Last Updated 6/2019
The Roosevelt University Library Collection Development Policy sets forth the principles which guide the selection, evaluation, and deselection of Library resources. The purpose of this policy is to provide a written statement of the Library's objectives in building its collection in order to provide guidance to librarians in developing a collection that best furthers the goals of the Library and the mission of the University. By defining the reasons for collecting or not collecting certain types of resources, in relation to the needs of the various academic programs on campus, this policy provides solid guidelines to be referred to by librarians when making individual decisions. It is also the purpose of this policy to communicate these objectives and guidelines clearly to all members of the University community, including Library staff, faculty, students, administrators, and others, in order to foster a clear understanding of the current nature of the Library and to aid in planning the future development of its resources.
Roosevelt University is a metropolitan university with campuses in both downtown Chicago and suburban Schaumburg. The University offers distance education classes over the Internet and in some cases provides dual degree programs with other universities.
The university consists of six colleges:
The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees. In addition it offers various certificate and non-credit courses.
The clientele served by the Library consists of all students actively enrolled in the university, alumni, and all faculty members and staff employed by the university. The Roosevelt student body is a diverse group, consisting of a cross-section of people of different ages, races, genders and nationalities. The university employs over 200 full-time tenured faculty members as well as a considerable number of part-time adjunct instructors. A large number of support staff at the administrative and clerical levels are also employed by the university.
In addition to this local community, the Library serves several larger communities through its affiliations with various consortia and state and national organizations. The largest consortium the Library is part of is CARLI (Consortium of Research Libraries in Illinois).
The Roosevelt University Library enhances student success and lifelong learning by providing access to quality resources that support the curriculum and by teaching users to appropriately and effectively locate, evaluate and use information.
Responsibility for the selection of library materials is shared between the librarians and the faculty. However, the ultimate responsibility for materials selection and the development of a strong collection rests with the Director of Libraries. While faculty members are experts in their particular field, the library staff is better placed to maintain the balance of the collection across all subject areas. The establishment of effective two-way communication channels between the librarians and the faculty is essential for successful collection development.
The Director of Libraries has overall responsibility for development of the Library’s collections. This responsibility is delegated to the rest of the professional library staff who are assigned one or more of the subject areas or overall college(s) that comprise the University’s curriculum. Each library selector serves as the primary library contact for faculty members in their assigned colleges, frequently sending them information about recent publications in their field.
The Collection Development Committee consists of all full-time librarians.
The committee is charged with making recommendations to the Director of Libraries on all matters pertaining to library collection development, including:
The Collection Development Committee operates with the understanding that its overall professional responsibility is to plan and maintain a balanced collection based on sound selection principles within budget. The committee recommends policy (including an annual review of the collection development policy) and develops and reviews collection development processes. Various ad hoc subcommittees may be formed as needed.
Library selectors are expected to recommend purchases that reflect the needs of all course offerings in their subject area or college, and which supports the curriculum (on all levels), as well as the educational mission of the University. In addition, library selectors are asked to encourage the active participation of all the members of their assigned department(s), college(s) or program(s) in the selection process.
The library selectors are also asked to work closely with their college faculty by sharing information about:
In general, requests for new purchases by faculty members should be submitted to the library through the library selector designated for the specific college or via the “suggest a purchase” form on the Library’s website. Faculty suggestions for purchases can also be made via email to their librarian or the Library Director. If offered, faculty may also use the Library’s Demand Driven Acquisition program for title purchases. These recommendations will be reviewed by the library selector for the appropriate college. The Library Director reserves the right to refuse a recommendation for budgetary reasons or failure to meet the general selection criteria.
Students and staff are encouraged to submit requests for items that they would like to see added to the collection. Student and staff suggestions for purchases can also be made via email to a librarian or the Library Director as well as the “suggest a purchase” form on the Library’s website. If offered, students may also use the Library’s Demand Driven Acquisition program for title purchases. These recommendations will be reviewed by the library selector for the appropriate subject. The Library Director reserves the right to refuse a recommendation for budgetary reasons or failure to meet the general selection criteria. Whenever students or staff members have identified themselves on their request, they will be informed of the status of their request by the appropriate library selector.
In general, to prevent dilution of the Library's fiscal resources, duplicate copies of circulating books will not be purchased. Exceptions may be made for certain titles that exhibit heavy or continual use or for large university or library events such as the American Dream Conference or the One Book, One, University program.
Since the university is a multi-campus institution, judicious duplication of titles, whether journals, books or other materials, may be necessary in order to serve the communities at all university locations. Library patrons are highly encouraged to use the consortium catalog for unavailable items.
In fulfillment of its mission, the Library aims to provide access to resources of the highest possible quality. The Library does not attempt to amass vast collections of all possible materials on all possible subjects. Rather, it obtains the most useful sources of information available on topics of demonstrable relevance to the mission of the University. Though quantity is important (for the collection must be large enough to support the needs of our student body, faculty, etc.), it is the quality of the collection that matters most.
The major responsibility of the Library is to support the curriculum of the University by obtaining the materials needed by students in its undergraduate and graduate programs. Because more extensive research is required on the graduate level, research materials of greater depth are obtained in those fields where graduate degrees are awarded. The Library also obtains materials needed to support faculty teaching in all programs offered by the University. Materials required solely for the personal research needs of individual faculty members may be obtained to a limited degree; careful consideration will be given to the relationship of the materials to the curriculum, their expense, the likelihood that they will be of any future use as permanent additions to the Library's collection, and their availability elsewhere. As the Chicago metropolitan area is one of the richest regions in the world, it is expected that many faculty research needs will be met through use of partner libraries’ collections either through our agreements with other I-Share academic libraries or through interlibrary loan.
In recognition of its role as a general cultural resource for the campus community, and its duty to provide for the well-rounded education of its students by giving them access to all the significant works of human thought and achievement, the Library collects materials representing diverse cultural traditions. In addition, the Library selects some materials which are outside the scope of the University's curriculum. Such materials are chosen very selectively; the primary consideration being their value as an introduction to an important area of human endeavor.
Each library department may develop their own collection criteria for special collections or other resources but cannot supersede these guidelines. All collection development criteria developed beyond this policy must be approved by the University Library Director.
The following general criteria are considered in the selection of materials:
Review sources from professional journals will often be consulted for information about books which are being considered for purchase.
The Library Director along with the Technical Services & Collections Librarian is responsible for the purchase of selected materials and the financial management of the Library’s book budget. The Technical Services & Collections librarian will order material in a timely manner, giving priority to DDA requests. The Library will order most materials at a discount from a book vendor, but will order direct from publishers when not available through a vendor. The Library will purchase materials based on the best discount, the quickest delivery time, and the quickest method.
The Library selectors may order from outside vendors under the following conditions:
While the library is grateful to be considered as a gift repository, gifts are carefully evaluated for their potential usefulness to the mission of the Library; they must primarily support the university curriculum or archives. Currency and good condition of gifts are paramount in gift acceptance. Donors are asked to submit a list of gift materials including titles and publication dates for library donations or a deed of gift for the University Archives. The University also has a gift & donation policy the Library must adhere to. All large gifts and non-book donations must be approved by the Library Director or Archivist for the archives.
Additional criteria for gifts retention are as follows:
The Performing Arts Library will accept gifts only after careful evaluation for their potential usefulness to the mission of the library, and they must primarily support the university curriculum. All materials accepted as a gift will become property of the library. The following restrictions apply:
For further information, please call Thom Jencks, Performing Arts Librarian at (312) 341-3648.
For further information, please call Laura Mills, University Archivist,
at (312) 341-2280.
To inquire about donations (except for music, theatre and archives gifts) please call Sue Dutler, Director of Libraries, at (312) 341-3643.
For reasons of economy, the paperback edition will be purchased in preference to the hardback edition whenever possible. Mylar coatings are added to most paperbacks purchased to improve durability. If a paperback edition is not available, then a hardback edition will be purchased. Exceptions may include: classics, collected or major works, popular subjects which will get continued use and require durability, and oversized or very thick books whose bindings can easily break. Dust jackets will be kept on hardcover books. Poly covers will be placed on dust jackets for longer durability. However, damaged dust jackets from gifts, donations or from shipping may be discarded.
The Library will primarily collect materials published in the English language. The Performing Arts Library will acquire curriculum significant materials published in other major European languages. Other appropriate materials will be collected in those languages which are offered as majors or minors.
All materials put on reserve must comply with the regulations set out in the Copyright Law, Title 17, U.S. Code. It is the responsibility of faculty members to acquaint themselves with the copyright law, since, under the law, anyone copying materials is liable for what is copied. The Library is responsible for monitoring copyright compliance of Reserves materials and, as such, has outlined the following guidelines for both printed and electronic documents which must be adhered to (materials that do not adhere to these rules will be refused):
For the purposes of this document, copyrighted works include all print, electronic, online, and audiovisual content that is subject to copyright protection. When in doubt, assume a work is under copyright protection and permission is necessary for use. Certain content is not subject to copyright protection including:
Fair use is encompassed within Section 107 of Copyright Law that provides criteria of limited use of copyrighted materials for the purposes of teaching, learning, scholarship, criticism, commentary and research.
The four factors that determine fair use or when permission is necessary are as follows:
Before placing materials on reserves or using material in the classroom, instructors should determine if their intended use of that material falls under fair use. Because fair use analysis depends on the particular contexts of the intended use, there are no hard-and-fast rules for which materials, how many pages, or what situations are or are not fair use.
There are many tools designed to help you think through fair use when you are planning a curriculum. [http://librarycopyright.net/resources/fairuse/index.php]
Materials may be placed on print or electronic reserve through the Roosevelt University Library.
Items that may be placed on reserve:
Items that may not be placed on reserve:
The Roosevelt University Library can assist faculty and staff with digitizing print or analog content for e-reserves and other coursework. However, library staff must comply with Copyright Laws. Below is a general list of materials the library can digitize for e-reserves without obtaining permission from copyright holders:
Materials RU Library can digitize for eReserves:
Permission must be sought from the copyright holder when:
Library staff will work with faculty to obtain permission from publishers, distributors and other copyright holders on items. However, it is the responsibility of the faculty member or department to pay for permission fees when they apply.
Questions about copyright, Fair Use or reserves may be addressed to the Roosevelt University Library Director.
TIME FRAME FOR RESERVES
Books: Generally, the Library needs six weeks’ notice in order to process Reserves materials. If books are checked out, they need to be recalled. If the Library doesn't own books they will have to be bought; this takes at least a month. If the book is in-house, the reserve processing time is within 1-24 hours except on weekends.
Articles: Faculty must submit their photocopied articles for Reserves to the Library two weeks before the items need to appear on Reserve.
RESERVE FORMS
Reserve forms must be filled out in full by the faculty member and submitted along with their materials to the Circulation Desk at whichever library location is nearest to the class being taught. A printed copy of the reserve form can be accessed on the Library’s website.
LIBRARY RESERVES ACCESS POLICY
Materials are put on reserve in the Library, at the request of a faculty member, for those Roosevelt students registered in the faculty member's class. The intention is to set aside particular materials on a restrictive basis for the faculty member's students so that they can be assured continued access to the materials. As soon as the class is over the reserve materials are put back into the regular collections where they can be accessed by anyone.
Reserve materials cannot be borrowed by other libraries or by students from other institutions. This is in accordance with the statement in Section V (D) of the ILLINET Online Library Resources Sharing Code. It is standard reserves policy in libraries that each institutional library provide its own reserve materials for its students.
Electronic reserves materials are password protected and may only be accessed by students in the respective courses.
Because of the large cost that would be incurred, the Library will only purchase copies of textbooks required for currently offered courses at faculty request. Please allow three to five weeks for textbooks to be ready when the Library needs to purchase the item. All textbooks will be placed on reserve for equal access for all stakeholders.
Audio materials are purchased for the general collection when requested by faculty, for university or library events, or when merited for university curriculum.
The circulation desks at all library locations will place faculty members' personal copies of audio materials on reserve for classes. However, the Library has only minimal equipment available for listening to these materials.
The library currently collects only one copy of those children's books which are selected as the Caldecott and Newbery award winners each year. Other children’s books are acquired at faculty request, for university or library events/programs, or when merited for university curriculum.
Computer software will not be purchased by the Library for circulation, except in those cases where a CD is incidentally packaged and sold as part of a book.
In addition to the General Selection Criteria, the following additional criteria apply to the selection of journals:
Single issues of journals will not be permanently added to the collection. If a single issue of a journal is required for a course, it will be housed temporarily in the Reserves collection.
Donations of personal subscriptions of journals will not be accepted to replace a current subscription or to add a new title. Experience has shown that despite the best of intentions, such donations are not received by the Library in a timely and reliable manner.
Electronic access to the full-text of journal and newspaper articles will be provided largely through subscriptions to aggregated journal or newspaper databases, whether supplied at no cost through state grants or purchased with library funds. For those purchased with library funds, preference will be given to those databases which can be purchased at reduced cost through participation in consortia arrangements. The overlap of titles with current database subscriptions will be considered before a new database subscription is purchased. After purchase, usage statistics will be used to help determine whether subscriptions should be renewed. Price increases will also be factored in to renewal decisions.
The Library no longer collects microforms. Exceptions can be made on case by case bases and must be approved the Library Director.
All dissertations and theses completed in Fall 2007 or later will be submitted electronically through the student’s department. The department faculty chair will provide one unbound paper copy to the Roosevelt University Archives. This copy can be accessed by contacting the University Archivist.
Online access to dissertations and theses produced from 1997 to present is available via the Dissertations and Theses @Roosevelt University database.
One bound copy of past dissertations and theses, produced by university students from 1952 through August 2007, is housed in the Schaumburg Campus archives. These are bound archival copies for in-library use only.
The Performing Arts Library will continue to collect one print copy of all music theses and dissertations that are musical compositions.
Visual materials such as DVDs are purchased for the general collection when requested by faculty, for university or library events/programs, or when merited for university curriculum.
The Library subscribes to a Demand Driven Acquisitions (DDA) model as part of these collection development guidelines. A library vendor imports purchase request records into the Library’s catalog that will inform the patron that the item can be purchased and available in 3-5 business days. All materials will be ordered rush to meet the deadline. All items acquired by this method will be fully processed and cataloged before handed to the patron. Library staff are highly discouraged to develop their collections through DDA as costs for processing and shipping are more expensive. Exceptions must be approved by the Library Director.
The Center for New Deal Studies holds a wealth of information on the New Deal. These include one of the largest book collections in the Midwest, a growing archival collection, the Ephemera Collections, New Deal Films and Videos, and photographs.
The book collection covers the Great Depression, New Deal, and World War II home front, including government source materials, memoirs, economic studies, periodicals, WPA studies, novels, propaganda, art and photography.
There is also a growing archival collection of miscellany, including contemporary magazines and publications, sheet music, and unpublished studies of the New Deal.
The Center holds some 5,000 artifacts related to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. These include plaques, busts, political buttons, campaign textiles, toys, dolls, glass and tinware, china, paintings, and other artifacts.
This collection is not formally a part of the Roosevelt Library's collection, although it is administered by the Library staff and print items in the collection are cataloged in the Library's online book catalog. The Center for New Deal Studies has its own separate Director, Advisory Board and budget. See the Center for New Deal Studies' Web site for more information on its programs, services and governance.
All policy decisions about future additions to this collection are determined by the Center and its Director and Advisory Board.
The photographs, items of memorabilia, and personal papers were gifts. The Center is not making any new purchases in these areas, though additional gifts are welcomed. Audiovisual materials, such as videos, are purchased on a case-by-case basis. The Center is not currently purchasing anything along these lines.
The only area of the collection in which purchases are being made is books. The Center attempts to be inclusive in buying new books on the New Deal and purchases many titles dealing with FDR and Eleanor Roosevelt. The Center has also been purchasing Works Progress Administration (WPA) documents from second-hand book dealers.
The Roosevelt University Archives collects materials related to Roosevelt University, its faculty, staff, students, and alumni, and its predecessor or related institutions and facilities (including, but not limited to Central YMCA College, the Chicago Musical College, and the Auditorium Building and Theater).
Reflecting the history and mission of Roosevelt University of establishing a historic stance against discrimination and a commitment to social justice activism, the archives collects materials relating to social justice.
The archives collects materials relating to United States labor history, a reflection of the significant support and donations received from national and local union and labor executives that contributed to the financial establishment of the university and the architectural renovations of the Auditorium Building for the library.
The archives also collects materials related to the New Deal, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, and the CND houses the collections of the Center for New Deal Studies.
Formats may include documents, books and publications, still images, moving images, sound recordings, artifacts, or electronic or digital records.
Special Collections refers to publications of a monographic nature (i.e. books) that meet the criteria above, including, but not limited to faculty publications, alumni publications, publications that are part of a larger archival collection, and individual books that meet the criteria.
The Performing Arts Library will endeavor to collect materials related to the Chicago College of Performing Arts - faculty members and students. The Performing Arts Library collects western art music of all periods, jazz of all styles and periods, selective materials on blues, and world music of the United Sates, selective materials on music of non-Western cultures, and very selective materials on popular music.
The Performing Arts Library will also will also collect drama history and criticism, history of world theatre, technical theatre (set design, lighting, stagecraft, production management), costume history and design, acting, directing, playwriting, and selective theater materials theatre of non-Western culture coverage as required or requested. Rare books and scores may be purchased very selectively to supplement the existing collection.
Selective materials on dance history and criticism, biography of dancers and choreographers will also be considered for the Performing Arts Library.
The Library will collect one donated copy of faculty authored books for the University Archives which meet the following criteria:
A second donated copy of faculty-authored books will be placed in the general circulating collection if they meet the general selection criteria. The Library on the Chicago campus will have a running display of faculty-authored books.
The purpose of the Roosevelt University Library's reference collections is to provide students and faculty with the information necessary to fill specific research needs. This information may be located in either print or electronic resources. While reference collections are intended to serve the curriculum needs of the students and faculty, they also serve the general reference needs of the entire university community. As such, these collections must consist of a broad variety of reference tools that enable the reference staff to answer questions accurately and efficiently. Roosevelt University Library's print reference materials are housed at three locations: the Murray Green Library at the Chicago Campus, Performing Arts Library, and the Robin Campus Library at the Schaumburg Campus.
English is the preferred language. Materials in other languages, such as foreign language dictionaries, will be selected if the curriculum requires them.
The collections will be kept as up-to-date as the budget allows. Currently published material has priority over retrospective materials. While the collection focuses on works of current practice and research, classic works will be selected and retained.
Selection of materials is not geographically based, but rather based on subject matter. There is a slight emphasis on materials published in and concerned with the United States.
The format in which a reference work is purchased is determined by availability, accessibility by the largest number of library users, demand, and cost. Preference will be given to Web accessible products, especially if remote access is available, as they can usually provide access by the largest number of users. If multiple formats are available, consideration will be given to canceling the print edition. If an electronic version replaces the print version, the electronic product should cover the equivalent information found in the print version. Electronic resources can only be acquired if the Library owns or can acquire the software and hardware required.
The reference collections will be equally distributed at each campus, but program strengths at each campus may be reflected in the collections. Redundancy will be avoided in favor of resource sharing whenever possible. Selected print reference materials may be duplicated if necessary to provide ready access to information frequently sought by students.
In general, circulating books that are damaged will not be rebound. Some books with minimal damage may be rebound or repaired. If a book is seriously damaged, it may be replaced with a more recent edition of the same title or by another book in the same subject area, based on evaluation by the selector. Materials with loose items or are acquired in multiple pieces may be bound for durability and keep all materials together.
Back issues of most journals to which the library subscribes will not be bound.
Materials which are no longer useful in supporting a collection which is active and responsive to student, faculty or university administration needs should be withdrawn. This is known in library jargon as "weeding." The library selectors have primary responsibility for deciding what materials should be withdrawn from the collection.
The following factors may be considered when deselecting library materials:
Books (Applies to both circulating and reference books)
Journals – print and electronic
The Library will adhere to a five-year weeding cycle to ensure the currency of the collection. Each summer the collection will be evaluated. The Head of Technical Services & Collections librarian will announce procedures for weeding as well as the current schedule for the subject areas to be weeded to the faculty each spring. The collection for each subject area will be inventoried after the weeding process is completed.
Local used bookstores may be contacted to review withdrawn materials to see if any of the materials are of any resale value. Withdrawn materials may also be offered to other libraries or faculty for their collections. Unwanted materials may be given to various literacy organizations or disposed of.
Library selectors should evaluate badly damaged books to determine whether it would be best to purchase a later edition of the same book, purchase another book in that subject area, or just withdraw the item. The decision to determine whether or not to replace a missing book will follow a similar procedure. These guidelines apply to both circulating and reference books.
If a decision has been made to replace a book with the same edition and it is out-of-print, the library staff will consider acquiring it through second-hand vendors.
In most cases, replacements for missing issues of current journal titles will not be purchased.
If only the disk or CD is missing, it is usually necessary to purchase the book again to replace the disk or CD. Books in this category will usually not be replaced.
The Roosevelt University Library will protect the privacy and confidentiality of its users to the fullest extent possible within the guidelines provided by state and federal laws. The library agrees with the principle expressed in the American Library Association Code of Ethics - "We protect each library user's right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted.1"
The State of Illinois has enacted a Library Records Confidentiality Act that states that "The registration and circulation records of a library are confidential information. Except pursuant to a court order, no person shall publish or make any information contained in such records available to the public.2"
The USA PATRIOT Act may supersede the above state law. Under this act, law enforcement agencies have been granted greatly expanded powers to obtain the records of library users, including Internet use records. In order to get a court order, business records must only meet the relatively low standard of being relevant to an investigation.
Roosevelt University Library supports the position of the American Library Association on intellectual freedom as stated in the Library Bill of Rights (see below). This statement says that "Intellectual freedom is the right of every individual both to seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It provides for access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause or movement may be explored. Intellectual freedom encompasses the freedom to hold, receive and disseminate ideas."
Roosevelt University Library further supports the Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights (see below) as set out by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL).
To implement the goals of the ALA and ACRL statements on intellectual freedom Roosevelt University librarians, in conjunction with the faculty, develop the library collection based on the instruction and research programs of the university. Materials that represent a variety of perspectives, both current and historical, are selected for all subjects, including those that may be considered controversial.
The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.
Click here to view the ALA Bill of Rights.
A strong intellectual freedom perspective is critical to the development of academic library collections and services that dispassionately meet the education and research needs of a college or university community. The purpose of this statement is to provide an interpretation of general intellectual freedom principles in an academic library setting and, in the process, raise consciousness of the intellectual freedom context within which academic librarians work. These principles should be reflected in all relevant library policy documents.
Click here to view the Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries.
The Roosevelt University Library belongs to Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries (CARLI) which is a cooperative organization with dozens of member libraries that promotes the sharing of library resources in Illinois. One of CARLI's major services is I-Share, the online book catalog which enables member libraries to effectively share library materials with each other. Another service is the coordination of discounted subscriptions to electronic databases through the Illinois Bibliographic Information Service (IBIS).
The terms of membership in CARLI require libraries to "provide continued primary support of local curriculum needs, and maintain library acquisitions at levels appropriate for the size, scope and mission of the institution."1 Each library is thus responsible for fully supporting its own university curriculum and should not rely on the use of the collections of other libraries or the use of interlibrary loan for any but a small percentage of needed resources.
1CARLI Membership Policies (https://www.carli.illinois.edu/membership/memagree)
The Roosevelt University Library has been a member of OCLC for several years. OCLC is a nonprofit library service organization which has over 41,000 member libraries worldwide. OCLC offers services in cataloging, reference and resource sharing. Its reference and resource sharing services have the most import for this document.
OCLC's FirstSearch and interlibrary loan programs are integrated online services for reference, interlibrary loan, and document delivery which provides access to more than 70 electronic databases and 5.9 million full-text articles. A state sponsored grant provides free access to seventeen basic databases and the library also pays for access to 36 additional databases.
OCLC's Interlibrary Loan service allows the library to borrow and lend materials through an online network of libraries worldwide. This service greatly extends the access to materials that the library can provide for students and faculty members. On the other hand, the library must reciprocate and lend its materials to other libraries throughout the country.
Collection Depth Indicator Definitions
The collection depth indicators are numerical values that are used to describe a library's collecting activity levels and goals. The definitions of these codes or collection depth indicators were revised in 1996 and 1997 under the auspices of the Research Libraries Group, the Association of Research Libraries and WLN. The RLG Conspectus definitions include 5 collection depth indicators for collection description. The WLN Conspectus definitions include subdivisions to provide a total of 5 collection depth indicators to provide further distinction and clarity for small and medium size libraries. The Roosevelt University Library has chosen to use the expanded 5 point scale to indicate the desired collection level to which the library aspires to attain for each subject area.
The library does not intentionally collect materials in any format for this subject.
Collections that support minimal inquiries about this subject and include a very limited collection of general resources, including monographs and reference works. Periodicals directly dealing with this topic and in-depth electronic information resources are not collected.
The collection should be frequently and systematically reviewed for currency of information. Superseded editions and titles containing outdated information should be withdrawn. Classic or standard retrospective materials may be retained.
Collections that introduce and define a subject, indicate the varieties of information available elsewhere, and support the needs of general library users through the first two years of college instruction include:
The collection should be frequently and systematically reviewed for currency of information. Superseded editions and titles containing outdated information should be withdrawn. Classic or standard retrospective materials may be retained.
Limited collections of introductory monographs and reference tools that include:
Collections of general periodicals and a broader and more in-depth array of introductory monographs and reference tools that include:
This collection is sufficient to support the basic informational and recreational reading needs of an educated general public or students through the first two years of college.
Collections that provide information about a subject in a systematic way, but at a level of less than research intensity and support the needs of general library users through college and beginning graduate instruction include:
The collection should be systematically reviewed for currency of information and for assurance that essential and important information is retained, including significant numbers of retrospective materials.
Resources adequate for imparting and maintaining knowledge about the primary topics of a subject area that include:
This collection supports undergraduate courses, as well as the independent study needs of the lifelong learner.
Resources adequate for imparting and maintaining knowledge about more specialized subject areas which provide more comprehensive coverage of the subject with broader and more in-depth materials that include:
This collection supports upper division undergraduate courses.
Resources adequate for imparting and maintaining knowledge about all aspects of the topic which are more extensive than the intermediate level but less than those needed for doctoral and independent research that include:
This collection supports master's degree level programs as well as other specialized inquiries.
Collections that contain the major published source materials required for doctoral study and independent research include:
Collections in a specifically defined field of knowledge that strive to be exhaustive as far as is reasonably possible (i.e., "special collections"), in all applicable languages include:
Older material is retained and systematically preserved to serve the needs of historical research. A comprehensive level collection may serve as a national or international resource.
Scans reviewing media/catalogs on an on-going basis in order to identify potential additions to the collection in assigned subject areas. Sends this information to the faculty when necessary for the assigned subject areas for their input.
Knows and uses professionally accepted standard criteria to evaluate the adequacy of library collections for the assigned subject areas on an annual basis.
Analyzes results of evaluations and uses data to improve the collection and to make future collection development decisions.
Works cooperatively and communicates regularly with the staff of the other campus library to ensure that appropriate titles are being ordered for that library.
Solicits feedback from faculty in the assigned colleges to determine changing curriculum/informational needs.
Attends appropriate college/school/departmental meetings to keep informed on changes occurring in programs and curriculum.
Conducts weeding projects in assigned subject areas in consultation with faculty – when necessary - per established schedule.
Passes on information received about pertinent reference materials for assigned subject areas to both Reference departments.
Forwards any requests received from faculty in other subject areas to the appropriate college selector.
Reports any problems with collection development to the Head of Technical Services & Collections.
Interlibrary loan (often referred to as ILL) is an agreement among libraries to share materials by lending and borrowing items to one another. This service is intended to compliment and supplement the Library’s collection to meet the information and research needs of the registered Roosevelt University Library user.
The Roosevelt University Library is a member of OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) that provides the software, guidelines, maintenance, and network for libraries across the United States and the world. Library staff follows these guidelines set by OCLC that are based on the American Library Association Interlibrary Loan Code in which determines and governs all interlibrary loan transactions under the guidelines set by the State of Illinois Library. As such, the Roosevelt University Library participates in the ILLINET program and follows the guidelines set by the state when lending and receiving materials with other libraries, not part of the I-Share system, across the State of Illinois. https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/lda130.pdf
Roosevelt University Library materials will be loaned to other libraries through interlibrary loan after they have been in the collection for sixty days or removed from the “New Books” displays. This is to ensure equable access to new materials for registered Roosevelt University Library users. The loan period for interlibrary loan materials is 28 days. Materials loaned to other libraries can be renewed up to two times if no registered Roosevelt University Library user needs the item(s).
Materials not available to lend through interlibrary loan are videos, DVDs, CDs, newspapers, magazines, items on reserve, textbooks, local request items, course packets, software, equipment, reference materials, items in the university archives, or specialty/rare items. Library staff will not recall RU Library owned materials already checked out by another Roosevelt Library or CARLI user for interlibrary loan. The Roosevelt University Library will not lend items internationally.
All registered Roosevelt University Library users may utilize interlibrary loan services. Interlibrary loan privileges are not available to alumni and non-Roosevelt community members. Interlibrary loan services are free to all Roosevelt students, faculty, and staff members.
The Roosevelt University Library utilizes a software package maintained by OCLC named Tipasa to fulfill all interlibrary loan article requests and book requests that cannot be filled though I-Share. All Roosevelt University Library users must have an interlibrary loan account to request materials via Tipasa. To create an account, check a request status, view electronically delivered articles, or to renew items checked out through interlibrary loan, please visit: http://libguides.roosevelt.edu/illiad
Requested materials for interlibrary loan must be requested first through I-Share if available. (See ILDS Lending Policy) Library staff will deny interlibrary loan requests if the items are available through I-Share. If items are not available through I-Share, materials will always be requested first from local, state, and national libraries before sending the request internationally. Library staff cannot guarantee the time for filling a request and may cancel a request when all possible lending sources have been exhausted or no library is able to supply the material.
Roosevelt University Library users will be notified via their Roosevelt University email address when items have arrived. All items are expected to be returned on time and in the same condition as received. Due dates and renewals are determined by the lending library, and Roosevelt University library staff do not have control over those lending policies.
Roosevelt University Library users are responsible for paying all fees assessed by the lending library due to late, lost or damaged items. Additional interlibrary loan requests will not be accepted until these costs are paid in full. If Interlibrary Loan materials become 10 business days overdue then the patron will be suspended of all library privileges and a registration hold will be placed on their university account. Borrowing patrons are responsible for any and all overdue fees incurred due to overdue material. No overdue fines will be waived.
Interlibrary loan is a courtesy provided by the lending library and any conditions of use imposed by that library must be strictly observed. All items are subject to immediate recall by the lending library.
The Roosevelt University Library understands that the cost of textbooks is high. Although the Library does allow patrons to place ILL requests for certain required course reading material, we are unable to borrow required textbooks via Interlibrary Loan. Why?
The Interlibrary Loan Office will only request materials needed for scholarly research, and Interlibrary Loan staff reserve the right to cancel requests that do not fall into this category.
I-Share Lending and Borrowing Policy
The Roosevelt University Library is a member of a library resource sharing cooperative named the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI). The CARLI consortium is a network of academic libraries around the state of Illinois that share materials through a common catalog (I-Share) and library book delivery system (ILDS). Through the consortium, libraries routinely utilize the delivery system to share materials with each other when items are needed by their own registered users. The Roosevelt University Library participates in sharing and requesting materials with other CARLI libraries. This service is intended to compliment and supplement the Roosevelt University Library’s existing collection to meet the information and research needs of the registered Roosevelt University Library user.
Roosevelt University Library materials will be loaned to other libraries through the I-Share cooperative after they have been in the collection for sixty days or removed from the “New Books” displays. This is to ensure equable access to new materials for registered Roosevelt University Library users. The loan period for I-Share materials is 28 days. Materials loaned to other libraries can be renewed up to two times if no registered Roosevelt University Library user needs the item(s).
Materials not available to lend through interlibrary loan are videos, DVDs, newspapers, magazines, items on reserve, textbooks, course packets, software, equipment, reference materials, items in the university archives, or specialty/rare items. Library staff will not recall RU Library owned materials already checked out by another Roosevelt Library user.
All registered Roosevelt University Library users may utilize ILDS services free of charge. I-Share privileges are not available to alumni and non-Roosevelt community members. All Roosevelt University Library users must have an I-Share account to request materials from participating libraries. To create an account, check a request status or to renew items checked out through I-Share, please visit: https://i-share.carli.illinois.edu/all/vf/.
Library staff cannot guarantee the time for filling a request. Roosevelt University Library users will be notified via their Roosevelt University email address (provided when signing up for an I-Share account) when items have arrived. Items requested via I-Share will be held at the circulation desk of the user’s choice for three weeks. Items on hold longer than three weeks will be returned back to their home libraries. All loaned items are expected to be returned on time and in the same condition as received. Lending libraries may charge for lost or damaged items. Due dates and renewals are determined by the lending library, and Roosevelt University library staff do not have control over those lending policies.
The Roosevelt University Library is part of the CARLI I-Share consortium that determines many of the circulation policies for materials borrowed and loaned out to other participating institutions. The scope of this schedule is to outline the circulation parameters for Roosevelt Community members and CARLI reciprocal patrons borrowing or lending materials from the RU Library.
Library privileges are extended to following valid (currently registered) patron type:
Item |
Checkout Period* |
Renewals** |
Local Request Only |
Maximum Checkout Limits |
---|---|---|---|---|
Books |
3 Months |
Yes; 2 Renewals Allowed |
No |
No Limit |
DVDs |
7 Days |
Yes; 2 Renewals Allowed |
Yes |
No Limit |
Laptops/Equipment |
1 Day |
No renewals |
Yes |
1 Item |
Reserves |
Set by faculty; 1 hour, 2 hours, 1 day, 2 days |
Yes; If no other student is waiting for the materials |
Yes |
1 Item or Set |
Music Scores |
1 month |
Yes; 2 Renewals Allowed |
Yes |
No Limit |
Textbooks |
2 Hours |
Yes; 2 Renewals Allowed |
Yes |
1 Item or Set |
Reference |
In-Library Use Only |
No |
Yes |
No Limit |
* Items borrowed from other CARLI institutions typically have a checkout period of 28 days. This is determined by the lending institution.
**Items borrowed from other institutions will be renewed for an additional 28 days. Renewals are determined by the lending institution. Other institutions may recall materials at any time, not allowing renewals.
Item |
Checkout Period* |
Renewals** |
Local Request Only |
Maximum Checkout Limits |
---|---|---|---|---|
Books |
4 Weeks |
Yes; 2 Renewals Allowed |
No |
No Limit; 5 items for Alumni |
DVD |
7 Days |
Yes; 2 Renewals Allowed |
Yes |
No Limit: 5 items for Alumni |
Laptops/Equipment |
1 Day |
No renewals |
Yes |
1 Item: Active RU Students Only |
Reserves |
Set by faculty; 1 hour, 2 hours, 1 day, 2 days |
Yes; If no other student is waiting for the materials |
Yes |
1 Item or Set: Active RU Students Only |
Music Scores |
1 month |
Yes; 2 Renewals Allowed |
Yes |
No Limit; 5 Items for Alumni |
Textbooks |
2 Hours |
Yes; 2 Renewals Allowed |
Yes |
1 Item or Set: Active RU Students Only |
Reference |
In-Library Use Only |
No |
Yes |
No Limit |
* Items borrowed from other CARLI institutions typically have a checkout period of 28 days. This is determined by the lending institution.
**Items borrowed from other institutions will be renewed for an additional 28 days. Renewals are determined by the lending institution. Other institutions may recall materials at any time, not allowing renewals.
Item |
Overdue Fines |
Lost Item* |
Maximum |
Maximum Number of Item Overdue Before Blocked |
---|---|---|---|---|
Book |
$5.00 |
$60.00 |
$200.00 |
25 |
DVD |
$5.00 |
$60.00 |
$200.00 |
25 |
Laptop/Equipment |
$1.00 per hour |
Est. Item Cost |
$1600.00 |
1 |
Reserves |
$1.00 per hour |
$60.00 |
$200.00 |
1 |
Music Scores |
$5.00 |
$60.00 |
$200.00 |
25 |
Textbooks |
$5.00 |
$60.00 |
$200.00 |
1 |
Reference |
$5.00 |
$60.00 |
$200.00 |
1 |
*Library patrons may replace Roosevelt University lost items with the same item or newer edition. It is the responsibility of the library patron to contact lending institutions to determine fines, fees and possible replacements. Any account holds will not be waived until the item is received by the Library. CARLI institutions may charge an additional $20.00 processing fee, along with the lost item fees. Overdue items 29 days late are considered lost.
There are two level of holds on library patron accounts:
Level 1- CARLI Hold
Level 2 – Institutional Hold
A CARLI hold is defined as a block on a patron’s account that prevents utilization of reciprocal institution borrowing privileges. A CARLI hold will be placed on a library account when a patron has a combined 25 items overdue or 1 item in the lost status. The library patron is responsible for any fines accumulated from other institutions.
An institutional hold is defined as a block on a patron’s Roosevelt University Banner account. An institutional hold will be placed on a library account when a patron has a combined 25 items overdue or 1 item in the lost status. The library patron is responsible for any fines accumulated. As a courtesy, Roosevelt University will place an institutional hold on a local patron’s Banner account at the request of the lending institution. Library holds can only be removed when all fines are paid down to a maximum of $5.00, replacement copies are provided, or staff from other lending institutions inform the Roosevelt University Library that all fines and holds have been cleared from their institution.
Current Roosevelt University students, staff and faculty have interlibrary loan privileges. These privileges allow borrowing of materials from other institutions around the world that are not part of the CARLI consortium. All overdue fines and renewal privileges are determined by the lending institution and are charged to Roosevelt University. Library patrons are responsible for all fines and fees at a maximum of $60 per title. Institutional holds will be placed on patron accounts until all fines and fees are paid. Replacement interlibrary loan titles are not accepted to remove any holds.
Updated January, 2008
Privacy is an essential element of intellectual and academic freedom. The Roosevelt University Library is committed to protecting the privacy of its users and maintaining the confidentiality of all information collected.
The library maintains records of personally identifiable information in order to conduct its business. Such records include circulation records, interlibrary loan records, emailed reference requests, and other records of uses of library materials, facilities, or services. It is our goal to gather only the minimum information necessary and to retain that information only as long as is needed to complete the transaction.
Confidentiality will be maintained for all personal data acquired by the Library as required by the Illinois Library Records Confidentiality Act. The Library will also comply with the Confidentiality Policy of Roosevelt University as well as the privacy requirements of the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act(FERPA).
The Library subscribes to the American Library Association Code of Ethics. Section III of the Code of Ethics states:
We protect each library user's right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted.
The library Web site links out to other sites and services that are not contained or controlled within the University's computer systems. As the practices of these sites are not controlled by the library, users must read the privacy statements at these sites to learn of their privacy practices.
This policy will be reviewed on a regular basis and updated as needed.