Collection Development Guiding Principles

These guiding principles provide a framework for collection development strategies and decisions.  The University of Washington Libraries:

• Collects or acquires materials in all formats to support the University’s teaching and research missions and priorities.
• Considers the ability to borrow or access materials for UW users from trusted consortial partners and vendors when making collection decisions.
• Works locally and with a network of partner institutions to preserve access to scholarly materials.
• Avoids duplicating materials, except to meet compelling UW user needs, in order to maximize scarce economic and physical resources.
• Prefers online access when it best meets the needs of users, but recognizes that the availability of digital content varies across disciplines and geographically and that there are cases where other formats are more effective.
• Recognizes that unique local collections and areas of strength add value to both institutional and collaborative collections.
• Acquires resources that researchers and students need in the most effective and economical manner available, and actively works with stakeholders to diversify and supplement resources available for collection support.
• Promotes and provides financial and other direct support for sustainable alternative publishing models aimed at reforming the current publishing system and making UW-produced scholarly content freely available.

(Adopted December 2014)