Collection Goals

• Responding to the curricular and research needs of students, and providing material that helps students broaden viewpoints
• Responding to faculty needs for instructional support and encouraging faculty input to the selection process through a system of discipline liaisons
• Maintaining a collection that provides current material, in a variety of formats, in the subject areas covered by the curriculum
• Providing access to material that we do not own through cooperative buying and interlibrary loan
• Spending funds in a timely fashion as well as showing awareness of financial constraints and fiscal responsibility
• Showing accountability by adherence to the collection policy

Library Faculty and Selection Areas

Faculty members may submit requests for library materials through their departmental Faculty Library Liaison. Generally, most ordering takes place from September to March. Each liaison works with a librarian assigned to the liaison's discipline. Each librarian is responsible for the overall development and management of the collection in their assigned areas.

Collection Policy Guidelines

In adding to the collection, selectors will:
• Assess appropriateness of each new title for supporting the curriculum at UM-Dearborn
• Choose English language material, unless it is appropriate to select foreign language material (e.g., to support the foreign language curriculum)
• Choose current publications, no out-of-print or rare material
• Choose U.S. imprints almost exclusively
• Choose paperbacks rather than hardcovers when available
• Choose e-resources considering these issues:
  • Availability
  • Usage
  • Cost for purchasing simultaneous or multiple user licensing options
  • Program preference and requirements

In addition, selectors should consider the following when choosing a new title:
• A gap in a particular subject area
• Permanence or timeliness of the book
• Positive review evaluations in one or more of the accepted reviewing media
• Student interest, if the subject matter is of a general or contemporary nature
• High standards of quality in content, format, or literary merit
• Author's reputation in the subject field
• Reputation of the publisher
• Cost

Textbook Purchasing Policy

As a general rule, the Mardigian Library does not purchase textbooks for courses offered at UM-Dearborn due to limited funding, frequent edition updates, and limitations from textbook publishers on library acquisition and licensing of their materials. We define a textbook as "an edition of a book specifically intended for the use of students who are enrolled in a course of study or preparing for an examination on a subject or in an academic discipline, as distinct from the trade edition of the same title, sometimes published in conjunction with a workbook, lab manual, and/or teacher's manual." ^[1]

A Library Selector may make an exception, on a case-by-case basis, for a single copy of a physical textbook or for an electronic textbook (either unlimited-user or single-user depending on availability and cost) that provides the only or best coverage of a subject, or when the work itself is of a seminal, historical, or other significant nature. Due to possible high demand, faculty are encouraged to place a physical textbook on Course Reserve to maximize access for students. We do not place e-resources on Course Reserve.

Before considering a textbook for purchase, the Library Selector, in consultation with the requesting faculty member, should follow the process outlined below:

• Determine whether a complimentary copy can be requested by the faculty member from the publisher to be placed on Course Reserve.
• Confirm if any edition of the title is already held in the library’s collection. If so, determine if it is absolutely necessary to purchase a newer edition.
• Review currently available library resources on the topic.
• Consider alternative materials on the subject, including OER sources.

Approved: Library Leadership, July 22, 2020

Material Donations

The Mardigian Library does not accept material donations. Please consider donating to an organization that accepts books such as the AAUW-Dearborn Branch, Better World Books, or your local public library.

PDFs

• Collection Policy