Collection Development Guidelines, Reg Erhardt Library, SAIT: 5.0 Collection Criteria

As the Reg Erhardt Library is not a traditional research library or library-of-record, the Collection is geared more towards curriculum and supplementary support.  This includes, but is not limited to, works with content levels such as:

• Introductory/popular
• Basic studies
• Professional
• Trade publications
• General academic

One copy of each textbook will be purchased for the collection and placed on Course Reserve for four-hour loan.

In alignment with SAIT's vision of being a global leader in applied education, the library strives to maintain the most current and high-quality resources available.  Selection and deselection of resources should therefore be relatively aggressive.  However, while the Reg Erhardt Library is not a library-of-record, many SAIT programs and subject-matter experts rely heavily on classic texts, and the Collection should respect items of lasting, niche significance.

5.1 Selection Considerations:

• Relevance to the SAIT community & curriculum
• Currency, authority, accuracy & purpose
• Content level
• Format (electronic, unlimited-user resources are preferred)
• Language (English, with very few exceptions)
• Origin (North America preferred)
• Cost per use
• Faculty and/or student requests

5.2 Deselection Considerations:

Print items should be weeded beyond superficial levels (i.e. age & physical condition).  The formula provided in the SAIT Weeding Tool emphasizes the following factors:

• Circulation and/or in-house usage within 1, 5 and 10 year intervals
• Currency
• Date acquired
• Purchase cost of item

Beyond Weeding Tool factors, deselection should qualitatively be contingent upon:

• Integration within course development
• Vintage (classics & out of print editions)
• Physical condition (highly used items in poor condition should be replaced)
• Outdated information
• Editions (superseded editions should be kept if still circulating and/or used in courses)

Electronic resources are not held to the same rigors as print, due to the inapplicability of physical space considerations. Outdated information and system capacity (prevision vs. recall in library Discovery tools) should still be monitored and weeded on a case-by-case basis, but in most instances, e-books should not be weeded.

5.3 Donations

• The selection policies outlined above also pertain to donated materials – if the library might have otherwise acquired a given resource, the gift should be accepted
• The library reserves the right to reject and/or discard any donated material

5.4 Open Access

• The Reg Erhardt Library supports open access initiatives and makes every effort to acquire applicable open access publications

5.5 Electronic Resources Considerations

In nearly every circumstance, if the below considerations are met, electronic access to a resource is preferred over the print version. 

• Trial availability
• Technical feasibility
• Acceptable licensing terms (e.g. length of contract)
• Sustainability (perpetual access is highly preferred)
• Access (multiple concurrent user licenses with remote, IP authenticated (via EZproxy); electronic resources should be accessible to all students (very few exceptions should be made)
• Ease of integration and/or inter-operability with current systems and workflow (i.e. Library Services Platform)
• Reporting and evaluation statistics