1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background of Study
The Library of the University of Connecticut The library of the University of Connecticut develops, maintains, and makes discoverable robust and unique collections that support the research and learning needs of the UConn community and beyond. The University Library serves all of the undergraduate and graduate programs on the main campus, the four regional campuses, and the UConn Health campus. While the UConn Law Library is administratively separate from the University Library, the University Library and the Law Library maintain a strong affiliation, particularly in the areas of collection development and access.
With 3.9 million print volumes and well over 110,000 electronic and print journals, the libraries of the University of Connecticut form the most comprehensive public research collection in the state.The University Library maintains nine physical locations: four on the Storrs campus, one at each of the four regional campuses, and one at the UConn Health campus. The Homer Babbidge Library, the flagship location of the University Library, is in the center of the Storrs campus and serves both undergraduate and graduate programs. The Storrs campus is also home to the School of Fine Arts Resource Center in the Fine Arts complex, the Pharmacy Library in the Pharmacy/Biology building, and the University Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center.
Each of the University's four regional campuses – Avery Point, Hartford, Stamford, and Waterbury – maintains a library dedicated to serving the programs at those sites. Regional campus libraries hold undergraduate-focused core collections as well as specialized research collections tailored to the needs of graduate programs: Marine Biology at Avery Point; Business, Public Policy, Education, and Social Work at Hartford; Business at Stamford; and Education, Nursing, and Engineering at Waterbury. The Storrs and regional campus locations of the University Library shares a single catalog and each of these libraries serve as a gateway to the collection as a whole. The UConn Health Sciences Library location of the University Library maintains a separate catalog reflecting the specialized needs of the UConn Health community. This document applies specifically to the Storrs and regional locations of the University Library (heretofore referred to as “the Library”) and outlines the principles and guidelines used to develop the collections at these locations.
Scope of the Collection
The Library develops and maintains collections that inspire discovery and the creation of new knowledge by providing resources that support and enhance research and scholarship, undergraduate and graduate education, and emerging areas of interdisciplinary interest at the University of Connecticut. The depth of collection development varies by discipline and is driven by the scholarship and teaching priorities of the University's academic programs.The Library recognizes that free access to ideas and freedom of expression are fundamental to research and education in a democratic society. The Library is committed to providing a balanced collection representing a diversity of perspectives. The collection will not exclude any materials on the basis of their creators' and/or publishers' race, color, ethnicity, religious creed, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, or physical or mental abilities.
Access versus Ownership
The Library is responsible for acquiring, curating, and preserving enduring research collections and ensuring their availability for current and future scholarship. Decisions about which materials to purchase for permanent retention are balanced against the need to provide access to a broad array of information resources with immediate scholarly and research value. Research strengths, academic priorities, and the information needs of students inform decisions about when to collect for permanent retention, when to lease or borrow materials, and when to rely on openly available repositories.
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