I. Policy Information
Policy Title: Collection Development Policy
Policy Owner: UIS Library Information Literacy and Academic Outreach
Responsible Official: Program Coordinator Patron Services
Approved by: UIS Library Leadership Team
Date Approved: 09/10/25
Effective Date: 09/18/25
Targeted Review Date: April 2027
Contact: questions@uis.libanswers.com
Related Policies:
II. Scope
The scope of this policy is limited to the UIS Library collection. This policy applies to all library users, including students, staff, faculty, and community members.
III. Definitions
Acquisition: This term refers to the process of acquiring new materials for the library collection. It encompasses selecting materials based on community needs, searching for and ordering them through purchase, and then receiving, checking, and processing these new items.
Deselection: The systematic process of removing materials from the library鈥檚 collection to ensure it remains relevant, accurate, and useful to users. Also known as weeding, it's a vital part of collection maintenance.
IV. Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to guide the selection, acquisition, evaluation, and maintenance of library materials in alignment with the institution鈥檚 mission and academic priorities.
V. Background
The UIS Library aims to provide a rich collection of resources that are accessible to our
patrons. In order to guide and focus this effort, this policy will clarify the core areas of the collection.
VI. Statement of Policy
The UIS Library鈥檚 collection activities ensure that the library makes efficient use of the resources provided to develop and manage library collections that align with the curriculum, scholarship, and university community goals. The purpose of the library鈥檚 main collection is to be useful and relevant to the university community, and not to be focused on the storage or preservation of knowledge as larger institutions undertake. The collection development policy is intended to be flexible enough to reflect changes and trends in the University's academic programs and the publishing industry. Therefore, collections decisions will be at the discretion of the UIS Library following the general guidelines and established standards and principles.
The UIS Library works within its budget to acquire or make accessible the resources needed to support a diversity of curriculum and research needs. The collection supports most curricular goals, but cannot meet all research needs. Cost, accessibility, and availability in shared collections are always considered when making acquisition decisions. The library may choose to pay for access to some materials through licensing or leasing, rather than purchasing materials outright, given the nature of the item and its expected use. Books, periodicals, audiovisual materials, and electronic resources across a variety of formats are curated by librarians. Library resources are routinely assessed for their continued relevance to the collection to ensure that the library makes efficient use of space and continues to provide effective, diverse, and vibrant collections of resources that support the curriculum.
There are three main areas of collection undertaken by UIS Library.
- The primary collections are those intended to support the curricular and research mission of the university.
- The second major area are those collections focused on popular works geared toward leisure and recreation both in print and online.
- The final collection area are those materials deemed significant for long-term preservation due to cultural or historical significance and are housed in Archives and Special Collections.