The process of selecting electronic resources, books and journal subscriptions for the scholarly needs of the St. Thomas community is based on collaboration between the UST Libraries’ staff and its users.
The usage of both print and electronic subscriptions is continuously assessed to ensure that St. Thomas libraries are providing access to the best and most useful materials. To make that determination a number of factors are considered in addition to usage: available budget, costs of resources and the allocation of resources to specific academic areas.
The campus community is invited to review and comment on the recommendations that have been made for cancellations. Seventeen of the titles proposed for canceling have no exact counterpart available on campus. Please take a moment to examine the list to ensure that the least-requested resources for the campus have been identified.
Library staff members are grateful for the continued support of the university as they work to develop robust collections for the community. Be assured that library resources are being used, and the materials that are available electronically are increasingly the most popular. The libraries’ role as stewards of the university’s resources is taken very seriously.
Actions taken in making collection development decisions for the coming year:
- Evaluation of the use of all journals (regardless of format)
- Consultation with faculty regarding their need for and use of journals
- Determination of the full-text availability of journals currently subscribed to in print
- Duplication minimized between print and electronic resources
- Duplication minimized among the UST libraries
- Identification of new resources that are appropriate and valuable for the UST community
For the record, the university’s libraries provide access to 56,938 electronic journals and have 1,700 active print or microfilm journal subscriptions; in addition, access is provided to 282 electronic databases, including several new ones for this academic year.
Call Dani Roach, (651) 962-5408, by Friday, Sept. 14, with comments about titles on these lists or with suggestions for resources that the libraries should consider for purchase.
