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Cowles Library and Drake University value exposure to disciplinary classics and key texts. The Library strives to preserve this key scholarship in order to provide a pathway through a particular discipline. At the same time, the library recognizes that not all disciplines have the same needs regarding print and electronic content; whenever possible, the library will support individual disciplinary curricular needs by purchasing resources in the most appropriate format. As more resources become available in electronic format, usage by discipline will be studied to determine appropriate formats for future selection considerations. While electronic books are becoming increasingly popular, compatibility issues, reader preferences, availability limitations, pricing models and perpetual access issues present sufficient challenges that the library must continue to acquire print materials into the foreseeable future in order to provide the Drake community continued access to key scholarship.
Digital library materials are vital in the modern era of shared access to electronic information. While much information is available on the Internet, Cowles Library plays a unique role by providing quality scholarly information that would not be available otherwise, and by defending the widest possible access to information in all formats.
A. Books (Monographs)
1. Print
Cowles Library continues to purchase and maintain a collection of books in print, while recognizing that the preference for and usage of the print format may vary by discipline. The primary format for a one-time purchase (that is, non-subscription) is the book format. Books/Monographs are generally collected in clothbound editions except when items are available only in paperback editions. The exception is when the price differential between the clothbound edition and the paperback edition is deemed to be excessive. In this case the paperback edition will be purchased and sent to the bindery if deemed necessary.
The Library maintains a Reference book collection that includes material such as general and specialized encyclopedias, dictionaries, directories, almanacs, atlases and topical bibliographies. Most of the index and abstracting sources in print have been replaced by similar electronic versions. Generally, whenever a Reference source is available in both print and electronic formats, the Library will opt for the electronic version, unless the cost for such is significantly higher than the print version or if the electronic version is not available to the library via perpetual access.
2. E-Books
Cowles Library has an ever expanding number of E-books provided by different vendors that all appear in the catalog. Their usage levels may vary depending upon the license agreements with each vendor. The Library will contract with vendors for online digital rights to selected current academic and trade books. When available, necessary (based on the opinion of the Library or Faculty Liaison), and fiscally feasible, works to which Cowles can procure permanent (perpetual) access rights will be preferred to works which Cowles does not own but is merely leasing. The Library needs to be cognizant of and concerned with the special needs of this medium, such as specialized software that each product may require. Also, the Library needs to be aware of the varying licensing arrangements and how this may affect usage (that is, "single" vs. "unlimited" simultaneous users for each title). See also Appendix 11: Evaluation elements considered for electronic/online materials.
B. Government Documents
Cowles Library is a partial depository for federal government publications. We receive the same core materials that all depository libraries receive. The remainder of our government collection is determined by the profile created by the librarian responsible for documents, whose decisions on which series numbers we receive generally follow the same criteria applied to the selection of our books and serials (see Section IV: Selection Factors). Emphasis is placed on those materials deemed to be the most relevant to our curricular needs. In addition to the publications created by Congress, those put out by the Departments of Education, Commerce and Interior comprise the largest share of our government collection. As a general rule, we receive approximately one-fifth of the publication series the federal government offers to depository libraries. The librarian who oversees documents, with occasional input from selected faculty members who may have an interest in particular publications, makes the decision on which series we receive. We also try to avoid excessive duplication of materials that are acquired by the Drake Law Library.
Cowles Library will provide access to federal government information made available through the Federal Depository Library Program. This access will be freely available to both the Drake community and the general public with no fees, age restrictions or residency requirements. Providing access to Government Documents has implications for both the "virtual" and "physical" library. The "virtual" side requires the Library to maintain an up-to-date Web presence that points to worthwhile government publications. The "physical" side requires the Library to provide public access to those computing resources necessary to access this information.
C. Media
Academic departments may use their library-assigned monographic (Book) budgets to purchase media materials. Media purchased for the Cowles Library collection should meet the same criteria established for other formats (such as print) in regard to relevancy to the curriculum. Note:Media is purchased for educational rather than public presentations, and public presentation rights are not included in the purchase of such materials. All copyright restrictions will be respected. Contact the Library for information about currently accepted media formats. (See Appendix #3: "Procedures for Ordering a Book or Media. ")
D. Serials
The recurring expense of print periodical subscriptions represents long-term, complex fiscal, physical, and technical commitments, rather than the relatively short-term process and one-time expense of acquiring and processing a book. This is true regardless of whether the subscription is in print or online format. For this reason, periodicals selection must be a carefully considered activity and is treated differently from book selection. (See "Section V: Library Collections" for the policies regarding electronic serials). Periodicals are selected and preserved for Cowles Library to enhance the library's collection of learning resources with current materials in various subject fields. Journals/periodicals/annuals are normally acquired only through subscription; individual issues or reprints are rarely purchased. Journals which are expensive or very specialized, not indexed, are unrelated to specific courses or programs, or which for some other reason are inappropriate for an educational institution, are seldom ordered. (See Appendix 4: "Procedures for Ordering a Journal (print and electronic) and Electronic Databases").
1. Policies pertaining to different types of serials subscriptions
a. Periodicals - Journal subscriptions that are perceived to be of lasting value will be bound for permanent storage except titles which are also available in a permanent digital format, in which case see the"Policy for removal of duplicate print and microform journal holdings if a title is owned in a permanent digital format. "
The Library subscribes to a number of popular magazines. These provide current cultural awareness. Because few of the bound titles are available electronically, many are bound and retained to support teaching and research, particularly in the areas of history, political science, sociology, and journalism.
b. Electronic/Online Journals - Cowles Library seeks access to high quality electronic journals (e-journals) in all subject areas of the Drake curriculum. Because the acquisition of any particular electronic journal is staff-intensive and involves the work of many people over a period of months, collection efforts will focus on acquiring a solid core of proven e-journals from respected publishers with non-core material acquired when it follows general collection policies. E-journal publishers vary greatly in their familiarity with electronic publishing issues and in their familiarity with needs of the scholarly and library community. Some e-journal publishers have unrealistic expectations of the prices libraries can afford. Because the Library has limited funds that can be devoted to such publishers, we will pursue other formats or delivery methods for the desired journal rather than providing access to the electronic version.
c. Microforms - Cowles Library does not actively collect microform except for titles of local interest (e.g., Des Moines Register, Times-Delphic). If an item is only available in microform we will consider purchase.
d. Newspapers - Cowles Library carries subscriptions to select newspapers to support teaching and research, to provide sources of national and international news, and to provide general intellectual and cultural awareness for the Drake community. Another consideration is whether or not the title is available via the internet and/or in one or more of the full-text electronic databases to which the library subscribes. There is no specific attempt to collect, using University funds, the hometown newspapers of the student body, although gifts will be considered (seeSection VII: 2. Gifts).
e. Monographic Series - Monographic series may be acquired as individual titles, or by establishing a continuation (standing) order. The need to purchase all volumes in the series is the primary requirement for establishing a continuationorder.
E. Electronic Collections
1. Purpose, Priorities and Goals
Digital materials should meet the same subject, chronological, geographical, language and other guidelines as outlined in the library's print collection policies (see Section IV: Selection Factors); and possess the same standards of excellence, comprehensiveness and authority that the library expects from all of its acquisitions. Priority will be given to those digital materials that offer significant added value in supporting teaching and research over similar materials in traditional formats, that offer significant opportunities for cost containment, and whose license terms are reflective of the University's academic values. Measures of added value might include: additional content, greater functionality andaccessibility, improved resource sharing ability, improved linkages with other information tools, ease of archiving, and enabling more efficient use of limited faculty and student time and resources. The Library recognizes that different disciplines utilize different formats and different types of information in different ways, and that no one solution is appropriate for every area of study. Within this framework, it is the Library's objective to collect scholarly digital materials in order to provide broad access to relevant scholarly information, including articles, monographs and databases, and to provide seamless cross-linkages between all elements of the digital library.
2. Broad Categories
Digital library materials currently collected by Cowles Library consist of fourbroad categories:
a. Purchased or licensed material such as electronic journals or databases. These are generally acquired from a commercial source, a government entity, a non-profit organization, a professional society, or an institution engaged in furthering scholarly research. In many cases this material is not "physically owned" by the library in the same sense that a printed book or journal may be owned, but instead the library has acquired specific rights to the material on behalf of the library's clientele.
b. Material that has been reformatted (digitized) by Cowles Library or the University from non-copyrighted print or analog sources, or has been reformatted from copyrighted sources with appropriate permission. In some cases the library may also serve as a repository for material digitized by other libraries, universities, institutions, or individuals. Typically, this material consists of resources from special collections that have been selected for digitization in order to make them more widely available (see Section VI. F. Special Collections), or deteriorating materials that have been reformatted for preservation reasons. As the use of digital material in higher education expands, the library will increasingly digitize materials on a programmatic basis in order to support the mission of the University and Cowles Library.
c. Links and pointers to Internet resources of significant scholarly value that are added to the library's catalogs, databases, and networked resources as appropriate.
d. Open Access (OA) content. A growing amount of scholarship is being made available through OA sources, such as the Directory of Open Access Journals and OAIster, and Cowles Library is committed to supporting such growth. Where appropriate and technically feasible, the Library provides access to and discovery methods for OA content.
3. Selection Factors
The selection factors listed inSection IValso apply to the acquisition of electronic resources. In addition, several other factors are evaluated. The following list is not meant to be all-inclusive, but is merely meant to guide the selector.
a. Content
Is the content intellectually significant? Is the content relevant to Drake University's curriculum? Is it relevant to the selecting levels identified in the Library Conspectus? Measures of intellectual significance include authority, uniqueness, timeliness, breadth or depth, and demand.
b. Is the format appropriate?
Is the format appropriate to achieve the underlying rationale for the acquisition of the resource? Print may be the appropriate format for a unique item with a low rate of expected usage, while high-use general undergraduate-level information resources, distance education resources or frequently used reference material may be more appropriately acquired in a "networkable" digital format. In a similar vein, special collections material with wide potential interest might benefit from digitization to increase its utility and to make it available to a wider audience. An analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of a particular format, along with considerations of audience, intended use of the material, archival and access issues, and overall costs are all factors to be considered in determining which format would be most appropriate for the library collection.
c. Practical issues
Does the library have the necessary overhead resources (equipment, staff, space, etc.) to support the resource? Do library users have the necessary resources to utilize the content (computers, players, plug-ins, etc.)? Does the license or contract for the resource meet library, university, and state requirements? Is the vendor reliable, is the format stable, and can we utilize the resource (linking, archiving, etc.) in the ways our users need? Does the digital product adhere to the best prudent practices of current library collection management (including, but not limited to, appropriate retrieval software, a well-designed interface, appropriate format and linking options, a properly reliable delivery mechanism, authentication and security designs that meet library needs, a library-friendly approach to fair use and copyright, quality statistical reporting, appropriate technical support, assurances of rights to permanent access, and appropriate licensing terms)?
d. Strategic Considerations
Is the resource compatible with library/university information technology plans? Is the product compatible with the library's overall digital library vision and the library's current infrastructure in terms of its discovery, access, organization, and technical components? Is the product design and delivery consistent with the best practices of digital libraries? Advantages of digital format must be demonstrably greater than the equivalent print purchase. That is, there should be a coherent rationale for the acquisition of the resource. (See Appendix 11.) Other factors:
e. Accessibility- That is, the ease with which the title/database can be readily accessed, both physically (computer hardware/software, internet connections, etc.), and bibliographically (ease of location of pertinent information on the library's catalog/web page, etc.).
f. Integration - Ease of ability to integrate into existing Library services.
g. Cost - Ideally, electronic content should cost less than its print equivalent unless there is added value (such as full-text, internet links, etc.). Practically, costs should not be significantly greater unless the added value is substantial. (See Appendix 11, section H.)
h. Archiving - If a print subscription to the title is not also carried, archiving is a key issue to consider. Does the publisher archive all years to which we are paying for access? Will we continue to have access to those years if/when we discontinue the subscription? What forms will that access take? (See Appendix 11, section D.)
F. Special Collections
Cowles Library's special collections consist primarily of Drake-related material. There is a collection of books by Drake alumni and Drake faculty. There is an archival set of all the dissertations that have been done at Drake, although newer ones are now only kept in the electronic format. There is also a collection of various publications by Drake agencies including: catalogs, yearbooks, staff directories, school newspapers, student magazines, commencement programs and Drake Relays programs. The Library maintains two collections of archival files that we call Drake Biography and Drake Agency. The Biography files contain articles, letters, memos, photos and the like for individuals that were/are Drake faculty, staff, administrators, alumni and trustees. The Agency files contain articles, memos, photos, flyers and the like for Drake departments, buildings, offices, events and publications. Our special collections do not contain institutional archive materials such as: personnel records, student records or financial records of the University. The Library does have a few collections of non-Drake material in Special Collections, which can be found on the Heritage page of the library website.
The Library will identify local materials whose wider availability would aid university teaching and research, promote scholarship, enrich the arts and sciences, deepen our understanding of human culture and benefit the Drake community. Local materials are digitized both to provide wider access, and to preserve them for future generations. Digitization projects require a significant investment of local resources and are not undertaken lightly. Long-term value to the academic community, congruency with the Library and University missions and areas of interest, and significance to worldwide users of the Internet are all important considerations. Digitization projects are planned in consultation with the Drake Digital Repository (seeAppendix 5: "Drake Digital Archives").
