Library collections must not only be developed, as in added to, but also managed or maintained, which sometimes involves removing items.
Purchased items in the collection take up space (whether shelf or digital storage) and space is not unlimited. Physical books may become worn or otherwise fall into disrepair. Theory in every discipline develops and changes, and some book contents may become irrelevant to current scholarship. The Collections Librarian uses various assessment methods to determine when books or other items may no longer suit the collection, including usage statistics and feedback from users.
This page will track collections maintenance projects that invite input from our MSVU community.
The Collections team has begun a deselection process in the P 000-999 section of our physical collection. This range of the P Class includes books on language theory and linguistics (e.g. semiotics, etymology, speech, non-verbal communication) and communications (e.g. mass media, discourse analysis). Good candidates for replacement with electronic texts have been identified and purchased.
The books considered for deselection are initially identified through usage and other statistics and reviewed by the Collections Librarian. No books that have circulated (i.e. been checked out) in the last 5 years are being deselected.
* If books in these subject areas relate to your research and you would like to offer feedback on the titles being considered for deselection or request to take any of the titles for your own collection, please contact Collections Librarian Nicole Slipp (Nicole.Slipp@msvu.ca) for a copy of the list. Feedback will be accepted until April 15, 2025.