossorganizational divisions promote the ability of staff to adapt to constantchange and eliminate territoriality and develop shared goals and values

Another aspect of reference collection management policy is the cre-ation of a virtual reference collection that utilizes sources available on theWWW State University A says the potential of using World Wide Webresources with no direct cost to the department is ldquounlimited and mayeventually have an effect on collection development but it is difficult toassess the impact for the coming yearsrdquo Creating such a resource is be-yond the scope of this article and is better addressed by Demas McDon-ald and Lawrence who provide a solid basis for creating and maintainingsuch a digital reference collection (Demas McDonald and Lawrence1995 282-283)

Whether a reference policy incorporates an electronic virtual collec-tion or not a conspectus for electronic resources might still be useful If aconspectus is already used its collecting level categories may need only tobe adapted to reflect the use of electronic sources or a separate conspec-tus may be used

Although the use of electronic resources in a reference collection isnow an established part of the profession few of the policies received inthis research deal directly with such matters Moreover the literature isvaried and of no one opinion on how to proceed In creating a policy state-ment for onersquos own library local needs use patterns and resources will allneed to be considered

WEEDING

Most libraries see the value and benefits of weeding and although most lackwritten guidelines weeding is undertaken anyway Whether weeding is part ofa policy or not it usually occurs for two reasonsndashspace and collection philoso-phy

Space is usually given preeminent consideration as a factor involved inpromoting weeding State Community College A Library notes in its pol-

100 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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icy ldquoAs space limitations dictate materials will be considered for re-movalrdquo Beyond this the Biggs found most reference collections containmore than 10000 reference titles They concluded these were more titlesthan could be effectively mastered by most reference librarians (Biggs1987 67 69-70) Other studies support this finding and call for ldquoleanrdquo ref-erence collections filled with a few ldquohard-working titlesrdquo (Nolan 1991 80Nolan 1999 11-21 Joswick and Stierman 1993 108)

Collection philosophy is another reason for librarians to considerweeding In particular concern focuses on having the most recent andpresumably best information available Some go so far as to declare ldquoIt isbetter to do without [a reference resource] than to unintentionally pro-vide misinformation through outdated sourcesrdquo (Hattendorf 1989 222)Rettig draws an analogy between the toxic waste left at Love Canal andthe dangers of old and unreliable sources that ldquoplace library users inharmrsquos way The information in these booksrdquo he asserts ldquohas lost its util-ity but not its potencyrdquo (Rettig 1982 7) State College B acknowledgesthis concern and seeks to create a reference collection that is continuallyweeded to ldquoensure relevance validity and currencyrdquo

Despite the importance of weeding for space and philosophical rea-sons few libraries address this issue State University B Library does ac-knowledge that ldquoWeeding is as important as selectionrdquo adding that ldquoasthe Reference Collection is a working collection of important frequentlyconsulted resources careful and systematic weeding removes older lessdesirable works from the collectionrdquo This statement however providesno insight as to how such weeding is to be undertaken

Some of the institutions surveyed do discuss weeding in their referencecollection policies State Community College B for example weeds ldquoen-cyclopedias almanacs annuals yearbooks and like materials if they aremore than five years oldrdquo Yet most policies are like State University Arsquosin which the reference collection is ldquoperiodically weededrdquo In adoptingthis approach State Community College A states ldquocriteria for weedinginclude damaged titles and titles containing dated or inaccurate infor-mationrdquo

Weeding is not necessarily the same as discarding State University ALibrary for example has a ldquotrendrdquo to transfer so-called ldquostandard andclassicrdquo reference sources to the stacks or special collections as they aresuperseded or no longer used Other possibilities include using remotestorage for withdrawn reference works or transferring them to the stacksbut as non-circulating items On the other hand withdrawn referenceworks at State Community College B ldquomay be given to instructors or soldin book sales Anything not so disposed of may be given to local schools or

Daniel Liestman 101

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014

librariesrdquo Some libraries may also not weed their reference collections soas to avoid potential confrontations with users State Community CollegeB seeks to overcome this by having ldquothe librarian in consultation with thedirector and with input from the facultyrdquo participate in the weeding pro-cess Likewise State Community College A says faculty participation inweeding ldquoshould be encouragedrdquo Giving adequate notice of weeding anddeveloping a means for communicating the purpose of weeding and al-lowing participation in the process will go a long way to alleviate any angst

Even without these political considerations weeding is a difficult ex-pensive undertaking It is labor intensive and time consuming However ifweeding is done on a regular basis rather than all at once it can be moreeasily integrated into the work flow of those involved The questions pro-vided in Appendix A will be helpful in making weeding decisions

One question not included in Appendix A merits special considerationhow frequently is a resource used Determining usage of reference collec-tions is not often or easily undertaken Engeldinger conducted a survey of377 academic libraries and found only 23 conducted a user survey of theircollections (Engeldinger 1986 367-71) As reference collections arenon-circulating simple circulation counts are not a viable measure of useIn light of this a number of creative means have been developed to assesshow reference collections are used including dotting the spine making ticmarks to note each time a book is used over a period of time table countsexamining infrared dust beads on top of a book or placing unexposed pho-tographic paper in the pages of a book Some online systems allow booksto be recorded as ldquobrowsedrdquo if they are wanded after pick-up (Slote 1997219-225) Even as creative as some of these are they still focus on presentuser demand and fail to anticipate future needs While there may not bean easy way to weed a superior collection policy will address this matter ina manner that best serves onersquos own library

CONCLUSION

A couple of problems soon became obvious in this survey First was thelack of responses Secondly there is no way to tell how closely actual prac-tice follows the policy A possible follow-up study would be to see how welllibraries adhere to their own policies

Creating and implementing a reference collection policy for onersquos ownlibrary clearly requires a commitment of time and energy The library di-rector of Private College A wrote

102 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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There must be a break point so to speak in terms of how small a li-brary is or the ratio of staff to patrons or some other key factor thatmust explain why some libraryrsquos [sic] have a written policy while oth-ers do not revise the ancient ones they have In our case we canrsquotbreathe much less write a policy Even if we had a policy we wouldnrsquothave time to refer to it I would be the first to question the qualityand professionalism of an academic situation without a CD (Collec-tion Development) policy but as you are well aware Librarians aregenerally low man on the budget distribution totem pole

Still such a policy is worth undertaking Hazen argues a policy willhave the library ldquosolidify its own sense of purpose and also point the cam-pus toward the future by recasting its documentation in terms of all theresearch resources associated with its users and the fields they representrdquoBy including the Web and other broad based resources rather than ldquoinsist-ing on the inflexible site specific codificationrdquo of print acquisitions thepolicy will set the tone for the library as a major player in the informationage (Hazen 1995 31)

For those contemplating the creation and implementation of their ownpolicy the following points should be considered

Make a Commitment to It

Those who are directly affected by the policy should be committed to itIf they are not it will be unenforceable and useless More than one personshould be involved in the creation of the policy so that more people be-come invested in it and a variety of viewpoints are heard How and why thepolicy is being developed and for whom needs to be made clear Thereshould be meetings in which stakeholders can discuss concerns and re-solve such matters In this way everyone will be involved in the process andhave an opportunity to input ideas Whatever scope a policy takes its suc-cess depends on the degree of commitment to the policy by all involved

Keep It Unique to Onersquos Own Collection

Some argue that as there are not that many differences between librar-ies and detailed reference policies are unneeded Batt suggests one couldcreate boilerplate policies for all libraries with a final fill-in-the-blank sec-tion for special idiosyncrasies or ldquolocal peccadilloesrdquo (Batt 1984 313)Any policy needs to be individualized to the unique circumstances of thereference collection involved Any individualized policy may be one pageor severalndashthe key is whatever works best for onersquos own reference collec-

Daniel Liestman 103

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014

tion In constructing the policy think of issues which have been problemsin the past and how they might be best addressed

Keep Your Audience in Mind

While some such as Batt do not believe a reference collection policyhas an external audience it does and the interests of those stakeholdersneed to be kept in mind

Think Out of the Box

Donrsquot make the policy a reiteration of how things have always beendone Use this as an opportunity to think of new ways of doing things Toooften reference collection policies are written just for reference books Agood policy will include all other forms of reference sources ranging frommicrofiche to the World Wide Web

Keep It Simple

Some policies get bogged down in minutiae such as defining what a ref-erence resource is One study found a library with four guidelines devotedspecifically to telephone directories Such discussions are often esotericand have little to do with the application of the policy (Hattendorf 1989224-225)

Keep It Meaningful

On the other hand a policy should not be so succinct as to be meaning-less One library in another study noted ldquoThe basic reference collectionwill be made up of the following a basic reference collectionrdquo This gen-eralization so vague as to be meaningless (Hattendorf 1989 224-225) Apolicy should have some value and meaning to itndashif it doesnrsquot you donrsquotneed one

Donrsquot Reinvent the Wheel

While it is important even essential to tailor a policy to the needs ofonersquos own collection it may be helpful to review what others have donePeer institutions may be willing to share what they have The Web can alsobe searched for policies

Keep It Flexible

104 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

Private College H says ldquoThe policies stated herein shall not be consid-ered inflexible regulationsrdquo Indeed there should be some room for ambi-guity as there will invariably be exceptions to every rule or guidelinePolicies are there to guidendashnot to enforce without reason

Donrsquot Put It Off

If collection management can be described as ldquothe task neglected whentime constraints applyrdquo writing a policy is often put off until there is timeto do it The trouble is there never is time to do it until a conscientious ef-fort is made to do so (Cuberly 1987 302) Few argue with the need for sucha policy yet few make the time to create such a policy

Keep It Current

The best policy is one which is up-to-date A policy should be reviewedannually and updated as needed A policy should be a living documentsubject to modification and adaptation as change occurs within the de-partment as well as the information environment The policy should de-velop over time in response to these changes State College A forexample describes its policy as ldquoevolutionaryrdquo and endeavors to keep itcurrent

Ask the Right Questions

To begin addressing some of these issues it is important to know whatquestions to ask Hattendorf provides some excellent suggestions for con-sideration prior to drafting a statement (Hattendorf 1989 223)

1 Why do we have a reference collection2 What is our philosophy of reference service3 What do we want the reference collection to be and do

Daniel Liestman 105

QUICK BIB

Biggs Mary and Victor ldquoReference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Surveyrdquo RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Reference Collection Development A programpresented at the 99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference No-vember 15 1990 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Re-production Service ED335049)

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

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10

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ctob

er 2

014

4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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] at

10

18 1

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014

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

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bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

Daniel Liestman 111

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

Daniel Liestman 113

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014

are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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Page 12: Reference Collection Management Policies

Most reference collections make efforts to include the most recent ma-terials possible State University B is typical in saying that ldquousually onlythe latest editionrdquo of a reference title will be kept in reference and that re-moved materials will be sent to the circulating collection There are excep-tions and Private Four Year College B acknowledges this in its statementnoting ldquo[o]lder titles may be purchased as appropriate to needrdquo Such aclause allows a library some flexibility in its reference collection

CRITERIA OF INCLUSION AND EXCLUSION

Another way of shaping the nature of the reference collection issummed up by Hattendorf who notes ldquoIt is important to know what isNOT in the collection as well as what is in itrdquo (Hattendorf 1990 7) Aca-demic libraries generally do not include certain types of materialsTypically ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes travel guides genealogy materialsvertical file materials and used car price guides are excluded PrivateFour Year College B for example states ldquoThe non-academic interests ofstudents and faculty are to be met through use of the local public libraryand the regional library systemrdquo

While such a statement is typical there are no universally acceptedstandards as to what is included or excluded State Community College Astates ldquotextbooks will normally be excluded from library purchasesrdquo Onthe other hand State Community College B will acquire textbooks pro-vided they are ldquothe best and latest reference sources availablerdquo To vary-ing degrees the pol- icies of State Universities A and B both list the typesof materials to be included in their respective collections These include anumber of typical resources ranging from almanacs to yearbooks Somesuggest that such ldquolaundry listsrdquo are not really necessary and are often ar-bitrary Batt argues that it should seem obvious when a work has referencevalue and when it does not If a book winds up in the wrong place it is re-ally not a critical matter adding ldquoany decision can be reconsidered (aslong as you remain friendly with your catalogers)rdquo (Batt 1984 318-19)Others de-emphasize certain types of sources for example State Univer-sity C says it purchases few bibliographies ldquoas they are underutilized pro-portionally to the costrdquo Conversely State College B says ldquoEffort is alsomade [to acquire] relevant subject and general bibliographies for the pur-pose of comparing library holdings to the standard materials of the fieldrdquo

Although none of the policies received addressed this directly the liter-ature indicates some libraries include books that are not reference booksin the collection The Biggs found twenty percent of the institutions in

94 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

their study used ldquolikelihood of theftrdquo as a criterion for placing a work inreference (Biggs 1987 73) Likewise in other libraries the reference col-lection is often used in lieu of a reserves collection

Censoring materials is certainly a way to exclude items from a collec-tion All the statements received save one make specific reference tosupporting intellectual freedom The one in question undoubtedly alsosupports intellectual freedom but such supporting documents are notpart of the reference collection policy per se Some such as State CollegeB even include policy and procedures on how to respond to challengedmaterials On the other hand while giving numerous statements in sup-port of intellectual freedom in its policy State Community College B doesleave the door open to removing materials noting ldquoGenerally [authorrsquositalics] no effort will be made to censor the collectionrdquo Private College Fsays while it ldquorejects no materials due to ideological reasons the librarywill refuse to retain any materials classified to be lsquoOBSCENErsquo [their capi-talization] which will be determined by the Learning Resource Commit-tee Library Director and the Academic Deanrdquo

INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS

Stakeholders are all those with a significant interest or stake in the ref-erence collectionndashlibrarians teaching faculty students etc Private Col-lege H broadly defines this group by noting ldquoResponsibility for theselection of library materials for the College Library lies with the entire col-lege communityrdquo State College Brsquos library students and administrators areldquoencouraged to recommendrdquo new works The input of faculty is ldquoessen-tialrdquo provided it is in ldquotheir teaching areasrdquo says State Community Col-lege A However the policy adds that as ldquolibrarians are ultimatelyresponsible for the overall quality and balance of the total collectionthey will select and purchase materials in all subject areas in an attemptto fill obvious gaps overlooked by instructorsrdquo The expectation or atleast hope for participation is widely held

At the same time the question quickly becomes who has the ultimate au-thority and accountability for the reference collection While all stake-holders are interested in the collection reference personnel should have asignificant measure of responsibility for involvement with the decision mak-ing process as they have the closest ties to the collection its users and relatedservices In addition they are in the best position to know the trends goalsand objectives of current and future users Teaching faculty at Private FourYear College B for example are expected to act as subject specialists in their

Daniel Liestman 95

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014

areas of expertise while library staff recommend materials for addition to thereference collection Still all recommendations go to the library directorwho makes the final selections

In other libraries common models are for bibliographers subject spe-cialists and reference librarians to make recommendations to the head ofreference or the collection management librarian In other cases selec-tions may be the responsibility of a reference collection team composedof internal and possibly external stakeholders An advantage of havingone person or one committee ultimately responsible for the reference col-lection is that they will be able to see that the collection is well balanced

Whatever selection model is followed communication consultationand collaboration must occur To enhance the process the person or per-sons making the selections should actually work at the reference desk Ifthis is not possible the selector for reference books should be highly recep-tive to suggestions made by those at the desk To further enhance the pro-cess and increase understanding a means of prioritizing requests can beimplemented For example a 3-star system with three stars designatingessential items two stars for important items and one star for supplemen-tary items would help the individual making selections understand thepriority of specific items If a team or committee is involved in the processa round-robin session would allow others to know what their colleaguesare ordering

MANAGING BUDGETARY COSTS

In the policies surveyed budgetary matters are generally not discussedbut there are a couple of exceptions Private College F for example notesthat its reference budget comes from the annual library budget the re-stricted library fund and duplicate book sales State Community CollegeF says it allots one third of its ten-thousand dollar book budget to the printreference collection Most libraries are less specific in their policies Agood future study would be to investigate funding and budgetary alloca-tions for reference collections

What can be gleaned from the polices is that money is tight The librarydirector at Independent Community College A observed ldquoIf I had a writ-ten-down policy it would be to do the best you can with budgets and learnto say lsquonorsquo a lotrdquo State University C says ldquoIt is necessary to try and addressa [sic] incredibly varied audience with a notably small budgetrdquo State Uni-versity A admits to financial limitations noting ldquoWe cannot purchase orsubscribe to all even if they are in our primary subject areas Added edi-tions frequent updates or supplements would improve currency In some

96 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

instances we may be able to purchase every third or fourth edition onlyrdquoPrivate Four Year College B stretches its reference dollars by requiringdiscipline-specific reference books come from that departmentrsquos book al-location while general reference works come from the reference budget

A particular challenge is for reference collection budgets to absorb thecosts of technology As Kluegel observes the advent of technology is trans-forming the reference collection into a ldquokaleidoscope of resources that canchange from one day to the next and the budget may look just as commin-gledrdquo (Kluegel 1996 454) There is no escaping the impact of technology onreference budgets State University A says improvement of ldquonetworkedelectronic access to informationrdquo is its ldquohighest priorityrdquo To better fund thisneed the libraryrsquos policy is to ldquoreplace print indexes with CD-ROM and on-line databasesrdquo Although not mentioned in any other policies this is prob-ably a common practice

Increasingly libraries are seeking ways to contain reference-relatedcosts through cooperative or consortial arrangements Some efforts havebeen made toward regional reference collection management These ef-forts can eliminate unnecessary duplication of expensive and infrequentlyused items while ensuring their accessibility to all within the systemConsortial agreements and arrangements for electronic resources areparticularly helpful Several models exist For example several librariescould acquire joint access to a database available via the Internet An-other model might involve one library deliberately buying source A whileanother does not but instead purchases source B the two could then tele-phone fax or e-mail reference questions and answers back and forthState Community College B and its local public library seem to take thisfurther in that they work together ldquoto provide access to database search-ing for faculty and studentsrdquo though the extent of this partnering is notelaborated upon in the policy

Although not mentioned in detail in any of the policies some state insti-tutions in Kansas participate in a number of consortial agreementsConsortial database agreements exist between the state-supported collegesand universities and one of the state community colleges Two of the stateuniversities participate in a large regional consortium too Such sharedbuying power allows access to resources the individual libraries would notbe able to attain on their own

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Daniel Liestman 97

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The explosion of electronic information resources marks the greatestchange in reference collection management Hazen states collectionsmust address the ldquoincreasingly complicated needs of users both currentand futurerdquo which are ldquoless and less limited to local holdingsrdquo (Hazen1995 30) Even though end-user electronic reference resources have beenaround for over a decade many libraries do not have a reference collec-tion management policy for such tools As a result such collections havegrown with little regard for planning Many libraries are struggling to inte-grate new forms of information technology into existing services opera-tions and policies ldquoThe challenge for this generation of librariansrdquoDemas says ldquois to seamlessly knit together a multiplicity of formats andaccess mechanisms into one intellectually cohesive user-friendly set of in-formation resources and services In shortrdquo he says ldquowe must adjust mostof our professional practices and daily operations to handle electronicpublications with a facility equal to or greater than that which we haveevolved for printed publicationsrdquo (Demas 1994 72)

One of the first issues a reference collection policy should addresswhen multiple formats are available is how the decision of whether to goelectronic is made Private College H says ldquoMachine-readable databaseswill be purchased in the most effective format available Hence some da-tabases will be accessed via the Internet and others may be on CD-ROMIn some cases print may be a totally appropriate formatrdquo Too often refer-ence sources are produced in electronic format because they can berather than because they should be As with any source attention must begiven to the intellectual organization and presentation of the informationThe question then becomes how to weigh the relative merits of contentpresentation and cost

Electronic resources present many unique challenges that a policyshould clarify Following is a list of suggested things to consider While itdoes not purport to be exhaustive it is designed to serve as a starting pointfor discussion (See Appendix A for a list of questions to be generally ap-plied to acquisition andor weeding of sources)

Technical Specifications

Is the database best utilized via the Internet on a local server on astand-alone or another option What compatibility is there between thedatabasesrsquo requirements and existing hardware and software What is thespeed and reliability of access Is the site updated and well maintainedHow stable is the database How is log in and authentication of users to behandledndashincluding distance users

98 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Documentation and Support

What level of technical support is available from the vendor Is this atan added cost Is the vendor reputable Is support service prompt and ad-equate How are licensing issues such as access by both local and remoteusers copyright data archiving etc handled What is the availability andquality of support materials If the electronic version is acquired can theprint version be canceled Will such action affect the subscription cost

Funding

How is the product itself to be paid for How will maintenance costs bepaid How will consumables (paper toner discs etc) be paid for Howmany computers are needed State University A speaks directly to thesecosts in its document In supporting the expense of these electronicsources the library admits ldquoThere is still an insufficient number ofworkstations or networking for simultaneous users for online CD-ROMand Internet searching This means that although we may have the meansto locate information we do not always have access to it at the momentneededrdquo

Database Content

Does content justify the format Is the content of the online databasethe same as the print index Is the content of the database reliable andvalid Is full textimage searching an option Will the content of the data-base meet the needs of future users How well does the database fit withinthe context of the existing collections and resources Is there a roll-off ofyears covered by the databasendashthat is if the database covers the most re-cent five years what happens to year six

User Interface

What level of instruction is needed to operate the database What isthe potential impact on public service points What output options areavailable for printing downloading and e-mailing

Continuity

How are issues such as licensing upgrading control and maintenancehandled

The answers to such questions are often beyond the ability of a singleindividual as they require substantial subject and technological knowl-

Daniel Liestman 99

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014

edge An effective reference collection policy should see to it that inputfrom both subject and systems specialists is obtained in making cost effec-tive decisions How such issues are addressed is dependent on the libraryrsquostechnology infrastructure Such issues may extend beyond the library tothe institutionrsquos systems office or academic computing department If sothe polices and practices of those departments have might influence themanagement of the libraryrsquos electronic collection The key to assimilatingnew technologies is to develop collaborative strategies that promote flexi-bility in the organization facilitate coordination and collaboration acrossorganizational divisions promote the ability of staff to adapt to constantchange and eliminate territoriality and develop shared goals and values

Another aspect of reference collection management policy is the cre-ation of a virtual reference collection that utilizes sources available on theWWW State University A says the potential of using World Wide Webresources with no direct cost to the department is ldquounlimited and mayeventually have an effect on collection development but it is difficult toassess the impact for the coming yearsrdquo Creating such a resource is be-yond the scope of this article and is better addressed by Demas McDon-ald and Lawrence who provide a solid basis for creating and maintainingsuch a digital reference collection (Demas McDonald and Lawrence1995 282-283)

Whether a reference policy incorporates an electronic virtual collec-tion or not a conspectus for electronic resources might still be useful If aconspectus is already used its collecting level categories may need only tobe adapted to reflect the use of electronic sources or a separate conspec-tus may be used

Although the use of electronic resources in a reference collection isnow an established part of the profession few of the policies received inthis research deal directly with such matters Moreover the literature isvaried and of no one opinion on how to proceed In creating a policy state-ment for onersquos own library local needs use patterns and resources will allneed to be considered

WEEDING

Most libraries see the value and benefits of weeding and although most lackwritten guidelines weeding is undertaken anyway Whether weeding is part ofa policy or not it usually occurs for two reasonsndashspace and collection philoso-phy

Space is usually given preeminent consideration as a factor involved inpromoting weeding State Community College A Library notes in its pol-

100 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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icy ldquoAs space limitations dictate materials will be considered for re-movalrdquo Beyond this the Biggs found most reference collections containmore than 10000 reference titles They concluded these were more titlesthan could be effectively mastered by most reference librarians (Biggs1987 67 69-70) Other studies support this finding and call for ldquoleanrdquo ref-erence collections filled with a few ldquohard-working titlesrdquo (Nolan 1991 80Nolan 1999 11-21 Joswick and Stierman 1993 108)

Collection philosophy is another reason for librarians to considerweeding In particular concern focuses on having the most recent andpresumably best information available Some go so far as to declare ldquoIt isbetter to do without [a reference resource] than to unintentionally pro-vide misinformation through outdated sourcesrdquo (Hattendorf 1989 222)Rettig draws an analogy between the toxic waste left at Love Canal andthe dangers of old and unreliable sources that ldquoplace library users inharmrsquos way The information in these booksrdquo he asserts ldquohas lost its util-ity but not its potencyrdquo (Rettig 1982 7) State College B acknowledgesthis concern and seeks to create a reference collection that is continuallyweeded to ldquoensure relevance validity and currencyrdquo

Despite the importance of weeding for space and philosophical rea-sons few libraries address this issue State University B Library does ac-knowledge that ldquoWeeding is as important as selectionrdquo adding that ldquoasthe Reference Collection is a working collection of important frequentlyconsulted resources careful and systematic weeding removes older lessdesirable works from the collectionrdquo This statement however providesno insight as to how such weeding is to be undertaken

Some of the institutions surveyed do discuss weeding in their referencecollection policies State Community College B for example weeds ldquoen-cyclopedias almanacs annuals yearbooks and like materials if they aremore than five years oldrdquo Yet most policies are like State University Arsquosin which the reference collection is ldquoperiodically weededrdquo In adoptingthis approach State Community College A states ldquocriteria for weedinginclude damaged titles and titles containing dated or inaccurate infor-mationrdquo

Weeding is not necessarily the same as discarding State University ALibrary for example has a ldquotrendrdquo to transfer so-called ldquostandard andclassicrdquo reference sources to the stacks or special collections as they aresuperseded or no longer used Other possibilities include using remotestorage for withdrawn reference works or transferring them to the stacksbut as non-circulating items On the other hand withdrawn referenceworks at State Community College B ldquomay be given to instructors or soldin book sales Anything not so disposed of may be given to local schools or

Daniel Liestman 101

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librariesrdquo Some libraries may also not weed their reference collections soas to avoid potential confrontations with users State Community CollegeB seeks to overcome this by having ldquothe librarian in consultation with thedirector and with input from the facultyrdquo participate in the weeding pro-cess Likewise State Community College A says faculty participation inweeding ldquoshould be encouragedrdquo Giving adequate notice of weeding anddeveloping a means for communicating the purpose of weeding and al-lowing participation in the process will go a long way to alleviate any angst

Even without these political considerations weeding is a difficult ex-pensive undertaking It is labor intensive and time consuming However ifweeding is done on a regular basis rather than all at once it can be moreeasily integrated into the work flow of those involved The questions pro-vided in Appendix A will be helpful in making weeding decisions

One question not included in Appendix A merits special considerationhow frequently is a resource used Determining usage of reference collec-tions is not often or easily undertaken Engeldinger conducted a survey of377 academic libraries and found only 23 conducted a user survey of theircollections (Engeldinger 1986 367-71) As reference collections arenon-circulating simple circulation counts are not a viable measure of useIn light of this a number of creative means have been developed to assesshow reference collections are used including dotting the spine making ticmarks to note each time a book is used over a period of time table countsexamining infrared dust beads on top of a book or placing unexposed pho-tographic paper in the pages of a book Some online systems allow booksto be recorded as ldquobrowsedrdquo if they are wanded after pick-up (Slote 1997219-225) Even as creative as some of these are they still focus on presentuser demand and fail to anticipate future needs While there may not bean easy way to weed a superior collection policy will address this matter ina manner that best serves onersquos own library

CONCLUSION

A couple of problems soon became obvious in this survey First was thelack of responses Secondly there is no way to tell how closely actual prac-tice follows the policy A possible follow-up study would be to see how welllibraries adhere to their own policies

Creating and implementing a reference collection policy for onersquos ownlibrary clearly requires a commitment of time and energy The library di-rector of Private College A wrote

102 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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There must be a break point so to speak in terms of how small a li-brary is or the ratio of staff to patrons or some other key factor thatmust explain why some libraryrsquos [sic] have a written policy while oth-ers do not revise the ancient ones they have In our case we canrsquotbreathe much less write a policy Even if we had a policy we wouldnrsquothave time to refer to it I would be the first to question the qualityand professionalism of an academic situation without a CD (Collec-tion Development) policy but as you are well aware Librarians aregenerally low man on the budget distribution totem pole

Still such a policy is worth undertaking Hazen argues a policy willhave the library ldquosolidify its own sense of purpose and also point the cam-pus toward the future by recasting its documentation in terms of all theresearch resources associated with its users and the fields they representrdquoBy including the Web and other broad based resources rather than ldquoinsist-ing on the inflexible site specific codificationrdquo of print acquisitions thepolicy will set the tone for the library as a major player in the informationage (Hazen 1995 31)

For those contemplating the creation and implementation of their ownpolicy the following points should be considered

Make a Commitment to It

Those who are directly affected by the policy should be committed to itIf they are not it will be unenforceable and useless More than one personshould be involved in the creation of the policy so that more people be-come invested in it and a variety of viewpoints are heard How and why thepolicy is being developed and for whom needs to be made clear Thereshould be meetings in which stakeholders can discuss concerns and re-solve such matters In this way everyone will be involved in the process andhave an opportunity to input ideas Whatever scope a policy takes its suc-cess depends on the degree of commitment to the policy by all involved

Keep It Unique to Onersquos Own Collection

Some argue that as there are not that many differences between librar-ies and detailed reference policies are unneeded Batt suggests one couldcreate boilerplate policies for all libraries with a final fill-in-the-blank sec-tion for special idiosyncrasies or ldquolocal peccadilloesrdquo (Batt 1984 313)Any policy needs to be individualized to the unique circumstances of thereference collection involved Any individualized policy may be one pageor severalndashthe key is whatever works best for onersquos own reference collec-

Daniel Liestman 103

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tion In constructing the policy think of issues which have been problemsin the past and how they might be best addressed

Keep Your Audience in Mind

While some such as Batt do not believe a reference collection policyhas an external audience it does and the interests of those stakeholdersneed to be kept in mind

Think Out of the Box

Donrsquot make the policy a reiteration of how things have always beendone Use this as an opportunity to think of new ways of doing things Toooften reference collection policies are written just for reference books Agood policy will include all other forms of reference sources ranging frommicrofiche to the World Wide Web

Keep It Simple

Some policies get bogged down in minutiae such as defining what a ref-erence resource is One study found a library with four guidelines devotedspecifically to telephone directories Such discussions are often esotericand have little to do with the application of the policy (Hattendorf 1989224-225)

Keep It Meaningful

On the other hand a policy should not be so succinct as to be meaning-less One library in another study noted ldquoThe basic reference collectionwill be made up of the following a basic reference collectionrdquo This gen-eralization so vague as to be meaningless (Hattendorf 1989 224-225) Apolicy should have some value and meaning to itndashif it doesnrsquot you donrsquotneed one

Donrsquot Reinvent the Wheel

While it is important even essential to tailor a policy to the needs ofonersquos own collection it may be helpful to review what others have donePeer institutions may be willing to share what they have The Web can alsobe searched for policies

Keep It Flexible

104 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Private College H says ldquoThe policies stated herein shall not be consid-ered inflexible regulationsrdquo Indeed there should be some room for ambi-guity as there will invariably be exceptions to every rule or guidelinePolicies are there to guidendashnot to enforce without reason

Donrsquot Put It Off

If collection management can be described as ldquothe task neglected whentime constraints applyrdquo writing a policy is often put off until there is timeto do it The trouble is there never is time to do it until a conscientious ef-fort is made to do so (Cuberly 1987 302) Few argue with the need for sucha policy yet few make the time to create such a policy

Keep It Current

The best policy is one which is up-to-date A policy should be reviewedannually and updated as needed A policy should be a living documentsubject to modification and adaptation as change occurs within the de-partment as well as the information environment The policy should de-velop over time in response to these changes State College A forexample describes its policy as ldquoevolutionaryrdquo and endeavors to keep itcurrent

Ask the Right Questions

To begin addressing some of these issues it is important to know whatquestions to ask Hattendorf provides some excellent suggestions for con-sideration prior to drafting a statement (Hattendorf 1989 223)

1 Why do we have a reference collection2 What is our philosophy of reference service3 What do we want the reference collection to be and do

Daniel Liestman 105

QUICK BIB

Biggs Mary and Victor ldquoReference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Surveyrdquo RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Reference Collection Development A programpresented at the 99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference No-vember 15 1990 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Re-production Service ED335049)

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

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014

4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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10

18 1

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014

Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

Daniel Liestman 109

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014

bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

Daniel Liestman 111

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

Daniel Liestman 113

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are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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Page 13: Reference Collection Management Policies

their study used ldquolikelihood of theftrdquo as a criterion for placing a work inreference (Biggs 1987 73) Likewise in other libraries the reference col-lection is often used in lieu of a reserves collection

Censoring materials is certainly a way to exclude items from a collec-tion All the statements received save one make specific reference tosupporting intellectual freedom The one in question undoubtedly alsosupports intellectual freedom but such supporting documents are notpart of the reference collection policy per se Some such as State CollegeB even include policy and procedures on how to respond to challengedmaterials On the other hand while giving numerous statements in sup-port of intellectual freedom in its policy State Community College B doesleave the door open to removing materials noting ldquoGenerally [authorrsquositalics] no effort will be made to censor the collectionrdquo Private College Fsays while it ldquorejects no materials due to ideological reasons the librarywill refuse to retain any materials classified to be lsquoOBSCENErsquo [their capi-talization] which will be determined by the Learning Resource Commit-tee Library Director and the Academic Deanrdquo

INPUT FROM STAKEHOLDERS

Stakeholders are all those with a significant interest or stake in the ref-erence collectionndashlibrarians teaching faculty students etc Private Col-lege H broadly defines this group by noting ldquoResponsibility for theselection of library materials for the College Library lies with the entire col-lege communityrdquo State College Brsquos library students and administrators areldquoencouraged to recommendrdquo new works The input of faculty is ldquoessen-tialrdquo provided it is in ldquotheir teaching areasrdquo says State Community Col-lege A However the policy adds that as ldquolibrarians are ultimatelyresponsible for the overall quality and balance of the total collectionthey will select and purchase materials in all subject areas in an attemptto fill obvious gaps overlooked by instructorsrdquo The expectation or atleast hope for participation is widely held

At the same time the question quickly becomes who has the ultimate au-thority and accountability for the reference collection While all stake-holders are interested in the collection reference personnel should have asignificant measure of responsibility for involvement with the decision mak-ing process as they have the closest ties to the collection its users and relatedservices In addition they are in the best position to know the trends goalsand objectives of current and future users Teaching faculty at Private FourYear College B for example are expected to act as subject specialists in their

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areas of expertise while library staff recommend materials for addition to thereference collection Still all recommendations go to the library directorwho makes the final selections

In other libraries common models are for bibliographers subject spe-cialists and reference librarians to make recommendations to the head ofreference or the collection management librarian In other cases selec-tions may be the responsibility of a reference collection team composedof internal and possibly external stakeholders An advantage of havingone person or one committee ultimately responsible for the reference col-lection is that they will be able to see that the collection is well balanced

Whatever selection model is followed communication consultationand collaboration must occur To enhance the process the person or per-sons making the selections should actually work at the reference desk Ifthis is not possible the selector for reference books should be highly recep-tive to suggestions made by those at the desk To further enhance the pro-cess and increase understanding a means of prioritizing requests can beimplemented For example a 3-star system with three stars designatingessential items two stars for important items and one star for supplemen-tary items would help the individual making selections understand thepriority of specific items If a team or committee is involved in the processa round-robin session would allow others to know what their colleaguesare ordering

MANAGING BUDGETARY COSTS

In the policies surveyed budgetary matters are generally not discussedbut there are a couple of exceptions Private College F for example notesthat its reference budget comes from the annual library budget the re-stricted library fund and duplicate book sales State Community CollegeF says it allots one third of its ten-thousand dollar book budget to the printreference collection Most libraries are less specific in their policies Agood future study would be to investigate funding and budgetary alloca-tions for reference collections

What can be gleaned from the polices is that money is tight The librarydirector at Independent Community College A observed ldquoIf I had a writ-ten-down policy it would be to do the best you can with budgets and learnto say lsquonorsquo a lotrdquo State University C says ldquoIt is necessary to try and addressa [sic] incredibly varied audience with a notably small budgetrdquo State Uni-versity A admits to financial limitations noting ldquoWe cannot purchase orsubscribe to all even if they are in our primary subject areas Added edi-tions frequent updates or supplements would improve currency In some

96 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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instances we may be able to purchase every third or fourth edition onlyrdquoPrivate Four Year College B stretches its reference dollars by requiringdiscipline-specific reference books come from that departmentrsquos book al-location while general reference works come from the reference budget

A particular challenge is for reference collection budgets to absorb thecosts of technology As Kluegel observes the advent of technology is trans-forming the reference collection into a ldquokaleidoscope of resources that canchange from one day to the next and the budget may look just as commin-gledrdquo (Kluegel 1996 454) There is no escaping the impact of technology onreference budgets State University A says improvement of ldquonetworkedelectronic access to informationrdquo is its ldquohighest priorityrdquo To better fund thisneed the libraryrsquos policy is to ldquoreplace print indexes with CD-ROM and on-line databasesrdquo Although not mentioned in any other policies this is prob-ably a common practice

Increasingly libraries are seeking ways to contain reference-relatedcosts through cooperative or consortial arrangements Some efforts havebeen made toward regional reference collection management These ef-forts can eliminate unnecessary duplication of expensive and infrequentlyused items while ensuring their accessibility to all within the systemConsortial agreements and arrangements for electronic resources areparticularly helpful Several models exist For example several librariescould acquire joint access to a database available via the Internet An-other model might involve one library deliberately buying source A whileanother does not but instead purchases source B the two could then tele-phone fax or e-mail reference questions and answers back and forthState Community College B and its local public library seem to take thisfurther in that they work together ldquoto provide access to database search-ing for faculty and studentsrdquo though the extent of this partnering is notelaborated upon in the policy

Although not mentioned in detail in any of the policies some state insti-tutions in Kansas participate in a number of consortial agreementsConsortial database agreements exist between the state-supported collegesand universities and one of the state community colleges Two of the stateuniversities participate in a large regional consortium too Such sharedbuying power allows access to resources the individual libraries would notbe able to attain on their own

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Daniel Liestman 97

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The explosion of electronic information resources marks the greatestchange in reference collection management Hazen states collectionsmust address the ldquoincreasingly complicated needs of users both currentand futurerdquo which are ldquoless and less limited to local holdingsrdquo (Hazen1995 30) Even though end-user electronic reference resources have beenaround for over a decade many libraries do not have a reference collec-tion management policy for such tools As a result such collections havegrown with little regard for planning Many libraries are struggling to inte-grate new forms of information technology into existing services opera-tions and policies ldquoThe challenge for this generation of librariansrdquoDemas says ldquois to seamlessly knit together a multiplicity of formats andaccess mechanisms into one intellectually cohesive user-friendly set of in-formation resources and services In shortrdquo he says ldquowe must adjust mostof our professional practices and daily operations to handle electronicpublications with a facility equal to or greater than that which we haveevolved for printed publicationsrdquo (Demas 1994 72)

One of the first issues a reference collection policy should addresswhen multiple formats are available is how the decision of whether to goelectronic is made Private College H says ldquoMachine-readable databaseswill be purchased in the most effective format available Hence some da-tabases will be accessed via the Internet and others may be on CD-ROMIn some cases print may be a totally appropriate formatrdquo Too often refer-ence sources are produced in electronic format because they can berather than because they should be As with any source attention must begiven to the intellectual organization and presentation of the informationThe question then becomes how to weigh the relative merits of contentpresentation and cost

Electronic resources present many unique challenges that a policyshould clarify Following is a list of suggested things to consider While itdoes not purport to be exhaustive it is designed to serve as a starting pointfor discussion (See Appendix A for a list of questions to be generally ap-plied to acquisition andor weeding of sources)

Technical Specifications

Is the database best utilized via the Internet on a local server on astand-alone or another option What compatibility is there between thedatabasesrsquo requirements and existing hardware and software What is thespeed and reliability of access Is the site updated and well maintainedHow stable is the database How is log in and authentication of users to behandledndashincluding distance users

98 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Documentation and Support

What level of technical support is available from the vendor Is this atan added cost Is the vendor reputable Is support service prompt and ad-equate How are licensing issues such as access by both local and remoteusers copyright data archiving etc handled What is the availability andquality of support materials If the electronic version is acquired can theprint version be canceled Will such action affect the subscription cost

Funding

How is the product itself to be paid for How will maintenance costs bepaid How will consumables (paper toner discs etc) be paid for Howmany computers are needed State University A speaks directly to thesecosts in its document In supporting the expense of these electronicsources the library admits ldquoThere is still an insufficient number ofworkstations or networking for simultaneous users for online CD-ROMand Internet searching This means that although we may have the meansto locate information we do not always have access to it at the momentneededrdquo

Database Content

Does content justify the format Is the content of the online databasethe same as the print index Is the content of the database reliable andvalid Is full textimage searching an option Will the content of the data-base meet the needs of future users How well does the database fit withinthe context of the existing collections and resources Is there a roll-off ofyears covered by the databasendashthat is if the database covers the most re-cent five years what happens to year six

User Interface

What level of instruction is needed to operate the database What isthe potential impact on public service points What output options areavailable for printing downloading and e-mailing

Continuity

How are issues such as licensing upgrading control and maintenancehandled

The answers to such questions are often beyond the ability of a singleindividual as they require substantial subject and technological knowl-

Daniel Liestman 99

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edge An effective reference collection policy should see to it that inputfrom both subject and systems specialists is obtained in making cost effec-tive decisions How such issues are addressed is dependent on the libraryrsquostechnology infrastructure Such issues may extend beyond the library tothe institutionrsquos systems office or academic computing department If sothe polices and practices of those departments have might influence themanagement of the libraryrsquos electronic collection The key to assimilatingnew technologies is to develop collaborative strategies that promote flexi-bility in the organization facilitate coordination and collaboration acrossorganizational divisions promote the ability of staff to adapt to constantchange and eliminate territoriality and develop shared goals and values

Another aspect of reference collection management policy is the cre-ation of a virtual reference collection that utilizes sources available on theWWW State University A says the potential of using World Wide Webresources with no direct cost to the department is ldquounlimited and mayeventually have an effect on collection development but it is difficult toassess the impact for the coming yearsrdquo Creating such a resource is be-yond the scope of this article and is better addressed by Demas McDon-ald and Lawrence who provide a solid basis for creating and maintainingsuch a digital reference collection (Demas McDonald and Lawrence1995 282-283)

Whether a reference policy incorporates an electronic virtual collec-tion or not a conspectus for electronic resources might still be useful If aconspectus is already used its collecting level categories may need only tobe adapted to reflect the use of electronic sources or a separate conspec-tus may be used

Although the use of electronic resources in a reference collection isnow an established part of the profession few of the policies received inthis research deal directly with such matters Moreover the literature isvaried and of no one opinion on how to proceed In creating a policy state-ment for onersquos own library local needs use patterns and resources will allneed to be considered

WEEDING

Most libraries see the value and benefits of weeding and although most lackwritten guidelines weeding is undertaken anyway Whether weeding is part ofa policy or not it usually occurs for two reasonsndashspace and collection philoso-phy

Space is usually given preeminent consideration as a factor involved inpromoting weeding State Community College A Library notes in its pol-

100 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

icy ldquoAs space limitations dictate materials will be considered for re-movalrdquo Beyond this the Biggs found most reference collections containmore than 10000 reference titles They concluded these were more titlesthan could be effectively mastered by most reference librarians (Biggs1987 67 69-70) Other studies support this finding and call for ldquoleanrdquo ref-erence collections filled with a few ldquohard-working titlesrdquo (Nolan 1991 80Nolan 1999 11-21 Joswick and Stierman 1993 108)

Collection philosophy is another reason for librarians to considerweeding In particular concern focuses on having the most recent andpresumably best information available Some go so far as to declare ldquoIt isbetter to do without [a reference resource] than to unintentionally pro-vide misinformation through outdated sourcesrdquo (Hattendorf 1989 222)Rettig draws an analogy between the toxic waste left at Love Canal andthe dangers of old and unreliable sources that ldquoplace library users inharmrsquos way The information in these booksrdquo he asserts ldquohas lost its util-ity but not its potencyrdquo (Rettig 1982 7) State College B acknowledgesthis concern and seeks to create a reference collection that is continuallyweeded to ldquoensure relevance validity and currencyrdquo

Despite the importance of weeding for space and philosophical rea-sons few libraries address this issue State University B Library does ac-knowledge that ldquoWeeding is as important as selectionrdquo adding that ldquoasthe Reference Collection is a working collection of important frequentlyconsulted resources careful and systematic weeding removes older lessdesirable works from the collectionrdquo This statement however providesno insight as to how such weeding is to be undertaken

Some of the institutions surveyed do discuss weeding in their referencecollection policies State Community College B for example weeds ldquoen-cyclopedias almanacs annuals yearbooks and like materials if they aremore than five years oldrdquo Yet most policies are like State University Arsquosin which the reference collection is ldquoperiodically weededrdquo In adoptingthis approach State Community College A states ldquocriteria for weedinginclude damaged titles and titles containing dated or inaccurate infor-mationrdquo

Weeding is not necessarily the same as discarding State University ALibrary for example has a ldquotrendrdquo to transfer so-called ldquostandard andclassicrdquo reference sources to the stacks or special collections as they aresuperseded or no longer used Other possibilities include using remotestorage for withdrawn reference works or transferring them to the stacksbut as non-circulating items On the other hand withdrawn referenceworks at State Community College B ldquomay be given to instructors or soldin book sales Anything not so disposed of may be given to local schools or

Daniel Liestman 101

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014

librariesrdquo Some libraries may also not weed their reference collections soas to avoid potential confrontations with users State Community CollegeB seeks to overcome this by having ldquothe librarian in consultation with thedirector and with input from the facultyrdquo participate in the weeding pro-cess Likewise State Community College A says faculty participation inweeding ldquoshould be encouragedrdquo Giving adequate notice of weeding anddeveloping a means for communicating the purpose of weeding and al-lowing participation in the process will go a long way to alleviate any angst

Even without these political considerations weeding is a difficult ex-pensive undertaking It is labor intensive and time consuming However ifweeding is done on a regular basis rather than all at once it can be moreeasily integrated into the work flow of those involved The questions pro-vided in Appendix A will be helpful in making weeding decisions

One question not included in Appendix A merits special considerationhow frequently is a resource used Determining usage of reference collec-tions is not often or easily undertaken Engeldinger conducted a survey of377 academic libraries and found only 23 conducted a user survey of theircollections (Engeldinger 1986 367-71) As reference collections arenon-circulating simple circulation counts are not a viable measure of useIn light of this a number of creative means have been developed to assesshow reference collections are used including dotting the spine making ticmarks to note each time a book is used over a period of time table countsexamining infrared dust beads on top of a book or placing unexposed pho-tographic paper in the pages of a book Some online systems allow booksto be recorded as ldquobrowsedrdquo if they are wanded after pick-up (Slote 1997219-225) Even as creative as some of these are they still focus on presentuser demand and fail to anticipate future needs While there may not bean easy way to weed a superior collection policy will address this matter ina manner that best serves onersquos own library

CONCLUSION

A couple of problems soon became obvious in this survey First was thelack of responses Secondly there is no way to tell how closely actual prac-tice follows the policy A possible follow-up study would be to see how welllibraries adhere to their own policies

Creating and implementing a reference collection policy for onersquos ownlibrary clearly requires a commitment of time and energy The library di-rector of Private College A wrote

102 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

There must be a break point so to speak in terms of how small a li-brary is or the ratio of staff to patrons or some other key factor thatmust explain why some libraryrsquos [sic] have a written policy while oth-ers do not revise the ancient ones they have In our case we canrsquotbreathe much less write a policy Even if we had a policy we wouldnrsquothave time to refer to it I would be the first to question the qualityand professionalism of an academic situation without a CD (Collec-tion Development) policy but as you are well aware Librarians aregenerally low man on the budget distribution totem pole

Still such a policy is worth undertaking Hazen argues a policy willhave the library ldquosolidify its own sense of purpose and also point the cam-pus toward the future by recasting its documentation in terms of all theresearch resources associated with its users and the fields they representrdquoBy including the Web and other broad based resources rather than ldquoinsist-ing on the inflexible site specific codificationrdquo of print acquisitions thepolicy will set the tone for the library as a major player in the informationage (Hazen 1995 31)

For those contemplating the creation and implementation of their ownpolicy the following points should be considered

Make a Commitment to It

Those who are directly affected by the policy should be committed to itIf they are not it will be unenforceable and useless More than one personshould be involved in the creation of the policy so that more people be-come invested in it and a variety of viewpoints are heard How and why thepolicy is being developed and for whom needs to be made clear Thereshould be meetings in which stakeholders can discuss concerns and re-solve such matters In this way everyone will be involved in the process andhave an opportunity to input ideas Whatever scope a policy takes its suc-cess depends on the degree of commitment to the policy by all involved

Keep It Unique to Onersquos Own Collection

Some argue that as there are not that many differences between librar-ies and detailed reference policies are unneeded Batt suggests one couldcreate boilerplate policies for all libraries with a final fill-in-the-blank sec-tion for special idiosyncrasies or ldquolocal peccadilloesrdquo (Batt 1984 313)Any policy needs to be individualized to the unique circumstances of thereference collection involved Any individualized policy may be one pageor severalndashthe key is whatever works best for onersquos own reference collec-

Daniel Liestman 103

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tion In constructing the policy think of issues which have been problemsin the past and how they might be best addressed

Keep Your Audience in Mind

While some such as Batt do not believe a reference collection policyhas an external audience it does and the interests of those stakeholdersneed to be kept in mind

Think Out of the Box

Donrsquot make the policy a reiteration of how things have always beendone Use this as an opportunity to think of new ways of doing things Toooften reference collection policies are written just for reference books Agood policy will include all other forms of reference sources ranging frommicrofiche to the World Wide Web

Keep It Simple

Some policies get bogged down in minutiae such as defining what a ref-erence resource is One study found a library with four guidelines devotedspecifically to telephone directories Such discussions are often esotericand have little to do with the application of the policy (Hattendorf 1989224-225)

Keep It Meaningful

On the other hand a policy should not be so succinct as to be meaning-less One library in another study noted ldquoThe basic reference collectionwill be made up of the following a basic reference collectionrdquo This gen-eralization so vague as to be meaningless (Hattendorf 1989 224-225) Apolicy should have some value and meaning to itndashif it doesnrsquot you donrsquotneed one

Donrsquot Reinvent the Wheel

While it is important even essential to tailor a policy to the needs ofonersquos own collection it may be helpful to review what others have donePeer institutions may be willing to share what they have The Web can alsobe searched for policies

Keep It Flexible

104 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Private College H says ldquoThe policies stated herein shall not be consid-ered inflexible regulationsrdquo Indeed there should be some room for ambi-guity as there will invariably be exceptions to every rule or guidelinePolicies are there to guidendashnot to enforce without reason

Donrsquot Put It Off

If collection management can be described as ldquothe task neglected whentime constraints applyrdquo writing a policy is often put off until there is timeto do it The trouble is there never is time to do it until a conscientious ef-fort is made to do so (Cuberly 1987 302) Few argue with the need for sucha policy yet few make the time to create such a policy

Keep It Current

The best policy is one which is up-to-date A policy should be reviewedannually and updated as needed A policy should be a living documentsubject to modification and adaptation as change occurs within the de-partment as well as the information environment The policy should de-velop over time in response to these changes State College A forexample describes its policy as ldquoevolutionaryrdquo and endeavors to keep itcurrent

Ask the Right Questions

To begin addressing some of these issues it is important to know whatquestions to ask Hattendorf provides some excellent suggestions for con-sideration prior to drafting a statement (Hattendorf 1989 223)

1 Why do we have a reference collection2 What is our philosophy of reference service3 What do we want the reference collection to be and do

Daniel Liestman 105

QUICK BIB

Biggs Mary and Victor ldquoReference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Surveyrdquo RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Reference Collection Development A programpresented at the 99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference No-vember 15 1990 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Re-production Service ED335049)

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

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014

4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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014

Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

Daniel Liestman 109

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bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

Daniel Liestman 111

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

Daniel Liestman 113

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014

are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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014

bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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Page 14: Reference Collection Management Policies

areas of expertise while library staff recommend materials for addition to thereference collection Still all recommendations go to the library directorwho makes the final selections

In other libraries common models are for bibliographers subject spe-cialists and reference librarians to make recommendations to the head ofreference or the collection management librarian In other cases selec-tions may be the responsibility of a reference collection team composedof internal and possibly external stakeholders An advantage of havingone person or one committee ultimately responsible for the reference col-lection is that they will be able to see that the collection is well balanced

Whatever selection model is followed communication consultationand collaboration must occur To enhance the process the person or per-sons making the selections should actually work at the reference desk Ifthis is not possible the selector for reference books should be highly recep-tive to suggestions made by those at the desk To further enhance the pro-cess and increase understanding a means of prioritizing requests can beimplemented For example a 3-star system with three stars designatingessential items two stars for important items and one star for supplemen-tary items would help the individual making selections understand thepriority of specific items If a team or committee is involved in the processa round-robin session would allow others to know what their colleaguesare ordering

MANAGING BUDGETARY COSTS

In the policies surveyed budgetary matters are generally not discussedbut there are a couple of exceptions Private College F for example notesthat its reference budget comes from the annual library budget the re-stricted library fund and duplicate book sales State Community CollegeF says it allots one third of its ten-thousand dollar book budget to the printreference collection Most libraries are less specific in their policies Agood future study would be to investigate funding and budgetary alloca-tions for reference collections

What can be gleaned from the polices is that money is tight The librarydirector at Independent Community College A observed ldquoIf I had a writ-ten-down policy it would be to do the best you can with budgets and learnto say lsquonorsquo a lotrdquo State University C says ldquoIt is necessary to try and addressa [sic] incredibly varied audience with a notably small budgetrdquo State Uni-versity A admits to financial limitations noting ldquoWe cannot purchase orsubscribe to all even if they are in our primary subject areas Added edi-tions frequent updates or supplements would improve currency In some

96 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

instances we may be able to purchase every third or fourth edition onlyrdquoPrivate Four Year College B stretches its reference dollars by requiringdiscipline-specific reference books come from that departmentrsquos book al-location while general reference works come from the reference budget

A particular challenge is for reference collection budgets to absorb thecosts of technology As Kluegel observes the advent of technology is trans-forming the reference collection into a ldquokaleidoscope of resources that canchange from one day to the next and the budget may look just as commin-gledrdquo (Kluegel 1996 454) There is no escaping the impact of technology onreference budgets State University A says improvement of ldquonetworkedelectronic access to informationrdquo is its ldquohighest priorityrdquo To better fund thisneed the libraryrsquos policy is to ldquoreplace print indexes with CD-ROM and on-line databasesrdquo Although not mentioned in any other policies this is prob-ably a common practice

Increasingly libraries are seeking ways to contain reference-relatedcosts through cooperative or consortial arrangements Some efforts havebeen made toward regional reference collection management These ef-forts can eliminate unnecessary duplication of expensive and infrequentlyused items while ensuring their accessibility to all within the systemConsortial agreements and arrangements for electronic resources areparticularly helpful Several models exist For example several librariescould acquire joint access to a database available via the Internet An-other model might involve one library deliberately buying source A whileanother does not but instead purchases source B the two could then tele-phone fax or e-mail reference questions and answers back and forthState Community College B and its local public library seem to take thisfurther in that they work together ldquoto provide access to database search-ing for faculty and studentsrdquo though the extent of this partnering is notelaborated upon in the policy

Although not mentioned in detail in any of the policies some state insti-tutions in Kansas participate in a number of consortial agreementsConsortial database agreements exist between the state-supported collegesand universities and one of the state community colleges Two of the stateuniversities participate in a large regional consortium too Such sharedbuying power allows access to resources the individual libraries would notbe able to attain on their own

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Daniel Liestman 97

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The explosion of electronic information resources marks the greatestchange in reference collection management Hazen states collectionsmust address the ldquoincreasingly complicated needs of users both currentand futurerdquo which are ldquoless and less limited to local holdingsrdquo (Hazen1995 30) Even though end-user electronic reference resources have beenaround for over a decade many libraries do not have a reference collec-tion management policy for such tools As a result such collections havegrown with little regard for planning Many libraries are struggling to inte-grate new forms of information technology into existing services opera-tions and policies ldquoThe challenge for this generation of librariansrdquoDemas says ldquois to seamlessly knit together a multiplicity of formats andaccess mechanisms into one intellectually cohesive user-friendly set of in-formation resources and services In shortrdquo he says ldquowe must adjust mostof our professional practices and daily operations to handle electronicpublications with a facility equal to or greater than that which we haveevolved for printed publicationsrdquo (Demas 1994 72)

One of the first issues a reference collection policy should addresswhen multiple formats are available is how the decision of whether to goelectronic is made Private College H says ldquoMachine-readable databaseswill be purchased in the most effective format available Hence some da-tabases will be accessed via the Internet and others may be on CD-ROMIn some cases print may be a totally appropriate formatrdquo Too often refer-ence sources are produced in electronic format because they can berather than because they should be As with any source attention must begiven to the intellectual organization and presentation of the informationThe question then becomes how to weigh the relative merits of contentpresentation and cost

Electronic resources present many unique challenges that a policyshould clarify Following is a list of suggested things to consider While itdoes not purport to be exhaustive it is designed to serve as a starting pointfor discussion (See Appendix A for a list of questions to be generally ap-plied to acquisition andor weeding of sources)

Technical Specifications

Is the database best utilized via the Internet on a local server on astand-alone or another option What compatibility is there between thedatabasesrsquo requirements and existing hardware and software What is thespeed and reliability of access Is the site updated and well maintainedHow stable is the database How is log in and authentication of users to behandledndashincluding distance users

98 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Documentation and Support

What level of technical support is available from the vendor Is this atan added cost Is the vendor reputable Is support service prompt and ad-equate How are licensing issues such as access by both local and remoteusers copyright data archiving etc handled What is the availability andquality of support materials If the electronic version is acquired can theprint version be canceled Will such action affect the subscription cost

Funding

How is the product itself to be paid for How will maintenance costs bepaid How will consumables (paper toner discs etc) be paid for Howmany computers are needed State University A speaks directly to thesecosts in its document In supporting the expense of these electronicsources the library admits ldquoThere is still an insufficient number ofworkstations or networking for simultaneous users for online CD-ROMand Internet searching This means that although we may have the meansto locate information we do not always have access to it at the momentneededrdquo

Database Content

Does content justify the format Is the content of the online databasethe same as the print index Is the content of the database reliable andvalid Is full textimage searching an option Will the content of the data-base meet the needs of future users How well does the database fit withinthe context of the existing collections and resources Is there a roll-off ofyears covered by the databasendashthat is if the database covers the most re-cent five years what happens to year six

User Interface

What level of instruction is needed to operate the database What isthe potential impact on public service points What output options areavailable for printing downloading and e-mailing

Continuity

How are issues such as licensing upgrading control and maintenancehandled

The answers to such questions are often beyond the ability of a singleindividual as they require substantial subject and technological knowl-

Daniel Liestman 99

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014

edge An effective reference collection policy should see to it that inputfrom both subject and systems specialists is obtained in making cost effec-tive decisions How such issues are addressed is dependent on the libraryrsquostechnology infrastructure Such issues may extend beyond the library tothe institutionrsquos systems office or academic computing department If sothe polices and practices of those departments have might influence themanagement of the libraryrsquos electronic collection The key to assimilatingnew technologies is to develop collaborative strategies that promote flexi-bility in the organization facilitate coordination and collaboration acrossorganizational divisions promote the ability of staff to adapt to constantchange and eliminate territoriality and develop shared goals and values

Another aspect of reference collection management policy is the cre-ation of a virtual reference collection that utilizes sources available on theWWW State University A says the potential of using World Wide Webresources with no direct cost to the department is ldquounlimited and mayeventually have an effect on collection development but it is difficult toassess the impact for the coming yearsrdquo Creating such a resource is be-yond the scope of this article and is better addressed by Demas McDon-ald and Lawrence who provide a solid basis for creating and maintainingsuch a digital reference collection (Demas McDonald and Lawrence1995 282-283)

Whether a reference policy incorporates an electronic virtual collec-tion or not a conspectus for electronic resources might still be useful If aconspectus is already used its collecting level categories may need only tobe adapted to reflect the use of electronic sources or a separate conspec-tus may be used

Although the use of electronic resources in a reference collection isnow an established part of the profession few of the policies received inthis research deal directly with such matters Moreover the literature isvaried and of no one opinion on how to proceed In creating a policy state-ment for onersquos own library local needs use patterns and resources will allneed to be considered

WEEDING

Most libraries see the value and benefits of weeding and although most lackwritten guidelines weeding is undertaken anyway Whether weeding is part ofa policy or not it usually occurs for two reasonsndashspace and collection philoso-phy

Space is usually given preeminent consideration as a factor involved inpromoting weeding State Community College A Library notes in its pol-

100 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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icy ldquoAs space limitations dictate materials will be considered for re-movalrdquo Beyond this the Biggs found most reference collections containmore than 10000 reference titles They concluded these were more titlesthan could be effectively mastered by most reference librarians (Biggs1987 67 69-70) Other studies support this finding and call for ldquoleanrdquo ref-erence collections filled with a few ldquohard-working titlesrdquo (Nolan 1991 80Nolan 1999 11-21 Joswick and Stierman 1993 108)

Collection philosophy is another reason for librarians to considerweeding In particular concern focuses on having the most recent andpresumably best information available Some go so far as to declare ldquoIt isbetter to do without [a reference resource] than to unintentionally pro-vide misinformation through outdated sourcesrdquo (Hattendorf 1989 222)Rettig draws an analogy between the toxic waste left at Love Canal andthe dangers of old and unreliable sources that ldquoplace library users inharmrsquos way The information in these booksrdquo he asserts ldquohas lost its util-ity but not its potencyrdquo (Rettig 1982 7) State College B acknowledgesthis concern and seeks to create a reference collection that is continuallyweeded to ldquoensure relevance validity and currencyrdquo

Despite the importance of weeding for space and philosophical rea-sons few libraries address this issue State University B Library does ac-knowledge that ldquoWeeding is as important as selectionrdquo adding that ldquoasthe Reference Collection is a working collection of important frequentlyconsulted resources careful and systematic weeding removes older lessdesirable works from the collectionrdquo This statement however providesno insight as to how such weeding is to be undertaken

Some of the institutions surveyed do discuss weeding in their referencecollection policies State Community College B for example weeds ldquoen-cyclopedias almanacs annuals yearbooks and like materials if they aremore than five years oldrdquo Yet most policies are like State University Arsquosin which the reference collection is ldquoperiodically weededrdquo In adoptingthis approach State Community College A states ldquocriteria for weedinginclude damaged titles and titles containing dated or inaccurate infor-mationrdquo

Weeding is not necessarily the same as discarding State University ALibrary for example has a ldquotrendrdquo to transfer so-called ldquostandard andclassicrdquo reference sources to the stacks or special collections as they aresuperseded or no longer used Other possibilities include using remotestorage for withdrawn reference works or transferring them to the stacksbut as non-circulating items On the other hand withdrawn referenceworks at State Community College B ldquomay be given to instructors or soldin book sales Anything not so disposed of may be given to local schools or

Daniel Liestman 101

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librariesrdquo Some libraries may also not weed their reference collections soas to avoid potential confrontations with users State Community CollegeB seeks to overcome this by having ldquothe librarian in consultation with thedirector and with input from the facultyrdquo participate in the weeding pro-cess Likewise State Community College A says faculty participation inweeding ldquoshould be encouragedrdquo Giving adequate notice of weeding anddeveloping a means for communicating the purpose of weeding and al-lowing participation in the process will go a long way to alleviate any angst

Even without these political considerations weeding is a difficult ex-pensive undertaking It is labor intensive and time consuming However ifweeding is done on a regular basis rather than all at once it can be moreeasily integrated into the work flow of those involved The questions pro-vided in Appendix A will be helpful in making weeding decisions

One question not included in Appendix A merits special considerationhow frequently is a resource used Determining usage of reference collec-tions is not often or easily undertaken Engeldinger conducted a survey of377 academic libraries and found only 23 conducted a user survey of theircollections (Engeldinger 1986 367-71) As reference collections arenon-circulating simple circulation counts are not a viable measure of useIn light of this a number of creative means have been developed to assesshow reference collections are used including dotting the spine making ticmarks to note each time a book is used over a period of time table countsexamining infrared dust beads on top of a book or placing unexposed pho-tographic paper in the pages of a book Some online systems allow booksto be recorded as ldquobrowsedrdquo if they are wanded after pick-up (Slote 1997219-225) Even as creative as some of these are they still focus on presentuser demand and fail to anticipate future needs While there may not bean easy way to weed a superior collection policy will address this matter ina manner that best serves onersquos own library

CONCLUSION

A couple of problems soon became obvious in this survey First was thelack of responses Secondly there is no way to tell how closely actual prac-tice follows the policy A possible follow-up study would be to see how welllibraries adhere to their own policies

Creating and implementing a reference collection policy for onersquos ownlibrary clearly requires a commitment of time and energy The library di-rector of Private College A wrote

102 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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There must be a break point so to speak in terms of how small a li-brary is or the ratio of staff to patrons or some other key factor thatmust explain why some libraryrsquos [sic] have a written policy while oth-ers do not revise the ancient ones they have In our case we canrsquotbreathe much less write a policy Even if we had a policy we wouldnrsquothave time to refer to it I would be the first to question the qualityand professionalism of an academic situation without a CD (Collec-tion Development) policy but as you are well aware Librarians aregenerally low man on the budget distribution totem pole

Still such a policy is worth undertaking Hazen argues a policy willhave the library ldquosolidify its own sense of purpose and also point the cam-pus toward the future by recasting its documentation in terms of all theresearch resources associated with its users and the fields they representrdquoBy including the Web and other broad based resources rather than ldquoinsist-ing on the inflexible site specific codificationrdquo of print acquisitions thepolicy will set the tone for the library as a major player in the informationage (Hazen 1995 31)

For those contemplating the creation and implementation of their ownpolicy the following points should be considered

Make a Commitment to It

Those who are directly affected by the policy should be committed to itIf they are not it will be unenforceable and useless More than one personshould be involved in the creation of the policy so that more people be-come invested in it and a variety of viewpoints are heard How and why thepolicy is being developed and for whom needs to be made clear Thereshould be meetings in which stakeholders can discuss concerns and re-solve such matters In this way everyone will be involved in the process andhave an opportunity to input ideas Whatever scope a policy takes its suc-cess depends on the degree of commitment to the policy by all involved

Keep It Unique to Onersquos Own Collection

Some argue that as there are not that many differences between librar-ies and detailed reference policies are unneeded Batt suggests one couldcreate boilerplate policies for all libraries with a final fill-in-the-blank sec-tion for special idiosyncrasies or ldquolocal peccadilloesrdquo (Batt 1984 313)Any policy needs to be individualized to the unique circumstances of thereference collection involved Any individualized policy may be one pageor severalndashthe key is whatever works best for onersquos own reference collec-

Daniel Liestman 103

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tion In constructing the policy think of issues which have been problemsin the past and how they might be best addressed

Keep Your Audience in Mind

While some such as Batt do not believe a reference collection policyhas an external audience it does and the interests of those stakeholdersneed to be kept in mind

Think Out of the Box

Donrsquot make the policy a reiteration of how things have always beendone Use this as an opportunity to think of new ways of doing things Toooften reference collection policies are written just for reference books Agood policy will include all other forms of reference sources ranging frommicrofiche to the World Wide Web

Keep It Simple

Some policies get bogged down in minutiae such as defining what a ref-erence resource is One study found a library with four guidelines devotedspecifically to telephone directories Such discussions are often esotericand have little to do with the application of the policy (Hattendorf 1989224-225)

Keep It Meaningful

On the other hand a policy should not be so succinct as to be meaning-less One library in another study noted ldquoThe basic reference collectionwill be made up of the following a basic reference collectionrdquo This gen-eralization so vague as to be meaningless (Hattendorf 1989 224-225) Apolicy should have some value and meaning to itndashif it doesnrsquot you donrsquotneed one

Donrsquot Reinvent the Wheel

While it is important even essential to tailor a policy to the needs ofonersquos own collection it may be helpful to review what others have donePeer institutions may be willing to share what they have The Web can alsobe searched for policies

Keep It Flexible

104 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Private College H says ldquoThe policies stated herein shall not be consid-ered inflexible regulationsrdquo Indeed there should be some room for ambi-guity as there will invariably be exceptions to every rule or guidelinePolicies are there to guidendashnot to enforce without reason

Donrsquot Put It Off

If collection management can be described as ldquothe task neglected whentime constraints applyrdquo writing a policy is often put off until there is timeto do it The trouble is there never is time to do it until a conscientious ef-fort is made to do so (Cuberly 1987 302) Few argue with the need for sucha policy yet few make the time to create such a policy

Keep It Current

The best policy is one which is up-to-date A policy should be reviewedannually and updated as needed A policy should be a living documentsubject to modification and adaptation as change occurs within the de-partment as well as the information environment The policy should de-velop over time in response to these changes State College A forexample describes its policy as ldquoevolutionaryrdquo and endeavors to keep itcurrent

Ask the Right Questions

To begin addressing some of these issues it is important to know whatquestions to ask Hattendorf provides some excellent suggestions for con-sideration prior to drafting a statement (Hattendorf 1989 223)

1 Why do we have a reference collection2 What is our philosophy of reference service3 What do we want the reference collection to be and do

Daniel Liestman 105

QUICK BIB

Biggs Mary and Victor ldquoReference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Surveyrdquo RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Reference Collection Development A programpresented at the 99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference No-vember 15 1990 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Re-production Service ED335049)

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

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014

4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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10

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014

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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] at

10

18 1

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ctob

er 2

014

Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

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bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

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are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

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Page 15: Reference Collection Management Policies

instances we may be able to purchase every third or fourth edition onlyrdquoPrivate Four Year College B stretches its reference dollars by requiringdiscipline-specific reference books come from that departmentrsquos book al-location while general reference works come from the reference budget

A particular challenge is for reference collection budgets to absorb thecosts of technology As Kluegel observes the advent of technology is trans-forming the reference collection into a ldquokaleidoscope of resources that canchange from one day to the next and the budget may look just as commin-gledrdquo (Kluegel 1996 454) There is no escaping the impact of technology onreference budgets State University A says improvement of ldquonetworkedelectronic access to informationrdquo is its ldquohighest priorityrdquo To better fund thisneed the libraryrsquos policy is to ldquoreplace print indexes with CD-ROM and on-line databasesrdquo Although not mentioned in any other policies this is prob-ably a common practice

Increasingly libraries are seeking ways to contain reference-relatedcosts through cooperative or consortial arrangements Some efforts havebeen made toward regional reference collection management These ef-forts can eliminate unnecessary duplication of expensive and infrequentlyused items while ensuring their accessibility to all within the systemConsortial agreements and arrangements for electronic resources areparticularly helpful Several models exist For example several librariescould acquire joint access to a database available via the Internet An-other model might involve one library deliberately buying source A whileanother does not but instead purchases source B the two could then tele-phone fax or e-mail reference questions and answers back and forthState Community College B and its local public library seem to take thisfurther in that they work together ldquoto provide access to database search-ing for faculty and studentsrdquo though the extent of this partnering is notelaborated upon in the policy

Although not mentioned in detail in any of the policies some state insti-tutions in Kansas participate in a number of consortial agreementsConsortial database agreements exist between the state-supported collegesand universities and one of the state community colleges Two of the stateuniversities participate in a large regional consortium too Such sharedbuying power allows access to resources the individual libraries would notbe able to attain on their own

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Daniel Liestman 97

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The explosion of electronic information resources marks the greatestchange in reference collection management Hazen states collectionsmust address the ldquoincreasingly complicated needs of users both currentand futurerdquo which are ldquoless and less limited to local holdingsrdquo (Hazen1995 30) Even though end-user electronic reference resources have beenaround for over a decade many libraries do not have a reference collec-tion management policy for such tools As a result such collections havegrown with little regard for planning Many libraries are struggling to inte-grate new forms of information technology into existing services opera-tions and policies ldquoThe challenge for this generation of librariansrdquoDemas says ldquois to seamlessly knit together a multiplicity of formats andaccess mechanisms into one intellectually cohesive user-friendly set of in-formation resources and services In shortrdquo he says ldquowe must adjust mostof our professional practices and daily operations to handle electronicpublications with a facility equal to or greater than that which we haveevolved for printed publicationsrdquo (Demas 1994 72)

One of the first issues a reference collection policy should addresswhen multiple formats are available is how the decision of whether to goelectronic is made Private College H says ldquoMachine-readable databaseswill be purchased in the most effective format available Hence some da-tabases will be accessed via the Internet and others may be on CD-ROMIn some cases print may be a totally appropriate formatrdquo Too often refer-ence sources are produced in electronic format because they can berather than because they should be As with any source attention must begiven to the intellectual organization and presentation of the informationThe question then becomes how to weigh the relative merits of contentpresentation and cost

Electronic resources present many unique challenges that a policyshould clarify Following is a list of suggested things to consider While itdoes not purport to be exhaustive it is designed to serve as a starting pointfor discussion (See Appendix A for a list of questions to be generally ap-plied to acquisition andor weeding of sources)

Technical Specifications

Is the database best utilized via the Internet on a local server on astand-alone or another option What compatibility is there between thedatabasesrsquo requirements and existing hardware and software What is thespeed and reliability of access Is the site updated and well maintainedHow stable is the database How is log in and authentication of users to behandledndashincluding distance users

98 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Documentation and Support

What level of technical support is available from the vendor Is this atan added cost Is the vendor reputable Is support service prompt and ad-equate How are licensing issues such as access by both local and remoteusers copyright data archiving etc handled What is the availability andquality of support materials If the electronic version is acquired can theprint version be canceled Will such action affect the subscription cost

Funding

How is the product itself to be paid for How will maintenance costs bepaid How will consumables (paper toner discs etc) be paid for Howmany computers are needed State University A speaks directly to thesecosts in its document In supporting the expense of these electronicsources the library admits ldquoThere is still an insufficient number ofworkstations or networking for simultaneous users for online CD-ROMand Internet searching This means that although we may have the meansto locate information we do not always have access to it at the momentneededrdquo

Database Content

Does content justify the format Is the content of the online databasethe same as the print index Is the content of the database reliable andvalid Is full textimage searching an option Will the content of the data-base meet the needs of future users How well does the database fit withinthe context of the existing collections and resources Is there a roll-off ofyears covered by the databasendashthat is if the database covers the most re-cent five years what happens to year six

User Interface

What level of instruction is needed to operate the database What isthe potential impact on public service points What output options areavailable for printing downloading and e-mailing

Continuity

How are issues such as licensing upgrading control and maintenancehandled

The answers to such questions are often beyond the ability of a singleindividual as they require substantial subject and technological knowl-

Daniel Liestman 99

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edge An effective reference collection policy should see to it that inputfrom both subject and systems specialists is obtained in making cost effec-tive decisions How such issues are addressed is dependent on the libraryrsquostechnology infrastructure Such issues may extend beyond the library tothe institutionrsquos systems office or academic computing department If sothe polices and practices of those departments have might influence themanagement of the libraryrsquos electronic collection The key to assimilatingnew technologies is to develop collaborative strategies that promote flexi-bility in the organization facilitate coordination and collaboration acrossorganizational divisions promote the ability of staff to adapt to constantchange and eliminate territoriality and develop shared goals and values

Another aspect of reference collection management policy is the cre-ation of a virtual reference collection that utilizes sources available on theWWW State University A says the potential of using World Wide Webresources with no direct cost to the department is ldquounlimited and mayeventually have an effect on collection development but it is difficult toassess the impact for the coming yearsrdquo Creating such a resource is be-yond the scope of this article and is better addressed by Demas McDon-ald and Lawrence who provide a solid basis for creating and maintainingsuch a digital reference collection (Demas McDonald and Lawrence1995 282-283)

Whether a reference policy incorporates an electronic virtual collec-tion or not a conspectus for electronic resources might still be useful If aconspectus is already used its collecting level categories may need only tobe adapted to reflect the use of electronic sources or a separate conspec-tus may be used

Although the use of electronic resources in a reference collection isnow an established part of the profession few of the policies received inthis research deal directly with such matters Moreover the literature isvaried and of no one opinion on how to proceed In creating a policy state-ment for onersquos own library local needs use patterns and resources will allneed to be considered

WEEDING

Most libraries see the value and benefits of weeding and although most lackwritten guidelines weeding is undertaken anyway Whether weeding is part ofa policy or not it usually occurs for two reasonsndashspace and collection philoso-phy

Space is usually given preeminent consideration as a factor involved inpromoting weeding State Community College A Library notes in its pol-

100 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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icy ldquoAs space limitations dictate materials will be considered for re-movalrdquo Beyond this the Biggs found most reference collections containmore than 10000 reference titles They concluded these were more titlesthan could be effectively mastered by most reference librarians (Biggs1987 67 69-70) Other studies support this finding and call for ldquoleanrdquo ref-erence collections filled with a few ldquohard-working titlesrdquo (Nolan 1991 80Nolan 1999 11-21 Joswick and Stierman 1993 108)

Collection philosophy is another reason for librarians to considerweeding In particular concern focuses on having the most recent andpresumably best information available Some go so far as to declare ldquoIt isbetter to do without [a reference resource] than to unintentionally pro-vide misinformation through outdated sourcesrdquo (Hattendorf 1989 222)Rettig draws an analogy between the toxic waste left at Love Canal andthe dangers of old and unreliable sources that ldquoplace library users inharmrsquos way The information in these booksrdquo he asserts ldquohas lost its util-ity but not its potencyrdquo (Rettig 1982 7) State College B acknowledgesthis concern and seeks to create a reference collection that is continuallyweeded to ldquoensure relevance validity and currencyrdquo

Despite the importance of weeding for space and philosophical rea-sons few libraries address this issue State University B Library does ac-knowledge that ldquoWeeding is as important as selectionrdquo adding that ldquoasthe Reference Collection is a working collection of important frequentlyconsulted resources careful and systematic weeding removes older lessdesirable works from the collectionrdquo This statement however providesno insight as to how such weeding is to be undertaken

Some of the institutions surveyed do discuss weeding in their referencecollection policies State Community College B for example weeds ldquoen-cyclopedias almanacs annuals yearbooks and like materials if they aremore than five years oldrdquo Yet most policies are like State University Arsquosin which the reference collection is ldquoperiodically weededrdquo In adoptingthis approach State Community College A states ldquocriteria for weedinginclude damaged titles and titles containing dated or inaccurate infor-mationrdquo

Weeding is not necessarily the same as discarding State University ALibrary for example has a ldquotrendrdquo to transfer so-called ldquostandard andclassicrdquo reference sources to the stacks or special collections as they aresuperseded or no longer used Other possibilities include using remotestorage for withdrawn reference works or transferring them to the stacksbut as non-circulating items On the other hand withdrawn referenceworks at State Community College B ldquomay be given to instructors or soldin book sales Anything not so disposed of may be given to local schools or

Daniel Liestman 101

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librariesrdquo Some libraries may also not weed their reference collections soas to avoid potential confrontations with users State Community CollegeB seeks to overcome this by having ldquothe librarian in consultation with thedirector and with input from the facultyrdquo participate in the weeding pro-cess Likewise State Community College A says faculty participation inweeding ldquoshould be encouragedrdquo Giving adequate notice of weeding anddeveloping a means for communicating the purpose of weeding and al-lowing participation in the process will go a long way to alleviate any angst

Even without these political considerations weeding is a difficult ex-pensive undertaking It is labor intensive and time consuming However ifweeding is done on a regular basis rather than all at once it can be moreeasily integrated into the work flow of those involved The questions pro-vided in Appendix A will be helpful in making weeding decisions

One question not included in Appendix A merits special considerationhow frequently is a resource used Determining usage of reference collec-tions is not often or easily undertaken Engeldinger conducted a survey of377 academic libraries and found only 23 conducted a user survey of theircollections (Engeldinger 1986 367-71) As reference collections arenon-circulating simple circulation counts are not a viable measure of useIn light of this a number of creative means have been developed to assesshow reference collections are used including dotting the spine making ticmarks to note each time a book is used over a period of time table countsexamining infrared dust beads on top of a book or placing unexposed pho-tographic paper in the pages of a book Some online systems allow booksto be recorded as ldquobrowsedrdquo if they are wanded after pick-up (Slote 1997219-225) Even as creative as some of these are they still focus on presentuser demand and fail to anticipate future needs While there may not bean easy way to weed a superior collection policy will address this matter ina manner that best serves onersquos own library

CONCLUSION

A couple of problems soon became obvious in this survey First was thelack of responses Secondly there is no way to tell how closely actual prac-tice follows the policy A possible follow-up study would be to see how welllibraries adhere to their own policies

Creating and implementing a reference collection policy for onersquos ownlibrary clearly requires a commitment of time and energy The library di-rector of Private College A wrote

102 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

There must be a break point so to speak in terms of how small a li-brary is or the ratio of staff to patrons or some other key factor thatmust explain why some libraryrsquos [sic] have a written policy while oth-ers do not revise the ancient ones they have In our case we canrsquotbreathe much less write a policy Even if we had a policy we wouldnrsquothave time to refer to it I would be the first to question the qualityand professionalism of an academic situation without a CD (Collec-tion Development) policy but as you are well aware Librarians aregenerally low man on the budget distribution totem pole

Still such a policy is worth undertaking Hazen argues a policy willhave the library ldquosolidify its own sense of purpose and also point the cam-pus toward the future by recasting its documentation in terms of all theresearch resources associated with its users and the fields they representrdquoBy including the Web and other broad based resources rather than ldquoinsist-ing on the inflexible site specific codificationrdquo of print acquisitions thepolicy will set the tone for the library as a major player in the informationage (Hazen 1995 31)

For those contemplating the creation and implementation of their ownpolicy the following points should be considered

Make a Commitment to It

Those who are directly affected by the policy should be committed to itIf they are not it will be unenforceable and useless More than one personshould be involved in the creation of the policy so that more people be-come invested in it and a variety of viewpoints are heard How and why thepolicy is being developed and for whom needs to be made clear Thereshould be meetings in which stakeholders can discuss concerns and re-solve such matters In this way everyone will be involved in the process andhave an opportunity to input ideas Whatever scope a policy takes its suc-cess depends on the degree of commitment to the policy by all involved

Keep It Unique to Onersquos Own Collection

Some argue that as there are not that many differences between librar-ies and detailed reference policies are unneeded Batt suggests one couldcreate boilerplate policies for all libraries with a final fill-in-the-blank sec-tion for special idiosyncrasies or ldquolocal peccadilloesrdquo (Batt 1984 313)Any policy needs to be individualized to the unique circumstances of thereference collection involved Any individualized policy may be one pageor severalndashthe key is whatever works best for onersquos own reference collec-

Daniel Liestman 103

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tion In constructing the policy think of issues which have been problemsin the past and how they might be best addressed

Keep Your Audience in Mind

While some such as Batt do not believe a reference collection policyhas an external audience it does and the interests of those stakeholdersneed to be kept in mind

Think Out of the Box

Donrsquot make the policy a reiteration of how things have always beendone Use this as an opportunity to think of new ways of doing things Toooften reference collection policies are written just for reference books Agood policy will include all other forms of reference sources ranging frommicrofiche to the World Wide Web

Keep It Simple

Some policies get bogged down in minutiae such as defining what a ref-erence resource is One study found a library with four guidelines devotedspecifically to telephone directories Such discussions are often esotericand have little to do with the application of the policy (Hattendorf 1989224-225)

Keep It Meaningful

On the other hand a policy should not be so succinct as to be meaning-less One library in another study noted ldquoThe basic reference collectionwill be made up of the following a basic reference collectionrdquo This gen-eralization so vague as to be meaningless (Hattendorf 1989 224-225) Apolicy should have some value and meaning to itndashif it doesnrsquot you donrsquotneed one

Donrsquot Reinvent the Wheel

While it is important even essential to tailor a policy to the needs ofonersquos own collection it may be helpful to review what others have donePeer institutions may be willing to share what they have The Web can alsobe searched for policies

Keep It Flexible

104 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Private College H says ldquoThe policies stated herein shall not be consid-ered inflexible regulationsrdquo Indeed there should be some room for ambi-guity as there will invariably be exceptions to every rule or guidelinePolicies are there to guidendashnot to enforce without reason

Donrsquot Put It Off

If collection management can be described as ldquothe task neglected whentime constraints applyrdquo writing a policy is often put off until there is timeto do it The trouble is there never is time to do it until a conscientious ef-fort is made to do so (Cuberly 1987 302) Few argue with the need for sucha policy yet few make the time to create such a policy

Keep It Current

The best policy is one which is up-to-date A policy should be reviewedannually and updated as needed A policy should be a living documentsubject to modification and adaptation as change occurs within the de-partment as well as the information environment The policy should de-velop over time in response to these changes State College A forexample describes its policy as ldquoevolutionaryrdquo and endeavors to keep itcurrent

Ask the Right Questions

To begin addressing some of these issues it is important to know whatquestions to ask Hattendorf provides some excellent suggestions for con-sideration prior to drafting a statement (Hattendorf 1989 223)

1 Why do we have a reference collection2 What is our philosophy of reference service3 What do we want the reference collection to be and do

Daniel Liestman 105

QUICK BIB

Biggs Mary and Victor ldquoReference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Surveyrdquo RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Reference Collection Development A programpresented at the 99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference No-vember 15 1990 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Re-production Service ED335049)

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

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014

4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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10

18 1

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014

Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

Daniel Liestman 109

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bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

Daniel Liestman 111

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

Daniel Liestman 113

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014

are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

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014

Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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014

bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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Page 16: Reference Collection Management Policies

The explosion of electronic information resources marks the greatestchange in reference collection management Hazen states collectionsmust address the ldquoincreasingly complicated needs of users both currentand futurerdquo which are ldquoless and less limited to local holdingsrdquo (Hazen1995 30) Even though end-user electronic reference resources have beenaround for over a decade many libraries do not have a reference collec-tion management policy for such tools As a result such collections havegrown with little regard for planning Many libraries are struggling to inte-grate new forms of information technology into existing services opera-tions and policies ldquoThe challenge for this generation of librariansrdquoDemas says ldquois to seamlessly knit together a multiplicity of formats andaccess mechanisms into one intellectually cohesive user-friendly set of in-formation resources and services In shortrdquo he says ldquowe must adjust mostof our professional practices and daily operations to handle electronicpublications with a facility equal to or greater than that which we haveevolved for printed publicationsrdquo (Demas 1994 72)

One of the first issues a reference collection policy should addresswhen multiple formats are available is how the decision of whether to goelectronic is made Private College H says ldquoMachine-readable databaseswill be purchased in the most effective format available Hence some da-tabases will be accessed via the Internet and others may be on CD-ROMIn some cases print may be a totally appropriate formatrdquo Too often refer-ence sources are produced in electronic format because they can berather than because they should be As with any source attention must begiven to the intellectual organization and presentation of the informationThe question then becomes how to weigh the relative merits of contentpresentation and cost

Electronic resources present many unique challenges that a policyshould clarify Following is a list of suggested things to consider While itdoes not purport to be exhaustive it is designed to serve as a starting pointfor discussion (See Appendix A for a list of questions to be generally ap-plied to acquisition andor weeding of sources)

Technical Specifications

Is the database best utilized via the Internet on a local server on astand-alone or another option What compatibility is there between thedatabasesrsquo requirements and existing hardware and software What is thespeed and reliability of access Is the site updated and well maintainedHow stable is the database How is log in and authentication of users to behandledndashincluding distance users

98 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Documentation and Support

What level of technical support is available from the vendor Is this atan added cost Is the vendor reputable Is support service prompt and ad-equate How are licensing issues such as access by both local and remoteusers copyright data archiving etc handled What is the availability andquality of support materials If the electronic version is acquired can theprint version be canceled Will such action affect the subscription cost

Funding

How is the product itself to be paid for How will maintenance costs bepaid How will consumables (paper toner discs etc) be paid for Howmany computers are needed State University A speaks directly to thesecosts in its document In supporting the expense of these electronicsources the library admits ldquoThere is still an insufficient number ofworkstations or networking for simultaneous users for online CD-ROMand Internet searching This means that although we may have the meansto locate information we do not always have access to it at the momentneededrdquo

Database Content

Does content justify the format Is the content of the online databasethe same as the print index Is the content of the database reliable andvalid Is full textimage searching an option Will the content of the data-base meet the needs of future users How well does the database fit withinthe context of the existing collections and resources Is there a roll-off ofyears covered by the databasendashthat is if the database covers the most re-cent five years what happens to year six

User Interface

What level of instruction is needed to operate the database What isthe potential impact on public service points What output options areavailable for printing downloading and e-mailing

Continuity

How are issues such as licensing upgrading control and maintenancehandled

The answers to such questions are often beyond the ability of a singleindividual as they require substantial subject and technological knowl-

Daniel Liestman 99

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014

edge An effective reference collection policy should see to it that inputfrom both subject and systems specialists is obtained in making cost effec-tive decisions How such issues are addressed is dependent on the libraryrsquostechnology infrastructure Such issues may extend beyond the library tothe institutionrsquos systems office or academic computing department If sothe polices and practices of those departments have might influence themanagement of the libraryrsquos electronic collection The key to assimilatingnew technologies is to develop collaborative strategies that promote flexi-bility in the organization facilitate coordination and collaboration acrossorganizational divisions promote the ability of staff to adapt to constantchange and eliminate territoriality and develop shared goals and values

Another aspect of reference collection management policy is the cre-ation of a virtual reference collection that utilizes sources available on theWWW State University A says the potential of using World Wide Webresources with no direct cost to the department is ldquounlimited and mayeventually have an effect on collection development but it is difficult toassess the impact for the coming yearsrdquo Creating such a resource is be-yond the scope of this article and is better addressed by Demas McDon-ald and Lawrence who provide a solid basis for creating and maintainingsuch a digital reference collection (Demas McDonald and Lawrence1995 282-283)

Whether a reference policy incorporates an electronic virtual collec-tion or not a conspectus for electronic resources might still be useful If aconspectus is already used its collecting level categories may need only tobe adapted to reflect the use of electronic sources or a separate conspec-tus may be used

Although the use of electronic resources in a reference collection isnow an established part of the profession few of the policies received inthis research deal directly with such matters Moreover the literature isvaried and of no one opinion on how to proceed In creating a policy state-ment for onersquos own library local needs use patterns and resources will allneed to be considered

WEEDING

Most libraries see the value and benefits of weeding and although most lackwritten guidelines weeding is undertaken anyway Whether weeding is part ofa policy or not it usually occurs for two reasonsndashspace and collection philoso-phy

Space is usually given preeminent consideration as a factor involved inpromoting weeding State Community College A Library notes in its pol-

100 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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icy ldquoAs space limitations dictate materials will be considered for re-movalrdquo Beyond this the Biggs found most reference collections containmore than 10000 reference titles They concluded these were more titlesthan could be effectively mastered by most reference librarians (Biggs1987 67 69-70) Other studies support this finding and call for ldquoleanrdquo ref-erence collections filled with a few ldquohard-working titlesrdquo (Nolan 1991 80Nolan 1999 11-21 Joswick and Stierman 1993 108)

Collection philosophy is another reason for librarians to considerweeding In particular concern focuses on having the most recent andpresumably best information available Some go so far as to declare ldquoIt isbetter to do without [a reference resource] than to unintentionally pro-vide misinformation through outdated sourcesrdquo (Hattendorf 1989 222)Rettig draws an analogy between the toxic waste left at Love Canal andthe dangers of old and unreliable sources that ldquoplace library users inharmrsquos way The information in these booksrdquo he asserts ldquohas lost its util-ity but not its potencyrdquo (Rettig 1982 7) State College B acknowledgesthis concern and seeks to create a reference collection that is continuallyweeded to ldquoensure relevance validity and currencyrdquo

Despite the importance of weeding for space and philosophical rea-sons few libraries address this issue State University B Library does ac-knowledge that ldquoWeeding is as important as selectionrdquo adding that ldquoasthe Reference Collection is a working collection of important frequentlyconsulted resources careful and systematic weeding removes older lessdesirable works from the collectionrdquo This statement however providesno insight as to how such weeding is to be undertaken

Some of the institutions surveyed do discuss weeding in their referencecollection policies State Community College B for example weeds ldquoen-cyclopedias almanacs annuals yearbooks and like materials if they aremore than five years oldrdquo Yet most policies are like State University Arsquosin which the reference collection is ldquoperiodically weededrdquo In adoptingthis approach State Community College A states ldquocriteria for weedinginclude damaged titles and titles containing dated or inaccurate infor-mationrdquo

Weeding is not necessarily the same as discarding State University ALibrary for example has a ldquotrendrdquo to transfer so-called ldquostandard andclassicrdquo reference sources to the stacks or special collections as they aresuperseded or no longer used Other possibilities include using remotestorage for withdrawn reference works or transferring them to the stacksbut as non-circulating items On the other hand withdrawn referenceworks at State Community College B ldquomay be given to instructors or soldin book sales Anything not so disposed of may be given to local schools or

Daniel Liestman 101

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014

librariesrdquo Some libraries may also not weed their reference collections soas to avoid potential confrontations with users State Community CollegeB seeks to overcome this by having ldquothe librarian in consultation with thedirector and with input from the facultyrdquo participate in the weeding pro-cess Likewise State Community College A says faculty participation inweeding ldquoshould be encouragedrdquo Giving adequate notice of weeding anddeveloping a means for communicating the purpose of weeding and al-lowing participation in the process will go a long way to alleviate any angst

Even without these political considerations weeding is a difficult ex-pensive undertaking It is labor intensive and time consuming However ifweeding is done on a regular basis rather than all at once it can be moreeasily integrated into the work flow of those involved The questions pro-vided in Appendix A will be helpful in making weeding decisions

One question not included in Appendix A merits special considerationhow frequently is a resource used Determining usage of reference collec-tions is not often or easily undertaken Engeldinger conducted a survey of377 academic libraries and found only 23 conducted a user survey of theircollections (Engeldinger 1986 367-71) As reference collections arenon-circulating simple circulation counts are not a viable measure of useIn light of this a number of creative means have been developed to assesshow reference collections are used including dotting the spine making ticmarks to note each time a book is used over a period of time table countsexamining infrared dust beads on top of a book or placing unexposed pho-tographic paper in the pages of a book Some online systems allow booksto be recorded as ldquobrowsedrdquo if they are wanded after pick-up (Slote 1997219-225) Even as creative as some of these are they still focus on presentuser demand and fail to anticipate future needs While there may not bean easy way to weed a superior collection policy will address this matter ina manner that best serves onersquos own library

CONCLUSION

A couple of problems soon became obvious in this survey First was thelack of responses Secondly there is no way to tell how closely actual prac-tice follows the policy A possible follow-up study would be to see how welllibraries adhere to their own policies

Creating and implementing a reference collection policy for onersquos ownlibrary clearly requires a commitment of time and energy The library di-rector of Private College A wrote

102 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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There must be a break point so to speak in terms of how small a li-brary is or the ratio of staff to patrons or some other key factor thatmust explain why some libraryrsquos [sic] have a written policy while oth-ers do not revise the ancient ones they have In our case we canrsquotbreathe much less write a policy Even if we had a policy we wouldnrsquothave time to refer to it I would be the first to question the qualityand professionalism of an academic situation without a CD (Collec-tion Development) policy but as you are well aware Librarians aregenerally low man on the budget distribution totem pole

Still such a policy is worth undertaking Hazen argues a policy willhave the library ldquosolidify its own sense of purpose and also point the cam-pus toward the future by recasting its documentation in terms of all theresearch resources associated with its users and the fields they representrdquoBy including the Web and other broad based resources rather than ldquoinsist-ing on the inflexible site specific codificationrdquo of print acquisitions thepolicy will set the tone for the library as a major player in the informationage (Hazen 1995 31)

For those contemplating the creation and implementation of their ownpolicy the following points should be considered

Make a Commitment to It

Those who are directly affected by the policy should be committed to itIf they are not it will be unenforceable and useless More than one personshould be involved in the creation of the policy so that more people be-come invested in it and a variety of viewpoints are heard How and why thepolicy is being developed and for whom needs to be made clear Thereshould be meetings in which stakeholders can discuss concerns and re-solve such matters In this way everyone will be involved in the process andhave an opportunity to input ideas Whatever scope a policy takes its suc-cess depends on the degree of commitment to the policy by all involved

Keep It Unique to Onersquos Own Collection

Some argue that as there are not that many differences between librar-ies and detailed reference policies are unneeded Batt suggests one couldcreate boilerplate policies for all libraries with a final fill-in-the-blank sec-tion for special idiosyncrasies or ldquolocal peccadilloesrdquo (Batt 1984 313)Any policy needs to be individualized to the unique circumstances of thereference collection involved Any individualized policy may be one pageor severalndashthe key is whatever works best for onersquos own reference collec-

Daniel Liestman 103

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tion In constructing the policy think of issues which have been problemsin the past and how they might be best addressed

Keep Your Audience in Mind

While some such as Batt do not believe a reference collection policyhas an external audience it does and the interests of those stakeholdersneed to be kept in mind

Think Out of the Box

Donrsquot make the policy a reiteration of how things have always beendone Use this as an opportunity to think of new ways of doing things Toooften reference collection policies are written just for reference books Agood policy will include all other forms of reference sources ranging frommicrofiche to the World Wide Web

Keep It Simple

Some policies get bogged down in minutiae such as defining what a ref-erence resource is One study found a library with four guidelines devotedspecifically to telephone directories Such discussions are often esotericand have little to do with the application of the policy (Hattendorf 1989224-225)

Keep It Meaningful

On the other hand a policy should not be so succinct as to be meaning-less One library in another study noted ldquoThe basic reference collectionwill be made up of the following a basic reference collectionrdquo This gen-eralization so vague as to be meaningless (Hattendorf 1989 224-225) Apolicy should have some value and meaning to itndashif it doesnrsquot you donrsquotneed one

Donrsquot Reinvent the Wheel

While it is important even essential to tailor a policy to the needs ofonersquos own collection it may be helpful to review what others have donePeer institutions may be willing to share what they have The Web can alsobe searched for policies

Keep It Flexible

104 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Private College H says ldquoThe policies stated herein shall not be consid-ered inflexible regulationsrdquo Indeed there should be some room for ambi-guity as there will invariably be exceptions to every rule or guidelinePolicies are there to guidendashnot to enforce without reason

Donrsquot Put It Off

If collection management can be described as ldquothe task neglected whentime constraints applyrdquo writing a policy is often put off until there is timeto do it The trouble is there never is time to do it until a conscientious ef-fort is made to do so (Cuberly 1987 302) Few argue with the need for sucha policy yet few make the time to create such a policy

Keep It Current

The best policy is one which is up-to-date A policy should be reviewedannually and updated as needed A policy should be a living documentsubject to modification and adaptation as change occurs within the de-partment as well as the information environment The policy should de-velop over time in response to these changes State College A forexample describes its policy as ldquoevolutionaryrdquo and endeavors to keep itcurrent

Ask the Right Questions

To begin addressing some of these issues it is important to know whatquestions to ask Hattendorf provides some excellent suggestions for con-sideration prior to drafting a statement (Hattendorf 1989 223)

1 Why do we have a reference collection2 What is our philosophy of reference service3 What do we want the reference collection to be and do

Daniel Liestman 105

QUICK BIB

Biggs Mary and Victor ldquoReference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Surveyrdquo RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Reference Collection Development A programpresented at the 99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference No-vember 15 1990 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Re-production Service ED335049)

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

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014

4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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10

18 1

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014

Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

Daniel Liestman 109

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014

bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

Daniel Liestman 113

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are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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Page 17: Reference Collection Management Policies

Documentation and Support

What level of technical support is available from the vendor Is this atan added cost Is the vendor reputable Is support service prompt and ad-equate How are licensing issues such as access by both local and remoteusers copyright data archiving etc handled What is the availability andquality of support materials If the electronic version is acquired can theprint version be canceled Will such action affect the subscription cost

Funding

How is the product itself to be paid for How will maintenance costs bepaid How will consumables (paper toner discs etc) be paid for Howmany computers are needed State University A speaks directly to thesecosts in its document In supporting the expense of these electronicsources the library admits ldquoThere is still an insufficient number ofworkstations or networking for simultaneous users for online CD-ROMand Internet searching This means that although we may have the meansto locate information we do not always have access to it at the momentneededrdquo

Database Content

Does content justify the format Is the content of the online databasethe same as the print index Is the content of the database reliable andvalid Is full textimage searching an option Will the content of the data-base meet the needs of future users How well does the database fit withinthe context of the existing collections and resources Is there a roll-off ofyears covered by the databasendashthat is if the database covers the most re-cent five years what happens to year six

User Interface

What level of instruction is needed to operate the database What isthe potential impact on public service points What output options areavailable for printing downloading and e-mailing

Continuity

How are issues such as licensing upgrading control and maintenancehandled

The answers to such questions are often beyond the ability of a singleindividual as they require substantial subject and technological knowl-

Daniel Liestman 99

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edge An effective reference collection policy should see to it that inputfrom both subject and systems specialists is obtained in making cost effec-tive decisions How such issues are addressed is dependent on the libraryrsquostechnology infrastructure Such issues may extend beyond the library tothe institutionrsquos systems office or academic computing department If sothe polices and practices of those departments have might influence themanagement of the libraryrsquos electronic collection The key to assimilatingnew technologies is to develop collaborative strategies that promote flexi-bility in the organization facilitate coordination and collaboration acrossorganizational divisions promote the ability of staff to adapt to constantchange and eliminate territoriality and develop shared goals and values

Another aspect of reference collection management policy is the cre-ation of a virtual reference collection that utilizes sources available on theWWW State University A says the potential of using World Wide Webresources with no direct cost to the department is ldquounlimited and mayeventually have an effect on collection development but it is difficult toassess the impact for the coming yearsrdquo Creating such a resource is be-yond the scope of this article and is better addressed by Demas McDon-ald and Lawrence who provide a solid basis for creating and maintainingsuch a digital reference collection (Demas McDonald and Lawrence1995 282-283)

Whether a reference policy incorporates an electronic virtual collec-tion or not a conspectus for electronic resources might still be useful If aconspectus is already used its collecting level categories may need only tobe adapted to reflect the use of electronic sources or a separate conspec-tus may be used

Although the use of electronic resources in a reference collection isnow an established part of the profession few of the policies received inthis research deal directly with such matters Moreover the literature isvaried and of no one opinion on how to proceed In creating a policy state-ment for onersquos own library local needs use patterns and resources will allneed to be considered

WEEDING

Most libraries see the value and benefits of weeding and although most lackwritten guidelines weeding is undertaken anyway Whether weeding is part ofa policy or not it usually occurs for two reasonsndashspace and collection philoso-phy

Space is usually given preeminent consideration as a factor involved inpromoting weeding State Community College A Library notes in its pol-

100 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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icy ldquoAs space limitations dictate materials will be considered for re-movalrdquo Beyond this the Biggs found most reference collections containmore than 10000 reference titles They concluded these were more titlesthan could be effectively mastered by most reference librarians (Biggs1987 67 69-70) Other studies support this finding and call for ldquoleanrdquo ref-erence collections filled with a few ldquohard-working titlesrdquo (Nolan 1991 80Nolan 1999 11-21 Joswick and Stierman 1993 108)

Collection philosophy is another reason for librarians to considerweeding In particular concern focuses on having the most recent andpresumably best information available Some go so far as to declare ldquoIt isbetter to do without [a reference resource] than to unintentionally pro-vide misinformation through outdated sourcesrdquo (Hattendorf 1989 222)Rettig draws an analogy between the toxic waste left at Love Canal andthe dangers of old and unreliable sources that ldquoplace library users inharmrsquos way The information in these booksrdquo he asserts ldquohas lost its util-ity but not its potencyrdquo (Rettig 1982 7) State College B acknowledgesthis concern and seeks to create a reference collection that is continuallyweeded to ldquoensure relevance validity and currencyrdquo

Despite the importance of weeding for space and philosophical rea-sons few libraries address this issue State University B Library does ac-knowledge that ldquoWeeding is as important as selectionrdquo adding that ldquoasthe Reference Collection is a working collection of important frequentlyconsulted resources careful and systematic weeding removes older lessdesirable works from the collectionrdquo This statement however providesno insight as to how such weeding is to be undertaken

Some of the institutions surveyed do discuss weeding in their referencecollection policies State Community College B for example weeds ldquoen-cyclopedias almanacs annuals yearbooks and like materials if they aremore than five years oldrdquo Yet most policies are like State University Arsquosin which the reference collection is ldquoperiodically weededrdquo In adoptingthis approach State Community College A states ldquocriteria for weedinginclude damaged titles and titles containing dated or inaccurate infor-mationrdquo

Weeding is not necessarily the same as discarding State University ALibrary for example has a ldquotrendrdquo to transfer so-called ldquostandard andclassicrdquo reference sources to the stacks or special collections as they aresuperseded or no longer used Other possibilities include using remotestorage for withdrawn reference works or transferring them to the stacksbut as non-circulating items On the other hand withdrawn referenceworks at State Community College B ldquomay be given to instructors or soldin book sales Anything not so disposed of may be given to local schools or

Daniel Liestman 101

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librariesrdquo Some libraries may also not weed their reference collections soas to avoid potential confrontations with users State Community CollegeB seeks to overcome this by having ldquothe librarian in consultation with thedirector and with input from the facultyrdquo participate in the weeding pro-cess Likewise State Community College A says faculty participation inweeding ldquoshould be encouragedrdquo Giving adequate notice of weeding anddeveloping a means for communicating the purpose of weeding and al-lowing participation in the process will go a long way to alleviate any angst

Even without these political considerations weeding is a difficult ex-pensive undertaking It is labor intensive and time consuming However ifweeding is done on a regular basis rather than all at once it can be moreeasily integrated into the work flow of those involved The questions pro-vided in Appendix A will be helpful in making weeding decisions

One question not included in Appendix A merits special considerationhow frequently is a resource used Determining usage of reference collec-tions is not often or easily undertaken Engeldinger conducted a survey of377 academic libraries and found only 23 conducted a user survey of theircollections (Engeldinger 1986 367-71) As reference collections arenon-circulating simple circulation counts are not a viable measure of useIn light of this a number of creative means have been developed to assesshow reference collections are used including dotting the spine making ticmarks to note each time a book is used over a period of time table countsexamining infrared dust beads on top of a book or placing unexposed pho-tographic paper in the pages of a book Some online systems allow booksto be recorded as ldquobrowsedrdquo if they are wanded after pick-up (Slote 1997219-225) Even as creative as some of these are they still focus on presentuser demand and fail to anticipate future needs While there may not bean easy way to weed a superior collection policy will address this matter ina manner that best serves onersquos own library

CONCLUSION

A couple of problems soon became obvious in this survey First was thelack of responses Secondly there is no way to tell how closely actual prac-tice follows the policy A possible follow-up study would be to see how welllibraries adhere to their own policies

Creating and implementing a reference collection policy for onersquos ownlibrary clearly requires a commitment of time and energy The library di-rector of Private College A wrote

102 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

There must be a break point so to speak in terms of how small a li-brary is or the ratio of staff to patrons or some other key factor thatmust explain why some libraryrsquos [sic] have a written policy while oth-ers do not revise the ancient ones they have In our case we canrsquotbreathe much less write a policy Even if we had a policy we wouldnrsquothave time to refer to it I would be the first to question the qualityand professionalism of an academic situation without a CD (Collec-tion Development) policy but as you are well aware Librarians aregenerally low man on the budget distribution totem pole

Still such a policy is worth undertaking Hazen argues a policy willhave the library ldquosolidify its own sense of purpose and also point the cam-pus toward the future by recasting its documentation in terms of all theresearch resources associated with its users and the fields they representrdquoBy including the Web and other broad based resources rather than ldquoinsist-ing on the inflexible site specific codificationrdquo of print acquisitions thepolicy will set the tone for the library as a major player in the informationage (Hazen 1995 31)

For those contemplating the creation and implementation of their ownpolicy the following points should be considered

Make a Commitment to It

Those who are directly affected by the policy should be committed to itIf they are not it will be unenforceable and useless More than one personshould be involved in the creation of the policy so that more people be-come invested in it and a variety of viewpoints are heard How and why thepolicy is being developed and for whom needs to be made clear Thereshould be meetings in which stakeholders can discuss concerns and re-solve such matters In this way everyone will be involved in the process andhave an opportunity to input ideas Whatever scope a policy takes its suc-cess depends on the degree of commitment to the policy by all involved

Keep It Unique to Onersquos Own Collection

Some argue that as there are not that many differences between librar-ies and detailed reference policies are unneeded Batt suggests one couldcreate boilerplate policies for all libraries with a final fill-in-the-blank sec-tion for special idiosyncrasies or ldquolocal peccadilloesrdquo (Batt 1984 313)Any policy needs to be individualized to the unique circumstances of thereference collection involved Any individualized policy may be one pageor severalndashthe key is whatever works best for onersquos own reference collec-

Daniel Liestman 103

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014

tion In constructing the policy think of issues which have been problemsin the past and how they might be best addressed

Keep Your Audience in Mind

While some such as Batt do not believe a reference collection policyhas an external audience it does and the interests of those stakeholdersneed to be kept in mind

Think Out of the Box

Donrsquot make the policy a reiteration of how things have always beendone Use this as an opportunity to think of new ways of doing things Toooften reference collection policies are written just for reference books Agood policy will include all other forms of reference sources ranging frommicrofiche to the World Wide Web

Keep It Simple

Some policies get bogged down in minutiae such as defining what a ref-erence resource is One study found a library with four guidelines devotedspecifically to telephone directories Such discussions are often esotericand have little to do with the application of the policy (Hattendorf 1989224-225)

Keep It Meaningful

On the other hand a policy should not be so succinct as to be meaning-less One library in another study noted ldquoThe basic reference collectionwill be made up of the following a basic reference collectionrdquo This gen-eralization so vague as to be meaningless (Hattendorf 1989 224-225) Apolicy should have some value and meaning to itndashif it doesnrsquot you donrsquotneed one

Donrsquot Reinvent the Wheel

While it is important even essential to tailor a policy to the needs ofonersquos own collection it may be helpful to review what others have donePeer institutions may be willing to share what they have The Web can alsobe searched for policies

Keep It Flexible

104 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Private College H says ldquoThe policies stated herein shall not be consid-ered inflexible regulationsrdquo Indeed there should be some room for ambi-guity as there will invariably be exceptions to every rule or guidelinePolicies are there to guidendashnot to enforce without reason

Donrsquot Put It Off

If collection management can be described as ldquothe task neglected whentime constraints applyrdquo writing a policy is often put off until there is timeto do it The trouble is there never is time to do it until a conscientious ef-fort is made to do so (Cuberly 1987 302) Few argue with the need for sucha policy yet few make the time to create such a policy

Keep It Current

The best policy is one which is up-to-date A policy should be reviewedannually and updated as needed A policy should be a living documentsubject to modification and adaptation as change occurs within the de-partment as well as the information environment The policy should de-velop over time in response to these changes State College A forexample describes its policy as ldquoevolutionaryrdquo and endeavors to keep itcurrent

Ask the Right Questions

To begin addressing some of these issues it is important to know whatquestions to ask Hattendorf provides some excellent suggestions for con-sideration prior to drafting a statement (Hattendorf 1989 223)

1 Why do we have a reference collection2 What is our philosophy of reference service3 What do we want the reference collection to be and do

Daniel Liestman 105

QUICK BIB

Biggs Mary and Victor ldquoReference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Surveyrdquo RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Reference Collection Development A programpresented at the 99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference No-vember 15 1990 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Re-production Service ED335049)

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

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014

4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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014

Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

Daniel Liestman 109

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bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

Daniel Liestman 111

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

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are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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Page 18: Reference Collection Management Policies

edge An effective reference collection policy should see to it that inputfrom both subject and systems specialists is obtained in making cost effec-tive decisions How such issues are addressed is dependent on the libraryrsquostechnology infrastructure Such issues may extend beyond the library tothe institutionrsquos systems office or academic computing department If sothe polices and practices of those departments have might influence themanagement of the libraryrsquos electronic collection The key to assimilatingnew technologies is to develop collaborative strategies that promote flexi-bility in the organization facilitate coordination and collaboration acrossorganizational divisions promote the ability of staff to adapt to constantchange and eliminate territoriality and develop shared goals and values

Another aspect of reference collection management policy is the cre-ation of a virtual reference collection that utilizes sources available on theWWW State University A says the potential of using World Wide Webresources with no direct cost to the department is ldquounlimited and mayeventually have an effect on collection development but it is difficult toassess the impact for the coming yearsrdquo Creating such a resource is be-yond the scope of this article and is better addressed by Demas McDon-ald and Lawrence who provide a solid basis for creating and maintainingsuch a digital reference collection (Demas McDonald and Lawrence1995 282-283)

Whether a reference policy incorporates an electronic virtual collec-tion or not a conspectus for electronic resources might still be useful If aconspectus is already used its collecting level categories may need only tobe adapted to reflect the use of electronic sources or a separate conspec-tus may be used

Although the use of electronic resources in a reference collection isnow an established part of the profession few of the policies received inthis research deal directly with such matters Moreover the literature isvaried and of no one opinion on how to proceed In creating a policy state-ment for onersquos own library local needs use patterns and resources will allneed to be considered

WEEDING

Most libraries see the value and benefits of weeding and although most lackwritten guidelines weeding is undertaken anyway Whether weeding is part ofa policy or not it usually occurs for two reasonsndashspace and collection philoso-phy

Space is usually given preeminent consideration as a factor involved inpromoting weeding State Community College A Library notes in its pol-

100 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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icy ldquoAs space limitations dictate materials will be considered for re-movalrdquo Beyond this the Biggs found most reference collections containmore than 10000 reference titles They concluded these were more titlesthan could be effectively mastered by most reference librarians (Biggs1987 67 69-70) Other studies support this finding and call for ldquoleanrdquo ref-erence collections filled with a few ldquohard-working titlesrdquo (Nolan 1991 80Nolan 1999 11-21 Joswick and Stierman 1993 108)

Collection philosophy is another reason for librarians to considerweeding In particular concern focuses on having the most recent andpresumably best information available Some go so far as to declare ldquoIt isbetter to do without [a reference resource] than to unintentionally pro-vide misinformation through outdated sourcesrdquo (Hattendorf 1989 222)Rettig draws an analogy between the toxic waste left at Love Canal andthe dangers of old and unreliable sources that ldquoplace library users inharmrsquos way The information in these booksrdquo he asserts ldquohas lost its util-ity but not its potencyrdquo (Rettig 1982 7) State College B acknowledgesthis concern and seeks to create a reference collection that is continuallyweeded to ldquoensure relevance validity and currencyrdquo

Despite the importance of weeding for space and philosophical rea-sons few libraries address this issue State University B Library does ac-knowledge that ldquoWeeding is as important as selectionrdquo adding that ldquoasthe Reference Collection is a working collection of important frequentlyconsulted resources careful and systematic weeding removes older lessdesirable works from the collectionrdquo This statement however providesno insight as to how such weeding is to be undertaken

Some of the institutions surveyed do discuss weeding in their referencecollection policies State Community College B for example weeds ldquoen-cyclopedias almanacs annuals yearbooks and like materials if they aremore than five years oldrdquo Yet most policies are like State University Arsquosin which the reference collection is ldquoperiodically weededrdquo In adoptingthis approach State Community College A states ldquocriteria for weedinginclude damaged titles and titles containing dated or inaccurate infor-mationrdquo

Weeding is not necessarily the same as discarding State University ALibrary for example has a ldquotrendrdquo to transfer so-called ldquostandard andclassicrdquo reference sources to the stacks or special collections as they aresuperseded or no longer used Other possibilities include using remotestorage for withdrawn reference works or transferring them to the stacksbut as non-circulating items On the other hand withdrawn referenceworks at State Community College B ldquomay be given to instructors or soldin book sales Anything not so disposed of may be given to local schools or

Daniel Liestman 101

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librariesrdquo Some libraries may also not weed their reference collections soas to avoid potential confrontations with users State Community CollegeB seeks to overcome this by having ldquothe librarian in consultation with thedirector and with input from the facultyrdquo participate in the weeding pro-cess Likewise State Community College A says faculty participation inweeding ldquoshould be encouragedrdquo Giving adequate notice of weeding anddeveloping a means for communicating the purpose of weeding and al-lowing participation in the process will go a long way to alleviate any angst

Even without these political considerations weeding is a difficult ex-pensive undertaking It is labor intensive and time consuming However ifweeding is done on a regular basis rather than all at once it can be moreeasily integrated into the work flow of those involved The questions pro-vided in Appendix A will be helpful in making weeding decisions

One question not included in Appendix A merits special considerationhow frequently is a resource used Determining usage of reference collec-tions is not often or easily undertaken Engeldinger conducted a survey of377 academic libraries and found only 23 conducted a user survey of theircollections (Engeldinger 1986 367-71) As reference collections arenon-circulating simple circulation counts are not a viable measure of useIn light of this a number of creative means have been developed to assesshow reference collections are used including dotting the spine making ticmarks to note each time a book is used over a period of time table countsexamining infrared dust beads on top of a book or placing unexposed pho-tographic paper in the pages of a book Some online systems allow booksto be recorded as ldquobrowsedrdquo if they are wanded after pick-up (Slote 1997219-225) Even as creative as some of these are they still focus on presentuser demand and fail to anticipate future needs While there may not bean easy way to weed a superior collection policy will address this matter ina manner that best serves onersquos own library

CONCLUSION

A couple of problems soon became obvious in this survey First was thelack of responses Secondly there is no way to tell how closely actual prac-tice follows the policy A possible follow-up study would be to see how welllibraries adhere to their own policies

Creating and implementing a reference collection policy for onersquos ownlibrary clearly requires a commitment of time and energy The library di-rector of Private College A wrote

102 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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There must be a break point so to speak in terms of how small a li-brary is or the ratio of staff to patrons or some other key factor thatmust explain why some libraryrsquos [sic] have a written policy while oth-ers do not revise the ancient ones they have In our case we canrsquotbreathe much less write a policy Even if we had a policy we wouldnrsquothave time to refer to it I would be the first to question the qualityand professionalism of an academic situation without a CD (Collec-tion Development) policy but as you are well aware Librarians aregenerally low man on the budget distribution totem pole

Still such a policy is worth undertaking Hazen argues a policy willhave the library ldquosolidify its own sense of purpose and also point the cam-pus toward the future by recasting its documentation in terms of all theresearch resources associated with its users and the fields they representrdquoBy including the Web and other broad based resources rather than ldquoinsist-ing on the inflexible site specific codificationrdquo of print acquisitions thepolicy will set the tone for the library as a major player in the informationage (Hazen 1995 31)

For those contemplating the creation and implementation of their ownpolicy the following points should be considered

Make a Commitment to It

Those who are directly affected by the policy should be committed to itIf they are not it will be unenforceable and useless More than one personshould be involved in the creation of the policy so that more people be-come invested in it and a variety of viewpoints are heard How and why thepolicy is being developed and for whom needs to be made clear Thereshould be meetings in which stakeholders can discuss concerns and re-solve such matters In this way everyone will be involved in the process andhave an opportunity to input ideas Whatever scope a policy takes its suc-cess depends on the degree of commitment to the policy by all involved

Keep It Unique to Onersquos Own Collection

Some argue that as there are not that many differences between librar-ies and detailed reference policies are unneeded Batt suggests one couldcreate boilerplate policies for all libraries with a final fill-in-the-blank sec-tion for special idiosyncrasies or ldquolocal peccadilloesrdquo (Batt 1984 313)Any policy needs to be individualized to the unique circumstances of thereference collection involved Any individualized policy may be one pageor severalndashthe key is whatever works best for onersquos own reference collec-

Daniel Liestman 103

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tion In constructing the policy think of issues which have been problemsin the past and how they might be best addressed

Keep Your Audience in Mind

While some such as Batt do not believe a reference collection policyhas an external audience it does and the interests of those stakeholdersneed to be kept in mind

Think Out of the Box

Donrsquot make the policy a reiteration of how things have always beendone Use this as an opportunity to think of new ways of doing things Toooften reference collection policies are written just for reference books Agood policy will include all other forms of reference sources ranging frommicrofiche to the World Wide Web

Keep It Simple

Some policies get bogged down in minutiae such as defining what a ref-erence resource is One study found a library with four guidelines devotedspecifically to telephone directories Such discussions are often esotericand have little to do with the application of the policy (Hattendorf 1989224-225)

Keep It Meaningful

On the other hand a policy should not be so succinct as to be meaning-less One library in another study noted ldquoThe basic reference collectionwill be made up of the following a basic reference collectionrdquo This gen-eralization so vague as to be meaningless (Hattendorf 1989 224-225) Apolicy should have some value and meaning to itndashif it doesnrsquot you donrsquotneed one

Donrsquot Reinvent the Wheel

While it is important even essential to tailor a policy to the needs ofonersquos own collection it may be helpful to review what others have donePeer institutions may be willing to share what they have The Web can alsobe searched for policies

Keep It Flexible

104 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Private College H says ldquoThe policies stated herein shall not be consid-ered inflexible regulationsrdquo Indeed there should be some room for ambi-guity as there will invariably be exceptions to every rule or guidelinePolicies are there to guidendashnot to enforce without reason

Donrsquot Put It Off

If collection management can be described as ldquothe task neglected whentime constraints applyrdquo writing a policy is often put off until there is timeto do it The trouble is there never is time to do it until a conscientious ef-fort is made to do so (Cuberly 1987 302) Few argue with the need for sucha policy yet few make the time to create such a policy

Keep It Current

The best policy is one which is up-to-date A policy should be reviewedannually and updated as needed A policy should be a living documentsubject to modification and adaptation as change occurs within the de-partment as well as the information environment The policy should de-velop over time in response to these changes State College A forexample describes its policy as ldquoevolutionaryrdquo and endeavors to keep itcurrent

Ask the Right Questions

To begin addressing some of these issues it is important to know whatquestions to ask Hattendorf provides some excellent suggestions for con-sideration prior to drafting a statement (Hattendorf 1989 223)

1 Why do we have a reference collection2 What is our philosophy of reference service3 What do we want the reference collection to be and do

Daniel Liestman 105

QUICK BIB

Biggs Mary and Victor ldquoReference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Surveyrdquo RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Reference Collection Development A programpresented at the 99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference No-vember 15 1990 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Re-production Service ED335049)

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

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014

4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

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bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

Daniel Liestman 111

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

Daniel Liestman 113

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014

are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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014

bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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Page 19: Reference Collection Management Policies

icy ldquoAs space limitations dictate materials will be considered for re-movalrdquo Beyond this the Biggs found most reference collections containmore than 10000 reference titles They concluded these were more titlesthan could be effectively mastered by most reference librarians (Biggs1987 67 69-70) Other studies support this finding and call for ldquoleanrdquo ref-erence collections filled with a few ldquohard-working titlesrdquo (Nolan 1991 80Nolan 1999 11-21 Joswick and Stierman 1993 108)

Collection philosophy is another reason for librarians to considerweeding In particular concern focuses on having the most recent andpresumably best information available Some go so far as to declare ldquoIt isbetter to do without [a reference resource] than to unintentionally pro-vide misinformation through outdated sourcesrdquo (Hattendorf 1989 222)Rettig draws an analogy between the toxic waste left at Love Canal andthe dangers of old and unreliable sources that ldquoplace library users inharmrsquos way The information in these booksrdquo he asserts ldquohas lost its util-ity but not its potencyrdquo (Rettig 1982 7) State College B acknowledgesthis concern and seeks to create a reference collection that is continuallyweeded to ldquoensure relevance validity and currencyrdquo

Despite the importance of weeding for space and philosophical rea-sons few libraries address this issue State University B Library does ac-knowledge that ldquoWeeding is as important as selectionrdquo adding that ldquoasthe Reference Collection is a working collection of important frequentlyconsulted resources careful and systematic weeding removes older lessdesirable works from the collectionrdquo This statement however providesno insight as to how such weeding is to be undertaken

Some of the institutions surveyed do discuss weeding in their referencecollection policies State Community College B for example weeds ldquoen-cyclopedias almanacs annuals yearbooks and like materials if they aremore than five years oldrdquo Yet most policies are like State University Arsquosin which the reference collection is ldquoperiodically weededrdquo In adoptingthis approach State Community College A states ldquocriteria for weedinginclude damaged titles and titles containing dated or inaccurate infor-mationrdquo

Weeding is not necessarily the same as discarding State University ALibrary for example has a ldquotrendrdquo to transfer so-called ldquostandard andclassicrdquo reference sources to the stacks or special collections as they aresuperseded or no longer used Other possibilities include using remotestorage for withdrawn reference works or transferring them to the stacksbut as non-circulating items On the other hand withdrawn referenceworks at State Community College B ldquomay be given to instructors or soldin book sales Anything not so disposed of may be given to local schools or

Daniel Liestman 101

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librariesrdquo Some libraries may also not weed their reference collections soas to avoid potential confrontations with users State Community CollegeB seeks to overcome this by having ldquothe librarian in consultation with thedirector and with input from the facultyrdquo participate in the weeding pro-cess Likewise State Community College A says faculty participation inweeding ldquoshould be encouragedrdquo Giving adequate notice of weeding anddeveloping a means for communicating the purpose of weeding and al-lowing participation in the process will go a long way to alleviate any angst

Even without these political considerations weeding is a difficult ex-pensive undertaking It is labor intensive and time consuming However ifweeding is done on a regular basis rather than all at once it can be moreeasily integrated into the work flow of those involved The questions pro-vided in Appendix A will be helpful in making weeding decisions

One question not included in Appendix A merits special considerationhow frequently is a resource used Determining usage of reference collec-tions is not often or easily undertaken Engeldinger conducted a survey of377 academic libraries and found only 23 conducted a user survey of theircollections (Engeldinger 1986 367-71) As reference collections arenon-circulating simple circulation counts are not a viable measure of useIn light of this a number of creative means have been developed to assesshow reference collections are used including dotting the spine making ticmarks to note each time a book is used over a period of time table countsexamining infrared dust beads on top of a book or placing unexposed pho-tographic paper in the pages of a book Some online systems allow booksto be recorded as ldquobrowsedrdquo if they are wanded after pick-up (Slote 1997219-225) Even as creative as some of these are they still focus on presentuser demand and fail to anticipate future needs While there may not bean easy way to weed a superior collection policy will address this matter ina manner that best serves onersquos own library

CONCLUSION

A couple of problems soon became obvious in this survey First was thelack of responses Secondly there is no way to tell how closely actual prac-tice follows the policy A possible follow-up study would be to see how welllibraries adhere to their own policies

Creating and implementing a reference collection policy for onersquos ownlibrary clearly requires a commitment of time and energy The library di-rector of Private College A wrote

102 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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There must be a break point so to speak in terms of how small a li-brary is or the ratio of staff to patrons or some other key factor thatmust explain why some libraryrsquos [sic] have a written policy while oth-ers do not revise the ancient ones they have In our case we canrsquotbreathe much less write a policy Even if we had a policy we wouldnrsquothave time to refer to it I would be the first to question the qualityand professionalism of an academic situation without a CD (Collec-tion Development) policy but as you are well aware Librarians aregenerally low man on the budget distribution totem pole

Still such a policy is worth undertaking Hazen argues a policy willhave the library ldquosolidify its own sense of purpose and also point the cam-pus toward the future by recasting its documentation in terms of all theresearch resources associated with its users and the fields they representrdquoBy including the Web and other broad based resources rather than ldquoinsist-ing on the inflexible site specific codificationrdquo of print acquisitions thepolicy will set the tone for the library as a major player in the informationage (Hazen 1995 31)

For those contemplating the creation and implementation of their ownpolicy the following points should be considered

Make a Commitment to It

Those who are directly affected by the policy should be committed to itIf they are not it will be unenforceable and useless More than one personshould be involved in the creation of the policy so that more people be-come invested in it and a variety of viewpoints are heard How and why thepolicy is being developed and for whom needs to be made clear Thereshould be meetings in which stakeholders can discuss concerns and re-solve such matters In this way everyone will be involved in the process andhave an opportunity to input ideas Whatever scope a policy takes its suc-cess depends on the degree of commitment to the policy by all involved

Keep It Unique to Onersquos Own Collection

Some argue that as there are not that many differences between librar-ies and detailed reference policies are unneeded Batt suggests one couldcreate boilerplate policies for all libraries with a final fill-in-the-blank sec-tion for special idiosyncrasies or ldquolocal peccadilloesrdquo (Batt 1984 313)Any policy needs to be individualized to the unique circumstances of thereference collection involved Any individualized policy may be one pageor severalndashthe key is whatever works best for onersquos own reference collec-

Daniel Liestman 103

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tion In constructing the policy think of issues which have been problemsin the past and how they might be best addressed

Keep Your Audience in Mind

While some such as Batt do not believe a reference collection policyhas an external audience it does and the interests of those stakeholdersneed to be kept in mind

Think Out of the Box

Donrsquot make the policy a reiteration of how things have always beendone Use this as an opportunity to think of new ways of doing things Toooften reference collection policies are written just for reference books Agood policy will include all other forms of reference sources ranging frommicrofiche to the World Wide Web

Keep It Simple

Some policies get bogged down in minutiae such as defining what a ref-erence resource is One study found a library with four guidelines devotedspecifically to telephone directories Such discussions are often esotericand have little to do with the application of the policy (Hattendorf 1989224-225)

Keep It Meaningful

On the other hand a policy should not be so succinct as to be meaning-less One library in another study noted ldquoThe basic reference collectionwill be made up of the following a basic reference collectionrdquo This gen-eralization so vague as to be meaningless (Hattendorf 1989 224-225) Apolicy should have some value and meaning to itndashif it doesnrsquot you donrsquotneed one

Donrsquot Reinvent the Wheel

While it is important even essential to tailor a policy to the needs ofonersquos own collection it may be helpful to review what others have donePeer institutions may be willing to share what they have The Web can alsobe searched for policies

Keep It Flexible

104 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Private College H says ldquoThe policies stated herein shall not be consid-ered inflexible regulationsrdquo Indeed there should be some room for ambi-guity as there will invariably be exceptions to every rule or guidelinePolicies are there to guidendashnot to enforce without reason

Donrsquot Put It Off

If collection management can be described as ldquothe task neglected whentime constraints applyrdquo writing a policy is often put off until there is timeto do it The trouble is there never is time to do it until a conscientious ef-fort is made to do so (Cuberly 1987 302) Few argue with the need for sucha policy yet few make the time to create such a policy

Keep It Current

The best policy is one which is up-to-date A policy should be reviewedannually and updated as needed A policy should be a living documentsubject to modification and adaptation as change occurs within the de-partment as well as the information environment The policy should de-velop over time in response to these changes State College A forexample describes its policy as ldquoevolutionaryrdquo and endeavors to keep itcurrent

Ask the Right Questions

To begin addressing some of these issues it is important to know whatquestions to ask Hattendorf provides some excellent suggestions for con-sideration prior to drafting a statement (Hattendorf 1989 223)

1 Why do we have a reference collection2 What is our philosophy of reference service3 What do we want the reference collection to be and do

Daniel Liestman 105

QUICK BIB

Biggs Mary and Victor ldquoReference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Surveyrdquo RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Reference Collection Development A programpresented at the 99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference No-vember 15 1990 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Re-production Service ED335049)

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

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014

4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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10

18 1

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014

Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

Daniel Liestman 109

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014

bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

Daniel Liestman 111

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

Daniel Liestman 113

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are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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Page 20: Reference Collection Management Policies

librariesrdquo Some libraries may also not weed their reference collections soas to avoid potential confrontations with users State Community CollegeB seeks to overcome this by having ldquothe librarian in consultation with thedirector and with input from the facultyrdquo participate in the weeding pro-cess Likewise State Community College A says faculty participation inweeding ldquoshould be encouragedrdquo Giving adequate notice of weeding anddeveloping a means for communicating the purpose of weeding and al-lowing participation in the process will go a long way to alleviate any angst

Even without these political considerations weeding is a difficult ex-pensive undertaking It is labor intensive and time consuming However ifweeding is done on a regular basis rather than all at once it can be moreeasily integrated into the work flow of those involved The questions pro-vided in Appendix A will be helpful in making weeding decisions

One question not included in Appendix A merits special considerationhow frequently is a resource used Determining usage of reference collec-tions is not often or easily undertaken Engeldinger conducted a survey of377 academic libraries and found only 23 conducted a user survey of theircollections (Engeldinger 1986 367-71) As reference collections arenon-circulating simple circulation counts are not a viable measure of useIn light of this a number of creative means have been developed to assesshow reference collections are used including dotting the spine making ticmarks to note each time a book is used over a period of time table countsexamining infrared dust beads on top of a book or placing unexposed pho-tographic paper in the pages of a book Some online systems allow booksto be recorded as ldquobrowsedrdquo if they are wanded after pick-up (Slote 1997219-225) Even as creative as some of these are they still focus on presentuser demand and fail to anticipate future needs While there may not bean easy way to weed a superior collection policy will address this matter ina manner that best serves onersquos own library

CONCLUSION

A couple of problems soon became obvious in this survey First was thelack of responses Secondly there is no way to tell how closely actual prac-tice follows the policy A possible follow-up study would be to see how welllibraries adhere to their own policies

Creating and implementing a reference collection policy for onersquos ownlibrary clearly requires a commitment of time and energy The library di-rector of Private College A wrote

102 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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There must be a break point so to speak in terms of how small a li-brary is or the ratio of staff to patrons or some other key factor thatmust explain why some libraryrsquos [sic] have a written policy while oth-ers do not revise the ancient ones they have In our case we canrsquotbreathe much less write a policy Even if we had a policy we wouldnrsquothave time to refer to it I would be the first to question the qualityand professionalism of an academic situation without a CD (Collec-tion Development) policy but as you are well aware Librarians aregenerally low man on the budget distribution totem pole

Still such a policy is worth undertaking Hazen argues a policy willhave the library ldquosolidify its own sense of purpose and also point the cam-pus toward the future by recasting its documentation in terms of all theresearch resources associated with its users and the fields they representrdquoBy including the Web and other broad based resources rather than ldquoinsist-ing on the inflexible site specific codificationrdquo of print acquisitions thepolicy will set the tone for the library as a major player in the informationage (Hazen 1995 31)

For those contemplating the creation and implementation of their ownpolicy the following points should be considered

Make a Commitment to It

Those who are directly affected by the policy should be committed to itIf they are not it will be unenforceable and useless More than one personshould be involved in the creation of the policy so that more people be-come invested in it and a variety of viewpoints are heard How and why thepolicy is being developed and for whom needs to be made clear Thereshould be meetings in which stakeholders can discuss concerns and re-solve such matters In this way everyone will be involved in the process andhave an opportunity to input ideas Whatever scope a policy takes its suc-cess depends on the degree of commitment to the policy by all involved

Keep It Unique to Onersquos Own Collection

Some argue that as there are not that many differences between librar-ies and detailed reference policies are unneeded Batt suggests one couldcreate boilerplate policies for all libraries with a final fill-in-the-blank sec-tion for special idiosyncrasies or ldquolocal peccadilloesrdquo (Batt 1984 313)Any policy needs to be individualized to the unique circumstances of thereference collection involved Any individualized policy may be one pageor severalndashthe key is whatever works best for onersquos own reference collec-

Daniel Liestman 103

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tion In constructing the policy think of issues which have been problemsin the past and how they might be best addressed

Keep Your Audience in Mind

While some such as Batt do not believe a reference collection policyhas an external audience it does and the interests of those stakeholdersneed to be kept in mind

Think Out of the Box

Donrsquot make the policy a reiteration of how things have always beendone Use this as an opportunity to think of new ways of doing things Toooften reference collection policies are written just for reference books Agood policy will include all other forms of reference sources ranging frommicrofiche to the World Wide Web

Keep It Simple

Some policies get bogged down in minutiae such as defining what a ref-erence resource is One study found a library with four guidelines devotedspecifically to telephone directories Such discussions are often esotericand have little to do with the application of the policy (Hattendorf 1989224-225)

Keep It Meaningful

On the other hand a policy should not be so succinct as to be meaning-less One library in another study noted ldquoThe basic reference collectionwill be made up of the following a basic reference collectionrdquo This gen-eralization so vague as to be meaningless (Hattendorf 1989 224-225) Apolicy should have some value and meaning to itndashif it doesnrsquot you donrsquotneed one

Donrsquot Reinvent the Wheel

While it is important even essential to tailor a policy to the needs ofonersquos own collection it may be helpful to review what others have donePeer institutions may be willing to share what they have The Web can alsobe searched for policies

Keep It Flexible

104 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Private College H says ldquoThe policies stated herein shall not be consid-ered inflexible regulationsrdquo Indeed there should be some room for ambi-guity as there will invariably be exceptions to every rule or guidelinePolicies are there to guidendashnot to enforce without reason

Donrsquot Put It Off

If collection management can be described as ldquothe task neglected whentime constraints applyrdquo writing a policy is often put off until there is timeto do it The trouble is there never is time to do it until a conscientious ef-fort is made to do so (Cuberly 1987 302) Few argue with the need for sucha policy yet few make the time to create such a policy

Keep It Current

The best policy is one which is up-to-date A policy should be reviewedannually and updated as needed A policy should be a living documentsubject to modification and adaptation as change occurs within the de-partment as well as the information environment The policy should de-velop over time in response to these changes State College A forexample describes its policy as ldquoevolutionaryrdquo and endeavors to keep itcurrent

Ask the Right Questions

To begin addressing some of these issues it is important to know whatquestions to ask Hattendorf provides some excellent suggestions for con-sideration prior to drafting a statement (Hattendorf 1989 223)

1 Why do we have a reference collection2 What is our philosophy of reference service3 What do we want the reference collection to be and do

Daniel Liestman 105

QUICK BIB

Biggs Mary and Victor ldquoReference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Surveyrdquo RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Reference Collection Development A programpresented at the 99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference No-vember 15 1990 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Re-production Service ED335049)

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

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014

4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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014

Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

Daniel Liestman 109

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bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

Daniel Liestman 111

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

Daniel Liestman 113

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are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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Page 21: Reference Collection Management Policies

There must be a break point so to speak in terms of how small a li-brary is or the ratio of staff to patrons or some other key factor thatmust explain why some libraryrsquos [sic] have a written policy while oth-ers do not revise the ancient ones they have In our case we canrsquotbreathe much less write a policy Even if we had a policy we wouldnrsquothave time to refer to it I would be the first to question the qualityand professionalism of an academic situation without a CD (Collec-tion Development) policy but as you are well aware Librarians aregenerally low man on the budget distribution totem pole

Still such a policy is worth undertaking Hazen argues a policy willhave the library ldquosolidify its own sense of purpose and also point the cam-pus toward the future by recasting its documentation in terms of all theresearch resources associated with its users and the fields they representrdquoBy including the Web and other broad based resources rather than ldquoinsist-ing on the inflexible site specific codificationrdquo of print acquisitions thepolicy will set the tone for the library as a major player in the informationage (Hazen 1995 31)

For those contemplating the creation and implementation of their ownpolicy the following points should be considered

Make a Commitment to It

Those who are directly affected by the policy should be committed to itIf they are not it will be unenforceable and useless More than one personshould be involved in the creation of the policy so that more people be-come invested in it and a variety of viewpoints are heard How and why thepolicy is being developed and for whom needs to be made clear Thereshould be meetings in which stakeholders can discuss concerns and re-solve such matters In this way everyone will be involved in the process andhave an opportunity to input ideas Whatever scope a policy takes its suc-cess depends on the degree of commitment to the policy by all involved

Keep It Unique to Onersquos Own Collection

Some argue that as there are not that many differences between librar-ies and detailed reference policies are unneeded Batt suggests one couldcreate boilerplate policies for all libraries with a final fill-in-the-blank sec-tion for special idiosyncrasies or ldquolocal peccadilloesrdquo (Batt 1984 313)Any policy needs to be individualized to the unique circumstances of thereference collection involved Any individualized policy may be one pageor severalndashthe key is whatever works best for onersquos own reference collec-

Daniel Liestman 103

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tion In constructing the policy think of issues which have been problemsin the past and how they might be best addressed

Keep Your Audience in Mind

While some such as Batt do not believe a reference collection policyhas an external audience it does and the interests of those stakeholdersneed to be kept in mind

Think Out of the Box

Donrsquot make the policy a reiteration of how things have always beendone Use this as an opportunity to think of new ways of doing things Toooften reference collection policies are written just for reference books Agood policy will include all other forms of reference sources ranging frommicrofiche to the World Wide Web

Keep It Simple

Some policies get bogged down in minutiae such as defining what a ref-erence resource is One study found a library with four guidelines devotedspecifically to telephone directories Such discussions are often esotericand have little to do with the application of the policy (Hattendorf 1989224-225)

Keep It Meaningful

On the other hand a policy should not be so succinct as to be meaning-less One library in another study noted ldquoThe basic reference collectionwill be made up of the following a basic reference collectionrdquo This gen-eralization so vague as to be meaningless (Hattendorf 1989 224-225) Apolicy should have some value and meaning to itndashif it doesnrsquot you donrsquotneed one

Donrsquot Reinvent the Wheel

While it is important even essential to tailor a policy to the needs ofonersquos own collection it may be helpful to review what others have donePeer institutions may be willing to share what they have The Web can alsobe searched for policies

Keep It Flexible

104 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Private College H says ldquoThe policies stated herein shall not be consid-ered inflexible regulationsrdquo Indeed there should be some room for ambi-guity as there will invariably be exceptions to every rule or guidelinePolicies are there to guidendashnot to enforce without reason

Donrsquot Put It Off

If collection management can be described as ldquothe task neglected whentime constraints applyrdquo writing a policy is often put off until there is timeto do it The trouble is there never is time to do it until a conscientious ef-fort is made to do so (Cuberly 1987 302) Few argue with the need for sucha policy yet few make the time to create such a policy

Keep It Current

The best policy is one which is up-to-date A policy should be reviewedannually and updated as needed A policy should be a living documentsubject to modification and adaptation as change occurs within the de-partment as well as the information environment The policy should de-velop over time in response to these changes State College A forexample describes its policy as ldquoevolutionaryrdquo and endeavors to keep itcurrent

Ask the Right Questions

To begin addressing some of these issues it is important to know whatquestions to ask Hattendorf provides some excellent suggestions for con-sideration prior to drafting a statement (Hattendorf 1989 223)

1 Why do we have a reference collection2 What is our philosophy of reference service3 What do we want the reference collection to be and do

Daniel Liestman 105

QUICK BIB

Biggs Mary and Victor ldquoReference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Surveyrdquo RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Reference Collection Development A programpresented at the 99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference No-vember 15 1990 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Re-production Service ED335049)

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

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014

4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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014

Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

Daniel Liestman 109

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bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

Daniel Liestman 111

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

Daniel Liestman 113

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014

are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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Page 22: Reference Collection Management Policies

tion In constructing the policy think of issues which have been problemsin the past and how they might be best addressed

Keep Your Audience in Mind

While some such as Batt do not believe a reference collection policyhas an external audience it does and the interests of those stakeholdersneed to be kept in mind

Think Out of the Box

Donrsquot make the policy a reiteration of how things have always beendone Use this as an opportunity to think of new ways of doing things Toooften reference collection policies are written just for reference books Agood policy will include all other forms of reference sources ranging frommicrofiche to the World Wide Web

Keep It Simple

Some policies get bogged down in minutiae such as defining what a ref-erence resource is One study found a library with four guidelines devotedspecifically to telephone directories Such discussions are often esotericand have little to do with the application of the policy (Hattendorf 1989224-225)

Keep It Meaningful

On the other hand a policy should not be so succinct as to be meaning-less One library in another study noted ldquoThe basic reference collectionwill be made up of the following a basic reference collectionrdquo This gen-eralization so vague as to be meaningless (Hattendorf 1989 224-225) Apolicy should have some value and meaning to itndashif it doesnrsquot you donrsquotneed one

Donrsquot Reinvent the Wheel

While it is important even essential to tailor a policy to the needs ofonersquos own collection it may be helpful to review what others have donePeer institutions may be willing to share what they have The Web can alsobe searched for policies

Keep It Flexible

104 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Private College H says ldquoThe policies stated herein shall not be consid-ered inflexible regulationsrdquo Indeed there should be some room for ambi-guity as there will invariably be exceptions to every rule or guidelinePolicies are there to guidendashnot to enforce without reason

Donrsquot Put It Off

If collection management can be described as ldquothe task neglected whentime constraints applyrdquo writing a policy is often put off until there is timeto do it The trouble is there never is time to do it until a conscientious ef-fort is made to do so (Cuberly 1987 302) Few argue with the need for sucha policy yet few make the time to create such a policy

Keep It Current

The best policy is one which is up-to-date A policy should be reviewedannually and updated as needed A policy should be a living documentsubject to modification and adaptation as change occurs within the de-partment as well as the information environment The policy should de-velop over time in response to these changes State College A forexample describes its policy as ldquoevolutionaryrdquo and endeavors to keep itcurrent

Ask the Right Questions

To begin addressing some of these issues it is important to know whatquestions to ask Hattendorf provides some excellent suggestions for con-sideration prior to drafting a statement (Hattendorf 1989 223)

1 Why do we have a reference collection2 What is our philosophy of reference service3 What do we want the reference collection to be and do

Daniel Liestman 105

QUICK BIB

Biggs Mary and Victor ldquoReference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Surveyrdquo RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Reference Collection Development A programpresented at the 99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference No-vember 15 1990 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Re-production Service ED335049)

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

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4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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014

Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

Daniel Liestman 109

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bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

Daniel Liestman 111

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

Daniel Liestman 113

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are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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Page 23: Reference Collection Management Policies

Private College H says ldquoThe policies stated herein shall not be consid-ered inflexible regulationsrdquo Indeed there should be some room for ambi-guity as there will invariably be exceptions to every rule or guidelinePolicies are there to guidendashnot to enforce without reason

Donrsquot Put It Off

If collection management can be described as ldquothe task neglected whentime constraints applyrdquo writing a policy is often put off until there is timeto do it The trouble is there never is time to do it until a conscientious ef-fort is made to do so (Cuberly 1987 302) Few argue with the need for sucha policy yet few make the time to create such a policy

Keep It Current

The best policy is one which is up-to-date A policy should be reviewedannually and updated as needed A policy should be a living documentsubject to modification and adaptation as change occurs within the de-partment as well as the information environment The policy should de-velop over time in response to these changes State College A forexample describes its policy as ldquoevolutionaryrdquo and endeavors to keep itcurrent

Ask the Right Questions

To begin addressing some of these issues it is important to know whatquestions to ask Hattendorf provides some excellent suggestions for con-sideration prior to drafting a statement (Hattendorf 1989 223)

1 Why do we have a reference collection2 What is our philosophy of reference service3 What do we want the reference collection to be and do

Daniel Liestman 105

QUICK BIB

Biggs Mary and Victor ldquoReference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Surveyrdquo RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Reference Collection Development A programpresented at the 99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference No-vember 15 1990 Paper Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Re-production Service ED335049)

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

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4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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014

Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

Daniel Liestman 109

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014

bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

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are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

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Page 24: Reference Collection Management Policies

4 Why do we have particular sources5 How do we feel about high security sources Is it part of our re-

sponsibility to function as a reserves desk6 Who constitutes our primary patronsndashour community of users

What do we perceive as their basic information needs7 Do we predict fluctuations in our materials budget If so how will

these fluctuations affect our collections decisions8 What are the present strengths and weaknesses of our reference col-

lection9 How will inflation of books and materials prices affect our

long-range decisions10 How do we view the relationship between non-print forms and the

existing collection What portion of our reference collection willbe composed of non-print materials

The survey revealed that most Kansas academic libraries do not have areference collection policy Most libraries nationwide are similarly lackingThe suggestions offered in this article should provide some assistance forthose libraries seeking to develop such a policy to better assist both them-selves and their outside stakeholders While this article will hopefully an-swer some questions it should also serve as a springboard for furtherresearch on this topic

REFERENCES

Batt Fred The Detailed Reference Collection Development Policy Is it Worththe Effort The Reference Librarian 11 (FallWinter 1984) 313-319

Biggs Mary and Victor Reference Collection Development in Academic Li-braries Report of a Survey RQ 27 (Fall 1987) 67-79

Coleman Kathleen and Pauline Dickinson Drafting a Reference Collection Pol-icy College and Research Libraries 38 (May 1977) 227-233

Demas Samuel Peter McDonald and Gregory Lawrence The Internet and Col-

lection Development Mainstreaming Selection of Internet Resources Library

Resources and Technical Services 39 (July 1995) 275-290

Engeldinger Eugene A Weeding Academic Library Reference Collections A

Survey of Current Practice RQ 25 (Spring 1986) 366-71

Ferguson Anthony W Interesting Problems Encountered On My Way to Writing

and Electronic Information Collection Development Statement Against the

Grain 7 (April 1995) 16-19

Futas Elizabeth Collection Development Polices and Procedures Phoenix Oryx

Press 1995

_______Library Acquisition Policies and Procedures Phoenix Oryx 1984

106 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

Daniel Liestman 109

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bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

Daniel Liestman 111

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014

bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

Daniel Liestman 113

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are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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Page 25: Reference Collection Management Policies

Hattendorf Lynn C The Art of Collection Development RQ 29 (Winter1989)

219-229

_______The Art of Reference Collection Development A program presented at the

99th Annual Wisconsin Library Association Conference November 15 1990 Pa-

per Valley Hotel Appleton WI (ERIC Document Reproduction Service

ED335049)

Hazen Dan C Collection Development Policies in the Information Age College

and Research Libraries 56 (January 1995) 29-31

Hopkins Richard L Ranking the Reference Books Methodologies for Iden-

tifying lsquoKeyrsquo Reference Sources The Reference Librarian 33 (1991) 77-102Joswick Kathleen E and John P Stierman Systematic Reference Weeding A

Workable Model Collection Management 18 (no 12 1993) 103-15Katz Bill Reference and Online Services Handbook Guidelines Policies and Pro-

cedures for Libraries v 2 New York Neal-Schuman 1986

Lang Jovian P Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries Chicago

American Library Association 1992Larsen John C Information Sources Currently Studies In General Reference

Courses RQ 18 (Summer 1979) 341-48

Lehocky Barbara Academic Reference Collection Development Policy Statements

1979 ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED 190 160

Luchsinger Dale Developing the Reference Collection in Community College Ref-

erence Services A Working Guide for and By Librarians Bill Katz ed

Metuchen NJ Scarecrow 1992 106-110Nolan Christopher W The Lean Reference Collection Improving Functionality

Through Selection and Weeding College and Research Libraries 52 (January1991) 80-91

Nolan Christopher Managing the Reference Collection Chicago American Li-brary Association 1999

Majka David R Reference Collection Maintenance Theory and (Mal)PracticeRSR Reference Services Review 24 (no 4 1996) 67-75

Reference Collection Development and Evaluation Committee Collection Devel-opment and Evaluation Section Reference and Adult Services Division Amer-ican Library Association Reference Collection Development A Manual RASDOccasional Papers Number 13 Chicago Reference and Adult Services Divi-sion American Library Association 1992

Rettig James Love Canal in the Reference Stacks Reference Services Review 10(no 4 1982) 7

Scott Sharon and Christopher Nolan Managing Reference lsquoPsuedoserialsrsquo TheSerials Librarian 23 (no 23 1993) 285-287

Slote Stanley J Weeding Library Collections Library Weeding MethodsEnglewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1997

Truett Carol Weeding and Evaluating the Reference Collection A Study of Pol-icies and Practices in Academic and Public Libraries The Reference Librarian29 (1990) 53-68

Daniel Liestman 107

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Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

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bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

Daniel Liestman 111

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

Daniel Liestman 113

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014

are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

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Page 26: Reference Collection Management Policies

Wood Richard J and Frank Hoffmann Library Collection Development PoliciesA Reference and Writersrsquo Handbook Lanham MD Scarecrow 1996

Wynar Bohdan S Recommended Reference Books for Small and Medium-sized Li-braries and Media Centers Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited 1985-

____Best Reference Books 1986-1990 Titles of Lasting Value Selected FromAmerican Reference Books Annual Englewood CO Libraries Unlimited1992

Received 040400RevisedReviewed 071800

Accepted 102000

108 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

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bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

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are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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Page 27: Reference Collection Management Policies

APPENDIX A

Suggested Criteria for Selectingor Weeding an Item from Reference

bull What are the strengths and weaknesses of the current collection inrelation to stakeholder needs

bull What is the optimum size of the reference collection as determinedby the department

bull What is the perceived usefulness of the item in the current collec-tion

bull What do reviews say of the resourcesbull Is the item included in any standard reference collection guidesbull What is the reputation of the authorpublisherproducerbull What are the scope and depth of coverage of the resourcebull Does the information appear to be accurate and correctbull Is the treatment of general scholarly and authoritative works ap-

propriate for the primary users of the resourcebull What is the language of the resourcendashis it appropriate for the in-

tended audiencebull Is the information in this resource duplicated or accessible in other

available resourcesbull When was the resource publishedproducedbull How current is treatment of the topicbull How comprehensive is this resource (this is a particularly good ques-

tion if the item is costly or represents a continuing cost such as a sub-scription)

bull Is the price of acquiring an item worth the price of having it Is thisresource a good value for the money

bull Is an additional copy of the resource available elsewhere in the li-brary Are multiple copies needed

bull For periodical coverage in indices abstracting services and data-bases how well does the periodical collection cover titles indexed inthese sources or are such sources available online in a full textimageformat

bull Is the item standing order approval plan andor blanket order Shouldit be

bull Are there any strings attached to gift or exchange itemsbull Is the format of the item appropriate

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bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

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are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

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Page 28: Reference Collection Management Policies

bull Are there equipment andor staff resources needed to support a par-ticular format

bull How easy is this to use What are the implications for reference ser-vice and instruction

bull How adequate is the indexing andor other finding aidsbull How useful are ldquohelprdquo screensbull Does there appear to be potential future use for the resourcebull What is the physical condition of the resource

APPENDIX B

Draft Reference Collection Policy and Procedures

Statements for State University B Library

Purpose of this policy

The proliferation of both print and electronic reference sources contin-ues The Librariesrsquo budgets however do not proceed at the same paceTherefore in the face of limited resources the Social Sciences and Hu-manities Reference Collection is not able to acquire everything Insteadthoughtful and judicious choices must be made

In order to direct such decision-making processes this policy seeks to

1 Establish guidelines for the definition of the Social SciencesHu-manities Reference Collection in the Main Library

2 Establish practices to ensure the development maintenance andevaluation of complete current and useful resources for the Refer-ence Collection

3 Aid staff in their stewardship of limited resources4 Provide a shared vision of library practices for staff and other stake-

holders

General description of the institution and the clientele served

The Reference Collection seeks to support the present and anticipatedgeneral curricular and research goals of the principal stakeholdersndashUni-versity undergraduates graduate students faculty staff and administra-tion especially those involved with the Humanities and Social Sciencesand professional colleges Other significant groups served include facultyand students from other Regents institutions state residents and ILL cli-ents This is not an exhaustive list

Mission statement and goals of the collectionmanagement and development program

110 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

Daniel Liestman 111

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

Daniel Liestman 113

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014

are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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014

bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

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Page 29: Reference Collection Management Policies

The Reference Collection exists within the context of current collec-

tion management practicespolicies the Mission Statement the Librariesrsquo

MissionVision Statement and Strategic Planning

Libraryrsquos official stand on intellectual freedomcensorship and copyright issues

Documents describing the Librariesrsquo stand on these issues are availableupon request

Brief overview of the collection

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating working collection of re-sources designed to meet the research verification location and informa-tional needs of general users especially those in the Social Sciences andHumanities Reference works generally are those designed by the ar-rangement and treatment of their subject matter to be consulted for spe-cific items of information rather than to be read consecutively They alsosupply reliable and authoritative information or identify sources for fur-ther research The overall focus of the collection is the pragmatic utiliza-tion of resources rather than to adhere to the recommendations ofstandard works which prescribe certain reference ldquoclassicsrdquo for any collec-tion regardless of age language or viability

Arrangement and History of the Collection

As a result of organizational re-engineering in the mid 1990s the SocialSciencesHumanities and Sciences Libraries maintain separate referencepoints The Social Sciences Humanities Reference collection has the B-Pcall numbers and the Sciences Library on first floor has Q-V Individual ti-tles in the A and Z call number ranges may be placed in either of these col-lections at the request of the subject bibliographer or the librarianresponsible for these reference collections Another result of this process isthat print indices and abstracting services are integrated in call number or-der in the reference collection

Broad subject areas emphasized or de-emphasized

The Reference collection includes general resources as well as materi-als from the basic to research level which are classified A-P and Z in theLibrary of Congress system

Within this overall schema certain areas are emphasized

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bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

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are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

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Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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014

bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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10

18 1

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014

Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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Page 30: Reference Collection Management Policies

bull There are no geographical or chronological limits on the collectionalthough the United States is the highest priority

bull The collection is largely English language with some sources in WestEuropean languages There are no language restrictions on the col-lection per se but non-English sources must support the demon-strated curricular andor research needs of the campus community

At the same time other areas are de-emphasized

bull Government publications databases guides and indices are notgenerally collected Such materials are housed at Government Pub-lications Collection on third floor

bull In general the Reference Collection does not emphasize the follow-ing popular ldquohow tordquo guides Cliff Notes city directories (other thanthe current local one) travel guides vertical file materials used carprice guides (except as available on the Web) and civil service exambooks

Organization of the collection management program staffingand assigned responsibilities liaison with user groups

One Librarian is charged with overall responsibility for the ReferenceCollection Input and suggestions from all Library staff and stakeholdersis encouraged

Budget Structure and allocation policy

In addition to materials acquired through approval plans serial ordersand standing orders a line in the Library budget is devoted to Referencefirm orders This line is created in collaboration with the Chair of Collec-tion Management

Reference Materials may purchased from discipline specific book bud-get funds in consultation with the librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection by the appropriate subject specialist(s)

Types of Materials

Although not comprehensive the following list serves as a guide to thetypes of materials in the Reference Collection

112 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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014

bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

Daniel Liestman 113

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014

are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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rsity

] at

10

18 1

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ctob

er 2

014

bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

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014

Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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18 1

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014

The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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18 1

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014

for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

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Eas

tern

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rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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10

18 1

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ctob

er 2

014

Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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Page 31: Reference Collection Management Policies

bull Almanacs and Yearbooks Reference collects current editions of ma-jor publications The current as well as previous editions of the RoyalPurple are also housed in Reference

bull Annual Review series and similar works are housed in the circulatingcollection

bull Atlases and Related Geographical Sources Reference collects a lim-ited number of world atlases gazetteers and a current road atlasOther atlases and maps are housed with government publications

bull Bibliographies General bibliographies with broad topics are col-lected in Reference Specific bibliographies eg those devoted to aspecific author or topic are kept in the circulating collection at thediscretion of the appropriate subject specialist National bibliogra-phies are housed in there too Reference collects Books in Print andother selected trade bibliographies as are pertinent

bull Biography Reference collects comprehensive works covering inter-national national subject and professional biography which areboth retrospective and current

bull Book Review Sources major book reviewing sources for the generalworks and those in the Social Sciences and Humanities are housed inthe Reference Collection

bull College Catalogs most college catalogs for US institutions are avail-able on microfiche (in Microforms) and on the Web

bull Concordances only those of highly important authors or works arekept in the Reference Collection

bull Corporate Reports A collection of corporate annual reports are keptin a vertical file in the Reference Collection Usually the current yearand the previous year of each are kept

bull Dictionaries Reference collects monolingual bilingual and polyglotdictionaries in major languages as well as selected minor languagesThese languages include those not part of the Universityrsquos curricu-lum In addition specialized and subject dictionaries are also col-lected Abridged and unabridged dictionaries are collected

bull Directories Current general directories and those relating to the so-cial sciences and humanities are collected City directories are notcollected except for the city

bull Encyclopedias Reference collects major general single volume andmulti-volume encyclopedias in English Subject and specialized en-cyclopedias are also collected including those in non-English lan-guages New editions of Collierrsquos Encyclopedia EncyclopediaAmericana Encyclopedia Britannica and World Book Encyclopedia

Daniel Liestman 113

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Eas

tern

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higa

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rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

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tern

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higa

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] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

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014

Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

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] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

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014

Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

Dow

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ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

Dow

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10

18 1

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014

Page 32: Reference Collection Management Policies

are acquired on a rotating basis with one new set being purchasedeach year

bull Ephemeral Material As a rule the Reference Collection does not in-clude material of an ephemeral nature in a vertical file or elsewhereSuch resources will be considered for inclusion on an item by itembasis by the librarian responsible for the collection Such items willbe cataloged prior to being added to the collection

bull Genealogy Genealogical works are acquired very selectively exceptfor those of significant historical value

bull Government Publications Government Publications are included inthe Reference Collections if their content is in keeping with generalreference criteria Otherwise such material are housed in the Gov-ernment Publications collection

bull Handbooks Current and authoritative handbooks in the social sci-ences and humanities are collected

bull Indices Abstracting Services and Databases Within the parametersof budget Reference collects indices abstracting services and data-bases in print and electronic formats which support the curricularand research needs of the University in the Social Sciences and Hu-manities as well as general databases designed to satisfy ecumenicalinformation needs Selection of such resources is closely related toperiodical holdings as well as full text availability National and inter-national newspaper indexing is available through variety of standardsources both print (housed in the MicroformsPeriodicals area) andelectronic Indexing to the student newspaper is available in SpecialCollections and Archives Indexing of the local newspaper is avail-able through MicroformsPeriodicals and the offices of the paper

bull Legal Resources Reference selectively collects general referencesources pertaining to basic and Kansas law Most resources in thisarea are held in Government Publications

bull Library catalogs Such resources are housed in the stacks not in theReference Collection

bull Looseleaf Services (Transmittals) The Reference Collection includesa number of looseleaf services mostly in the field of business Giventheir high time intensive maintenance costs such sources will be re-placed with automated counterparts whenever feasible

bull Plot summaries Digests of books plot summaries and other suchworks are purchased very selectively and limited to major compre-hensive collections produced by recognized authorities such asMasterplots

114 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

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rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

Dow

nloa

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by [

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tern

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18 1

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er 2

014

Page 33: Reference Collection Management Policies

bull Quotations major collections of quotations are generally collectedMinor works are collected if their topic is specific to curricular andresearch needs

bull Sacred Texts Reference will maintain single copies of major sacredtexts in English germane to the general reference curricular and re-search needs of the University

bull Scholarship fellowships and grants Such sources are acquired tomeet the current general needs of students and faculty

bull Statistics Sources Reference collects Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates Kansas Statistical Abstract and other aggregate collections ofdata as appropriate Other government produced statistical sourcesare housed in the Government Publications Department Electronicstatistical sources are available from the Librariesrsquo Web site

bull Style Manuals Reference collects major style manuals in both printand web-based formats

bull Telephone books Print directories for Topeka Wichita Kansas CityRegents institutions and other local colleges are kept at Ready Ref-erence Phonefiche is available in the Microforms Collection Vari-ous web-based resources are also available

bull Textbooks The Reference Collection does not collect textbooks

Multiple copies

Duplication of reference materials within the collection or with othercollections either in the Main or the branch libraries is considered on anindividual title by title basis by the Librarian responsible for the collectionand other staff as appropriate

Standing orders

Standing orders will be reviewed periodically to ensure they are meet-ing the needs of the collection

Approval plans and blanket orders

Approval profiles and blanket orders will be reviewed periodically toensure they are meeting the needs of the collection

Gifts and exchanges

Daniel Liestman 115

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

Page 34: Reference Collection Management Policies

Gifts and exchange items are included in the collection if they fit theother parameters of the Reference Collection policy and the Librariesrsquogifts policies

Circulation of Reference materials

See existing policy

Relationship to policies and programs for management of collectionssuch as preservation storage replacement deselection and access

bull These policies and procedures are to be in compliance with currentpolicies practices and programs for management of collections atthe Libraries

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will be amember of the Collections Team

bull The librarian responsible for the Reference Collection will workwith the Preservation Team and the Disaster Response Team to en-sure the protection preservation and well being of the collection

Replacement copies will be obtained if

bull demand for the item will continuebull there is not otherwise adequate coverage in the collectionbull the item is still availablebull insufficient duplicates are available

Deselection is as important as selection The Reference Collection is aworking collection of important frequently consulted resources Carefuland systematic weeding removes older less desirable works from the collec-tion The collection is weeded on an ongoing basis Weeding is done in con-junction between the librarian responsible for the collection and subjectspecialists as appropriate As necessary faculty or other stakeholders areconsulted As a rule older editions of a reference work are not housed inthe Reference Collection

Generally reference materials are stored in the Reference Collectionthough as appropriate they may be located elsewhere eg MicroformsMaterials may be retired to the stacks the Annex or in rare cases specialcollections As circumstances warrant materials may also be withdrawn iftheir condition is such that they cannot provide continued use

116 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

Daniel Liestman 117

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

n U

nive

rsity

] at

10

18 1

1 O

ctob

er 2

014

Page 35: Reference Collection Management Policies

The librarian responsible for the collection and the appropriate subjectspecialists will decide if print indexes and abstracting services with onlineequivalents will remain in reference or be transferred to the stacks If theyare transferred a decision will be made as to whether the title will not beloaned or if it will circulate as a bound periodical

Many of the same guidelines and principles adhered to in selection arealso considered in deselection These include

bull Significance of the itembull Age and currency of the resourcebull Availability of more recent informationbull Research valuebull Duplication of information in other available resourcesbull Language of the itembull User demandbull Physical conditionbull Ease of useaccessbull Anticipated frequency of use

Collection Locations

Reference Collection is located on the second floor of The LibraryItems kept here will be identified with an orange ldquoreferencerdquo sticker and awhite ldquoNon Circrdquo sticker This location is also noted in the location field inthe OPAC

Some Reference materials are housed separately in the Ready Refer-ence area behind the Reference Desk Criteria for inclusion in this collec-tions includes materials which are used often by a great number of usersmaterials frequently used by reference librarians materials serving as aguide to the collection Items kept here have an additional blue dotsticker This location is also noted in the location field in the OPAC

A select few reference items are housed in the Reserves collection toallow for their limited circulation This location is also noted in the loca-tion field in the OPAC

New reference books including standing orders and new editions titlesare housed on the ldquoReference New Booksrdquo shelf for one month

Oversize atlases are housed behind the Reference Desk

Cooperative collection development agreements

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Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

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bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

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Page 36: Reference Collection Management Policies

Cooperative agreements are largely in the realm of electronic re-sources Database agreements through Regents System and the Big 12+in particular aid in the acquisition of resources which would otherwise bebeyond the means of the Libraries

Presently no cooperative collection management agreements specificto Reference are in place for non-electronic resources Possible partner-ing opportunities with the local Public Library neighboring private col-lege and fellow Regents institutions should be explored

Policiespractices related to equipment purchase and technicalsupport for onsite and remote electronic files and texts

These policiespractices are available upon request

Format

Format is not limited to print the most efficient format which providesthe greatest value and cost efficiency is selected Reference collects all ap-propriate formats of materials based on content availability desirabilityspace equipment requirements and cost When multiple formats of anitem are available consideration is given to equipment staff support easeof use as well as cost

For books generally the cloth bound copy of an item is preferred for itsdurability Paper bound items will be either be bound prior to being addedto the collection or designated ldquodelay bindrdquo

When feasible Reference will acquire databases which are web-basedrather than those based on CD-ROM tape disc or other computer for-mat

When all issues of an index volume are received they will either bebound or deselected when a cloth bound cumulation arrives

Reserve material

A limited number of reference items may kept on reserves Such itemswill be reviewed on a semester basis by the librarian responsible for thecollection

Acquisition procedures

The librarian responsible for the collection has immediate responsibil-ity for acquiring resources for the Reference Collection All staff in Refer-ence and other stakeholders are encouraged to submit recommendations

118 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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10

18 1

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014

for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

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higa

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nive

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10

18 1

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ctob

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014

bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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ded

by [

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10

18 1

1 O

ctob

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014

Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

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014

Page 37: Reference Collection Management Policies

for acquisition to herhim Recommendations are prioritized using a3-star system

= Essential = Important = Supplementary

Items are ordered in concert between the librarian responsible for thecollection and the individual making the recommendation The Refer-ence staff will utilize a number of means to ensure appropriate new refer-ence works are added to the collection Such means include but are notlimited to examining

bull relevant professional and subject literaturebull review sourcesbull publishersrsquo catalogsbull annual lists of reference worksbull standard reference guidesbull advertisements

Items for purchase should be justifiable in terms of need or potentialneed to answer questions or providing reference information in a cost effec-tive manner

The following serve as guidelines in deciding which items will be ac-quired

bull perceived usefulness of the item in the context of the existing collec-tion and the curricular and research needs of the campus

bull strengths and weakness of the current collection vis a vis current andanticipated needs of stakeholders

bull ease of use adequacy of indexing and other finding aidsbull scope and depth of coveragebull reputation of authorpublisherproducerbull comprehensivenessbull favorable reviews or inclusion in standard reference collection

guidesbull currency of topicbull date of publication in general dates with the most recent publication

are preferredbull format of the itemndash-consideration is given to cost equipment andor

staff resources needed to support a format or item

Daniel Liestman 119

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Eas

tern

Mic

higa

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nive

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10

18 1

1 O

ctob

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014

bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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18 1

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014

Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

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Page 38: Reference Collection Management Policies

bull price of the item particularly if the item is a serialsubscription whichrepresents a continuing cost

bull treatment of subject scholarly and authoritative works appropriatefor undergraduate graduate and research level materials are gener-ally selected

bull examination of item eg trial period review copy visiting anotherlibrary

In addition to the preceding issues addition factors need to be consid-ered with regard to web-based and other electronic services

bull Speed and reliability of accessbull Compatibility with existing hardware and softwarebull Data manipulation and transfer capabilities such as displaying as

well as printing downloading and e-mailingbull Operational issues such as equipment availability technical support

networkability authentication etcbull Is the database best utilized via the Web on a Library server as a

stand-alone or other optionbull Is the vendor reputablendashis support service prompt and adequatebull Licensing issues such as access by both local and remote usersbull Access issues related to coverage content tell textimage options

and impact on service to the publicbull Does content justify formatbull Availability and quality of support materialsbull If the electronic version is acquired can the print version (if avail-

able) be canceledndashwill such action affect the pricebull Is the site updated and well maintainedbull Stabilitybull Value of contentndashespecially for databases with fulltext

Retention

Indices and abstracting services which are available both in print andelectronic formats will have a title by title decision made by the subjectbibliographers and librarian responsible for the Reference CollectionThe subject bibliographers and librarian responsible for the ReferenceCollection will also decide on the location of print indices and abstractingservices which are canceled or no longer in print on a title by title basis

Usually only the latest edition of a reference title will be kept in refer-ence unless there is more than one reference point with a need for a title

120 COLLEGE amp UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARIES

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by [

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18 1

1 O

ctob

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Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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Page 39: Reference Collection Management Policies

Materials removed from reference will be sent to the stacks and allowed tocirculate unless otherwise noted

Retention periods will vary from title to title and will be determined bythe subject specialist in conjunction with the librarian responsible for thecollection

Inventory

In order to optimize use of the collection it will be shelf read on a con-tinual basis and a complete inventory will be done every other year (oddnumbered years)

Review of procedures

These policies and procedures are to be reviewed bi-annually inodd-numbered years but are subject to revision at anytime

Daniel Liestman 121

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