Library Policies
Collection Development & Maintenance
BACKGROUND
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Library serves all arms of the UAMS Mission and is the main academic health sciences center library in the state of Arkansas. Our collection covers all major biomedical disciplines and supports the information needs of the Colleges of Health Professions, Nursing, Medicine, Pharmacy, Public Health, and the Graduate School. The majority of our resources are electronic and accessible remotely to UAMS personnel and students. The collection includes: databases, ejournals, ebooks, print books, multi-media tools and materials from the Historical Research Center and UAMS Archives. The Library’s website is the main entry point to our resources & services.
PRIORITIES
The UAMS Library’s collection has been developed to meet present and future information needs of our users on the Little Rock campus, the Northwest Campus and at the UAMS Regional Centers around the state. Our collection is primarily electronic in order to provide the widest and quickest access to materials. To that end, we collect materials published in all formats, but with the following priorities:
- Primary research & clinical journals in electronic format
- Electronic Databases [bibliographic indices, factual compilations, multi-media tools etc.]
- Monographs in electronic format unless unavailable electronically or if cost prohibitive
- Monographs in print if electronic format is unavailable or is cost prohibitive
- Reference materials in electronic format
- Reference materials in print format if electronic format is unavailable or is cost prohibitive
SELECTION CRITERIA
Prior to purchasing or licensing of materials, the following factors are considered:
-
Scope [Major emphasis is given to acquiring materials covering the subjects of biomedical
research, clinical medicine, education, and associated topics. Curriculum materials cover
undergraduate, graduate, post-doctoral levels.]
- Authority of Author/Publisher
- Language [Only English-language materials are selected OR given priority]
- Publication Date
- Edition / Version
- Accessibility / ADA Compliance [Electronic materials]
- Reviews
- Cost
- Licensing Considerations & Limitations
Coverage of non-medical subjects is limited to the following areas:
- Standard reference tools such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, and almanacs when electronic format is not available or is cost prohibitive.
- Library science journals and monographs for use by UAMS Library faculty and staff
BUDGET
Funds for the purchase of materials are a designated item in the Library’s fiscal year budget, which is assigned and approved by the Provost. Materials are purchased through a subscription agency, vendors, or directly from the publishers. As a steward of these institutional funds, UAMS Librarians actively search, identify, collaborate and negotiate collective consortial agreements in order to license or purchase materials under the best prices possible.
Materials selected for the Historical Research Center’s collections are purchased through dedicated endowments established for the benefit of the Center.
INTERLIBRARY LOANS (ILLs)
Given the breadth and scope of biomedical information and resources, no Library can afford to collect every quality journal or book. To enhance access to materials, the UAMS Library offers a robust Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service through which we can borrow physical books or request PDFs of full text journal articles from other biomedical libraries. Requests for ILLs require the user to set up an ILLiad account at: https://libguides.uams.edu/ill-edd See the website for specifics.
RECOMMENDATIONS
UAMS faculty, staff and students may request or recommend specific titles of books and/or journals via our online suggestion forms:
- Book Recommendation Form https://uams.libwizard.com/f/book-recommendation
- Journal Recommendation Form https://uams.libwizard.com/f/journal-recommendation
Recommendations will be considered based on:
- Existing coverage of the discipline in the collection
- Changes within the discipline
- Curriculum-based need
- Authoritative reviews of resource in question
- Library budget and cost of recommended materials
MONETARY GIFTS
Individuals who wish to honor a family member, friend, or colleague may make monetary contributions to be used by the Library to purchase resources according to the collection policy.
Support can also be provided to the UAMS Library through financial contributions and endowments. Please see the UAMS Institutional Advancement GIVING site and click Make A Gift Online. Click the box under Designations for Select one or more Designation(s). Then you can choose one of the following UAMS Library options.
DONATION OF MATERIALS FOR MAIN COLLECTION
The Library does not accept print donations for the main collection.
HISTORICAL RESEARCH CENTER MATERIALS
The mission of the Historical Research Center (HRC) is to collect, preserve, and provide access to materials related to the history of UAMS and the history of the health sciences in Arkansas.
The Historical Research Center seeks additional items and materials for its collection that document the history of the health sciences in Arkansas. If you have materials you wish to donate, please contact Tim Nutt at (501) 686-6735 or tgnutt@uams.edu. The following information provides additional guidance for donations, but the staff of the Historical Research Center is available in person to answer any questions you might have regarding donations. https://libguides.uams.edu/historical-research-center
- Types of Materials Collected by the UAMS Historical Research Center
- Acquisition and Access Policy
- Guidelines for Packing and Transferring Materials
- Box Contents Form for Transferring Materials
- University Archives (UAMS Administrative Guide)
Any donations accepted by the HRC become the property of the library and it reserves the right to determine retention, location, etc. Inclusion decisions are made by the Director of the Historical Research Center with guidance from the Assistant Director/Archivist, as well on the suggestions of patrons, faculty, and other interested parties.
DE-SELECTION | WEEDING
Materials in the UAMS Library’s collections may be weeded (removed) from the collection based on select criteria.
- Currency | date of material
- Damaged materials [print]
- Revised or newer editions
- Replacement by electronic editions
- Faculty recommendations | Input
HISTORICAL: Any print materials will be reviewed by the Historical Research Center faculty for consideration for placement in the Historical Research Center collection.
FACULTY INPUT: Lists of items identified for weeding are shared with UAMS faculty through various outlets to provide opportunity and time for feedback regarding particular titles. Items retained based on faculty input will have notes attached to their catalog records.
References
Health Sciences Collection Development: an Overview of Fundamental Knowledge and Practices (2nd Edition)
https://pressbooks.rampages.us/hscolldev/chapter/collection-development-policies-guidelines/
Louisiana State University Health Shreveport - Health Sciences Library Collection Development Policy
https://guides.lsuhsc.edu/ld.php?content_id=66324302
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences – University Archives Policy 3.1.06 [Revision Date 3.8.23]
University of North Carolina Health Sciences Library – Collection Development Policy
Questions
Questions regarding this policy should be sent to Library Administration which includes the Library Director, the Associate Library Director for User Experience and Operations, or the Director of the Historical Research Center.