Library Collection Development Policy

Aims of the policy

• To maintain consistency and continuity in developing and selecting material for the Library
• To provide acquisition and relegation strategies, which set guidelines for the selection and disposal of stock according to subject, user group and format
• To act as a communication tool for academic staff, library staff, students and researchers to ensure learning, teaching and research activities are realised and supported
• To continue in-depth profiling of the collection to identify its strengths and weaknesses and benchmarking against appropriate external collections so that subject-specific collection development policies can be developed.

How the Library supports these aims

The Library supports University of Surrey’s vision of creating a rich and varied learning environment in the following ways:

• In conjunction with faculties, providing high quality information services and expertise to address the University’s learning, teaching and research agenda
• Leading the academic community in exploiting and managing information resources
• Maximising the benefits of current and future technological developments in order to delivery high quality information resources
• Acquiring and making available appropriate resources and services to support the academic objectives of the University
• Keeping the University informed about relevant national and international developments in information and library management.

Aims of the Library

• Consult with staff in academic units to determine teaching and research interests
• Respond to the current needs of the community by reacting to changing subject disciplines and developing new areas of the collection
• Pinpointing very specific areas where subject collections may need to be retained for historic interest, whilst placing an emphasis on the currency of the overall collection
• Arrange access to the collection at times and in a manner that reflect the needs of the University community
• Make resources available to members of partner institutions in an appropriate way
• Make resources available beyond the immediate academic community whilst retaining primary responsibilities to the university
• Support taught courses and research by promoting access to the Library’s own materials and providing access to external information by interlibrary loan, electronic services, and information about access to external collections
• Promote the use of electronic formats, particularly where these enable off-campus access
• Obtain and disseminate information on new publications and information services.