Subscriptions

Policy and Procedures

Current budgetary realities, coupled with continuing high rates of inflation in subscription costs, mandate a policy of canceling one or more current subscriptions equivalent in cost to each new title ordered. Regular evaluation of all current subscriptions must continue as well, within academic departments and by library staff, and unneeded subscriptions will be canceled whenever they are identified. Savings from cancellations recommended by departments can be taken into account when new subscription requests are made at a later date.

Procedures for Selecting Discipline-Specific Titles

New subscriptions in a subject area are proposed by faculty or the subject liaison librarian. The person initiating the request discusses the need for the subscription with members of the relevant department or program, and assures that the request is supported by departmental or program consensus.

Criteria for selection of library subscriptions for departmental allocation include:

• subject specificity
• relevance to curriculum and teaching mission
• support for research of faculty (especially new, tenure track appointees) and their students
• potential use by members of the department and their students
• cost and format
• availability from other libraries

Each department requesting a new subscription consults with the assigned liaison librarian to identify one or more current titles of equal cost that can and will be canceled in order to pay for the new subscription. In some instances it may be feasible to re-allocate departmental monograph funds to cover the cost of the new subscription. The liaison librarian submits the title(s) of the subscription(s) to be canceled to the Collection Development Librarian with the new title to be ordered.

Procedures for Selecting Interdisciplinary Titles

Titles may be nominated for subscription on the library general fund by students, faculty, or library staff. Criteria for selection include:

• interdisciplinary nature
• curricular or research need
• potential use across disciplines and for the general reader
• cost and format
• availability from other libraries.

Subscriptions will be added to the library general fund only when one or more current titles of equal cost can and will be canceled in order to pay for the new subscription.

Final Decision Making and Ordering

The Collection Development Librarian makes the final decision on placing all new subscription orders, indicates the appropriate library fund, ordering, and faculty notification information and passes the order form on to the library Serials Department which places the subscriptions with a vendor. The liaison librarian informs the department library liaison when the new subscription is placed.

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