ROYAL HOLLOWAY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON LIBRARY
Collection Policy for the
Department of Politics & International Relations
The Collection Policy for acquiring resources for Politics and
International Relations does not stand in isolation and should be
viewed in relation to the Library’s overarching Collection Development
and Management policy.
1. User Categories
1.1.
Taught Courses and Programmes
1.1.1 Undergraduate
The Library undertakes to support all taught undergraduate courses in
accordance with current validation procedures. Key and secondary
reading which appears on reading lists for all undergraduate courses
should be available either electronically or in print. The Politics and
International Relations Department do not use set texts and at time of
writing do not recommend any particular texts to their students for
purchase. However if for any individual course this is the case, the
department should make it clear where personal copies of essential
key readings should be obtained by students in order that undue
expectation is not placed on the Library.
1.1.2 Masters
The Library supports validated Masters Programmes, but does so in the
knowledge that Masters students may require material not held by
Royal Holloway but available to them through the University of London
(Senate House) Library (http://www.ull.ac.uk/), other central University
of London libraries, libraries participating in the SCONUL access scheme
(http://www.access.sconul.ac.uk/), the M25 Consortium of Academic
Libraries Visit a Library service (http://www.inform25.ac.uk/AET/) and
the Inter-Library Loans service.
1.2. Research
1.2.1 MPhil & PhD, Academic Staff
The Library has a collection of considerable breadth and depth to
support the needs of research students and staff in Politics and
International Relations. However, it does not expect its collections to
fulfil these information needs comprehensively. Significant research
material will be available via the Library’s print and online provision but
researchers at this level should expect to make extensive use of the
University of London (Senate House) Library (http://www.ull.ac.uk/), the
British Library (www.bl.uk) and other major research libraries, other
central University of London libraries, research libraries participating in
the SCONUL access scheme (http://www.access.sconul.ac.uk/) and
the M25 Consortium of Academic Libraries Visit a Library service
(http://www.inform25.ac.uk/AET/) Researchers will also expect to use
the Library’s Inter-Library Loans service and national services such as
EThOS (Electronic Theses Online: http://ethos.bl.uk ).
2. Types of materials
The following guidelines by type of material are set within the context
of a movement towards an e-strategy for acquisitions, where
appropriate, commencing with e-journals and reference works.
2.1







2.2

Monographs and texts
The Politics and International Relations Department’s information
provision budget is determined by the budget allocation formula
agreed by the Library Users Advisory Group.
Subject to budget provision available, materials on reading lists
will be given priority as it is the Library’s intention to support
taught courses as fully as possible.
Lecturers are expected to indicate how many copies of a book
they require at the time of purchase.
As a guideline, multiple copies of key material, clearly defined on
reading lists as key reading list items, will be acquired, where
possible, in the ratio of one copy per ten students. However, the
Library and Politics and International Relations department
should work together to provide such readings electronically as
per 2.2 below to reduce physical pressure on the shelves.
Other additional reading will be acquired in single or multiple
copies on the basis of predicted demand and, subject to
available funding, will be supplemented on the basis of
evidence showing actual demand, e.g. through the analysis of
the number of reservations.
Loan statuses will be recommended by lecturers and changed
as appropriate to improve accessibility.
E-books will be acquired as the preferred format subject to
budgetary constraints.
Journal Articles and Chapters of Books
Material of this type will be obtained and hosted on the
College’s digital object management system (currently Equella)



2.3



2.4



and made available via Moodle according to the terms of the
Copyright Licensing Agency Comprehensive Higher Education
Licence.
Currently where the Politics and International Relations
department has scanned its own document, the complete
reference should be sent to the relevant member of library staff.
The College’s method of acquiring and hosting this material is
currently under review. It is intended that a centrally managed
system will be in place during the academic year 2010/11.
Print copies will only be considered where the CLA licence does
not allow us to produce digital copies.
Where we already have digital copies available via e-journals or
e-books, digital copies cannot be produced.
Journals
As part of the annual review of subscriptions to journals and other
standing orders in Politics and International Relations, the Library
will liaise closely with the Department via the Library
representative.
As part of the review, the Library will agree with the Politics and
International Relations Department the balance of expenditure
between journals and books, digital chapters, etc, ensuring that
an appropriate amount is available for the purchase of reading
list materials.
From the financial year 2010/11 the Library is pursuing an e-only
acquisition policy for journals.
Electronic resources
The Library purchases access to significant on-line databases
and resources relevant to Politics and International Relations. All
such provision is subjected to annual evaluation to determine
relevance and to assess value for money in terms of levels of use
in relation to cost.
All resources subscribed to, together with appropriate gateways
and sites, will be accessible via the Library catalogue and will be
available 24/7.
All Royal Holloway users have access to e-resources acquired by
the Senate House Library.
Principal electronic resources for Politics and International Relations to
which subscriptions are held by Royal Holloway include:





House of Commons Parliamentary Papers
JSTOR
Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law
Nexis Global News * Business Service
ProQuest Newspapers


2.5

2.6

2.7


2.8
2.9
ScienceDirect
Times Digital Archive
Other Media
DVDs and VHS tapes are acquired upon departmental request
from the Politics and International Relations Department’s Library
budget allocation.
Examination papers
The Library holds examination papers for the preceding three
years both in hard copy and electronically via Moodle.
Theses
The Depository Library receives a copy of all Royal Holloway
Politics and International Relations MPhil and PhD theses.
MA theses are not held by the Library.
Special Collections

Among its rare book collection of about 7,000 items, the Library
has some holdings in Politics and International Relations. It also
holds the papers of Sir Alfred Sherman.

Additions to the special collections will be made very selectively
(see main Collection Development and Management Policy
document).
Archives
 The College archives’ collections can shed light on the
experiences of international students, student societies (e.g. the
19th Century RHC Political Society as reported on in the College
Letter, by the ‘Clerk of the House’, and Debating Society) and
student attitudes to national and international events.
Descriptions of the collections can be searched at
http://calm.rhul.ac.uk/ .

2.10


New acquisitions will be made selectively in line with the
provisions of the main Collection Development and
Management Policy document).
Donations
Donations of library materials will only be added to stock after
evaluation under the framework of the Collection Development
and Management Policy and the departmental Collection
Policy.
Items that are not judged to fit the criteria for acquisition will not
be accepted.
3. Retention and disposal policy
 The collections will be subject to regular consultative review in
order for the Library to manage its space appropriately.
 At the time of stock reviews, appropriate criteria will be agreed
with the Politics and International Relations Department. On the
basis of these, the Library will coordinate the stock reviews.
 Where required, it is expected that the Politics and International
Relations Department will provide sufficient staff resource to
enable the Library to manage the process within an appropriate
time-frame.
 As general practice on a day-to-day basis or when reviewing
stock in the Politics and International Relations collection,
particular attention will be paid to multiple copies, items in poor
physical condition and items no longer of research or teaching
interest.
Information Consultant for the Politics and International Relations
Department : Paul Johnson
Politics and International Relations Department, Library Representative:
Michael Bacon
Policy agreed: June 2010
Review date: June 2012
Paul Johnson
June 2010