About

The Macdonald-Kelce Library at The University of Tampa Collection Development Policy Executive Summary

Executive Summary

The Macdonald-Kelce Library collects a broad variety of informational resources and other materials to support the mission of The University of Tampa. The Collection Development policy is created to inform the decision-making process of the librarians and library staff in their stewardship of library resources. Every effort is made to create a collection that is equitable, accurate, and unbiased. The library upholds the principles of intellectual freedom and resists all efforts to censor library resources. We strive to build a collection that recognizes systemic and individual biases and works to dismantle these biases.

The policy addresses a broad range of issues, including balancing electronic collections with physical collections, ensuring equitable access, best practices for removal of materials, and guidelines for subcollections (periodicals, archives, reference, databases, A/V material, etc.).

KEY ITEMS TO NOTE:

• Database requests take longest to bring into the collection, so please initiate the process early (see liaison page for more information),
• UTampa publications, scholarship produced by students, faculty, and other members of the UTampa community are collected in the Institutional Repository; (see repository page for more information),
• Please contact the collection development librarian with any questions concerning gifts of books.  

The collection development policy is regularly reviewed and updated to best represent The University’s mission and the library’s commitment to professional ethics. This document is shared with the entire UTampa community to encourage feedback and dialogue to improve our collections and to help guide our decision-making process.

REMOVING ITEMS FROM THE COLLECTION

All items are evaluated before being removed from the collection. The librarians strive to keep materials of historical or research significance. Librarians follow a set of guidelines when considering materials for removal. These criteria include, but are not limited to, duplicate copies, superseded information, damaged items, and outdated scholarship. Often when materials are removed it is because the library has acquired more current and reliable resources. The librarians make an effort to donate, gift, or sell materials before recycling.

(May 2023, updated September 2024)