Collection Development Policy

General Criteria 

• Subject matter covered is relevant to the Sam Houston State University curriculum and needs of primary users (students, faculty and staff)
• Appropriate intellectual level, depth of coverage and quality of information for user population
• Reputable, reliable and authoritative producer
• Information and updates are current, accurate and complete
• Electronic format provides greater accessibility to information over other formats (print, microfilm, etc.)
• Uniqueness of information

Formats

• Citation/abstract databases
• Full text article databases
• Full text reference sources online
• Images and multimedia files
• eBooks

Access

Electronic Resources must meet the following criteria:

• Delivery via the web
• Authentication by IP address (rather than passwords or logins)
• Compatibility with the Library's existing proxy server and software

User Friendliness

Electronic resources should adhere to conventional user expectations such as:

• Availability of on-screen help and/or tutorials
• Basic and guided and advanced searching
• Helpful error messages (i.e. an error message that indicates specific problem(s) and provides possible alternatives)
• Ability to print, save, and email results and/or articles

Cost Considerations

• Cost-effectiveness (including the availability and cost of updates and backfiles when appropriate)
• Ability to sustain cost for the foreseeable future
• Potential usage and/or uniqueness of information justifies the cost

Vendor Considerations

• Provides responsive customer service and technical support that is available during library working hours
• Availability and quality of training programs
• Reputation and business record suggests continued support for the product via updates or new versions
• Documentation is thorough and clear

Technical Considerations

• Meets usual and customary technical standards in the industry
• Allows for local customizations via system administration access for the library
• Product is compatible with the Library's existing and/or future hardware
• Product is compliant with standard web browsers if accessible via the web
• Usage statistics are readily available in a user-friendly format (preferably COUNTER compliant)

License Agreements

The Sam Houston State University Newton Gresham Library purchases access to or data from publishers who require signed license agreements. When negotiating license agreements, the Library keeps the interests of the user in mind and refrains from purchasing products where use restrictions would seriously impede research or be impossible to enforce. The NGL Director coordinates the review of license agreements and submits the signed license agreement as part of the ordering procedure. The Library will consult with General Counsel to amend vendor license agreements on a case-by-case basis to ensure use is granted to the fullest extent.

Practice

Individual serial subscriptions will be reviewed annually.

Factors that help selectors identify print journals that are strong candidates for deselection are:

• Usage statistics are consistently low over a significant period of time.
• The product is no longer cost-effective
• The cost to provide access to a title through ILL is significantly lower than the cost to maintain the subscription.
• The content provided is no longer meeting the needs of Sam Houston State University users.
• A competitive or better product becomes available.
• The vendor fails to hold up their end of the agreement and/or provides poor service.
• A product’s price inflates to a point where it is no longer considered affordable.
• The product’s content is found to duplicate content in another eJournal or eJournal package
• If title is widely accessible through aggregator databases
• A new vendor can deliver a superior product, that includes more user-friendly search interface, providing greater and more reliable access at a reasonable cost, or meet other key criteria not being met by current database provider.

Procedures

Electronic Resources Librarian & Electronic Resources Metadata Management Librarian collect usage statistics and title coverage in a decision tool. Tool is distributed to Subject Selectors who make a decision by taking into account the above stated factors and those state in the general Materials Deselection Policy. They identify titles to be canceled and make the ERMM Librarian and/or Head of Acquisitions aware of their decision. Title will then be canceled. 

2017 - performed eJournals Review. Canceled 95 titles and got a dividend of $88,500.00.

Practice

Individual serial subscriptions will be reviewed annually.

Factors that help selectors identify print journals that are strong candidates for deselection are:

• The product is no longer cost-effective
• The cost to provide access to a title through ILL is significantly lower than the cost to maintain the subscription.
• The content provided is no longer meeting the needs of Sam Houston State University users.
• A competitive or better product becomes available.
• The vendor fails to hold up their end of the agreement and/or provides poor service.
• A product’s price inflates such that it no longer is considered affordable.
• If title is widely accessible through electronic resources.
• A new vendor can deliver a superior product, including a more user-friendly search interface, providing greater and more reliable access at a reasonable cost, or meet other key criteria not being met by current database provider.

Procedures

Head of Acquisitions & Electronic Resources Metadata Management Librarian collect title cost and coverage in electronic resources in a decision tool. Tool is distributed to Subject selectors. Selectors make decision taking into account the above stated factors and those state in the general Materials Deselection Policy. They identify titles to be canceled and make ERMM Librarian and/or Head of Acquisitions aware of their decision. Title will then be canceled. 

2016 - performed a comprehensive Print Journal deselection project.

2016 - performed a JSTOR holdings deselection project.

2017 - performed a comprehensive eJournal individual subscription deselection project.

Practice

These materials, along with databases, take the largest proportion of the library’s material budget. Deselection occurs after the consultation of many parties in the library.

Procedure

Deselection candidates are initially identified by an examination of usage statistics and the cost per use metric. If usage is low, the product will be brought before the body of the subject selectors for comment.

After this initial consultation, Subject Selectors whose subject areas are directly affected by the cancelation of the resource will be individually consulted to allow for communication with the faculty in this area and to give time to consider reasons for retaining a resource. Once consent is obtained from these Subject Selectors, a final email will allow all subject selectors to raise any final concerns. After this final communication, Acquisitions will proceed to cancel resource.

If budgetary distress forces the consideration of the cancelation of well used products, the Subject Selectors will be convened with library administration to examine usage statistics, department support levels, accreditation information, and other pertinent data to select candidates for deselection.