Emphasis on the general collection is placed upon scholarly works reflecting the current curricular needs of all academic programs at Wilkes University. The following general criteria are considered in the decision of purchase or select library resources:
In addition to these general criteria, the following are also considered:
A.Geographic Areas
The primary emphasis of the general collection is on materials from the United States. Materials from other countries supporting the curriculum are selectively acquired and purchased.
B. Languages
The primary emphasis of the general collection is on the English language. Non-English materials supporting the foreign language curriculum are selectively acquired and purchased.
C.Dates of Publication & Currency of Collections
The purchase of current material receives preference over the acquisition of retrospective material. Newly published material is usually less expensive to acquire, and, more importantly, it tends to be the type of material most in demand by faculty and students. Building strong collections of current materials also lessens the need for retrospective collecting in the future. Materials published within the last ten years receive primary consideration. Materials covering earlier periods, including history (especially local history), major theories, and classic works are selectively purchased. All books printed before 1900 will be held by Special Collections. See the Special Collections Collection Development Policy for further guidelines regarding antiquarian material.
D.Textbooks
Textbooks are not regularly purchased for the collection unless there is a collection gap to be filled and the textbook fills this gap. Study guides and materials accompanying textbooks, such as instructor guides and workbooks, are rarely purchased. A faculty member may have textbooks placed on reserve at Circulation. These copies are provided by the faculty member and not by the library.
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The library acquires materials through three main avenues:
Approval Plans: Like many academic libraries, the E.S. Farley Library uses approval plans to assist in building collections. An approval plan is an arrangement by which a wholesaler assumes the responsibility for selecting and supplying all publications fitting a library's collection goals. Materials sent to the E.S. Farley Library through the approval plan are reviewed by the Technical Services Librarian before they are accepted for the collection. The library's primary approval plan brings in scholarly monographs primarily from U.S university presses and U.S. trade publishers.
Approval plans allow the E.S. Farley Library to acquire significant titles in a variety of subject fields quickly and at a discount. For subject areas, publishers, and types of publications where approval plans are not appropriate, the Technical Services Librarian acquires materials by firm ordering.
Firm Orders: Books are also ordered on a title-by-title basis based on librarian judgment as to potential research value and general scholarly use, as informed by faculty and user recommendations, subject knowledge, reviews, publisher sources, curriculum scans, and current events.
User Recommendations: Library users are encouraged to recommend potential acquisitions via the Suggest Book and Audiovisual Purchases form http://wilkes.libguides.com/friendly.php?s=library/faculty/techservices.
A list of new books acquired may be viewed at http://millennium.wilkes.edu/ftlist.
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ProQuest Coutts, YBP, Amazon, and Rittenhouse are the library’s primary book vendors, although any other applicable source may be utilized.
Librarians will also consult subject-specific and standard library reviewing sources when making selection decisions. In addition, librarians will solicit other departmental faculty expertise as a resource for selection and evaluation of the collection. Below is a highly selective list, representative of the many types of selection aids or tools used by library faculty and information specialists. These frequently issued aids are usually evaluative and are used to keep up on forthcoming and currently issued resources.
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The E.S. Farley Library will collect material in any format deemed necessary to meet the curricular and research needs of the University. This may include, but is not limited to, print books, eBooks, microforms, DVDs, audio, charts, maps, realia, streaming media, and any other format as needed. The library provides necessary equipment to use the formats that it collects.
eBooks: The Library also purchases some electronic books as a way to increase accessibility to materials. The decision to buy new books in print or electronic formats is made by the Technical Services Librarian and is informed by student and faculty preferences. Monograph selection criteria outlined within this Policy also applies to the selection of eBooks.
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Greater emphasis is placed on the acquisition of unique material rather than multiple copies of the same title. Multiple copies may be selected based upon the following criteria:
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Collecting new and unique titles is generally preferred to acquiring different editions of items already in the library's collection. However, adding another edition is entirely appropriate if the edition already in the library's collection:
Adding another edition is also appropriate when:
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The E.S. Farley Library’s primary collection development commitment is the acquisition of scholarly materials supporting the University’s teaching and research needs; however, on a limited basis popular reading materials are also acquired. The general collection contains a selective representation of specific popular genres, for example, classics of mystery or American western fiction, and science fiction materials. Requests for specific titles are considered on an individual basis. Titles remain in these collections until either their popularity diminishes or their physical condition deteriorates beyond repair.
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The Osterhout Free Library, the Luzerne County Historical Library and the Corgan Library at King’s College are helpful because of their proximity to the E.S. Farley Library at Wilkes University; these libraries are within walking distance of the E.S. Farley Library. Other public and academic and libraries that are members of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Library Network (NPLN) are also useful resources within the area. Wilkes patrons have direct borrowing privileges with the following libraries: Kings College, Keystone University, Luzerne County Community College, Marywood University, Misericordia University, University of Scranton, and Summit University.
If it is not convenient for a Wilkes patron to go directly to a local library, then the Wilkes-affiliated user can request materials via Interlibrary Loan and borrow the material from another institution for a limited period of time.
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