Collection Development

Overview

The Collection Development department of the Fondren Library, working with other subject specialists, builds and manages a collection of information resources to support Rice University's academic and research needs. The collection development staff add information products in all media, withdraw or replace materials as appropriate, and provide assistance in locating needed information.

The Collection Development Department, and subject specialists elsewhere in the library organization, work primarily with the vast, and growing, collection of formally published content (print or digital).

What We Do

• Purchase, and otherwise acquire, information resources that meet the needs of Rice faculty, students and staff (see the Fondren Library collection development statement).
• Advise where and how to identify materials relevant to teaching and research needs.
• Teach or assist library visitors in the use of various digital information content.
• Monitor the condition of collections and initiate appropriate preservation activities.
• Attend departmental meetings to discuss library resources and services.
• Assist faculty and university administration with issues regarding scholarly communication and publishing
• Manage the Fondren Library's collections budget

Fondren Library Statement on Collection Development Philosophy

Diversity and inclusivity are core values of librarianship and are among the principles that guide the development of Fondren Library’s collections. Fondren Library’s collection development librarians work to support university priorities in research and teaching, and are guided by the philosophy inherent in the American Library Association’s “Library Bill of Rights”, especially as it pertains to diverse collections, referenced here:

Fondren collection development librarians have an obligation to select materials “on subjects by diverse authors and creators that meet, as closely as possible, the needs, interests, and abilities of all the people the library serves”. A diverse collection “contains content by and about a wide array of people and cultures to authentically reflect a variety of ideas, information, stories, and experiences”. This includes, among other things, selecting content in multiple formats and languages; considering resources from self-published, independent, small, and local producers; and seeking content created by and representative of marginalized and underrepresented groups.

For the full text of the “Library Bill of Rights”, see:

"Library Bill of Rights", American Library Association, June 30, 2006. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/librarybill (Accessed October 30, 2019) Document ID: 669fd6a3-8939-3e54-7577-996a0a3f8952