DIT Library Services
Information Resources Policy
1. Introduction
The objective of this policy is to set out the principles for the provision of effective, high
quality collections and appropriate electronic access to information resources. Library
Services will identify, acquire, maintain and provide access to high quality print and
electronic collections to support the teaching, learning and research activities of DIT
students, staff and researchers. This policy is developed in the context of the mission
statement of DIT.
The responsibility of Library Services is to provide and develop information resources on
behalf of DIT, to ensure that they remain relevant to the function of the Institute, represent
best use of funding, and that resource development is focussed on users and their
information resources needs.
The purpose of the policy is to ensure a proactive and strategic approach to the
development of Library Service’s collections, allowing the library to work actively and closely
with academic departments and research centres to ensure that their needs are known and
taken into account. In addition, it documents selection criteria, acquisition criteria and stock
management criteria relating to collection format, retention and replacement. The policy
deals with the provision of information resources in all formats, by purchase, licence, or
donation.
Library Services is committed to achieving access to information through providing and
supporting an integrated package of:
 Print collections
 Online resources
 Audio/visual materials
 Document delivery services
 Schemes providing access to other Library Services collections
The policy aims to be flexible and responsive to a range of factors, including changing
teaching, learning, and research priorities at Department, School, College, and Institute
level, funding levels and availability of space. At all times Library Services will seek to
optimise the use of available financial resources. Library Services will explore opportunities
to work collaboratively with other libraries in the area of information resource development
and management.
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2. Selection
Effective selection depends on a successful partnership between academic departments and
Library Services. College Librarians are responsible for developing collections in their
designated subject fields. In consultation with academic colleagues they determine
priorities, decide which material should be acquired, in which format, and which methods of
delivery are most suitable, within budget constraints.
Regardless of format, the main criteria used are relevance to user need and academic
quality as evidenced by:
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material appearing on reading lists;
requests from staff for purchase:
a clear fit with the teaching and research activities of the discipline:
identification of the item as a key teaching or research resource via reviews or
publisher listings;
new editions of core texts;
identification of demand for materials via usage reports on high loans and
reservation requests;
identification of repeat inter-Library Services loan requests.
Library Services will endeavour to support new academic initiatives wherever practicable.
Departments and Schools should, in collaboration with library staff, cost new information
resource requirements in advance.
3. Selection of Electronic Information Resources
It is Library Services policy to increasingly make information resources (including journals,
reference materials, textbooks) accessible electronically, where they are available in
electronic format; are discipline appropriate; where this offers faster access; multiple
simultaneous use; remote access; more up-to-date data; more sophisticated information
retrieval; and space savings.
For electronic resources, there are additional selection criteria to the ones outlined above.
These include the quality and ease of use of the interface, licencing conditions,
authentication methods, access and archiving arrangements, technical support, and
feedback from users during trials.
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4. Collection Types
1. Books/Monographs
Core monograph material comprises essential texts and/or recommended readings as listed
on reading lists. All recommended texts will be purchased in either print or electronic
format subject to budget availability. It is the responsibility of faculty to provide reading lists
to Library Services staff.
2. Journals/Periodicals
Library Services subscribes to both print and electronic periodicals. The preference is for
electronic format where appropriate and available, subject to licencing requirements,
access, and cost.
3. Databases
Library Services subscribes to online databases consisting of journal packages, reference
material, newspapers, and performances.
4. Newspapers
Library Services holds a small collection of relevant titles in print or electronic format.
5. Exam Papers
The Library Services makes DIT exam papers available through the Library Services
catalogue.
6. Multimedia Material
Material in some disciplines, notably music and drama, is purchased in either audio-visual or
subscribed to in online databases according to the preferred, most cost-effective, or
available format.
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5. Acquisition
Library Services will determine the optimum method of acquiring and making information
resources available in consultation with users. Decisions will depend on availability, cost,
and relevance. Access may mean:
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Purchase/subscription of physical materials in a variety of formats
Subscription to online electronic resources
Document delivery/Inter-Library Services Loan
Donation
Digitisation
1. Purchase
All acquisition procedures are automated and carried out on best value-for-money basis.
Library suppliers are carefully selected to ensure the best possible service and contractual
terms. Library Services is a member of a national consortium for book purchase.
2. Subscriptions
Library Services participates in a number of consortium subscription arrangements to
ensure best use of funds. Print subscriptions are handled by an agent selected on the basis
of a national tender.
3. Inter- Library Services Loans/Document Supply
The inter-Library Services loans/document supply service provides access to material not
contained in the library’s print or electronic collections. The service is aimed primarily at
staff, researchers, and postgraduate students.
4. Donations
DIT Library Services welcomes offers of donations. Material offered will be considered for
addition to stock according to the same selection criteria that are applied to purchases of
new material i.e. material which supports the current teaching, learning, or research
activities of the Institute.
Library Services reserves the right to accept or decline donations.
The following criteria will be taken into account when considering offers of donations:
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Scholarly value
Relevance to the mission statement of the Institute
Duplication with existing stock
Physical condition of items
Availability of adequate storage space
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Cost of addition to stock e.g. processing, cataloguing, preservation, etc.
Restrictions set by donor
Where a donor wishes to stipulate conditions attached to the proposed donations, the
donor must make those conditions clear in writing at the time of offer. Library staff will
advise potential donors on the issues surrounding the management of donated material.
Once accepted, and unless otherwise stipulated in the conditions at the time of offer, the
material becomes the property of Library Services. Library Services reserves the right to
keep or dispose of material without further reference to the donor.
5. Digitisation
Digitisation, the creation of electronic collections, is an important part of developing our
collections. Digitisation programmes will primarily be limited to Institute-owned materials to
support teaching and research.
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6. Information Resources Management
1. Organisation
Library Services collections are recorded in the online catalogue by individual item record, or
by a collection-level record in the case of manuscripts. Print collections are generally
available on open access and are arranged the Dewey Decimal Classification system. Some
collections such as reference material or special collections are not available for borrowing
and may only be accessed on site.
Electronic resources are recorded in the same way as physical stock with a direct link to the
resources from the Library Services catalogue. Electronic resources are also accessible from
the Library Services website. Remote access to licenced electronic resources is available to
all registered members of the Institute and is verified through a system of electronic
authentication.
Material in the Institutional Repository (ARROW) is publically accessible. ARROW showcases
the research output of the Institute.
2. Security
Library Services follows best international practice and industry standards to protect
resources purchased or acquired on behalf of the Institute. Security tags are used for
physical items. Site libraries perform stock checks out-of-term on a scheduled basis to
detect incorrectly shelved or missing items. The Library Services catalogue is then updated.
Access to electronic online resources is controlled by online authentication on the Library
Services management system.
3. Binding
Periodical literature is sent for binding where resources permit. Binding priorities are
determined by lack of availability of an online equivalent or where the retention of the
hardcopy is important for specific subject disciplines.
4. Collection Assessment & Review
All material is assessed regularly by College Librarians in order to retain a suite of
information resources relevant to the needs of subject disciplines, and to make optimum
use of space. Items that no longer meet the assessment criteria may be relegated to
storage, cancelled, or selected for disposal. Consultation and collaboration with academic
colleagues form part of this process.
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5. Cancellations
Print and electronic subscriptions are reviewed annually to ensure that the most relevant
set of resources is available to Library Services users. This work is carried out in
collaboration with academic colleagues.
Titles are considered for cancellation based on:
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Budget allocation
Cost of resource
Usage
Content overlap with other resources
6. Storage
In order to ensure that use of Library Services space is optimised, items of low-use but
retaining historical subject-specific value may be moved to on or off-site storage where such
facilities exist. Access to these materials will be provided by Library Services staff on
request.
7. Disposal
Disposal is the removal of physical items at site Library Services level by donation, sale, or
recycling. Criteria for selection for disposal include physical condition, level of usage,
number of copies, availability in an electronic format, currency of content, and relevance to
programmes.
Intact material in good condition may be offered to other libraries or agencies, or discarded
by recycling if in poor physical condition.
8. Collaborative Collection Management
Library Services participates in and supports national initiatives in relation to collaborative
storage of print materials. DIT Library Services is a member of an Irish academic and national
Library Services consortium committee looking at collaborative storage and retention.
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7. DIT Research Output
Library Services is committed to collecting all significant research outputs across DIT through
the development of the ARROW Institutional Repository. The material will be stored in full
text, preserved, and made openly available online.
8. Special Collections
The Library Services holds a number of small but significant collections of material not
available elsewhere. Policies will be developed to manage, preserve and make these
collections more widely available as appropriate.
9. Free Online Resources
Library Services evaluates and makes available free online resources in order to supplement
the portfolio of existing information resources, thus ensuring that the widest range of
relevant material is available to users.
10. External Library Services Resources
It is Library Services policy to make full use of appropriate formal schemes e.g. ALCID,
SCONUL Access, as well as informal arrangements, to provide users with reciprocal access to
the physical collections of other libraries.
11. Collaboration with other Libraries
Where it is of advantage, collaborative arrangements with other libraries will be agreed.
These may include:
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Support for collaborative approaches to purchase material
Collaborative resource development, retention policies, and distributed storage
arrangements
12. Review of Policy
This policy will be reviewed regularly to ensure that it continues to reflect the priorities of
the Institute and best practice in the academic Library Services world.
2015
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