Collection Development Policy for Reference

Purpose of the Policy
The Reference Collection Development Policy establishes guidelines for the placement of materials in the reference collection. The Policy also establishes procedures for acquiring new materials and for weeding the reference collection.

The Reference Collection
Materials in the reference collection are non-circulating, designed to meet the research needs of the students, faculty, and staff of the University of West Georgia and to support the curriculum of the University. Reference materials are not limited by format. Items are placed in reference in accordance with the Selection Criteria for the Reference Collection and the Library Collection Development Policy. As a general rule, only the latest edition of a source is shelved in reference; older editions are transferred to the circulating collection or discarded.

The reference collection includes general reference items, reference atlases, indexes/abstracts, government documents reference sources, and the ready reference collection, which is a separate, mini- collection of reference materials that is immediately available for frequent consultation.

Reference materials generally will be limited to sources which are designed for consultation rather than continuous reading and are usually arranged to facilitate rapid retrieval of information. Items will be considered for Ready Reference only if there is a frequent and ongoing need for consulting the material.

The reference collection is located on the main floor of Ingram Library. Library users have open access to the reference materials.

Principles of Intellectual Freedom
Ingram Library supports the principles of intellectual freedom, which guarantee access to various expressions of knowledge.

Users
The primary users of the reference collection are the students, faculty, and staff of the University of West Georgia. The general public may also use the collection.

Selection Criteria for the Reference Collection
Selection of materials for reference is based on the following criteria:

• Selection criteria for reference materials shall be consistent with the Library Collection Development Policy regarding subject scope.
• Materials will be selected for quick consultation and ease of use.
• Materials will be authoritative, based upon evaluation of the subject content and the author's/producer's/ publisher's credentials. Preference will be given to items with favorable reviews in reputable sources.
• Materials will be current when appropriate.
• Access to similar information in several different sources will be kept to a minimum. Within certain subject areas, some redundancy may be necessary. In those instances, selection will be based on the Library Collection Development Policy, the level of demand for the information, and the unique features or access points that the materials offer.
• Sources will be selected for use by the University's primary user population.
• When appropriate, items will contain good quality illustrations.
• Materials will be selected based on the strengths and weaknesses of the existing reference collection.
• When both hardbound and paperback editions exist for the same source, preference may be given to the hardbound edition.

The same criteria apply for electronic sources with the addition of hardware and software considerations and licensing agreements.

Types of Materials Included in the Reference Collection
Reference collection materials shall be supportive of the Library Collection Development Policy and shall be pertinent to the chronological, geographical, and subject scope of courses taught at the University of West Georgia. Supplemental materials outside these guidelines are also collected to maintain a viable information resource for the University community. Much of the Reference Collection is in the English language, but emphasis will also be placed on appropriate materials in any language which support the curriculum of the University of West Georgia.

The following list, which is illustrative not exhaustive, represents the types of materials collected for reference.

• Almanacs, Annuals, and Yearbooks: Major national and international publications
• Bibliographies: General, national, and trade bibliographies; Bibliographies with narrow subject scope are usually placed in the circulating collection.
• Biographical Sources: National, international, and professional biographies, retrospective and current
• Dictionaries: Unilingual, bilingual, polyglot and specialized
• Encyclopedias: Selected general and subject encyclopedias
• Genealogy: Selected sources with a concentration on Georgia history
• Geographical Sources: Selected authoritative country, specialized, and historical atlases, and gazetteers
• Heraldry: A limited number of selected sources
• Handbooks: Various subject areas that support the University curriculum
• Indexes and Abstracts: Numerous subject and general indexes and abstracts with emphasis given to subjects which support the University curriculum
• Legal Materials: Legal sources that support courses taught in business, education, and constitutional law; basic United States and Georgia legal materials
• Quotations: Major collections in English
• State and Local Information: Georgia and Carroll County
• Statistical Sources: Selected national and international materials
• Style Manuals: Recent editions of selected manuals
• Other Materials: Information sources based on usefulness to primary users and perceived need

Management
General management of the reference collection is the responsibility of the reference librarian. However, library liaisons are responsible for collection development for their subject areas, including ordering, weeding, and designating materials for relocation. Items in ready reference should be reviewed yearly by the reference librarian, with input from the Instructional Services staff, to maintain the usefulness of the collection.

Acquisition of New Materials for the Reference Collection
New materials may be acquired for the reference collection in the following ways:

• Library liaisons should monitor the reference collection routinely and order reference materials for their subject areas.
• The reference librarian, as a part of overall management of the collection, may order materials for the reference collection.

Arrangement
The reference stacks, reference index area, and reference CDs are arranged in accordance with the Library of Congress Classification System. A separate Ready Reference collection is arranged into sections of Library of Congress call numbers and Superintendent of Documents numbers. The atlas stands are arranged by topic. Reference government documents are arranged by the Superintendent of Documents number or according to the Library of Congress call number.

Weeding
With careful adherence to the Selection Criteria for the Reference Collection, extensive weeding of the reference collection should be unnecessary. However, library liaisons should evaluate their subject areas yearly to ensure the continued usefulness of the reference collection. General reference materials should be evaluated by the reference librarian annually. Materials which are duplicates, out of date, incomplete, superceded, in poor condition, of greater use in the circulating collection, or in subject areas that are not vital to Reference will be considered for weeding and/or relocation to the circulating collection.

Other Resources
Academic research beyond the scope of library reference materials is available and supported through online electronic resources.

Review of Policy
This policy should be reviewed on an annual basis by the Instructional Services Division of Ingram Library.

10/10/05