Whitewater and Rock Campus Libraries

Research@UWW

VI. Additional Guidelines

A. Area Research Center & Special Collections

(rev. 10/15)

A1. Area Research Center

Materials housed in the Area Research Center are the property of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. As such, decisions concerning additions to or deletions from the collection are made by the Society.

A2. Special Collections

Special Collections provides an in-house environment to protect, preserve, and maintain materials that have been determined to have extraordinary value to the library.

Books which meet one or more of the following criteria shall be considered for inclusion in the Special Collections:

  1. Books with an early imprint date:
    1. books printed before 1800
    2. American books printed before 1820
    3. books with a Midwestern imprint dated before 1860
    4. books with a Western imprint dated before 1890
  2. Limited editions with appropriate subject matter relating to our collection
  3. Books autographed or annotated by the author
  4. First editions by noted authors
  5. Books by historically famous printers
  6. Items which have an exceptionally high dollar value ($500)
  7. Manuscripts
  8. Items of local interest (except for manuscript or archival material housed in the Area Research Center or University Archives)
    1. Histories
    2. Works pertinent to UW-Whitewater
    3. Books authored by faculty members or staff
    4. All theses and seminar papers done at UW-Whitewater

B. Arts Media Center

The Arts Media Center is located at the Greenhill Center of the Arts and administered by the College of the Arts and Communication. Art slides, LP-records, compact discs and archival tapes of recitals given by music majors, faculty and invited guests are available. LP-records and compact discs are cataloged by Andersen Library and accessible on the online catalog, though circulation may be restricted. Arts Media Center and Andersen Library work closely to minimize duplications. Some duplications are deliberate because of needs and different circulation policies.


C. Curriculum Guide Collection

(rev. 2/03, 05/21)

Andersen Library no longer actively maintains a dedicated print collection of curriculum guides from local, state and federal education agencies and professional associations. Curricula and standards documents are readily available online. Print copies that are acquired will be located in Government Documents or the Main Collection as identified in Research@UWW.

Find additional information regarding the location of curriculum guides and educational standards here


D. Electronic Resources

(rev. 2/02, 4/22)

D1. Electronic Resources

Electronic Resources may be full-text journal articles, ebooks, newspapers, streaming (film or audio), statistics and data, or anything that is accessed electronically via a third-party vendor. They enhance the research capabilities of students, faculty and staff by providing barrier-free, 24/7 access to information. While general criteria used for selection of library material apply to the selection of most electronic resources, the management of this format is more complex. Issues to consider not associated with traditional formats include:

  • Pricing options (e.g. subscription model, limited term, perpetual access)
  • Licensing terms
  • Authentication of users (by IP address preferred)
  • Duplication of content with other products
  • Basic and advanced search capabilities
  • Local and remote access
  • Minimal support required of library staff
  • Compatibility with current campus infrastructure
  • Adequate documentation and training provided by vendor
  • Stability of the product
  • Flexibility and responsiveness of the vendor
  • Evaluation of best ROI (return on investment), which may not equate to the lowest cost
  • Availability of usage statistics (COUNTER statistics preferred)
  • Accessibility standards

Due to the cost of electronic products, trials are typically arranged to gather feedback from faculty and librarians before subscribing. Budget limitations may require the cancellation of one resource to help fund a similar product.

Requests for electronic resources can be made via the Request a Periodical or Database Subscription form or by contacting the Liaison Librarian. The Reference & Instruction Librarians work closely with the Collection Manager and the Electronic Resources Librarian to evaluate new suggestions as well as reviewing existing subscriptions before renewing.

Subscriptions to electronic resources usually require license agreements. License review and negotiation is a time-consuming process as each vendor has different requirements and licenses must meet all applicable Wisconsin purchasing statutes. Use of the UW System Licensing Guidelines is followed to ensure all requirements are met. The Library Director or their designee reviews and signs the license agreements. Copies of the signed license agreements are kept in the Acquisitions Office and a secure network drive.

When advantageous, the Library will seek cooperative purchasing options for better pricing and license terms.

For additional guidelines on electronic journals, see Section L: Serials.

Renewal/Deselection of Electronic Resources

Evaluation for renewal/deselection is based on the same criteria as selection as well as demonstrated usage and the ability of the product to best meet the information need for which it was originally selected.

D2. Shared Electronic Collection

Since biennium 1999-2001, the Wisconsin Legislature has provided central funding for UW System libraries to develop a shared electronic collection. The Collection Manager and Electronic Resources Librarian participate in recommending and evaluating possible shared titles. The purpose of this collection is to support the undergraduate research needs and common curricula of UW campuses and to serve the needs of online learning. For more information, see the UW System Guidelines for Collection Development of the Shared Electronic Collection.


E. Government Documents

E1. Federal Documents

The Library is a selective depository for U.S. government publications. The documents librarian, in consultation with appropriate faculty members, is responsible for the selection of depository series from those available. Selection is made on the basis of the University's instructional and research needs, and also it takes into consideration the general information needs of the citizens of the Second Congressional District of Wisconsin. Requests for more specialized publications are referred to the regional depositories at the Milwaukee Public Library and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Federal depository documents are the property of the United States government and are maintained and weeded in accordance with the Federal depository regulations.

E2. State Documents

The Library is a selective (partial) repository for Wisconsin State documents. Wisconsin depository documents are retained for use in southeastern Wisconsin in accordance with guidelines in the state depository program manual.

E3. Foreign and International Documents

The Library is not a depository for publications of foreign governments or intergovernmental organizations. Standing orders are set up to receive certain series of United Nations, UNESCO and certain English-language OECD publications. Others are purchased as monographs. General selection criteria apply.

The documents librarian also is responsible for the selection of commercially published materials, such as indexes and abstracts which facilitate the use of documents.


F. Curriculum Collection

(rev. 2/03, 2/07, 12/08, 3/14, 3/15, 3/20, 4/22)

The Curriculum Collection is intended to support coursework and research dealing with children's and young adult literature. Several university departments make use of this collection and it contains a variety of representative materials to support their curricula. Books appropriate for the preschool child through secondary school are located in this collection.

The Easy Books collection contains primarily fiction titles geared to children from birth to roughly grade 3, or 8 years of age. The Easy Books collection contains books in picture book format, as well as board books and early readers.

The juvenile Fiction collection contains titles geared to children in roughly grade 4, or 9 years of age, and above. These are primarily chapter books through young adult novels.

The juvenile Nonfiction collection contains titles that are informational in nature and format, spanning preschool through roughly grade 12. Some materials may also be appropriate for undergraduate college students.

The collection is selective, including representative materials that might be found in good elementary, junior and senior high school libraries.

Juvenile titles are selected from reviews in such periodicals as Booklist, Horn Book, School Library Journal, and New York Times Book Review. For retrospective buying, they are selected from standard book selection works such as Children's Catalog, Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Senior High School Core Collection ( Senior High School Library Catalog) and other basic lists.

The Juvenile Fiction collection receives books from the following awards:

  1. Boston Globe - Hornbook Awards
  2. Notable Children's Books
  3. School Library Journal, Best Books
  4. Newbery Medal and Honor Books
  5. Caldecott Medal and Honor Honors
  6. Mildred Batchelder Award
  7. Coretta Scott King Award
  8. Pura Belpre Award
  9. Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award
  10. International Reading Association Book Awards
  11. Children's Africana Book Awards
  12. Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature
  13. (Theodor Seuss) Geisel Award
  14. Jane Addams Children's Book Awards
  15. Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
  16. NSTA: Oustanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12
  17. Orbis Pictus Award

English is the primary language of the collection although books in other languages may be acquired as needed to support the curriculum.

Weeding

The Juvenile Collection shall be periodically examined to determine continued relevance to faculty and student needs. Education faculty involvement will be sought when weeding for discard.


G. Map Collection

(rev. 10/11)

The Library no longer maintains a separate map collection, but continues to collect atlases and other map resources as needed.


H. Media Collection

(rev. 10/03, 2/07, 10/11, 4/22)

H1. Physical Media

The Media Collection is intended to augment instruction in subject areas where non-print resources convey information in a more effective manner. The Library purchases audio-visual materials needed to support the curriculum in all formats for which it has the required playback equipment or facilities. These formats include, but are not limited to, audiobooks, DVDs, streaming video, streaming audio, compact discs, video games, games, kits, models and prints. When purchasing DVDs, the closed-captioned and subtitled versions will be purchased whenever available.

Games, kits and other media with individual manipulative pieces should meet the safety guidelines of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

H2. Streaming Media

Streaming audio and video are the preferred media formats to make them more accessible to our users. However, there are increased and ongoing costs for these formats due to subscription models and time invested in licensing. Subscriptions for entire collections of streaming resources are preferred, but recent vendor changes have allowed for short-term licensing of some single video titles. There is currently no mechanism for licensing or purchase of single audio titles at an institutional level.

Usage of licensed single video titles is monitored and recommendations for purchasing Perpetual Access Rights may be made for titles that see continued high use, repeated requests for licenses, or requests made across multiple programs. Please see the Media LibGuide for current relevant information as the landscape for streaming video evolves at a rapid pace.

The Library may help departments with limited Library allocations by partially subsidizing the purchase of expensive media items.


I. Microform

(rev. 2/03)

Microform edition is recommended in the following circumstances:

  1. For backfiles of periodicals, newspapers and documents because of expected low usage and/or minimum space consumption.
  2. For materials subject to mutilation, theft or rapid deteriorations.
  3. For materials whose high cost would be unaffordable in hard copy.
  4. For highly specialized documentary sets or series.

For titles containing information that does not reproduce well on microform such as colored illustrations or certain types of graphs, charts, or statistics, hard copy purchase is recommended. When both microfilm and microfiche editions of a title are available, the Library prefers microfiche. When both positive and negative microforms are available, the Library prefers positive. Nonsilver-based microform is preferred over silver-based microform because of cost consideration.

When backfiles are available online, microform backfiles are no longer purchased.


J. Pamphlet Collection

(rev. 7/04, 10/11)

The purpose of the pamphlet collection is to augment other library collections by providing quick and easy access to pamphlets, fliers, and other ephemeral material. The emphasis of this collection is on materials dealing with topics of historical significance, or topics for which historical pamphlets are already held in the collection. The collection is housed in the Reference area.

Additional criteria for selection:

  1. Cost - free.
  2. Short - most often under 50 pages.
  3. Historical significance of topic area or pamphlet.

Pamphlets are no longer actively sought for this collection, although reference librarians will consider pamphlets donated to the Library as gifts, or those that arrive unsolicited from other sources.

 


K. Reference Collection

(rev. 2/03)

The Reference Collection is a non-circulating collection of materials designed to provide quick access to factual information. The works chosen for the collection should supply as many reliable facts as possible with a minimum of duplication and overlap. The collection includes material of state and local significance where appropriate. Verification and location tools are provided at a level which will make the Library "resource capable", meaning appropriate resources are provided to facilitate interlibrary loan activities. Materials in the reference collection are reviewed regularly, and outdated publications are removed or updated. The types of materials in this collection include:

  1. Encyclopedias: general and specialized. The Library attempts to acquire revised editions of Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Americana, and World Book on a rotating basis, as funds permit.
  2. Almanacs and yearbooks.
  3. Handbooks and dictionaries: handbooks in all fields of knowledge; a selection of major foreign language dictionaries, the best of English language dictionaries at the adult or university level; thesauri and synonym finders.
  4. Directories of people, institutions, and firms.
  5. Atlases and gazetteers.
  6. Statistical compendia.
  7. Indexes and abstracts.
  8. Bibliographies: national, trade, and subject. Those with narrow subject scope, such as single-author bibliographies, are normally kept in the circulating collection.
  9. Biographical directories: general, national, regional, professional, and occupational, with both retrospective and current coverage.
  10. Legal materials: In addition to basic legal reference sources, the Library collects Wisconsin and federal law sources which support the curriculum specifically for educational law, business law, tax accounting and pre-law programs.

Additional criteria for consideration:

  1. Accuracy and authenticity
  2. Scope and depth of coverage
  3. Historical perspective as well as currency of data
  4. Ease of use, such as special locating features

The format is not limited to print media. Infrequently used materials may be dependent upon librarian-mediated access via services such as FirstSearch or STN. The Library avoids duplication of materials in various formats to provide the broadest coverage possible.


L. Serials

(rev. 2/03)

L1. Periodicals

The Library maintains a collection of periodicals both of general interest and discipline-specific. Periodical subscriptions represent a potential long-standing budgetary commitment in terms of ever increasing subscription costs, binding, shelving space, etc., therefore acquisition of a new periodical title requires substantially more careful consideration than acquiring a monograph. Faculty and patrons requesting the addition of new periodical titles (in any format) are asked to complete a Periodicals Subscription Request Form (Appendix C) describing the perceived value of each title for the library's collection.

Basic criteria for evaluating titles for either addition or deletion:

  1. Present use of periodicals in the subject area under consideration.
  2. Projected future use.
  3. Critical review of the journal under consideration by experts in the field.
  4. Inclusion in a prominent abstracting or indexing source available at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
  5. Holdings in other Wisconsin libraries or through subscription aggregates. Can interlibrary loan or Full text articles available on subscription databases serve the need?

When a new title is added, the Library will attempt to procure back files of 3 to 5 years when retrospective materials are essential for instructional/research program support.

Subscription format (fiche, film, CD-ROM, online access, paper, etc.) depends on availability, cost, equipment compatibility, ease of use and completeness of information in that format. Duplication in two formats should be avoided, unless justified with strong reasons.

Electronic Journals (or E-journals) are defined as a journal, periodical, magazine, newsletter or other serial that is available through the Internet. Electronic Journals enable rapid sharing of ideas, provide easy access and thorough indexing. The Library facilitates access to free and subscription paid electronic journals available on the Internet through the Library Webpage and the Library OPAC.. Selection of free and subscription paid electronic journals follow the same basic selection criteria as established above as well as the guidelines for Electronic Information Resources (See Section D), with the following additional criteria:

  1. Extent of coverage available compared to print version. What is necessary to make the journal useful ---major articles, articles and reviews, the entire journal cover-to-cover, charts, graphs, tables, etc.
  2. Availability of back issues
  3. On-site search engine and/or indexed in a standard index.
  4. Availability and easy use of printing, downloading or emailing of abstracts and/or full text articles.
  5. Duplication of a periodical in electronic and print format is encouraged when the electronic version is available at no cost with paid print subscription.

L2. Standing Orders

(rev. 2/03)

These are materials such as monographic series, yearbooks, proceedings of conferences that are published in serial form and each subsequent edition/volume is needed by the library for up-dated or additional information. They are placed on order with publisher/vendor for automatic shipment (or systematic renewal in case of online access) since in many cases exact publication date is not known. As courses, faculty and department programs change; standing orders need to be reviewed from time to time. Annually, the department library representative receives a list of current standing order titles charged to the department account for review.

L3. Newspapers

The Library maintains subscriptions to representative newspapers of leading U.S. cities, key international newspapers and selective local papers of southeastern Wisconsin.

Additional Criteria (not all are applicable to each title):

  1. Relevance of the newspaper to specific courses.
  2. Current coverage of major geographic areas.
  3. Representation of diverse political and social viewpoints.
  4. Indexes owned by the library.
  5. Availability of electronic full text newspaper articles through subscription databases.

M. Test Collection

(rev. 3/03, 10/11)

The Test Collection is intended to support coursework in educational psychology and psychology. This collection is selective and is for examination rather than administration of the tests. The collection is circulated to UWW ID holders, but is not available for borrowing by other users. A small number of tests are restricted to in-house use due to publishers' restrictions.


N. Textbook Collection (PreK-12)

(rev. 2/03, 10/21)

The PreK-12 Textbook Collection is intended to provide examination and study copies primarily of textbooks for experienced teachers and teachers in training. Textbooks are purchased for a variety of subjects taught in the PreK-12 classroom.

Textbooks are selected using the following criteria:

  1. The Library utilizes publishers' catalogs, reviews from content-area journals, adoption lists from local school districts, and suggestions from the College of Education & Professional Studies faculty to select textbook series.
  2. The Library purchases only annotated teacher editions, which include the student copy as part of the text. In some cases, it may be necessary to purchase supplementary material without which the annotated teacher's edition would be useless (e.g., recordings that accompany a music series).
  3. The Library purchases the student edition along with the teacher edition only when the teacher edition does not include the student copy as part of the text.
  4. The Library purchases only the latest published textbook series.

    Additional materials that may be selected for the Textbooks Collection include:

    1. PreK through 12th grade curriculum guides from the state, regional, and national level;
    2. Comprehensive curriculum guides produced by non-governmental agencies;
    3. Materials that are meant to be used sequentially for classroom instruction;
    4. Sets of instructional materials that include teacher and student editions;

The Library excludes for purchase teacher resource materials, student workbooks and other supplementary materials, which may be a non-essential part of a series. Student editions and accompanying resource materials may be added to the collection if donated or acquired at no additional cost to the Library. Departments may choose to use part of their library allocations for the purchase of additional or supplemental materials associated with a textbook series.

Weeding

(rev. 6/04)

The PreK-12 Textbook Collection shall be periodically examined to determine continued relevance to faculty and student needs. Education faculty involvement will be sought when weeding for discard.


Whitewater Campus

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Andersen Library
750 West Main Street
Whitewater, WI 53190-1790
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Circulation Desk: 262-472-5511
Reference Desk: 262-472-1032

Rock County Campus

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