• Introduction
• Subject Scope of the Collection
• Subject List and Level
• Additional Guidelines by Form or Type of Resource
• Reference Collection Policy
• Electronic Resources Collection Policy
• Historical and Special Collections Policy
• Gift Policy
• Retention Policy
• Collection Review Policy

The purpose of this Collection Development Policy is to provide guidelines for building the collection of information resources, electronic and print, to meet the information needs of the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus and its programs.

CLIENTELE

• The primary clientele are the faculty, staff and students of the University of Maryland, Baltimore professional schools, the Graduate School, and the staff of the University of Maryland Medical Systems. The Law School, which has its own library, is excluded from this policy.

• Faculty, staff, and students engaged in off-site programs, such as the Western Maryland Social Work and Nursing programs, are supported primarily by providing electronic access to library holdings and document delivery services. Off-site collections are not supported by the library.

• The collections are available to faculty, staff, and students of other University of Maryland campuses through cooperative lending agreements. Access to the library's holdings is available electronically.

• As Regional Medical Library for the Southeastern/Atlantic Regional Medical Library Services, the collections of the HS/HSL are available to other biomedical libraries in Region 2 through interlibrary loan.

SCOPE AND COVERAGE

• The scope of the core collection includes the clinical and basic biomedical sciences, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, and social work. This core collection is supplemented by basic collections in closely related subject areas such as psychology and by peripherally related areas such as botany. Additionally, some out-of-scope subjects which have in-scope elements, such as library and information science and political science, may be covered.

• The HS/HSL is committed to the constant evaluation of its collection and will continue to revise and expand the scope of the collection and coverage as the needs of its primary clientele change.

• Materials are collected primarily in the English language.

• The HS/HSL uses the definitions developed by the American Library Association to describe the levels at which various subject areas are collected.

FORMATS

• The majority of the library's collections currently consists of printed books and journals; however, the library recognizes the growing importance of resources published in electronic format and increasingly purchases such resources if deemed appropriate. Audiovisuals are managed by school media centers and are generally excluded from the HS/HSL collection. Please refer to the Additional Guidelines by Form or Type of Resource, as well the Electronic Resources Collection Policy for more details on formats.

RESOURCE SHARING

• In an effort to avoid duplication of expensive resources among the University of Maryland campuses and in the local geographic area, the HS/HSL seeks to cooperate with local libraries whenever feasible. For example, the Library has an agreement with the Marshall Law Library (University of Maryland, Baltimore) to receive government depository resources which are appropriate to the HS/HSL collection. HS/HSL has also entered into cooperative agreements with the University System of Maryland libraries to acquire some expensive electronic resources.

• As the Regional Medical Library for the Southeastern/Atlantic Region and as a resource library for the State of Maryland, the HS/HSL recognizes its responsibility to retain unique titles in its collection.

• Subjects which are peripheral to the HS/HSL collection will be made available through interlibrary loan.

SUBJECT SCOPE OF THE COLLECTION

The definitions of collecting levels are based on those defined in the ALA Guidelines for the Formulation of Collection Development Policies.

• Comprehensive: a collection which contains all works in all languages and all formats in a particular field. Its aim is exhaustiveness. The Library will not collect in any field at the Comprehensive level.

• Research: a collection which includes the major published source materials required for dissertations and independent research, including materials containing research reporting, new findings, scientific experimental results, and other information useful to researchers. It also includes all important reference works and a wide selection of specialized monographs, as well as an extensive collection of journals and major indexing and abstracting services in the field.

• Advanced Study Level: a collection which is adequate to support the course work of advanced undergraduate and master's degree programs, or sustained independent study of less than research intensity. It includes a wide range of basic monographs both current and retrospective, complete collections of the works of more important writers, selections from the works of secondary writers, a selection of representative journals, reference tools, and fundamental bibliographic tools.

• Initial Study Level: a collection which is adequate to support undergraduate courses. It includes selections of currently published basic monographs and retrospective monographs, a broad selection of works of more important writers, a selection of the most significant works of secondary writers, a selection of the major review journals, and current editions of the most significant reference tools and bibliographies.

• Basic: a highly selective collection which serves to introduce and define the subject and to indicate the varieties of information available elsewhere. It includes major dictionaries and encyclopedias, selected editions of important works, historical surveys, important bibliographies, and a few major periodicals in the field.

• Minimal: a subject area in which only the most basic works are selected, such as a basic text and a basic reference tool.

SUBJECT	LEVEL
Abortion (sociological and medical aspects)	Research
Abuse (child, spouse, etc.)	Research
Alcoholism see Substance Abuse
Anatomy, Human	Research
Anatomy, Non-Human	Basic
Anesthesiology	Research
Anthropology	Minimal
Bacteriology see Biology, Bacteriology
Biochemistry	Research
Bioethics	Research
Biology, General	Basic
Biology, Microbiology	Research
Biology, Bacteriology	Research
Biology, Virology	Research
Biology, Molecular	Research
Biomedical Engineering see Engineering, Biomedical
Biophysics see Physics, Biophysics
Biostatistics see Statistics, Health
Biotechnology (biological research such as gene splicing,     recombinant DNA, etc.)	Research
Botany (therapeutic and poisonous plants)	Basic
Cardiology see Internal Medicine
Chemistry, General	Basic
Chemistry, Inorganic	Minimal
Chemistry, Organic	Basic
Criminology (causes of crime, criminal psychology, penology,etc.)	Basic
Criminology, Juvenile Delinquency	Initial
Crtical Care	Research
Dentistry (includes dental hygiene)	Research
Dermatology	Research
Diseases	Research
Drug/Alcohol Abuse see Substance Abuse
Economics, General	Minimal
Economics, Health see Health Care Delivery
Education, General	Initial
Education, Health Education see Health Professions
Emergency Medicine (includes trauma, wounds and injuries, etc.)	Research
Endocrinology see Internal Medicine
Engineering Biomedical (medical equipment, design and testing     of equipment)	Basic
Epidemiology	Research
Evidence-Based Healthcare	Advanced
Family Medicine (includes family care, health promotion,     primary care, etc.)	Research
Forensic Medicine see Pathology
Gastroenterology see Internal Medicine
Genetics and Heredity, General	Basic
Genetics and Heredity, Human (includes genetic development)	Research
Gerontology and Geriatrics	Research
Health Care Delivery (administration, distribution, facilities,     managed care, economics, human resources, policy,     quality of care, etc.)	Research
Health Professions (economics, education, office administration,     professional organizations, etc.)	Advanced
Health Policy see Health Care Delivery
Health Statistics see Statistics, Health
Hospital Administration	Basic
History of Medicine	Basic
Human Genetics see Genetics, Human
Immunology	Research
Informatics, Health (includes telemedicine)	Research
Inorganic Chemistry see Chemistry, Inorganic
Internal Medicine (includes cardiology, endocrinology,     gastroenterology, nephrology, parasitology, rheumatology,     urology, etc.)	Research
Juvenile Delinquency see Criminology, Juvenile Delinquency
Law, Health-Related	Basic
Library and Information Science	Basic
Managed Care see Health Care Delivery
Management and Administration, General	Basic
Maternal/Child Health see Obstetrics and Gynecology
Medical Technology (clinical laboratory sciences)	Advanced
Medicine, Comparative (transcultural medicine, alternative medicine, etc.)	Advanced
Microbiology see Biology, Microbiology
Midwifery see Obstetrics and Gynecology
Molecular Biology see Biology, Molecular
Nephrology see Internal Medicine
Neurology	Research
Neuropsychology	Advanced
Neuroscience	Research
Nuclear Medicine (includes radiology, radiation therapy)	Research
Nursing (practice, administration, research, theory, etc.)	Research
Nutrition	Advanced
Obstetrics and Gynecology (includes maternal/child health, midwifery)	Research
Occupational Health	Advanced
Oncology	Research
Ophthalmology	Research
Organic Chemistry see Chemistry, Organic
Orthopedics	Research
Otolaryngology	Research
Parasitology see Internal Medicine
Pathology (includes forensic medicine)	Research
Pediatrics	Research
Pharmacy (clinical pharmacy, pharmaceutics, pharmacognosy,     pharmacology, practice and administration, toxicology, etc.)	Research
Physical Therapy	Advanced
Physics, General	Minimal
Physics, Biophysics	Research
Physiology, Human	Research
Political Science	Basic
Preventive Medicine	Research
Primary Care see Family Medicine
Psychiatry/Clinical Psychology (abnormal psychology, after care,     counseling, criminal psychology, psychiatric social work,     socioeconomic/environmental factors in mental     health, suicidology etc.)	Research
Psychology	Initial
Public Health, Environmental and Social Factors	Advanced
Public Health, Sanitary Control, Hygiene, Economic Factors	Initial
Race and Ethnic Psychology	Advanced
Radiation Therapy see Nuclear Medicine
Rape, Criminology	Basic
Rape, Sociological and Medical Aspects	Advanced
Rehabilitation Medicine	Research
Research Methods (design evaluation, theory, etc.)	Advanced
Rheumatology see Internal Medicine
Science, General (history, philosophy, etc.)	Minimal
Social and Public Welfare (charity organization and practice,     assistance, relief, etc.)	Research
Social work (administration, education, ethics, practice,     profession, research, theory, etc.)	Research
Sociology (social reform, race conflicts and prejudice,     social psychology, small groups, group and interpersonal     relations, feminism, transcultural issues, etc.)	Advanced
Sports Medicine	Research
Statistics, General	Basic
Statistics, Health and Vital Statistics	Research
Substance Abuse	Research
Surgery	Research
Telemedicine see Informatics, Health
Tests and Measurements	Advanced
Toxicology see Pharmacy
Trauma see Emergency Medicine
Urology see Internal Medicine
Veterinary Medicine	Basic
Virology see Biology, Virology
Vital Statistics see Statistics, Health and Vital Statistics
Wounds and Injuries see Emergency Medicine
Writing (style, publication, resumes, etc.)	Basic

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Abridged Editions

Abridged editions generally will not be collected.

Abstracting and Indexing Services

Major biomedical and social science abstracting and indexing services in English which are national or international in scope will be collected. Because many of these services are extremely expensive, however, it is impossible to acquire and maintain them all. The Library is increasingly obtaining these services in electronic format.

Academic Dissertations

The only theses generally collected are those deposited in the Library by the graduate programs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

Alumni Bulletins

Bulletins of alumni associations of the University of Maryland, Baltimore professional schools will be collected whenever possible.

Annual Reports

Annual reports of the following types of organizations will be collected:

• University of Maryland, Baltimore institutions, if published.
• Selected governmental health agencies (e.g., Maryland city and county departments of health, DHHS agencies, etc.).

Audiovisual Materials

In view of available AV collections in other media centers on this campus, HS/HSL will only obtain AV items occasionally to support its user education programs.

Bibliographies

• Subject bibliographies which are derived from major indexing services will not be collected, with the exception
  of Current Bibliographies in Medicine.
• Other subject bibliographies will be collected selectively.
• Those bibliographies which are simply a list of publications of an individual, faculty member, or a health-related institution generally will not be collected.

Biographies and Autobiographies (see also Personal Narratives)

Biographies and autobiographies of biomedical and social work professionals will be collected very selectively.

Bulletins and Transactions of Non-University of Maryland, Baltimore Institutions or Organizations

These publications will be collected only if they contain substantive signed articles. Generally publications of professional societies will be collected only if they contain original research and/or substantive signed articles, and are published by medical, dental, etc. societies on at least a state level. Exceptions are the bulletins of Maryland-D.C. area professional societies. Publications containing only social or local-interest news will not be collected.

Case Histories

Monographs which are collections of case histories will be collected selectively.

Catalogs

• Individually issued catalogs of drugs will not be collected; this information is available in the Physicians' Desk Reference or in equivalent publications, which will be collected.
• Catalogs of other materials, such as equipment, will be collected very selectively.

Computer-Based Educational Materials (Computer-Assisted Instructional Materials)

HS/HSL will not collect in this format since it is collected elsewhere on campus.

Congresses/Conferences/Symposia, etc.

• Publications containing only a list of the participants or only programs without abstracts will not be collected.
• Publications containing abstracts will be collected selectively, provided that the published proceedings are not already in the library's collection.
• Published proceedings will be collected selectively.

Directories of Members

Membership directories generally will not be collected below the national level, with the exception of the Maryland-D.C. area.

Directories of Organizations

Directories of organizations generally will not be collected below the national level, with the exception of the Maryland-D.C. area. Foreign directories will be collected selectively at the national level.

Electronic Resources

Decisions to purchase, lease, or otherwise provide ongoing access to information in an electronic format will generally be based on the subject matter as well as other technical and cost considerations. See Electronic Resources Collection Policy.

Examination Guides

Examination guides which are produced to aid students in the health sciences in preparing for specialty or board exams will be collected very selectively.

General Works

General works such as Encyclopedia Britannica, Who's Who, Dictionary of National Biography, road atlases, books of quotations, etc. will be collected on the recommendation of library staff members.

Government Publications

The library receives most of its federal documents as depository items through the University of Maryland Law Library. Items are selected from the Superintendent of Documents classification lists for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other health-related agencies. The lists are received annually for additions or deletions. Selected documents from other federal agencies are also acquired.

Health Education and Patient Education Resources

Health education resources are used to educate the health consumer generally in matters of health, wellness, and self-care or self-help. Patient education resources are specifically designed for persons suffering from a particular disease or disorder.

Health education and patient education publications generally will not be collected. Directories and sourcebooks will be collected selectively.

Imprint Variants

Resources that are published in two or more places in the same language will be collected in a single imprint with the U.S. edition preferred; however, if the textual content of the works differs substantially, both imprints will be collected.

Juvenile Literature

Materials prepared for a juvenile audience generally will not be collected.

Lectures and Speeches

Separately published lectures, speeches, and addresses in the core subjects will be collected selectively.

Literature

Fiction, drama and poetry will not be collected.

Looseleaf Publications

Looseleaf publications are defined as those publications which are updated by replacement pages which must be interfiled in the basic work. Looseleaf publications will be collected only in core biomedical subjects when comparable works in other formats are not available.

Manuals

• Laboratory manuals (in the research subjects) which are designed for use by health care personnel will be collected if they include procedural details and techniques are explained.
• Workbooks which provide space to answer questions about experiments will not be collected.
• Administrative manuals of health departments, medical departments, hospitals, pharmacies, and other organizations in the health sciences generally will not be collected, except University of Maryland, Baltimore-related materials.

Maps, Graphs, Posters, Charts

Individually issued items generally will not be collected.

Microforms

This format will not be collected.

Newspapers

General newspapers will be selectively acquired and ordinarily retained for one week.

Newsletters

A newsletter is a printed sheet, pamphlet, or small newspaper containing news or information of current interest to, or bearing upon the interests of, a special group. HS/HSL will limit its coverage to newsletters published in the research subjects only, and then very selectively. The library feels that newsletters are best purchased by the department or interested individual, since their greatest value is their timeliness.

Retention of holdings:

Those titles covered by an index or abstract will be retained indefinitely in many cases. Those titles not covered by an index or abstract will be retained temporarily. The specific length of time will vary from title to title, depending upon frequency, physical format, holdings at other local libraries, etc.

Personal Narratives

• Personal narratives of illness or injury written by a patient's family generally will not be collected; excepted are publications of which the author or subject of the narrative is a health professional or a widely known figure.
• Personal narratives which comprehensively describe health conditions during historically significant periods and/or in specific geographic areas will be collected.

Popular Works

Popular materials, including bestsellers, will not be collected, even though the author may be a health professional. These materials are available at area public libraries.

Press Releases

Press releases will not be collected.

Programmed Texts

Materials designed for health care personnel which are published by major medical publishers, major professional organizations, or major centers of medical education will be collected very selectively.

Promotional Materials

Commercial product and service advertising materials and literature used in fundraising appeals will not be collected.

Reprints

Reprinted materials will be collected as follows:

• Reprint editions of monographs and series or serials will be collected if the library lacks the original, or if the original edition is too rare, too fragile, or too valuable to lend; if an added copy of the work is needed; or if the reprint contains significant introductory material or additional textual material which is lacking in the original edition.
• Reprints of the collected works of a health professional which are published in a volume or series will be collected very selectively.
• A monographic collection of reprints or a reprint series or serial generally will not be collected.

Standards

Official U.S. national standards for devices and products used in health care delivery or in biomedical research will be collected. Publications which identify standard levels of safeness of products, conditions which affect human health, standards of care, and standards of health care practice will be collected.

Statistics

Maryland and U.S. federal government health, vital, and/or population statistics will be collected, as will such statistics for other in-scope governmental bodies. Statistical series which contain substantial health, vital, and/or population statistics in addition to other statistics will be collected; however, if such series are published in sections, only the sections which contain health, vital, and/or population statistics will be collected.

Syllabi and Course Outlines (unpublished)

These publications generally will not be collected. Occasionally, syllabi contain copies of lectures and/or considerable amounts of textual material and are used as textbooks. These syllabi/textbooks will be collected only if they cover a subject which has little current textbook representation in the library's collection or if they present a unique interdisciplinary view of a subject.

Tests

The library generally will collect in this format very selectively.

Textbooks

Textbooks intended for use in the professional education of health sciences personnel will be collected. Undergraduate textbooks will be collected very selectively.

Translations

In-scope materials translated from a foreign language into English will be collected as appropriate. Translations from English into a foreign language, or from one foreign language to another, will be acquired only on the basis of special consideration (i.e., special historical significance, rare books, etc.)

Unpublished Materials

Manuscript materials of present or potential historical interest will be collected selectively for the Historical and Special Collections in all areas of biomedicine. Such materials are not usually added to the general collection.

Yearbooks

Only school yearbooks representing University of Maryland, Baltimore schools will be collected for the Historical and Special Collections.

• OBJECTIVES OF THE REFERENCE COLLECTION POLICY

  Resources are selected for the reference collection in accordance with the general collection development policy. The currency of the content, the convenience for ready reference, and the non-circulating status of print materials are additional considerations for resources in this collection.

   

• SUBJECT SCOPE OF THE COLLECTION

  Information resources are selected for the reference collection as follows:

  • Major reference tools in the fields of medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, social work, and in support of the Graduate School.

  • Peripheral coverage (handbooks, subject encyclopedias, dictionaries) in areas such as education, psychology, sociology, management, etc. Coverage is provided in the life and physical sciences as they relate to the information needs of the campus.

  • A small group of general reference materials selected to meet the general information needs of the campus.

   

• TYPES OF RESOURCES INCLUDED IN THE COLLECTION

  The reference collection includes the following types of resources:

  • Abstracting and Indexing Services: Major English language abstracting and indexing services which support the research needs of the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus will be collected within budgetary limitations. Indexes which are separately published subsets of major indexing services to which the library subscribes will not be collected. Cumulations will be collected within budgetary limitations.

  • Bibliographies: The library collects bibliographies selectively, some of which are housed in the reference collection.

  • Membership and Organizational Directories: Directories in the reference collection will be restricted to those related to the information needs of the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus and generally will not be below the national level, with the exception of the Maryland-D.C. area.

  • General Works: The reference collection will include a selective collection of resources needed to meet the general information needs of the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus. The collection will include but not be limited to :
    • General encyclopedias
    • English language dictionaries, abridged and unabridged
    • Foreign language dictionaries
    • Books of quotations
    • Atlases (local, national, and international)
    • Style manuals
    • Almanacs
    • General biographical directories
    • Telephone books (local only)

    In addition the following will be collected selectively:
    • Location tools
    • Library directories
    • lnternet resource guides

    An attempt will be made to purchase the most current editions within budgetary limitations.

  • Looseleaf publications: Looseleaf publications are defined as those publications which are updated by replacement pages which must be interfiled in the basic work. Looseleaf publications will be collected only in core biomedical subjects when comparable works in other formats are not available.

  • Statistics: The reference collection will include publications giving the most currently available statistics related to the research needs of the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus from federal, state and local governments, and selected organizations.

  • Textbooks: The most current editions of standard textbooks will be collected in selective areas of the curriculum of the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus. In subject areas of heavy patron use, more than one textbook may be collected. If the budget permits, second copies of these textbooks will be purchased for the circulating collection.

   

• ACQUISITION OF NEW REFERENCE RESOURCES

  Each member of the reference services staff is responsible for recommending and screening resources for possible inclusion in the reference collection. A member of the reference staff will be responsible for reviewing new acquisitions weekly to select items for the reference collection.

   

• REVIEWING THE REFERENCE COLLECTION

The reference collection will be reviewed periodically. Resources will be removed based on a consensus of the reference staff and, generally, transferred to the circulating collection

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• INTRODUCTION

  The Health Sciences and Human Services Library of the University of Maryland, Baltimore recognizes the growing importance of electronic resources to the information needs of its clientele. This policy covers selection criteria for electronic resources acquired for use by the Library's clientele. It is to be used in conjunction with the Library's general Collection Development Policy.

• SCOPE

  The term electronic resources as used in this policy refers to any source of information which can only be accessed or used via a computer. Electronic resources covered by this policy include, but are not limited to, those intended for addition to the HS/HSL collection, for delivery of educational or research content, for inclusion on the HS/HSL networks or computers, and for remote access (i.e., commercial databases and Internet resources) by HS/HSL clientele. Types of resources include but are not limited to Web or Internet-based, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, and online. Electronic resources needed for operational use by the Library (e.g., word processing, spreadsheet, or presentation software; circulation, cataloging, or acquisitions systems) are not covered by this policy.

  Electronic resources must fall within the subject and language scope of the print collection, as stated in the Library's general Collection Development Policy.

   

• SELECTION CRITERIA

  The criteria used to select electronic resources are the same as for the selection of print and other formats, i.e., the resource must contribute to the Library's mission of providing support for instruction and research for its primary clientele; have an anticipated or demonstrated demand; be published/provided by an author/publisher with a good reputation; contain accurate information; be within the Library's budget, etc.

  In addition, the factors below are among those considered for electronic resources:

  1. Technical requirements
     • Is additional hardware or software required to use it?
     • Is the product networkable?
     • What is the means of accessing data (e.g., are passwords required)?
     • Is the resource available at all times (e.g. Internet resources)?
     • Are there special security requirements beyond what the library usually provides?
     • Is the resource stable (i.e., is the software "buggy")?

     User friendliness

     • Is the screen design easy to read and follow?
     • Is the interface already in use at HS/HSL and familiar to users?

     Searching functionality

     • Are keyword and boolean operators available?
     • Is response time acceptable?

     Is the data current? How often updated?

     Does the content include abstracts? Full text?

     Does the vendor have a good reputation and provide good service?

     Does the vendor provide support materials?

     What are the training issues (for staff and library clientele)?

     Licensing

     • Is a license required?
     • Are the terms agreeable (e.g. ILL allowed)?
     • Will the Library have access to data it paid for if the subscription is canceled or publication ceases?

     What are the archiving possibilities? (Does vendor archive? In what form?)

     Is there a print equivalent? If so, what are the advantages of the electronic product?

• TYPES OF ELECTRONIC RESOURCES
  • E-journals: As with print journals, electronic journals require a long-term commitment from the Library in terms of financial resources and human resources to acquire and maintain them. As more and more scholarly journals become available in electronic as well as print versions, the Library must decide whether to maintain both versions or cancel the print when the online version becomes available.

  • Free with Existing Print Subscription Upon Request: the Library will provide access to the Web version of a print journal to which it subscribes if it meets the following criteria:
  • free (i.e, no additional cost beyond that of the print subscription).
  • access is provided by IP address and/or proxy server (no passwords).
  • no additional software (other than a Web browser) is required.
  • licensing terms are acceptable.
  • journal is full text, not just abstracts or tables of contents.

• Not Included With Existing Subscription: electronic journals which are not included in the cost of a print subscription, as well as resources new to the Library, will be reviewed by the Electronic Resources Committee. The Committee will use criteria similar to those used for print journals in addition to the Selection Criteria listed above.

• Web sites: These are identified and selected by the HS/HSL subject specialists according to their relevance to the Library's collection using the Library's WWW Web Site Evaluation checklist.

• CD-ROMs: In general, CD-ROMs are not collected unless they are networkable and are for reference use. In order not to duplicate the CD-ROM collections in the campus media centers, HS/HSL will acquire CD-ROMs only occasionally if the content is unique and not available in any other format. CD-ROMs which accompany print material are retained only if the content is supplemental to the text and only at the discretion of the subject specialist.

The Historical and Special Collections in the HSHSL describes two distinct classes of materials. The Historical Collections consist of those books in the fields of the health sciences and social work having historical significance. The term Special Collections refers to our collection of historical campus materials, such as college catalogs and yearbooks, as well as primary source documents from our early years. Although theses from the School of Medicine up through 1887 are housed here, contemporary theses and dissertations from all our schools are shelved in the regular circulating collection. Once an historical collection has been started, the Library has full responsibility for its physical maintenance and further development. The Historical and Special Collections Librarian is chiefly responsible for selecting and acquiring such materials. The continued growth and development of the collections depends upon purchases, gifts, and the transfer of items from the circulating collection when their age and historical significance merit such treatment.

HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS

The Historical Collections are as follows:

• Cordell Historical Collection: chiefly medical works

• Crawford Historical Collection: a closed collection, which originated the University of Maryland Medical School Library in 1813.

• Grieves Dental Collection: chiefly dental works

• Nursing Historical Collection

• Pharmacy Historical Collection

• Social Work Historical Collection

• Woodward Historical Collection: primarily medical works, but also including other texts, donated to the Library by Dr. Theodore E. Woodward.

The Library is interested in acquiring historically significant works for the above collections. Efforts include obtaining selected reprints or facsimiles where appropriate.

In the case of duplicates, the better copy is kept. Extra copies are exchanged, sold, or offered to other institutions.

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

The purpose of the Library's Special Collections is to select and preserve publications originating on our campus. To facilitate their use, materials in this area are cataloged and made accessible through the Library's online catalog. However, because of the lack of additional space and staff required, it is not the Library's purpose to serve as the official, comprehensive campus archives. For this reason, the Library does not actively pursue unpublished contemporary records, minutes, correspondence, or other such official items.

The collection includes all official Library publications, such as annual reports, newsletters, programs of events, etc. In addition, the collection includes materials of the following types:

1. Books, pamphlets, and periodicals dealing with the founding of the University and its components.

2. College catalogs, yearbooks, alumni bulletins, commencement programs, etc.

3. Newsletters or other pertinent publications originating from campus offices. Depending on their individual nature, some of these may be too ephemeral for the Library to pursue actively.

4. Publications from University Hospital, such as the UMMS annual reports, as well as newsletters and other current-awareness items originating from UMMS offices.

5. Biographical vertical file materials pertaining to individuals considered important to the history of the campus

6. Maps or other pictorial views of the campus, as well as other similar materials illustrating persons or events of historical significance in health sciences disciplines.

7. Newsletters and annual reports devoted to the state-wide University System of Maryland as a whole; however, the Library does not keep publications which focus specifically on individual campuses of the USM System.

Items to be excluded are private collections of faculty or staff associated with the campus, such as individual papers, correspondence, files, lab notes, personal libraries, and memorabilia, unless associated with the University during its founding years, or collected by an individual who has attained a level of eminence widely recognized above and beyond the University.

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The Health Sciences and Human Services Library of the University of Maryland, Baltimore appreciates donations made to the Library by individuals and departments. These donations are a valuable source of additional copies for heavily used resources, as well as replacement copies for damaged or missing items. They are also a source of historically significant or rare works.

The Library accepts all items which are within the scope of its collection; however, the library reserves the right to exchange, sell, or discard items which are not needed. Donors are informed of this before the gift is received. Each item is checked against our holdings and, when appropriate, is added to the collection.

In most cases, donors are asked to transport the gifts to the library themselves, since the Library has no way to pick them up. Gifts will be acknowledged by card or letter at the request of the donor or when the library feels it is appropriate. The donor should prepare an itemized list of the resources, if one is desired, before transporting them to the Library. As a rule, no evaluation of gifts for tax purposes will be provided by the Library. Donors may arrange to have their gifts evaluated before bringing them to the Library. Donors may be referred to second-hand book dealers for appraisals.

Anyone interested in donating resources or who has questions about the gift policy should contact the Collection Development Librarian, Health Sciences and Human Services Library, 601 W. Lombard St., Baltimore, Md. 21201. Phone: (410) 706-7760.

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As the primary library serving the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Social Work, and the Graduate School, and as the Regional Medical Library for an 11-state region, the Health Sciences and Human Services Library has a responsibility to maintain a relatively broad collection. Financial constraints, however, mandate frequent and judicious review of the collection. The Collection Review Policy gives an overview of the general guidelines followed by the Library during review of the collection. The Additional Guidelines by Form or Type of Material section of the Collection Development Policy gives details about the types of items the Library will collect, and in some cases, gives retention statements. Generally, the Library will retain one copy of each edition of a text unless space constraints or circulation usage indicates otherwise. Journals will be retained indefinitely unless space constraints or condition of the item indicate otherwise. Directories and other annual types of reference resources usually will follow the pattern of keeping the current year in reference and only the previous year in the general collection.

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For purposes of this policy, weeding is defined as any voluntary action on the part of library staff to withdraw cataloged materials from the collection, whether they are being replaced by a more compact format, a more current edition, or for another reason. The important thing is that the result is a saving of space and an increase in the currency of the collection. By contrast, the withdrawal of lost or stolen items from the catalog does not constitute weeding.

The Health Sciences and Human Services Library reviews its collection on a regular basis to determine usefulness and/or the possible relocation or disposal of items. This review would include cancellation of subscriptions or standing orders, weeding, moving to storage, etc. Review is a continuous procedure with the entire collection being evaluated over a five-year period. Each item will be considered individually and as a part of the total collection.

JOURNALS

The journal reviewing process will consider the following criteria:

• Subject matter
• Local availability
• Age (historical value)
• Physical condition (including bound vs. non-bound)
• Completeness of holdings and length of run
• Source (campus or University-produced items will be retained regardless of condition).
• Usage (if able to determine)
• Special features (e.g., maps, plates)
• Language
• Recommendation of faculty, staff, etc.
• Indicators from evaluation tools (ISI impact factor, etc.)
• Format and other selection criteria

The following criteria will be considered when reviewing books:

• Subject matter
• Historical value and significance. Some items in the collection, especially in the Social Work and Nursing sections, will become increasingly valuable as time goes on. Great care must be taken when reviewing to avoid discarding potentially valuable items.
• One copy will be retained of each edition for research and advanced subject levels.
• In classification areas of high usage, such as LC Class numbers H, R, B, E, two copies will generally be retained. Additional copies will be kept if the circulation record indicates high usage. No specific definition of "high" usage is being made but, as a guideline, 4-5 checkouts in the last 10 years indicates substantial usage.
• Only the latest editions of study guides, programmed texts, examination review books, etc. will be kept. Generally for directories, only the latest edition will be retained.
• Special features (e.g., autographed copies)
• Language
• Reprint of an item already in the collection
• Physical condition

The Collection Development Librarian and Information Specialists are primarily responsible for reviewing activities. In addition, the Historical and Special Collections Librarian, Head of Resources Management, and the Library Director will advise on reviewing as needed.

The Health Sciences and Human Services Library expects to withdraw an average of 500 volumes per year over a five-year period, thus keeping the collection current and useful.

The last copy of a weeded title within the University System of Maryland, verified on VICTOR, will be offered to University of Maryland, College Park for possible retention.

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