This policy provides a framework for the maintenance and development of the University Library’s collections and provides information on how the University of Wolverhampton acquires, manages, reviews and develops its collection of research, learning and teaching resources.

The purpose of this policy is to support the library in:

• Facilitating excellence in learning, teaching and research by ensuring that collections meet the needs of staff and students,
• Supporting an inclusive, diverse and multicultural community,
• Effective management, discovery and access to high quality information resources,
• Prioritising budget allocation to deliver best value to the institution.

 This policy should be read in conjunction with the Reading Lists Policy and Procedures which can be located here: WLV Policies - University of Wolverhampton.

This policy relates to the collections of printed materials made available at all university of Wolverhampton campus libraries, as well as the collections of electronic books, journals, databases and other material made available remotely to university members as part of library provision (Library Home - University of Wolverhampton (wlv.ac.uk).

 This policy describes both the operational management carried out by the University library as well as its broader aims for the collection. Queries or complaints regarding this policy can in the first instance be addressed to the policy owner: Luke Fowler - Head of Content, Digital and Research Support (Luke.Fowler@wlv.ac.uk).

The implementation of this policy is in accordance with the University’s core values which are to be:

• Ethical
• Respectful
• Transparent
• Inclusive and fair
• Challenging
• Confident
• Collaborative
• Professional

The Library Collection Management Group will regularly review the policy to respond to changes in the academic portfolio, the University’s strategic aims and the changing information resources environment.

Faculties and Library staff roles/responsibilities

The Library Responsibility includes:

• Management of the University budget for Library and Learning Resources
• Selection and curation of resources that respond to university priorities within available means
• Management of the authentication, metadata, presentation and discoverability of library resources
• Ensuring the university receives best value through negotiation with suppliers and appropriate use of procurement and sector agreements
• Consulting with faculties and academic leads in order to maintain accurate awareness of university

learning resource requirements

• Advising on best use of available resources as well as new developments and new areas of demand and investment
• Representing the university on relevant sector working groups, negotiations and consortia

Faculties’ Responsibilities include:

• Including the library during course and programme validation, reviews, changes and developments
• Engaging with the library on consultations relating to learning resources
• Regularly updating citations in Leganto and course reading requirements
• Remaining open to alternate resource use where appropriate

5.1 Budget Management

The Library’s information resources budget is set annually in conjunction with the wider institutional finance processes and priorities. In the absence of more substantial budget challenges, the general order of fund allocation of library budgets is as follows:

• Recurrent expenditure on subscriptions for databases, journals and e-book collections,
• Individual books/items cited on module reading lists,
• Document delivery and digitisation,
• Student and academic title requests,
• Wider collection development

5.2 Rationale and Context

Except for one-time-purchases of books, the vast majority of the Library’s collection of digital resources are maintained via subscriptions to databases, periodicals and journal title packages. Though they deliver good monetary value to the institution, these resources often require a high level of investment and/or are managed through complex nationally negotiated publisher agreements facilitated by partners such as Jisc.

 These deals often cross multiple financial and academic years and by their nature are not easy to opt in or out of without significant changes to our collections and disruption to student, lecturer and researcher experiences. For these reasons the library intends to forecast and ringfence these resources at the outset of the academic year.

 Alongside the above complexity, these subscription agreements typically incur a year-on-year increase in renewal price averaging between 3-5% across the collection, or significantly more where there is a change to student numbers or delivery.

For this reason, in order to maintain our core collection of resources, the library requires an annual uplift to match this rate of inflation. If this uplift is not possible, it will represent a real terms cut to the library budget.

 The nature of subscription content makes it infeasible to make short term savings from, and the result is any unfunded cost increases will directly impact the library’s ability to purchase essential reading list books for our taught students in the current year, and then subsequently result in the removal of subscription packages in following years.

6.1 Principles of Collection Development

The Library aims to develop our collections by means which ensure we:

• Support and enhance learning, teaching and research activity within the University,
• Provide access to a broad range of high-quality content,
• Reflect an e-first approach which is scalable, responsive, and resilient,
• Maintain a print collection which contributes to the campus learning environment,
• License content under terms which meet university requirements and support our off campus and partner students,
• Represent our diverse range of users and stakeholders, prioritising inclusivity and accessibility,
• Seek collaboration and cocreation with stakeholders,
• Support access to research and information through external access schemes,
• Support the shift to an improved Open Access and Open Research environment,
• Make use of responsible and ethical procurement activity,
• Deliver best value through use of sector frameworks and agreements,
• Contribute to sector negotiations and collective bargaining which benefit the wider HE and Library

6.2 Collection Maintenance

 To support the above principles, the Library will ensure the following maintenance activity:

• Ongoing review and withdrawal processes to assess collections performance and relevance,
• Provision of a single point of discovery through an accurate and indexed catalogue,
• Trial and adoption of new methods of acquisition to support best value,
• Maintain updated departmental knowledge in licensing and copyright practices.

It is essential for faculties and the University Library to work as partners in the planning and development of reading list requirements, particularly for new courses/modules. The university validation process for new modules and programmes of study requires consultation and approval with the library to ensure that resources are available to support new courses/modules. In addition, consideration should be given to the cost and currency of the resources recommended.

7.1 Principles of Selection

Selection of material for the University Library collections is done in partnership with the academic community, to ensure the collection is relevant to current and planned teaching and research.

 The Library will prioritise access to cross curricular package content, which provides broad access to scholarly works in the university’s key fields of study, supporting:

• Access to a range of resources which can serve to support changing provision(s) without further investment,
• Independent learning by giving students access to subject content beyond their reading

 The Library will liaise with academics during validation processes, and where significant investment in new resources is required, this will require an uplift to budget which the Library will make a case for during annual budget setting processes. Where this funding is not available, the Library will work with faculties to identify where economies on other content can be made to offset new investment.

 Purchase of electronic resources will be assessed on a range of licence and technical suitability criteria before being adopted, these include but are not limited to:

• Site/geographic coverage,
• Permitted user terms,
• Simultaneous user access permissions,
• Accessibility and user support features,
• Authentication methods,
• Contractual risk, liability and indemnity,
• Suitability of opt-out and renewal options,
• Compliance with Data Protection and Information Security policies,
• Ability to be discoverable in Library Search and/or Reading Lists
• Multi-year pricing models and annual increases,
• Supply times, workflows, post-cancellation content

7.1.1   Inclusivity in selection

The University Library is committed to providing an inclusive learning space and collection, which represents the wide diversity of identities and experiences of our student and academic community. Alongside the Reading List policy, which encourages academics to consider diversity of sources cited within their key module readings, the library aims to source a diversity of material in its wider collection development activities, including:

• Proactively considering the range of voices represented in regular stock development ordering,
• Supporting key awareness campaigns and calendar dates with funding for new stock,
• Working in collaboration with the university Belonging and Inclusivity teams, as well as staff and student networks and societies, to source representative and diverse stock suggestions relevant to our

  7.2  Reading List Materials

• Full details on Reading List provisions are included in the University Reading List Policy, which can be located here: WLV Policies – University of Wolverhampton.
• The library will provide access to items on reading lists in order to meet course requirements as agreed at validation, subject reviews and module guide updates. Module Leaders are responsible for providing and updating reading lists as per the University Reading List Policy.

7.3  Books

 The University Library will aim to proactively purchase the latest English language editions of titles and will discard older editions where they may include misleading or outdated information, unless there are explicit reasons for doing otherwise. Publisher reporting on new editions can be unreliable, so responsibility for editions checking is an activity to be shared between Librarians and Module Leaders.

 The Library procures most books through the national Southern Universities Purchasing Consortia (SUPC) led books framework agreement. This allows the library to make use of multiple suppliers to ensure best title coverage, value to the institution, quality service standards and supplier accountability.

7.3.1   Electronic Books (eBooks)

As part of its “e-first” principle the Library will purchase electronic copies of books whenever available. This enables us to support:

• Scale of simultaneous student access,
• Enhanced accessibility features,
• Remote access to essential reading,
• Minimal reservation and waiting

eBooks are only available to libraries on licences dictated by publishers. Where there is an “unlimited” access licence available and within budget, this will always be prioritised. Where single and multi-user licences are the only option, these will be purchased to meet demand.

7.3.2  Printed Books

Titles on reading lists will generally only be provided in print where eBook access is not available due to licence restrictions, prohibitive costs or unsuitable digital quality. Where eBooks are not available, print books will be purchased in ratios illustrated in the Reading List Policy.

 Print collections outside of reading lists can be a cost-effective way of widening book title collections and serve as part of the campus learning experience and environment.

 Many specialist titles and those from small publishers, as well as books from certain subject areas, may still only be available in print or have sound pedagogical reasons for being provided in print. The library will as such review and invest in its print collections on an ongoing basis, however this is heavily dependent on the wider budget environment and priorities.

7.4 Journals, Databases and Subscription Content

• The Library provides access to both journals and databases electronically wherever possible,
• Print runs of journals will be replaced with e-journals where the e-journal replicates the print version fully, and is affordable and appropriately licensed,
• Where new subscriptions are requested, unless the library can secure additional budget, it is expected that existing subscriptions of the same or similar value will be cancelled in order to stay in budget,
• Decisions on whether to subscribe to new journals or databases are based on factors including potential use for teaching and research, cost and evidence of demand through inter-library loans,
• Preference will be given to journal titles that are available via electronic journal packages.

7.4.1  Open Access Content

The Library is dedicated to supporting a transition to full open access. To support this aspiration, the Library will seek where possible to engage with “Read and Publish” or transitional publisher deals that use subscription funds to pay for reader access plus the opportunity for university affiliated authors to publish accepted articles using a gold open access route.

 The Library also actively participates in other sector negotiations, working groups and consultations which aim to move paywalled content into the Open environment for the benefit of University of Wolverhampton and the wider scholarly community. This includes supporting initiatives, workstreams and intermediaries which facilitate content being created or moved to Open models.

  7.5 Faculty Funded Resources

There may be some high-cost resources, identified through consultation with Faculties and Research Centres/Institutes, which cannot be paid for from existing library budgets. These may be funded by the Faculty or Research Centres/Institutes but with discovery and access managed by the Library.

 This is a helpful but short-term solution while increasing ongoing budgets into the Library and needs to be mutually agreed between the Library and faculty on a case-by-case basis with set periods of review.

7.6  Gifts and Donations

The University Library does not routinely accept gifts of books, journals and other materials unless they fill a significant gap in existing collections and support the research and teaching of the university.

 Those wishing to make donations to the Library should seek advice in advance from the relevant Liaison Librarian who will be able to make an assessment of the material in context of our collections. Once accepted as a donation, the Library reserves the right to manage and dispose of items in line with Sections 9.2 and 9.3 below.

7.7 Lost Items and Replacements

If an item is lost or damaged, and the previous usage justifies this, the Library will try to provide a replacement or supply requests for lost items through inter-library loan

Where a library user loses an item, the Library may ask them to provide a replacement or pay the cost of replacement.

7.8  Digitisation and Document Delivery

There are various options for converting extracts of print material into digital format, or seeking rights cleared extracts in a digital format from other libraries.

 Academic staff are encouraged to consider using the University Library’s digitisation service as a means of making chapters and articles available for greater accessibility.

 The Library will ensure all digitisation it undertakes adheres to the terms of the CLA (Copyright Licensing Agency) licence. Where no more than 10% or a single chapter of a book is required for a reading list, digitisation for inclusion on the reading list is preferred over the purchase of multiple copies of the book.

 Where the Library does not hold books or journal articles required for research or study, it will seek to acquire a copy and will choose the most cost-effective route to meet the user’s needs, including using ‘Inter-Library Loans’.

 There is a cost to obtaining copies from other libraries and the Library may place limits or charges on the use of this service to stay within the budget.

8.1 Library Search and Content Discovery

To support ease of access all library resources will, wherever possible, be indexed and made discoverable via Library Search to support a “single search” experience for first point of discovery.

 Advanced search functionality as well as database specific searching will be maintained alongside this to support more advanced and subject specific search requirements.

8.2   Accessibility

User accessibility features will be a factor for the purchase/renewal of a resource and the library will seek to hold suppliers accountable to the current web accessibility standard at the point of purchase. Where a resource such as an eBook or database is available on more than one platform the Library may base a decision to purchase a particular platform on the basis of accessibility features.

 The Library offers an accessible copy service where additional accessibility requirements may be required to support individual students, please refer to the library webpage for further information: Library Accessibility

8.3   Licence Restrictions

Though the Library seeks to minimise such cases, the University is bound by licensing agreements for some electronic resources which may restrict access for certain categories of students and staff and/or from certain geographical locations.

 Information on individual resource licensing is visible in the A-Z of resources and further advice can be sought from faculty Liaison Librarians.

University Library collections are reviewed for currency and relevance. Usage data is utilised to inform decisions about the removal of resources as well as targeting development and investment in specific subject collections.

9.1   Monitoring Usage

The Library will collect statistics annually to monitor usage of books, journals and databases. The Library may use these metrics to inform future purchases, better promotion, and cancellations or withdrawal of items.

 E-resource vendors that can provide COUNTER-compliant usage statistics are preferred.

9.2    Withdrawals

The Library will maintain a collection that is relevant and supports current teaching and research. Collection editing is undertaken on a regular basis, and items are evaluated according to the following criteria:

• Usage levels,
• Inclusion on reading lists,
• Relevance to current curriculum,
• Relevance to current research interests,
• Currency of edition,
• Physical condition,
• Alternate electronic availability,
• Restrictions on use of electronic copies,
• Cost versus alternative provision,
• Duplication of content between

 All journal and database subscriptions are subject to regular review. Subscriptions with low usage or high ‘cost- per-use’ may be cancelled. This process will involve discussions between the library and faculty. Where there may be cross-faculty interest this will be taken into consideration.

9.3 Disposal

Withdrawn items will be disposed of in one of the following ways, as appropriate:

• Via a third party that supports global literacy programmes,
• Recycled according to the University

The University Library will negotiate and implement supplier service standards to ensure that resources are acquired in an economically viable and timely manner. Suppliers are monitored to ensure their services meet the criteria provided in service level agreements.

 Though the Library seeks to minimise such cases, the University is bound by licensing agreements for some electronic resources which may restrict access for certain categories of students and staff and/or from certain geographical locations.

 Information on individual resource licensing is visible in the A-Z of resources and further advice can be sought from faculty Liaison Librarians.  

10.1 Digital Preservation

The University Library does not currently have an in-house solution for digital preservation of content. Long- term preservation of electronic content is generally the responsibility of the content supplier and long- term/archive access is included in contracts wherever possible to support future access and business continuity.

The University Library takes sustainability in our operations seriously. Although the management of a large collection of print and electronic learning resources is a complex matter, including numerous international agencies, hosts and vendors, the Library takes positive steps to minimise its environmental impact while also seeking cost effective access to materials, including:

• Favouring frameworks which assess suppliers against Responsible Procurement criteria,
• Wherever possible, disposing of  books through  responsible used                     book vendors including Better world Books (www.Betterworldbooks.com),
• Where the above is not possible, ensuring withdrawn material is either reused in-house by the university or recycled via appropriate corporate recycling contracts.

12.1  Special Collections

As part of responsible management of our collections, the Library will work with faculty colleagues to identify where material (or collections of materials) may be of particular academic or institutional value due to factors such as:

• Specialist subject matter,
• Rarity or scarcity of access,
• Value as a set of inter-related publications,
• Specific relevance to the history, outputs and activity of the university as an

 Where such material is identified, the Library will aim to manage these items in a way which recognises their value, for example:

•  Defining at collection and item levels the nature and benefit of the material,
• Publishing holdings of said collections on the institutional website and our catalogue,
• Publishing a management and retention practice statement for each collection,
• Liaising with relevant faculty leads on the promotion and use of collections,
• Where additional archival/digitisation/conservation is required, advising the institution on alternate solutions to house materials.

 The Library will also give due consideration to creating new collections of materials which may fall under this banner where it is relevant to the current activity of the university. Requests to donate or create new collections should be proposed in the first instance to the relevant Liaison Librarian for the subject area.

12.2 University Archives

It is important to note that at present the University Library has no archival standard facilities or funding to complete specialised archival or conservation activity.

 The University Library does however lead on a collaborative arrangement with the Wolverhampton City Council Archive service whereby items significant to the history, development and operations of the University may be deposited at the City Archives.

 The City Archives service is better able to provide suitable long-term preservation and conservation of material. The University archive material will remain accessible to alumni, researchers and the public through free access through the City Archives.

 The University Library can liaise with internal and external stakeholders who may approach the University with potential donations of archival material and can advise on its suitability for deposit at the City Archives.

The University Library promotes user access to other libraries through collaborative schemes such as SCONUL Access Scheme and the Inter-Library Loan service. These services connect students and academic colleagues with resources from other participating libraries, enhancing the range of materials made available for study and research.

 Guidance and support can be located below:

• Visitors, SCONUL and using other libraries,
• Inter-Library Loans.

 The Library maintains membership to relevant professional and sector organisations to support the future development of our service. This includes key regional and national consortia such as the Mercian Collaboration, MUAL Consortia (Midlands University Academic Libraries), FIL (Forum for Interlending) and SCONUL. The Library also contributes actively to sector negotiation through third party organisations such as JISC in order to represent the interests of Wolverhampton as an institution in national issues.

The University Library’s Collection Management and Development Policy sits alongside other inter-related policies including the following:

• Reading List Policy
• Copyright Statement
• Open Access Publications Policy

This policy is issued and regularly reviewed by the University Library Collection Management Group chaired by the library Head of Content , Digital and Research Support .

 If you have additional queries about the content of this policy or need support in accessing or requesting library materials please contact your faculty liaison librarian in the first instance, either directly or via LISliaison@wlv.ac.uk

 For general policy queries, please contact the University Corporate Compliance Team via email: compliance@wlv.ac.uk.