Scope: The scope of this policy includes the uOttawa Library collection, with the exception of the Archives and Special Collections.
The uOttawa Library advances research and supports learning by connecting the uOttawa community to expertise, services, collections, and technology in a welcoming and supportive environment. The purpose of the collection is to create a strong scholarly foundation for advancing research, teaching, and learning at uOttawa.
The Library is responsible for the management of the complete collection lifecycle which includes selection, acquisition, access and maintenance, and deselection.
Collection Development Principles
- As the largest French-English bilingual university in the world, the Library recognizes the important role French language materials play in the University’s mission and as such is committed to enriching French language collections.
- The Library takes an evidence-based and holistic approach to developing and managing the collection.
- The Library actively strives to offer a diverse and inclusive collection reflecting varied perspectives.
- The Library accounts for the different needs, considerations, and requirements for each discipline, when developing the collection.
- The Library acknowledges its responsibility to ensure the sustainability of the collection (financial, preservation, formats, and access infrastructure).
- The Library takes a collaborative approach to building collections.
- The Library raises awareness about its collections and how to access them.
The Library Collection Strategy
To meet user needs for resources that support research, teaching, and learning, we facilitate access to an interrelated mix of local, external, and collaborative resources. In order to extend the breadth and depth of our collections, we participate in a wide range of collaborative resource-sharing activities and in partnerships and initiatives at the local, provincial, national and international level.
The collection generally contains:
- Collections that are built and managed to support everyday curriculum and research activities at uOttawa. These collections do not necessarily come with long-term preservation or stewardship responsibilities and may include resources to meet more short-term needs.
- Collections that are built and curated to support the long-term stewardship of the scholarly record in areas related to the research, teaching, and learning mission of University of Ottawa.
The Library’s collection encompasses varied resources, along with tools used to manage, make findable, and provide access to the collection.
Collection Development Approach
- Collections strategy activities are overseen by the Associate University Librarian, Content and Access in conjunction with the Head, Collections Strategy. Collection development and management activities are undertaken by Collections Strategy Librarians. When appropriate, input is sought from faculty, students, and librarians and library specialists.
- Collection development at the uOttawa Library is the responsibility of professional librarians in our Collections Strategy Team. Members of this team:
- assess, evaluate and analyze the collection, using quantitative and qualitative data, to develop an informed understanding of collection needs within the University of Ottawa community and to support evidence-based decision making
- base their decisions on a close understanding of the needs of the community, and significant collaboration and dialogue with other librarians, faculty, researchers, and students
- adopt an agile response to collection development, collecting in areas of current and immediate research and interest
- strive for an inclusive collection and take a flexible approach in applying criteria to ensure materials from and about underrepresented groups are included in the collection
- value and make use of the research and recommendations of groups working in the areas of Indigenization, decolonization, anti-racism, equity, diversity, accessibility, and inclusion to develop the library collection
- commit to developing and sustaining collections that support the University community’s ongoing and future teaching and research goals
- Decisions are made in an evidence-based manner, based on qualitative and quantitative criteria such as: quality, relevant subject matter and scope, cost, and suitable format, access, and licensing model.
- Particular attention is given to resources that advance the goals of the University’s Strategic Plan, the Strategic Areas of Research, and the Strategic Mandate Agreement.
- The collection is developed by a combination of proactive collection development (acquiring items in advance of a particular need) and timely responses to the specific, punctual needs of our users.
- Just as resources are evaluated before addition to the collection, they are also reviewed and assessed periodically to ensure they still meet the criteria of the collection development policy. A library’s collection is a dynamic entity, with new items added continually, and with other items deselected, as appropriate.
Questions about the Library collection can be sent to [email protected]
Additional information about the Library collection can be found on the Our Collections page.