Cunningham Memorial Library: About: Deselection and Storage of Materials

Deselection of Library Materials

Deselection

Due to limited library shelving, Collection Development reviews monographs and periodicals for deselection as one of its top priorities.

The general factors considered for the deselection of monographs are:

Little-used duplicate copies
Superseded editions
Outdated materials
Old foreign-language materials never circulated
Poor condition, beyond repair
Availability nationally and within the state

The general factors considered for deselection of periodicals are:

Age of the materials by broad subject area:
Science: Older than 15 years
Social Science: Older than 25 years
Humanities: Older than 35 years
Lack of use
Older ceased/cancelled titles held in other Indiana state-supported institutions
Periodicals that are not indexed or abstracted
Microform duplication in the collection. (Mostly text with few illustrations, e.g. charts, photos, etc.)
Poor condition
Availability nationally and within the state

Storage

The University Libraries store little-used materials. Items requested are available for use by completing a request form at the Circulation Desk or by filling out the online form. Retrieval service is guaranteed within 24 hours daily except Saturday and Sunday.

The primary guideline for transferring materials to storage is a history of little use.
Additional criteria are:

Monographic Sets

Of marginal programmatic value (considering the subject, scholarship, and the need for historical information on the topic)

Periodicals

Back volumes
Of marginal programmatic value
Seldom-used