Collection Development Policy

The Strauss Health Sciences Library (Strauss Library) is the primary source of health sciences information resources for the CU Anschutz Medical Campus (CU Anschutz). The Strauss Library supports the CU Anschutz mission by providing access to resources related to the health sciences disciplines represented at CU Anschutz.

Introduction and Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines for building and maintaining a collection of information resources to meet the needs of CU Anschutz personnel and programs. Specific objectives of this policy include:

  • Communicating the nature and limits of the collection.
  • Defining objective criteria for making decisions.
  • Ensuring appropriate use of limited funds.
  • Promoting consistency in collection development decision making over time.
  • Relating library goals to the goals of the campus.

Overview of the Collection

The Strauss Library provides access through purchase or lease to information resources including books, journals, databases, indexing/abstracting tools, as well as audiovisual media and software, to support CU Anschutz curricula, dissertation preparation, research, and clinical practice. Strauss Library emphasizes resources in digital format whenever possible to deliver its resources at the point of need.

In general, resources purchased or leased for the collection are appropriate for individuals studying at a graduate level or above, health care practitioners, and research professionals. Undergraduate level materials are not acquired except to support those CU Anschutz programs that offer baccalaureate degrees.

The CU Anschutz Medical Campus is committed to being a place where free speech and academic freedom are valued, supported and protected, within a culture of civility and respect. The Strauss Library adheres to the ideals of accessibility, inclusivity, intellectual freedom, and self-actualization, and strives to provide resources in accessible formats and serve its users with respect, dignity, and fairness. The collection will include materials that represent a wide variety of perspectives on religious, political, sexual, social, economic and scientific issues. 

Collection Scope

The Strauss Library strives to provide adequate coverage in the areas of dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health, selected allied health disciplines, and basic life sciences. Health sciences specialties that are not taught or practiced at CU Anschutz are only acquired as needed. For example, because the campus does not offer a degree program in psychology, only selected psychology information resources that directly support CU Anschutz programs are acquired. Other health sciences specialties that are not generally collected include, but are not limited to, chiropractic medicine, consumer health, homeopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, optometry, and veterinary medicine.

A variety of media resources including software, streaming media, and anatomical models are provided for lecture support and self-instruction by CU Anschutz faculty, staff, and students. Areas of strength include resources in human gross anatomy, microanatomy, neuroanatomy, physical assessment, and human growth and development. Many clinical medical and nursing specialties are also represented. Exam preparation is also supported by a selection of tools.

The Strauss Library selectively collects materials published by Colorado health-related agencies, as well as other local and regional resources that are relevant to the needs of CU Anschutz personnel. The library is not a depository for U.S. government publications, but selectively acquires documents issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other U.S. government documents that are directly related to health sciences.

The Strauss Library maintains electronic theses and dissertations for schools and programs on Anschutz campus in the institutional repository. Dissertations and theses from other universities are not purchased for the general collection. Books published by CU Anschutz faculty are acquired, as funds allow. Donations of items published by CU Anschutz faculty are encouraged and greatly appreciated.

Rare and historical health sciences resources are generally acquired only through donations. Items about the history of the health sciences are purchased selectively for the circulating History of the Health Sciences Collection. Archival materials related to the history of the campus such as annual reports and school bulletins, as well as photographs and other artifacts, are acquired through donations.

Acknowledgement of Outmoded Descriptions

Strauss Library acknowledges that some materials and catalog descriptions contain outmoded language that reflect historical biases relating to ability, gender, race, religion, sexuality/sexual orientation, and other identities. The dated content and descriptions go against the values of the Strauss Library. It is provided for access as part of the historical record. 

Funding for the Collection

Primary source of funding for library collections is allocated by campus administration. Annual allocation depends upon overall state funding for higher education, internal allocations among University of Colorado campuses, and CU Anschutz budgetary matters. Other funding sources include:

  • CU Anschutz Student Academic Support Fee – A portion of student fees is allocated to the library annually for the purchase of resources that support student needs. The amount of funds may vary from year to year.
  • Endowment funds – Funding is augmented by several small library endowment accounts that generate revenue that can be used to purchase information resources within certain guidelines.
  • Special funding – Occasionally special funds are provided to the Strauss Library. 

The collection budget covers the costs of purchasing and/or leasing access to books, journals, media, databases, and other information resources that support CU Anschutz programs. These funds also are used to cover the costs of binding, preserving, repairing, and replacing print materials. Library base funding does not increase when new CU Anschutz programs are added, and support of such programs must come from program funds or additional funds provided by campus schools or campus administration.

Primary Users

The Strauss Library is funded to serve the information needs of its primary library users including CU Anschutz faculty, CU Anschutz employees, and students currently enrolled in CU Anschutz programs. Resources that support the clinical practice, educational, and research needs of these primary users are acquired for the library’s collection.

The Strauss Library is not funded to acquire resources to support the information needs of unaffiliated library users, although all users are welcome to visit the library and use resources on site or request physical items via Prospector

Selection Responsibility

The Head of Collection Management, who reports to the Deputy Director of the library, has overall responsibility for determining which items will be added to or removed from the library's collection. Several individual library staff members are responsible for selecting resources for special collections.

CU Anschutz faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to use the Strauss Library’s online suggestion form to recommend and suggest new information resources. Recommendations are evaluated according to the guidelines outlined in this policy. Selection decisions are based on the relevance of items to the clinical practice, curriculum, and research needs of the greatest number of CU Anschutz faculty, staff, and students, as well as other guidelines specified in this policy.

Selection Criteria

Many factors must be weighed in making selection decisions. The following factors are considered when evaluating resources for addition to the collection.

Books (Monographs)

  • Subject matter and relevance to the clinical, educational, and research needs of primary users
  • Potential use by primary users – may be indicated by use of previous editions and/or inclusion in standard recommended lists
  • Currency – preference is given to the recent three-year period
  • Language and place of publication – English is the primary language. Non-English materials with English translations may be purchased for special collections
  • Cost
  • Recommendations from primary users
  • Book reviews
  • Availability at other local libraries
  • Format

As a general rule, duplicate copies of materials are purchased rarely, only when a title is very heavily used, and funds are available. 

The library does not automatically exclude formats that provide pertinent information needed by primary users. However, the following types of materials are generally not acquired:

  • Charts
  • Congresses
  • Examination review books/guides
  • Graphs
  • Laboratory manuals
  • Lecture notes
  • Loose-leaf publications
  • Microforms
  • Pamphlets
  • Pocketbooks
  • Popular works (except for special collections)
  • Posters
  • Proceedings
  • Programed or self-instructional texts
  • Reprints
  • Spiral bound publications
  • Study guides
  • Syllabi
  • Symposia
  • Workbooks

Journals

  • Subject matter and relevance to the information needs of primary users
  • Potential use by primary users – may be indicated by inclusion in major health sciences indexes/abstracts, citation metrics, inclusion in standard recommended lists, and number of interlibrary loan requests
  • Cost
  • Recommendations from primary users
  • Language/place of publication – only English language publications are purchased
  • Availability at other local libraries

Additional Factors for Electronic Resources

  • Availability of necessary hardware, software, and connections
  • Licensing agreement requirements and/or restrictions
  • Access method – preference given to IP filtered access over passworded access
  • Security issues
  • Accessibility as required by federal and state laws
  • Vendor service reliability

Open Access

Strauss Library will provide access to reputable open access journals, books, and other materials as needed or as requested by faculty and/or librarians to support educational and research goals of faculty and students. Strauss Library supports the creation and dissemination of open access materials produced by CU Anschutz faculty, staff, and students and welcomes submission to CU Anschutz Digital Collections.

CU Anschutz Digital Collections

CU Anschutz Digital Collections is Strauss Library's online service and space for CU Anschutz’s institutional repository that aims to capture, manage, and preserve the knowledge base, creative works, and intellectual output of CU Anschutz. Content of CU Anschutz Digital Collections is open and freely available on the web for users around the world.

Strauss Library's staff facilitate deposit of materials into CU Anschutz Digital Collections and does not generally support the removal of publications once posted. However, Strauss Library reserves the right to remove a publication if there is reason to believe it violates the rights of a third party, including cases of accusations of libel, invasion of privacy, or plagiarism.

Open Access Publishing Agreements

Strauss Library and consortium partners negotiate directly with publishers to enable open access publishing agreements that benefit Anschutz researchers and promote open scholarly communication globally. The list of our current agreements can be found on our resource guide on publishing.

Special Collections

Supported by a small endowment, the Amesse Collection provides a leisure reading collection of novels, biographies, and nonfiction, as well as a selection of popular magazines.

The Henry and Janet Claman Medical Humanities Collection (formerly the Arts in Medicine Collection) includes resources related to the humanities (literature, philosophy, ethics, history and religion, social sciences, anthropology, cultural studies, psychology, sociology), and the arts (literature, theater, music, film, and visual arts) and their application to health sciences education and practice. This collection is supported by an endowment.

The James J. Waring History of Medicine & Health Sciences Collection is a circulating collection of titles covering all aspects of the history of medicine and related fields as well as works on medical topics published between 1876 and 1913 that do not require the special handling of rare materials. The collection is primarily supported by donations.

The Rare Materials Collection includes items that, because of age, value, or rarity, require special handling and security. These items include books and journals, historical artifacts, and a small collection of photographs, many related to the history of the campus. Rare items are housed in a special climate and security controlled area adjacent to the Special Collections Room and are available for use by appointment only. This collection is supported by donations.

The Florence G. Strauss-Leonard A. Wisneski Indigenous & Integrative Health Collection includes books, journals, databases, and other resources related to complementary health practices and alternative therapies from around the world, with a focus on different healing traditions, practices, and attitudes toward health and disease. This collection is supported by an endowment.

Other Sources of Information Resources

Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary loan (ILL) enables library staff to supplement the collection by obtaining copies and/or loans of items not available at the Strauss Library. Electronic ILL systems are used to locate items worldwide and request them for CU Anschutz faculty, staff, and students as well as to extend library resources to researchers and library users from other institutions. 

Prospector

The Strauss Library participates in the Prospector catalog containing the holdings of academic, public, and special libraries in Colorado and Wyoming. Library users have access to books, journals, DVDs, CDs, videos, and other materials held in these libraries. Items can be identified and requested online using the Prospector button in Library Search or directly from Prospector. Requested items will be delivered to the Strauss Library for pick up.

University of Colorado Libraries

The Strauss Health Sciences Library is one of five University of Colorado libraries, including:

The five CU libraries have a tradition of collaboration and sharing collections through ILL and cooperative collection development. Currently, there are many electronic resources available to all faculty, staff, and students across the CU system through the efforts of the CU libraries to work cooperatively and license e-resources across the campus.

Other Policies

Binding and Preservation

When possible, books are purchased in hard cover. Soft cover items received may be sent for binding, depending on cost and expected use. All print journals that are retained for more than five years are bound. Items needing repair are repaired in-house when possible. Items that are too damaged to be retained are discarded or replaced, at the discretion of the Head of Collection Management. These decisions are made based on the usefulness and uniqueness of the item, as well as cost and availability.

Gifts and Donations

Gifts for the collection provide a valuable supplement to the library's Information Resources budget. Selection criteria for gift materials are the same as those for purchased materials. In most cases, duplicate materials are not added to the collection. Resources most suitable for donation include:

  • Funds to purchase online institutional subscriptions to health sciences journals
  • New editions of relevant health sciences texts
  • Books published by CU Anschutz faculty
  • Rare or historical health sciences materials

Donors are asked to submit a list of items they wish to donate to facilitate the selection and processing of materials and for gift acknowledgement purposes. Lists may be submitted online. Donations cannot be accepted without prior approval of collection management staff.

Replacements

Books that are missing, lost, or damaged are not automatically replaced, even when the library is reimbursed for these items. The decision to replace a book is made by collection management staff based on use, subject matter and relevance to the needs of primary clients, currency, cost, and available funds. Missing print journal issues are replaced only when provided to the library by donors. 

Shared Print 

Strauss Library participates in a few Shared Print initiatives, including the Colorado Alliance Shared Print Trust and the Western Regional Storage Trust (WEST). The Library agrees to retain library materials in trust on behalf of the group membership. The maintenance of strong regional collections ensures discovery and quick access for library patrons. It also helps libraries make better decisions about what to withdraw or move into storage.

Stored Materials at PASCAL

Because there is inadequate space to house all print resources in the library facility, many older materials, including books and journal volumes, are stored at the Preservation and Access Service Center for Colorado Academic Libraries (PASCAL), a high-density storage facility located at the CU Anschutz campus. Items stored at PASCAL can be identified and requested online through the library’s online catalog. Items are delivered to Strauss Library for pickup via courier service within two to three days, Monday - Friday. CU Anschutz library users may schedule an appointment in advance to use materials at the PASCAL facility.

Weeding

Weeding, or the removal of items from the collection, is an integral part of developing and maintaining a relevant, useful collection. Materials no longer relevant to the needs of primary users, duplicate copies, and seldom-used items are periodically removed from the collection. This is done to conserve valuable space and to improve the usefulness of the collection. Withdrawn items may be offered to other local libraries, through national library exchanges, or discarded.