Policies & Procedures

Collection Development Poilcy

General Purpose and User Community
In 1950 the GCSU Library was designated as a selective Government Depository as part of the Federal Depository Library Program selecting 23% of available government publications serving the 3rd U.S. Congressional District. The purpose of the Government Documents Collection is to provide open access to government information by all citizens, to support the academic and curriculum needs of the university community, and to meet the requirements set forth by the Government Printing Office.

GCSU serves as Georgia's designated Public Liberal Arts University, offers over 50 undergraduate and 35 graduate degrees in arts and sciences, business, education and nursing, and has an enrollment of 5,300 students.

Subject Areas and Collection Arrangement
Subject Areas
In accordance with section 3-1 of the Federal Depository Library Manual, Supplement 2: Guidelines for the Federal Depository Library Program (1995), the Depository maintains the titles listed in the basic collection and makes them available for immediate use. Items are selected based on the current and perceived curricular support needs for the University and the general information needs of the community.

Subject area concentrations include the following:

• Agriculture
• Business and Commerce
• Demographics
• Education
• Georgia
• Environment and Energy
• Health
• History
• Public Policy

Publications not normally selected:

• Administrative materials
• Foreign Language Materials
• Posters

Collection Arrangement
The majority of the Documents are classified using the Superintendent of Documents classification system and cataloged for inclusion in GIL.

Titles better suited for a reference collection are arranged using the Library of Congress classification system and housed in the Reference Collection.

Some titles, usually monographs, have been cataloged and integrated into the Russell Library's main collection using the Library of Congress classification scheme. This ensured they appeared in the electronic library catalog and could circulate. However, since all documents circulate, except those in the Reference and Journal areas, and all documents are subject for inclusion into GIL through MARCive or processing, this practice is no longer necessary.

A selected number of Government Documents in the form of journals are shelved alphabetically by title along with the non-Governmental journals.

CD-ROMs are organized by SuDoc number and kept behind the Circulation and Reserves Desk. Public Access computers allow patrons to use CD-ROMs in the building. Assistance is available at the adjacent Reference Desk.

Guidelines for Format Consideration
Generally, paper is the preferred format as microform readers and computers for Documents use are limited.

Exceptions:

• Microform titles are selected when only available in this format or voluminous.
• CD-ROMs titles are selected when this is the only format and essential curricular support is provided.
• Internet Resources are selected  to facilitate expeditious retrieval of Government resources. Criteria for selection will be guided by the current and perceived academic needs of the University and District communities and the availability of computing resources and other formats.
• Maps are selected sparingly to support curricular areas of the University and the general public. Topographical and geological quadrangle maps (with appropriate indexes) are selected through the National mapping Program of the USGS.
• Daily items that are used infrequently, such as the Congressional Daily Record, may be selected in a form which permits more effective use of space.
• Some items may be replaced by electronic versions according to the FDLP's regulations; "A depository is permitted to replace tangible versions with electronic equivalents provided the electronic version is complete, official, and permanently accessible. GPO Access databases on the Substitution List: Official FDLP Permanent Full-Text Databases meet these requirements."

Collection Access
All documents housed in open stacks are available for patron browsing during the times the University Library is open. Circulation of documents is as follows:

1. Publications shelved in the General Documents collection circulate for three weeks. Three weeks is the regular loan period for the Library's main collection
2. Maps circulate for three weeks
3. CD-ROMs circulate for three weeks
4. Publications placed in the Reference Collection do not circulate
5. Microform materials do not circulate
6. Journals do not circulate
7. The library will make every effort to provide appropriate Indexes such as the Monthly Catalog for research; these will not circulate

All Documents that circulate can also be lent through Interlibrary Loan.

Documents are housed on the third floor of the library.

Collection Evaluation & Maintenance

• Zero Based Collection Review
• The documents librarian performs a zero-based review of the list of classes every two to three years. This review includes an evaluation of all item numbers on a one-by-one basis. This is then used to adjust the library's selections to accord with the collection development policy and the goals of the depository.
  
• Cancellation of Items
• To ensure that the documents collection remains actively responsive to the needs of its users, all selections in the current active list are reviewed during the Annual Selection Update Cycle. Although item numbers may be canceled at any time, the majority of item deletions are made during the update cycle for ease of record keeping. Throughout the year, a list of possible deletions is kept, showing item numbers and their corresponding SuDocs classes. A similar list is kept for addition of item numbers, which may be done only during the update cycle.
  
• Withdrawal of Documents
• Depository publications are withdrawn and discarded according to policies outlined in Chapter 2, Section C, and Chapter 10 of the Instructions to Depository Libraries. Superseded documents are discarded as soon as updates or final versions are received. The documents librarian, in consideration of current or future use versus shelf space, does weeding in conjunction with the ongoing inventory of individual SuDocs classes, or as deemed necessary. Exchange lists are compiled and sent to the Regional Depository. Withdrawn items requested by other depositories in the state are shipped immediately, and those not requested are discarded after the deadline date given by the Regional Depository.
  
• Replacement
• Replacements for "lost and paid" or missing items are acquired if there is a real or perceived demand, or if the item is part of a series important to the needs of the University or general public. Documents found in the Sales Product Catalog to be still available in print will be purchased from GPO or the Atlanta Federal Bookstore. A list of titles needed but no longer in print is periodically checked against both the Needs & Offers List and the exchange lists distributed by the Regional Depository Library at UGA.
  
• Binding
• Items are bound according to use, condition, and long term value. In particular monographic materials, reference materials, and journals are bound.
  
• Weeding & Maintenance of Collection
• The collection is maintained in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the Instructions to Depository Libraries, the Federal Depository Library Manual, the Guidelines for the Federal Depository Library Program, and all updates to the above listed sources.
• All documents are clearly stamped as depository property with shipment receipt date.
• Superseded documents are withdrawn with the documents librarian's approval. Other documents are reviewed for retention after five years.
• Items which are withdrawn are offered to other libraries and/or are discarded with the permission of the regional librarian.
• Worn or damaged documents are evaluated for repair, replacement or withdrawal. Repair may entail the rebinding of documents.

Selection Tools
Depository Items

• List of Classes of U.S. Government Publications Available for Selection
• Documents Data Miner (DDM)
• Federal Depository Library Manual, Appendix A "Suggested Core Collection Annotated for Small to Medium Public and Academic Libraries and for all Law Libraries."
• Federal Depository Library Manual, Appendix B "Maps Available for Selection"
• Catalog of United States Government Publications
• Sales Product Catalog
• GPO Subject Bibliographies

Non-Depository Items

• Documents to the People (DttP)
• Journal of Government Information
• Government Information Quarterly
• The Georgia State Plan
• Direct contact with various government agencies

Retrospective Sources

• Older issues of the Monthly Catalog of United States Publications

Policy Revision
This collection development policy will be reviewed at least yearly and amended as considered necessary by the documents librarian. New developments in the depository program and developments in the state of Georgia will necessitate future changes in this policy. Changes will also be made in accordance with updates of Guidelines for the Federal Depository Library Program, Federal Depository Library Manual, and Instructions for Depository Librarians.