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Collections Development

This guide provides information and updates about the development and management of digital and physical collections at the MSVU Library & Archives.

Request a Book, Film, etc.

Recommendations for purchase
Although the Library has responsibility for collection development, a close partnership exists between librarians and departmental faculty in the selection of library material and resources. This collaboration builds a strong and well-balanced collection relevant to the needs of both students and faculty.

The Library welcomes recommendations from individual faculty members for the purchase of books (print or online - please specify), online resources, or other material. Make your suggestions by completing the purchase of library material form. 

When possible, please ensure the item is not currently in our library collection.

For order questions, contact Rodney Tucker, Coordinator of Resources and Acquisitions: rodney.tucker2@msvu.ca / 902-457-6410
For broader questions about the collection or material selection, contact Nicole Slipp, Collections Librarian: Nicole.Slipp@msvu.ca / 902-457-6403

 

The following order of priority will be considered for resources selection:

1. The development and active maintenance of a core collection that supports the curriculum;

2. More specialized material of interest to several teaching departments;

3. More specialized materials of interest to a single teaching department; and

4. More specialized materials of interest to one or a few individuals.

 

Journals, databases, and continuing subscriptions

Journal and database subscriptions are long-term, often expensive commitments. While we endeavour to subscribe to all the resources required for teaching and research, sometimes this is not possible. All journal and database requests are reviewed by the Collections Librarian and University Librarian. 

Donations

If you would like to donate books to the Library, please reach out to our Collections Librarian at Nicole.Slipp@msvu.ca, particularly if the donation numbers over 30 items. Please note that we do not generally accept textbooks, books which would be considered out-of-date, or government documents. Donated books assessed by the Collections team that are deemed inappropriate for the collections may be sold in the annual Book Sale or disposed of. 

Among the materials most desired by the library are:

  • Monographs with academic content which are unique to MSVU, and which serve to enhance the instructional and research capacity of our collection.

  • Monographs which replace damaged, missing, or long-term overdue items.

  • Journal issues which contribute to the completion of holdings of serials already held in the collection.

  • More recent editions of works that are already in the collection.

  • Out of print monographs which are classic, or core works in a subject area collected by the library.

  • Replacement copies for heavily used or worn items.

This guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. You may copy the guide as long as credit is included. Please be aware that many of our guides contain links to subscription-based services for which access is restricted to authorized users. Library licensed resources (such as journal articles or ebooks) are not permitted to be uploaded to third-party platforms, including generative AI tools, like MS CoPilot or ChatGPT. Consult the licenses and terms of use for each resource.