Collection Development Philosophy
Boston University Alumni Medical Library Collection Development Philosophy
As the library for the Boston University Medical Campus, we provide access to well-maintained library resources sufficient in breadth of holdings and technology to support the educational, research and clinical missions of the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, School of Public Health, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, and Chobanian & Avedisian SOM’s Graduate Medical Sciences. We also maintain a small collection of archival material related to the history of the Campus.
To that end, we rely on the following principles when making decisions on the acquisition and retention of electronic and print collections:
- We prioritize English-language academic resources in health sciences subject areas
- All licensed resources are made available to all of Boston University faculty, staff and students
- For greatest access and to ensure sufficient student study space, we prefer electronic format over other available formats (such as print or microform)
- In general, we will acquire resources in one format only
- Due to vendor restrictions, we generally don’t acquire textbooks for our collections or professional exam preparation materials
We take a holistic approach when determining whether to acquire or retain resources. To build sustainable collections, we regularly review materials for de-selection. Factors include but are not limited to:
- Relevance to the missions of the Boston University Medical Campus, including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts
- Recommendations from users, including course directors
- Potential wide-spread usage
- Duplication with existing collections
- Current gaps in the collection
- Currency
- Cost
- Accessibility
- Usage data, if available
- Licensing agreements, remote access availability, and security
- Consortial commitments for retention
We welcome monetary gifts to support the library and its activities. To make a gift, please reach out to Library Director Kate Flewelling. In-kind donations, such as publications by Boston University Medical Campus faculty or archival materials, are accepted at the sole discretion of the library director. Donations of books, such as from an office clean-out, are generally not accepted.
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