178.2 Acquisitions

178.2 Acquisitions

A. Background

The libraries at Furman University enjoy strong, cooperative relationships with faculty in developing and strengthening the library collections through selection of new materials and withdrawal of superseded items.

B. Policy

The library staff, in cooperation with the faculty, works to develop a comprehensive library collection within budgetary constraints. All materials purchased with library funds are managed by the library staff and are available for use. Each faculty member is responsible through his or her department for recommending the acquisition of new library materials and will be consulted on the removal of marginal or inadequate materials in his or her area of expertise. Selections should be made in accordance with the Library Collection Development Policy (to be completed spring 1999).

C. Guidelines

1. The Library Committee, in consultation with the Director of Libraries, allocates to each department a specific portion of the library materials budget for the acquisition of print and nonprint materials to be purchased by and housed in the libraries for use by all library patrons. The allocations are based on a formula approved by the committee.

2. Requests for library book and media purchases must be submitted through the designated departmental library representative. Library Order Request Cards are furnished by the library and should be sent to the Acquisitions Department. Library Order Request Cards should be filled out as completely as possible. When requesting items that have been reviewed on Choice Review Cards, the Choice card may be signed and returned without filling out a Library Request Card. If the requested item is from a sales catalog/brochure, the Library Request Card should be attached to the catalog/brochure. Requested items should be submitted in priority order.

3. Careful judgment is required in establishing new journal subscriptions, since journals represent an ongoing commitment of fiscal resources. Journal prices increase much more rapidly than the library's budget, resulting in less money for book purchases. New subscription requests will be reviewed to assess potential use, availability of indexing, and alternate means of access through the Internet or document delivery. Requests for changes in journal subscriptions must be submitted through the library liaison to the Collection Development Librarian and then to the Director of Libraries for approval.

4. Fifty percent (50%) of a department's book allocation should be encumbered by November 1; all of the book allocation must be encumbered by February 1. Funds not encumbered by the deadlines revert to the library's general materials budget. Items on order at the end of the fiscal year will be encumbered against the library's general materials budget in the subsequent year.

5. Materials which are out-of-date, superseded, duplicated by other sources, worn out, not used, or fail to support the curriculum should be reviewed by the library faculty in cooperation with the appropriate department for removal from the collection. Journal subscriptions should likewise be reviewed on a periodic basis to identify titles for possible cancellation or format change.

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