Please contact Dave Schmitt, Director of the Collection Development and Management Program, with any questions or comments about this policy.
The UC San Diego Library strives to develop a collection of information resources to benefit the UC San Diego community in direct support of the university’s curricular and research needs. Our employees evaluate resources to determine their ability to meet these needs at a sustainable cost before committing to add them to our collection. A list of core evaluation principles follows.
Funding the Library’s collection is a key priority in our overall budget. That said, the amount of information resources which would be useful to our University will likely always exceed the Library’s ability to acquire them, due to finite budget and physical space. Therefore the library maximizes the impact of available funding and prioritizes acquisitions based on collection scope and principles.
Examples of how the Library maximizes collection funding include:
When acquiring electronic information resources, the Library strives to include the following conditions in a license when possible and affordable:
The Library considers both physical and electronic versions when purchasing material, taking into account the subject and type of publication, as well as user preference, when making a selection.
In many cases an electronic version offers advantages over a physical version, including: simultaneous use for multiple users, instantaneous access from anywhere the internet is available, prevention of loss or damage, searchability of text, and the frequent opportunity to purchase bulk content at a discount.
For academic journals and media resources, the Library prefers to acquire the electronic version, dependent upon availability and cost, as it has been demonstrated that this is the clear preference of users. For monographs and other resource formats, the factors listed above will be considered, along with user preference, price of material, and the ease of use of the resource platform.
The Library recognizes the benefits of Open Access publishing for both readers and authors alike. The University of California is committed to making it easier and more affordable for UC authors to publish open access. The UC Libraries negotiate agreements with scholarly publishers to reduce the amount authors must pay when they choose to publish open access.
When opportunities arise to invest in Open Access resources or initiatives to enhance our collection, the Library will consider acquiring and/or participating. We will evaluate these opportunities based on cost, sustainability, and benefits to our users both as readers and authors.
The UC San Diego Library currently participates in numerous Open Access agreements, many offering discounts for UC San Diego authors to publish openly. Please see the following pages for a list of such agreements:
The Library will consider use and cost of an item when deciding whether or not to purchase a duplicate copy or copies.
The Library will limit duplication of resources in both print and electronic formats, unless specific need is demonstrated for a given item.
Replacements for lost or damaged materials will be considered on the basis of past use, currency of information, relevance to current collection needs, consortial retention commitments, availability and cost.
The Library purchases textbooks for course use only when requested by the course instructor through our Reserves service. We prefer multi-user, simultaneous electronic format when purchasing textbooks. However, this option is often not provided by publishers or not affordable. Please visit our Reserves pages for policies and information on how to use this service.
Outside of the Reserves service, traditional textbooks are generally not purchased for our collections due to their cost, frequency of being superseded, and high risk of theft.
The Library reviews licensed resources for continued relevance to our collection needs, as well as for continued use. In order to afford new resources, the Library may decide to cancel previously held resources based on low cost per use, low relevance to our users, or an unsustainable cost increase, among other factors.
Due to finite physical space in the Library, print materials are periodically and systematically reviewed for retention. As part of the regular maintenance of our collections, the Library will review circulation data, age of materials, and relevance of the subject matter, among other factors. Materials to be removed from the collection will be moved to off-site storage for permanent retention or moved through the University’s surplus property process. See Physical Collection Management below for more information about this topic.
The UC San Diego Library is committed to developing diverse, equitable and inclusive collections. Aligned with campus goals to address equity gaps, the Library acquires content with an eye toward enhancing accessibility and enriching our holdings in areas serving historically underserved and underrepresented groups. Doing so serves to develop rich and representative collections that reflect the breadth of scholarship and the diversity of voices that constitute our campus community past, present and future.
We support and embrace the ideals expressed in the UC Libraries shared Vision and Priorities:
“Excellence in library services, just as academic excellence, is fed by a plurality of ideas and perspectives, and cultivation of inclusive working and learning environments where diversity is respected and welcomed. As the UC Libraries collaboratively seek to further the teaching, research, health care and public service missions of the University, we will strengthen and reflect diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in all facets of our systemwide work.”
We align our collection investments with the campus’ curricular and research foci. We actively engage with the campus community through the role of the liaison librarians and through contact and request forms. Our goal is to seek insights and recommendations, ensuring our collection development includes a broad range of perspectives and supports the academic growth of all community members. One example is how our collections community, including our digital initiative work, is closely connected with our Community Resource Centers and their community goals.
Additionally, the Library supports the statement of the UC Shared Content Leadership Group, of which the UC San Diego Library is a member:
“The University of California Libraries (UCL) Shared Content Leadership Group (SCLG) recognizes its uniquely privileged role in determining which collections are made accessible across the UCL and the responsibility to our community of users that this creates. In order to critically examine past practices and intentionally implement inclusive and equitable policies going forward, we are committed to iterative collection development, transformative investments, and assessment strategies that reflect the diversity of the University of California, eliminate barriers, and ensure the one UC Library Collection is shaped with diverse voices.”
The Library strives to develop collections based on the ideas laid out in the Library's Strategic Plan:
"Democratization of Knowledge: The Library is an advocate and a voice for making the knowledge of the university openly available in support of communities that value research and learning. We enable our students, faculty, staff and community to use that knowledge to advance a positive societal impact. The Library's long-standing commitment to make information available and accessible is evident in the work of our service-centered employees and exemplified in the rich collections they curate.
Building on this strong foundation from past work, the goal of this pillar is to help UC San Diego realize an even greater impact from the scholarship generated by students, faculty and staff. The Library will achieve this through current and new investments in open access; through the development of shared collections; and through innovative approaches that support the curation and publication of research data.
Social Justice: For the Library, a commitment to advancing social justice means working to enable the full participation of our campus community and Library employees. To achieve this, we must strive to equitably allocate resources, foster a sense of belonging, and treat all members of our Library and campus community with respect and care.
Aligning our efforts with UC San Diego's Strategic Plan and the Strategic Plan for Inclusive Excellence, the Library approaches our work in equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), social justice, and accessibility through the lens of our mission—to steward knowledge and empower users to analyze and interpret information.
The goal of this pillar is to strengthen and deepen our commitment through techniques that engage our community in planning and decision-making; through investments in collections, library spaces, services and programming; grounded in our Principles of Community, service and collaboration; and through efforts that address academic opportunity gaps for our students and faculty.”
For more information about our existing collections, please see the Library’s Statement on Historical Context and Cultural Sensitivity.
The UC San Diego Library is committed to making the resources we provide accessible to all users. For more information about the various accommodations the Library provides, please see our page on Services for Persons with Disabilities.
For more services provided to UC San Diego students and employees by the Office of Students with Disabilities (OSD), beyond those provided by the Library, please see their page on Types of Accommodations they provide. These include adaptive technology and alternative format options for course materials. All services require contacting and working through the OSD.
For electronic resources in the Library’s collection, the vast majority of content we provide is licensed by the Library and hosted by third party vendors and publishers. Therefore, the Library does not have direct control over licensed material or the platforms which host it. However, the Library will prefer licensing content from vendors who comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, and will advocate for improved accessibility whenever possible.
The Collection Development and Management Program has the primary responsibility for collection budgets and decisions related to collection purchases and disposition. Within the program are Collection Strategist librarians, who oversee general collections decisions and projects in broad subject areas. A list of strategists can be found here.
Subject Librarians (also known as Liaison Librarians) oversee the development and management of the collections within the subjects they have responsibility for. A list of these librarians by subject can be found here.
The Library has working groups which help coordinate conversation between programs engaged in collection development activity. The Collection Strategists Group consists of our collection strategists and includes colleagues from Metadata Services, Content Acquisitions and Resource Sharing, Special Collections and Archives, and Library Business Services, who work together in planning high level direction and activities. The Collections Council is an expanded group that includes subject liaisons and discusses broader trends and issues facing collection development and management work in the Library. The Digital Collections Group coordinates priorities for digital collection and digital exhibit development and reports to the Digital Library Steering Committee.
The Library develops the collection both locally at our University and in partnership with other UC campuses. We strive to maximize the value of our local collections by focusing on what is most relevant and necessary for our users. We rely on the larger network of information resources and services to provide information resources beyond what our Library owns. Partnering with the greater library community allows the UC San Diego Library to provide far more content to users than can be purchased and stored alone.
For physical materials, the UC operates two regional library storage facilities, in which UC campuses store older print materials which may be borrowed by UC San Diego users.
UC San Diego also participates in shared print archiving projects and national digitization projects to ensure long-term access to content. The Library both contributes to and benefits from these programs in helping build a stable collective collection.
The UC San Diego Library selectively accepts donations of materials from our faculty and the community for our collection. Gifts have the potential to enhance the existing collection and support the Library’s commitment to excellence in research and instruction. All donated items are carefully reviewed by library specialists who determine what materials will be added to the collection.
For a listing of items we may accept and those we generally do not, please see the information on the gift submission form page. Prospective donors are encouraged to submit this form and include an inventory of materials they would like to donate. An inventory is always helpful to facilitate review, and we request a title list or other information to assist us with evaluating your materials. Due to space limitations and processing costs we are unable to accept most donated collections.
To ensure maximum accessibility to resources, the Library cannot place special restrictions on housing, access, processing, or related matters. Once accepted, donations become the property of The Regents of the University of California. In compliance with University of California policy, items that are not added to the Library's collection or sent to another UC campus are sent to UC San Diego Surplus Sales. The Library reserves the right to decline any offer.
Because federal tax regulations prohibit the Library from giving appraisals or estimates of the value of gifts, appraisals are the responsibility of the donor. Donors are encouraged to consult a knowledgeable tax expert about current requirements. A receipt of gift will be acknowledged in writing upon request.
The Library strives to keep the most heavily borrowed and browsed resources on campus for easiest access. Because our physical space on campus is limited and new material is continually being acquired, it is necessary at times to remove items from campus. Our physical collections are reviewed periodically for use, relevance, duplication, age, and condition. When it is determined that material does not meet these criteria for retention, the Library will transfer it off-campus. It is UC-wide policy that the last copy of publications will be retained in the shared UC collection and accessible by our users. Print journals for which we also have online access will not be stored on campus or may be deaccessioned.
The Library is fortunate to have three off-site storage facilities: the UC San Diego Library Annex and two University of California maintained locations, the Southern and Northern Regional Library Facilities (SRLF and NRLF). These facilities offer quick and reliable retrieval of requested items while freeing up valuable space by providing off-campus housing for materials which have circulated infrequently in recent years.
Items housed in the UC San Diego Library Annex include lesser-used materials, additional copies of popular instructional support materials, large gifts, other large acquisitions pending processing and review, and collections temporarily displaced due to building renovations.
The UC Regional Library Facilities support persistent retention activities across the UC campuses and enable UC libraries to coordinate collections and share print materials. Along with libraries from the other southern UC campuses, the UC San Diego Library routinely transfers materials with relatively low current or anticipated demand to the SRLF. Each UC library has an annual deposit allocation, which is adjusted yearly to accommodate the anticipated number of volumes to be transferred.
Circulating materials in off-site storage are included in UC Library Search. When requested, these off-site materials are delivered quickly and reliably to the Library location selected by the user for pick-up. Journal articles requested from off-site storage are generally scanned and delivered electronically.
The UC San Diego Library actively works to maintain and preserve its physical collections in original and reproduction formats, to ensure continued access to information for our users and protect unique materials. Our priority is to maximize the lifespan and utility of the collection, providing for the present and future information needs of the university.
To this end, the Preservation Unit at the UC San Diego Library strives for the following:
Our preservation activities are supported by engagement with a UC-wide Preservation “common knowledge group” that stewards expertise and best practices in this space, as well as engaging in advocacy for focus and investment.
The UC San Diego Library’s Special Collections & Archives (SC&A) houses a wide range of rare books, manuscripts, periodicals, maps, photographs, artworks, films, sound recordings, archives, and digital files. These primary source materials, many of which are unique, support UC San Diego's instructional and research programs, and distinguish UC San Diego's library collections from other research universities.
Areas of exceptional strength include early voyages of exploration and discovery to the Pacific; the Spanish Civil War, the largest extant collection on this subject; post-1945 American poetry in the "alternative" tradition, including extensive collections of poets' manuscripts and correspondence; the history of San Diego, southern California, and Baja California; and contemporary science and public policy, including the personal archives of some of the nation's most renowned scientists; and the history of oceanography. The culinary history of Mexico, Latin America, and the Pacific Rim; Melanesian anthropology; and artists' books are also important collecting areas. The Dr. Seuss Collection, the world's largest repository of the beloved author's original drawings, sketches, and manuscripts, is housed within SC&A, as are the UC San Diego Archives and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography Archives, two collections of materials that document the history of the campus.
Special Collections & Archives continues to build collections in most of these subject areas, through both purchase and gift. SC&A collecting areas are supported by materials in the Library’s circulating collections.
Please reference this page for specific policies governing access to and use of Special Collections materials and space.
The UC San Diego Library collects, describes, manages, preserves, and provides access to unique digital resources in support of its mission to support research and learning. These materials include digitized content from the Library’s analog holdings as well as research data sets entrusted to the Library to curate and preserve.
Policies related to digital content can be found in the links below, which are maintained by the Digital Library Steering Committee.