In collaboration with the wider academic community, the Library has also developed a set of key principles. These 5 principles specifically relate to the development and management of our physical collections - to fully optimise the use of space in the Library whilst ensuring continued access to relevant resources.
1. The Library will continue to grow over time
To effectively support the University’s teaching and research the Library’s collections and services will continue to grow.
The requirement for space for physical resources should be balanced against the space required for learning and scholarship. Accessibility is key - the availability and ease of use of electronic collections will also need to be balanced and considered alongside the need for certain materials to be available in a printed format.
2. Future research needs aren’t always predictable
Research does not exist in isolation; the cycle of research-led teaching means that books used for research are likely to be used for teaching in the future, then back to research given enough time.
The value of a book can’t solely be measured by how often people borrow it.
3. There are different expectations in providing materials for teaching and research
Teaching large cohorts will require simultaneous access to core resources (predominantly online) while research will often require deep reading of more specialist texts arguably better facilitated by print.
4. We will keep unique stock and retain at least one copy of print titles
Duplicates may be removed if they fall within particular criteria.
Moving items to the external store does not mean that we will ultimately dispose of them.
5. The Library and academics work in partnership to understand and develop collection strengths and consider how they align with current and future teaching and research
We recognise that a diverse and inclusive collection is vital to our teaching and research community.
Further information about Library processes which support this policy can be obtained by contacting the Head of Content & Open Research or your Academic Liaison Librarian.