Selection Criteria

Selection is a cooperative activity undertaken by academic staff, Library staff and clients. In conjunction with the general principles for collection development, there are general criteria for selection of print and multimedia resources:

• purpose
• audience
• scope
• presentation
• price
• currency of information
• ease of use and accessibility
• choice of format
• authority (i.e. relative standing as resource and that of its publisher)
• likely level of use (particularly relative to cost)
• availability from other sources
• competing products (including those already held)
• coverage/inclusion in indexing/abstracting databases

Duplication

As a general principle, duplication of library materials is related to use and occasionally to campus location. Textbooks are duplicated in relation to demand. There are three major campuses of the University, St Lucia, Ipswich and Gatton. Materials are duplicated across these campuses where heavy use is indicated from loan records. In general, journal titles are not duplicated in physical format across campuses unless demand justifies it. A special case must be made. Where possible, electronic journals are obtained so that access is facilitated regardless of the location of the user. In determining the number of multiple user licences to obtain for electronic resources, demand again is the major factor considered. Some duplication of titles exists across the hospital libraries. The University jointly funds each and the Library (although not equally) and local needs are paramount in collection collections.

Duplication of library materials also takes place across the University, even though University policy discourages such activity. The Library seeks to avoid such duplication by encouraging schools to collaborate with the joint funding of information resources, with access via the Library for the benefit of the entire University.

Course resources

Rather than simply responding to textbook lists, in recent years the Library has been endeavouring to play a more active role in the selection of resources for course reading lists. The strategy involves the subject liaison librarian working very closely with the course coordinator on increasing the range of titles from which to select, as well as assisting in the selection of the most appropriate titles.

Textbooks

In support of teaching, priority goes to the purchase of textbooks and other resources on course reading lists. While students are expected to purchase textbooks, the reality is that many are unable or unwilling to do so. The Library therefore acts as a "safety valve" by purchasing limited numbers of all textbooks.

HUPP 3.20.9 The Course Profile states:

The Library purchases textbooks from the University Bookshop. Medical textbooks are purchased from the Medical Bookshop.

Multiple copies are acquired in relation to expected demand. The following algorithm is used:

Liaison librarians amend the number of copies ordered, if necessary.

For titles where is there considerable demonstrated demand or where there is a demonstrated need for copies in more than one branch library, the Library will acquire additional copies. The above strategy ensures a higher percentage of titles being available on the Library shelves when they are needed.

For textbooks written by a lecturer who receives income from sales of the work, the lecturer must:

At least one copy of each textbook is usually located in the High Use collection of the appropriate branch library.

Photocopies, electronic copies, coursepacks and learning guides

The Library makes available copies of journal articles and chapters of textbooks cited on reading lists. The following guidelines apply:

• liaison librarian will negotiate with the course coordinator on the appropriate mix of electronic and print access
• preference will be given to linking to existing licensed material rather than making a new electronic copy and storing locally
• all copying must comply with the educational copying provisions of the Copyright Act and University policy HUPP: 3.25.1
• access to the resources is available from the Course resources web page and via the Library catalogue
• Print copies are located in the High Use collection and made available for loan

If a coursepack (i.e. book of readings) or learning guide is sold by the University or an agency of the University, such as UQ Bookshop, HUPP 3.10.9 requires that multiple copies must be deposited and made freely available from either the Library or the schhol/centre/faculty office. The latest edition only of such resources is retained by the Library.

Past Examination Papers

The Library makes available end of Semester examination papers upon release by the Examinations Section. Access is available via:

• Online [access limited to UQ staff and students]
• A full set of bound exam papers are available in the Social Sciences and Humanities, Ipswich and Fryer branch libraries. Architecture and Music, Dentistry, Economics and Business, Gatton and Law branch libraries, hold relevant exam papers only.

Enquiries about mid-Semster examination papers should be referred to the relevant School.

Journals

Selection of new journals largely follows the general selection principles listed above, with some issues peculiar to journals, particularly issues relating to electronic access and inclusion in fulltext databases held by the Library.

As mentioned earlier, journal subscriptions are both relatively expensive per subscription and increase in price at faster than the inflation rate. If left unchecked, journal subscriptions will consume an ever-increasing percentage of the Library's budget. Therefore, all requests for new subscriptions and extensive backsets must be submitted in the first instance to the appropriate Branch Manager or Liaison Librarian and then to the Collection Development Advisory Group for consideration. Each request will be examined on a case by case basis, and in general will be placed on the basis of the cancellation of existing subscriptions of equivalent $ value.

Electronic resources

Selection of electronic resources is similar to other library resources with additional factors including:

• Locally mounted or vendor server
  • If local:
  • the hardware and operating system specifications
  • how data file updates are received, eg. FTP, CDROM
  • If vendor server:
  • vendor-based methods to reduce Internet charges, e.g. digital Island
  • client software
• authentication
  • IP
  • and/or password
  • ability to use EZproxy
• quality of the interface to the resource
• different costing methods, e.g. per simultaneous user and site licence
• the expected number of users
• licensing conditions, including
  • definition of user
  • location of users
• training costs for both library staff and users
• whether access to information is possible if the subscription is cancelled
• long-term archiving policies

For databases, the current Library policy is to prefer electronic only. Print subscriptions will only be maintained if it contains substantially more information than the electronic equivalent. Like journals, database subscriptions are relatively expensive and increase in price at faster than the inflation rate. If left unchecked, database subscriptions will consume an ever-increasing percentage of the Library's budget. Therefore, all requests for new subscriptions and extensive backsets must be submitted in the first instance to the appropriate Branch Manager using an evaluation checklist (Electronic resource pre-purchase checklist). It then goes to the Collection Development Advisory Group for consideration. Each request is examined on a case by case basis.

The increasing availability of electronic versions of paper journals raises the issue of which version to collect. Additional issues to consider include:

• enhancements or limitations compared to the print version, e.g.
  • the date when each issue becomes available to library users,
  • the amount of information
• infrastructure costs to handle the resource. Electronic journals create a demand for printing selected articles. The printing infrastructure (networking and printers) required places additional demands and results in higher costs.
• ejournals are increasingly available as packages from publishers and aggregators. In some cases, this may result in the purchase of less useful titles.

The current Library policy is, all things being equal, to subscribe to both print and electronic versions because of uncertainty over the long-term arrangements for access and because a majority of users have expressed a preference for reading the print version.

Selection of so-called "free" electronic journals requires careful analysis. The number of academic "free" journals where the entire text is made available, have decreased steadily. Offerings from commercial publishers should be carefully checked. Frequently, access is available to a dynamic range of selected articles only, or for a short "introductory" period. It would be a disservice to the Library's customers to provide access under these circumstances. Assuming other selection criteria are satisfactorily addressed, the Library will provide access to "free" ejournals where:

• a consistent pattern of access is provided, e.g. a fixed span of years, the last two years, all but the current year
• within this period, a substantial portion of the text is available online, i.e. selected articles is not sufficient

Licences

Where applicable to electronic resources, the Library will negotiate licensing agreements with the data owners. All such agreements must be approved by the Senior Manager, Collection Development and signed by the University Librarian. Site licences are preferred for titled that are heavily used. Usage of databases is carefully monitored to ensure that the Library takes advantage of the most cost effective licence

Access

The Library will maximise access to electronic resources by:

• actively pursuing and coordinating access to appropriate free electronic resources
• actively pursuing and coordinating access to appropriate web sites and gateways
• negotiating licence and access conditions that permit all registered staff and students access to the data in a timely manner and in a location of their choice (e.g. in School offices, at home, while in other than their regular campus or place of study)
• selecting the preferred software platform in instances where a choice is offered
• cataloguing each resource and updating records and links as required
• provision, maintenance and loading of necessary software and hardware

Duplication

Selecting an electronic resource that exactly duplicates an existing print resource and incurs no additional fee usually constitutes acceptable duplication on the grounds that it facilitates greater access than the single use point associated with the print format. The Library will duplicate print resources with fee-based electronic resources where:

• archiving the electronic format is not guaranteed
• multiple formats meet the different needs of the customer base
• the electronic content is variable

The Library prefers electronic indexing and abstracting services. Print versions will be held for historical data not included in the electronic version.

Usage

The Library will monitor the use of all electronic resources and employ usage data to review continuing provision each year.

As with print journals, electronic resource subscriptions are both relatively expensive per subscription and increase in price at faster than the inflation rate. Therefore, all subscription renewals requests for new subscriptions must be submitted to the Collection Development Advisory Group for consideration. A checklist template is used to ensure consistency in the evaluation process (see Electronic resource pre-purchase checklist).

Electronic books

The options for delivery, format and pricing regarding ebooks need careful examination. The Library prefers to acquire the following types of ebooks:

• Supplement print textbook collections, both for on-campus and remote students
• Web-based
• Site licence
• Purchase rather than lease

The Library prefers not to acquire the following types of ebooks:

• Those that require special handheld readers, paricularly until an industry standard is developed
• Pay-per-view
• Single workstation

Multimedia

The Library collects and provides access to a wide-range of multimedia, for both teaching and research purposes. The general principles of selection apply equally to multimedia. The availability of suitable equipment, both within the branch library and by the Library's customers, is an additional consideration. There is no separate fund for the purchase of multimedia. Schools frequently provide additional funds to purchase expensive resources.

Radio and Television Programs

Television and radio programs are regularly recorded off-air by the Social Sciences and Humanities Library. Programs useful for teaching and research may be catalogued and placed into the Library's collection. All material not nominated for retention will be wiped after 14 days in accordance with the Statutory Licence provisions of the Copyright Act.

DVDs

The production of DVDs consists almost entirely feature films, which is reflected in the Library's collection of about 60 items, primarily to support teaching in the media studies area. As more titles are acquired to support the curriculum, there will be a need to provide appropriate single user stations as is currently the practice with VHS products.

The two main advantages of the format are its high image quality (better than VHS), and its considerable capacity. A typical DVD disc offers production notes and interviews in addition to the feature film. DVDs are also more robust and occupy less shelf space than VHS. Another feature is efficient operation of the Pause function, which is important, for example, for students wanting to work in detail on particular images. As would be expected, the sound quality of all DVDs is outstanding.

The main disadvantage of the DVD for video so far is that the VHS format is very much entrenched in the community, and it is thus more suitable to lend. Given the low price of films at present, we are currently buying heavily used material in both formats: DVD for class and library use, and VHS for lending. This currently applies to about 90% of material currently held. Where a title is required and available in DVD only, this format is purchased.

Selection aids

The Library provides the following selection aids:

• links to publishers' web sites  http://www.cybrary.uq.edu.au/internet/vref.html#pubs
• links to bookselling sites  http://www.cybrary.uq.edu.au/internet/vref.html#books
• promotional material from publishers, which is distributed to schools and to branch libraries
• new title information slips distributed to the Library from major library vendors
• online and email alerting services

Liaison librarians also monitor publisher and association web sites, book reviews and online discussion lists to ensure all relevant publications are considered for selection.

Placing Requests

Academics may submit requests for the purchase of Library material in a number of ways:

• annotating publishers catalogues (online or print)
• online request form http://library.uq.edu.au/screens/purchase.html
• paper form available from your liaison librarian
• generated by their own database or spreadsheet

All requests are to be sent to the school's liaison librarian. The final decision on whether to order the title and commit Library funds rests with the Collection Development Librarian as delegate of the University Librarian.

Purchase of Library Material Directly by Academic Staff

While it is not common practice, there are times when academic staff may have the opportunity to purchase items for the Library collection that may otherwise be difficult to acquire using the normal ordering processes. This commonly occurs at conferences or with visits to countries where there are difficulties in purchasing materials. The guidelines are as follows:

• one-off purchases of books, conference reports, and multimedia (i.e. excludes subscriptions) may be made
• wherever possible, prior consultation should take place with the relevant Branch Librarian or Branch Manager
• due to the complexity of format compatibility, the purchase of multimedia material must first be discussed with Library staff
• the material must fit within the guidelines specified in the Library's Collection Development Policy
• the material must be in excellent physical condition
• proof of payment must be retained (e.g. credit card slip, cash register docket etc.)
• the item must be forwarded to the Library along with a Request for Purchase form and proof of payment
• reimbursement is in Australian dollars. If the original purchase has been in overseas currency, it will be converted to Australian dollars at the rate active on the day of reimbursement

University policy limits the building of collections that are housed in schools and centres. Section 3.2 of the Financial Management Practice Manual states:

"Schools may purchase books and other information materials from School or research funds for housing either in the University Library or in the School. Allocations from Library funds are to be used solely for the purchase of material through the Library and to be housed in the University Library.

It is not the intention of Senate that Schools should create large internal library collections or that Schools should house unique material which ought to be available to the University community through the University Library.

It is preferable for library and other information materials to be ordered through the Library but where this is not done, Schools shall advise the University Librarian of the material which is being purchased.

When a book or other item of a type normally housed in the Library is purchased for housing in a School and a copy is not held in the Library, the University Librarian may purchase a copy for the Library and charge it to the Library allocation of the School concerned."

Material Received on Deposit

University of Queensland Theses

University of Queensland higher degree theses for research Masters and Ph.D. degrees are deposited in the Fryer Library. See section 4.18 of the General Award Rules for details. Additional copies may be made available in another branch library. Higher degree students are encouraged to lodge their thesis with the Australian Digital Theses Program, of which the Library is a member.

Honours theses may be acquired by the Library, subject to the collection development policy of the specific branch library.

University of Queensland Exam Papers

The Library receives multiple print sets of all unrestricted University of Queensland exam papers. An electronic copy is made available via the Library's web site.

AusInfo Deposit (formally known as AGPS Deposit)

Under the terms of AusInfo's Library Deposit and Free Issues Scheme, the library receives, free of charge, one copy of each AusInfo publication. As a Free Issue Library we can exercise discretion in discarding titles considered inappropriate to our collections. We are expected to advise AusInfo about categories of work no longer required. Material is housed in relevant branch libraries.

The University also subscribes to the CURFS. The agreement between the AVCC and the ABS allows the University's researchers to obtain access to the ABS's Confidentialised Unit Record Files (CURFS), which contain the unidentifiable record data from most of the key ABS social and labour household surveys.

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Deposit

As an ABS Library Extension Program member the library receives a core set of both state based and national ABS publications. These are housed in the Social Sciences and Humanities Library. Additional ABS publications are purchased as required. The Library has subscribed to the AusStats package, which in time will supersede much of the print material currently received by deposit.

European Documentation Centre Deposit

Under the terms of the deposit the Library receives a copy of all European Community publications deposited with the parent body. Material is housed in the Law Library.

Gifts and Exchanges

Gifts of materials to the Library are welcomed and are a valued source of items for augmenting and enriching the collections. Gifts are selected for inclusion in the collection of the appropriate branch library in accordance with the guidelines established in the collection development policy for the relevant subject. Once selected, a gift is incorporated into the library collection. In general, a gift is not accepted if the donor wishes to place any limitations on its use or disposal. The Collection Development Advisory Group may consider requests for special treatment of significant collections. Gifts are accepted on the understanding that items, which are not selected for inclusion in the collections, are offered to other libraries, the University Alumni or discarded as appropriate.

Academic schools are encouraged to consider sending copies of conference proceedings received as a result of attending conferences funded by the University, to the relevant branch library.

An exchange program is maintained, whereby copies of selected journals published by The University of Queensland are exchanged with other universities for their publications. The Library currently has exchange programs with 540 organisations.

• available to all members of the University research community, including postgraduates
• predominantly free service (express delivery charges are billed to the researcher)
• requests for material published in the last 12 months should be sent to the school's liaison librarian for placement via the Library's normal ordering system. The material is included in the Library's collection and lent to the researcher.
• all requests are placed via the Library system
• whole documents, such as theses and microforms, are normally included in the Library’s collection and lent to the researcher
• all requests must adhere to the Copyright Act 1968. For more information on copyright, see the Library’s website.

For more details, see the Document Delivery page.

Out of Print Books