Relegation and Disposal Policies at other Institutions
Leeds University
2
University of Birmingham
4
University of Warwick
5
Loughborough University
6
Edinburgh University
7
University of Glasgow
8
University College, London
9
Durham University
15
Cardiff University
15
Bangor University
16
Leeds University
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/colldevandmanpolicy.pdf
Each department has its own relevant Collection Development & Management Policy (CDMP). Below is a list of
links to various departments which are relevant to Aberystwyth:
Art
Biological Sciences
Business School
Chemistry
Computing
Earth Sciences
Education
English
EDC
History
Law
Maths
Modern Languages
Physics
Politics
Psychology
Sports Science
Theatre
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/FineArtCDMP0910.pdf.
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/download/660/fbs_collection_development_and
_management_policy_2009-2010
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/LUBS_CDMP.pdf
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/chemcdmp0910.pdf
No CDMP
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/file/591/geography_collection_development_an
d_management_policy
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/documents/subjects/educatn/cdmp0405.pdf
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/CDMP_English2009.pdf
No CDMP
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/CDMP0910May09.pdf
No CDMP
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/mathscdmp0910.pdf
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/CDMP_SMLC_0910.pdf
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/physicscdmp0910.pdf
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/CDMPPOLIS2009.pdf
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/download/288/psychology_cdmp
No CDMP
No CDMP
These departmental polices only make a small mention regarding ‘stock editing’. These in turn link to the
university’s CDMP, published in 2008, of which section 3.7 (pp. 10-12) deals with relegation and withdrawal, or
‘stock editing’. The CDMP provides the following general guidelines:
“Stock editing involves either relegating stock to stack or store, or withdrawing it from stock. Priority for stock
editing is given to those collections where:
• Shelves are nearly 100% full.
• Collections no longer directly support teaching or research.
• Growth of a collection is anticipated, for example due to the establishment of new research centres or new
programmes.
• Out of date textbooks may contain misleading or dangerous information.
Rarely used material is moved from the main collections either to stack or to store. Items in stack may, at a
later date, be considered for removal to store. If usage patterns warrant, items may be moved to the main
collections from stack or store. Items in all collections (other than those in Special Collections) may be
considered for withdrawal from stock, subject to the criteria given in the following sections. Consideration is
always given to: the historical value of material; its availability in print elsewhere; and its availability online.”
The CDMP goes into more detail when highlighting the criteria for relegating and withdrawing different
material. The following guidelines for book editing are issued subject to ‘the historical value of material, its
availability in print elsewhere, and its availability online’:
Page | 2
Teaching texts
Damaged or acidic stock
Superseded reference works
Foreign language items
Main collection items
Superseded editions will be considered for withdrawal from stock
unless usage figures suggest otherwise
Where repair or treatment is not cost-effective (in terms of usage
and availability from other sources) such items may be withdrawn
Where appropriate, and with particular reference to the subject
nature of the material, these may be considered for withdrawal from
stock.
Where appropriate to the discipline, these may be considered for
removal to stack or store, or for withdrawal from stock.
Those not used for a period of time may be considered for removal
to stack or store. The following criteria may be used as guidance in
this process:
• Items in the main collection not used for 10 years will be
transferred to stack (where a stack is available) or store.
• Items in stack not used for a further 15 years will be
transferred to store.
• Items in store not used for a further 10 years will be
considered for withdrawal, and, if withdrawn, for offering to
the British Library, or for collaborative storage through
various national collection management schemes.
For further details, please consult the Leeds University CDMP in full:
http://library.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/colldevandmanpolicy.pdf
Page | 3
University of Birmingham
http://www.library.bham.ac.uk/support/stock/index.shtml
When identifying material for withdrawal or relegation, the following criteria are considered:
Criteria for selecting items for withdrawal include the following:
 Books, print journals and other physical items that are no longer relevant to the current and future
teaching and research needs of the University (e.g. in subjects that have been dropped by the University),
unless it can be demonstrated that they are rare or unique items that are not available in legal deposit
libraries in the UK or abroad;
 Print version of high-use electronic journals where access to archives is secure – either via perpetual access
arrangements with publishers or for via LOCKSS or other secure archive services;
 Print version of low-use journals where access to archives may not be secure but which are available
through the British Library document delivery service;
 Material which is held in another preferred format;
 Abstracts and indexing print runs available electronically and where these are available in perpetuity;
 All duplicates except duplicates of titles listed in current reading lists;
 Single and duplicate copies of old and superseded texts, including textbooks and reference sources, unless
it can be demonstrated that they have some historical value;
 Low-use items in poor physical condition that are available in other libraries;
 Non-print resources such as 35mm slides and videos, will be considered for withdrawal where the library is
no longer able to provide or support the facilities for accessing it. Where possible, superseded media will be
replace by more modern formats.
 Stock may be disposed of by transfer to another library within the context of collaborative collection
management agreements such as CoFoR , or the UKRR.
 Stock may also be disposed of by sale, gift or discard;
 Material being considered for withdrawal will be assessed by Special Collections as to its long term
historical value before any other decision is made about its future. Criteria for selection for permanent
retention are based upon subject area, rarity of copy and relationship to current Special Collections
development areas. Further details are provided in the Special Collections Development Policy.
Criteria for selecting items for relegation to store include the following:
 Print version of high-use electronic journals where access to archives is not secure;
 Low-use books and other physical items – except low-use journals that can be accessed via the British
Library document delivery service or consulted in other libraries – for which there is no shelving space
available in the open-access areas of Library Services libraries;
 Material that is not part of Special Collections but needs to be kept in closed access for security or
preservation purposes (e.g. University of Birmingham theses; old pamphlets)
 Single copies of old and superseded texts, including textbooks and reference sources, when it can be
demonstrated that they have some historical value;
 Books, print journals and other physical items that are no longer relevant to the current and future
teaching and research needs of the University (e.g. in subjects that have been dropped by the University),
when it can be demonstrated that they are rare or unique items, which are not available in legal deposit
libraries in the UK or abroad.
No specific departmental policies are available online. Items that are being proposed for relegation to store or
disposal are put up for consultation prior to work being carried out, and there is a link to these ‘consultation
lists’: http://www.library.bham.ac.uk/support/stock/consultationlists.shtml
The page containing stock management policies is here:
http://www.library.bham.ac.uk/support/stock/index.shtml
Page | 4
University of Warwick
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/main/basics/about/aims/coldevpol2005.pdf
Pages 9 and10 of Warwick’s Collection Development Policy provides the following guidelines for the relegation
and withdrawal of material:
Works not borrowed or consulted for a period of time (depending
EXTENSION
on subject area, but no less than 5 years) but which are in areas of
STORE
teaching/research interest
Works not borrowed or consulted for a period of time (depending
on subject area, but no less than 10 years), and not in areas of
DISCARD
teaching/research interest (unless of scholarly/intrinsic value - see
below)
Duplicate copies of works that are no longer recommended course
DISCARD
reading
Superseded works/outdated editions of works of scholarly/intrinsic
EXTENSION
value
STORE (1 copy)
Superseded works/outdated editions of works without
DISCARD
scholarly/intrinsic value
Works of scholarly interest/value that cannot be replaced
or repaired:
SPECIAL
High/medium use:
COLLECTIONS
Low use:
STORE RESERVE
Low-use works in repairable condition but not of sufficient value to
EXTENSION
repair
STORE/ REPLACE
Works permanently replaced by alternative media
DISCARD
Out-of-date material of an ephemeral nature
DISCARD
Periodicals without current subscriptions, not consulted for a period
of time (minimum 3 years), and no longer of teaching/research
DISCARD
interest. Applies particularly to incomplete or short runs titles
Duplicate periodical issues, once the periodical has been bound or no longer
DISCARD
'at risk'
Alternative formats
The Library may change the format used to access resources where appropriate. Criteria used to
determine this include space requirement, storage cost, type of use, cost and method of access, and
ease of use.
Examples of this are hardcopy newspapers retained in stock, which are replaced after a period of time
by microfilm versions, and abstracting and indexing tools, which are now normally only acquired as
electronic services, being more convenient to use in this format.
In general, the retention of material in more than one format will be avoided. However, this will be
necessary for some works until issues surrounding electronic archiving and long-term access are
resolved.
Disposal policy and practice
Library Holdings
Collections - including periodical subscriptions - will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, and relocated
or discarded according to the general guidelines above and the subject/ Departmental-specific
statements accompanying this document.1
To ensure the integrity of the collection, where there is any question of doubt regarding whether a
work should be withdrawn, it will be retained.
Unwanted Donations
1
I looked all over the Warwick library site, but could not find any documents that matched this description.
Page | 5
Intact material in good condition is disposed of as follows:
If less than 15 years old - offered to an external body such as the British Library or an
organisation supporting developing countries. [Excluded: superseded editions, or those more
than 5 years old in the following subjects - Law, Business, Computer Science, Engineering
and other Sciences.]
If literature, history, art, religion, and similar subject areas - offered to secondhand book
dealers (list held by Head of Acquisitions)
Other material is recycled/discarded - typically superseded law, business and science, and works in
poor condition.
The Collection Development Policy can be found here:
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/main/basics/about/aims/coldevpol2005.pdf . However, the policy
is described as being ‘under development’, and yet it hasn’t been updated since August 2005.
Loughborough University
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/library/about/Objectives.html
Similarly to Birmingham, the Loughborough departmental liaison policy with regards to withdrawal just seems
to be to compile a list of titles and then leave it online for academic staff to look through and raise objections
as and when necessary. The only mention given to their withdrawal policy in the Collection Management and
Development policy is the following:
To ensure that the collections provide the best possible support for current research and programmes of study,
the Library undertakes a rolling programme of stock revision. Potential lists of discards are drawn up using
criteria based upon usage, age and date of purchase. Candidates for discard are then listed electronically for
review by members of the University. Books are returned to the shelves if an acceptable case for retention is
made by academic staff. Library Liaison Officers confirm that academic departments have been consulted.
Print journals are disposed of where a sustainable electronic archive is available to members of the University.
Any funds raised from the sale of discarded books are reinvested into the Library's materials fund.
Cancellation of serials subscriptions is only carried out after consultation with academic staff throughout the
University.
Their service level agreement, with regards to withdrawal and relegation, merely provides a link to the above
paragraph.
The Collection Management and Collection Development page can be found here:
http://www.lboro.ac.uk/library/about/Objectives.html
Page | 6
Edinburgh University
http://www.ed.ac.uk/polopoly_fs/1.13157!fileManager/collectionspolicy.pdf
The Edinburgh policy deals with the transfer to other collections, relegation and disposal of material. It
outlines the following criteria:
Transfer:
Relegation:
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Published before 1851
Published before 1900, containing colour plates, maps, diagrams, photographs
Manuscripts (hand-written documents)
Original photographic prints
Any item with evidence of important ownership or association
Edinburgh University author or other University of Edinburgh association
Limited editions (max 100 numbered copies) and Private Press publications
Valuable and fragile items
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Less used monographs & journals.
Last copy of superseded editions of standard textbooks and other textbooks which are no
longer current, but may not have been republished in a new edition.
Material in minority specialisms which are not currently being taught or researched at the
University.
Hard copies of publications now held or accessible in electronic format.
Subject based retention criteria (as judged by Liaison Librarians on the basis of collection
development policy statements).
Material to be retained under co-operative or contractual obligations, e.g. European
Documentation Centre (EDC).
University records rejected after assessment against the University archive’s collections
policy and archival selection criteria.
Material in poor physical condition and beyond repair, particularly where there is a risk of
contamination of other material.
Duplicate copies of textbooks not borrowed for five years.
Duplicate copies of textbooks superseded by later editions.
Duplicates of little used monographs.
Duplicate sets of little used journals.
Duplicates of items held in storage.
Duplicates of little-used material held in another format.
Low use material which is readily available from store (on-site and off-site), or via interlibrary loan or document delivery.
Material which is held, or can be acquired, in another, preferred format.
Isolated issues, short or incomplete runs of journals which ceased, or the subscription was
cancelled, more than 5 years previously.
Material for which the Library has secure ongoing access to an electronic archive managed
by a trusted repository.
Out-dated reference sources: retention of most printed reference sources will be for
current year only, except for those items of historical research value.
Superseded reference sources will not be added to the general collections.
Abstracts and indexing print runs available electronically.
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Disposal:
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No mention is given to policies for specific departments. The full library collections policy can be viewed here:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/polopoly_fs/1.13157!fileManager/collectionspolicy.pdf
Page | 7
University of Glasgow
http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/library/aboutthelibrary/generalinformation/collectionpolicy/
The library operates classifies material as being suitable for permanent retention, interim retention or deselection. The criteria used to assess material is:
Criteria for Permanent Retention
 Material identified and agreed with academic staff as required for teaching or research.
 Material reinforcing heritage collections in Special Collections or in areas of known, particularly historical
strengths
 Material constituting a critical mass sufficient to provide the basis of a new special collection in GUL or
contributing to a collaborative collection.
 Material covered by contractual agreements, such as official deposit (e.g. EU documents) or collaborative
management schemes (e.g. CoFoR), or donation.
 Material with a significant University of Glasgow association.
 Material meeting any of the following specific criteria:
 Published before 1851
 Published before 1900, containing colour plates
 Manuscripts
 Original photographic prints
 Evidence of important ownership or association
 part of a limited edition (max. 100 numbered copies)
Criteria for Interim Retention

Material where the above criteria for permanent retention does not apply

There is evidence of only light recent use

Levels of future use are sufficiently uncertain to justify immediate de-selection

The status of materials held under interim retention should be reviewed at least every 5 years and
either a) designated for permanent retention, b) confirmed for a further period of interim retention or
c) deselected, as circumstances require.
Criteria for De-Selection

Material which does not meet the criteria for permanent or interim retention.

Duplicate material not in heavy demand.

Superseded editions not liable to retention under subject-specific policies of agreements with
academic staff.

Actual and likely future use do not justify retention.
When de-selecting material, the library invites feedback from academic staff; however, the library makes the
ultimate decision.
The University of Glasgow collection policy can be viewed at
http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/library/aboutthelibrary/generalinformation/collectionpolicy/. For more detail
on their retention policy, see
http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/library/aboutthelibrary/generalinformation/retentionpolicy/.
Page | 8
University College, London
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/cmp.shtml
At UCL, subject librarians annually review material and make retention decisions in consultation with academic
departments. The general criteria for assessing material are outlined in the Collection Management Policy:
As a general principle the first priority in allocating space on the open shelves will be the need to house
books needed to support taught courses for as long as they are required reading. Research material that
is still in current use will be retained on the open shelves for as long as space allows. Clinical practice
material will be retained only as long as it contains current, valid information, or where it has research
or historical merit and is not retained elsewhere through a co-operative agreement. Material that is
either fragile or particularly valuable will normally be on closed access. Material that falls outside this
collection management policy will not be retained; if appropriate it will be offered to other more suitable
libraries. Outdated editions of textbooks will usually be discarded. Normally only one copy of a book and
one print-run of a journal will be retained in store. The existence of a reliable electronic archive will be
taken into account when considering whether and for how long to retain printed runs of journals.
Departmental retention policies are outlined in word documents. All polices are subject to periodic review by
subject librarians in consultation with departmental library committees. Those policies relating to subjects
relevant to Aberystwyth are:
Art
Biological
Sciences
Review of the collection
The open access collection is regularly reviewed.
Use of open access space
Because browsing is an extremely important element in art, as much material as space allows
is held on open access. Artists seek inspiration and stimulus as well as information, and tend to
“graze” in the library. For art historians, older material is rarely outdated.
Relegation
Only when space runs out is material sent to store.
Retention and disposal
Duplicate copies are not stored in closed access, otherwise material removed from open
access is kept. With art it is very difficult to judge what will have no future value: the
presumption must be that all will have relevance. Unlike in most other subjects, art books and
exhibition catalogues tend to increase in value as they go out of print.
Review of the collection
The print collection will be reviewed periodically by the Subject Librarian and decisions taken
on retention, relegation to store and disposal. These decisions are the responsibility of the
subject librarian, although the advice of members of the department may from time to time be
sought.
Use of open access space
In general the Library will aim to house books of high or medium use and recent volumes of
journals to which a current subscription is held, on the open shelves. The following additional
factors are considered:
 In order to keep the collection up to date superceded editions of textbooks are relegated
to a standard loan and any previous editions are removed.
 Research monographs which are outdated will be removed from the shelves
 Rare or valuable material will not be held on open access.
 Journal volumes will be removed from the shelves when they become available
electronically or when the Library's subscription ceases.
Relegation
Page | 9
Chemistry
Computing
Lesser used books will be relegated to store only where they are considered to have an
intrinsic value. Back runs of a selection of Biological Sciences journals have been removed
from the Science library and housed in the Library Store.
Retention and disposal
Only texts containing up-to-date information or those that are heavily used are retained in the
current collection. The current and most recent previous editions of student textbooks are
normally retained; earlier editions are discarded. Levels of use and the availability of duplicate
copies at other UCL sites will also be taken into account when assessing the retention of
monographs. Normally only one copy of a book will be retained in the Library Store. Any
valuable, unique or rare materials will be retained. There is normally no requirement to hold
more than one run of a journal in Store.
Periodic review of the printed collection
The open access Chemistry collection will be reviewed annually for decisions on retention,
relegation to store and disposal. These decisions are the responsibility of the Subject Librarian
for Chemistry, although the advice of members of UCL Chemistry Department may from time
to time be sought.
Use of the open shelves and relegation of stock
Books
In general, the Library will aim to house the most highly-used books on the open shelves. The
most recent edition of such books will be kept on open access; earlier editions may be
removed.
Journals
Recent volumes of journals to which a current subscription is held, and which are not available
electronically, will be housed on the open shelves. Journal volumes will be removed from the
shelves when they become available electronically or when the Library's subscription ceases.
Back runs of journals may from time to time be removed from the shelves in order to
accommodate more recent volumes.
Retention and disposal
Books
Research material relegated from the open shelves will be retained in store rather than
discarded (except where it has been superseded by later editions, in which case it may not be
retained). Superseded textbooks and other out-of-date teaching materials will be discarded:
certainly no more than one copy of any such material will be retained, at the discretion of the
Subject Librarian.
Journals
Any journals removed from the open shelves will be retained in store.
Periodic review of the printed collection
The open access, printed, Computer Science collection will be reviewed annually for decisions
on retention, relegation to store and disposal. These decisions are the responsibility of the
Subject Librarian for Computer Science, although the advice of members of UCL Computer
Science Department may from time to time be sought.
Use of the open shelves and relegation of stock
In general, the Library will aim to house books of high or medium use, and recent volumes of
journals to which a current subscription is held, on the open shelves. The following additional
factors will be considered:
Books
Computer Science is a fast-moving subject, and teaching materials have a correspondingly
short shelf life. In order to keep the collection up to date, superseded editions of text books
Page | 10
English
Geography
will usually be removed from the shelves. Research monographs and proceedings volumes
which are outdated will be removed from the shelves.
Journals
Journal volumes will be removed from the shelves when they become available electronically
or when the Library's subscription ceases. Back runs of journals may from time to time be
removed from the shelves in order to accommodate more recent volumes.
Retention and disposal
Material removed from the open shelves may be retained in store or discarded.
 Normally no more than one copy of any book or journal volume will be retained in store.
Superseded text books will usually be discarded. Research-level books may be retained in
store.
 Journals removed from the shelves will be retained in store.
 All Computer Science material retained in store will subsequently be reviewed from time
to time for decisions on disposal.
 Any material which Library Services deems to be valuable, rare or unique in Computer
Science will not be considered for disposal. Material deposited by the London
Mathematical Society is owned by the Society, and Library Services will not dispose of any
London Mathematical Society-owned stock without the consent of the Society's Honorary
Librarian.
Periodic review of the printed collection
The open access printed English collection will be reviewed regularly for decisions on
retention, relegation to store and disposal. These decisions are the responsibility of the
Subject Librarian for English in direct liaison with the Department of English.
Use of open access space and stock relegation
Priority on the open shelves will be given to high and medium use material. Because of acute
pressure on space, rarely used materials of all kinds will increasingly be displaced by more
frequently sought volumes.
Relegation
Out-of-date or superseded materials will be removed from the shelves. Where the Library’s
subscription to a journal has been cancelled or where publication has ceased, the journal will
normally be removed from open access. Rare or valuable items will not be held on open
access.
Retention and disposal
Volumes in poor physical condition or superseded editions will usually be discarded unless a
case can be made for continuing academic relevance or on grounds of general scarcity.
Research-level materials will be retained in store, as will journals removed from open access.
Other monographs will also be retained in store unless perceived to be of little academic
value. Usually, only one copy of an edition will be retained in this way.
Review of the collection
The Geography collection will be reviewed annually for decisions on retention, relegation to
store and disposal. These decisions are the responsibility of the Subject Librarian for
Geography. The advice of the Departmental Library Representatives or members of UCL
Geography Department may be sought as necessary.
Use of open access space
Books of high or medium use and print journals to which a current subscription is held will be
given priority space on the open shelves. Material for teaching will also be kept on the open
shelves. Only the most recent decade of Census material will be held on the open shelves,
superseded census information will be retained in the Library Store.
Page | 11
History
Law
Rarely used research level materials and journals to which we no longer have a current
subscription will be relegated to the Library's Store in consultation with the Departmental
Library Representatives as necessary. Materials which have been superseded and outdated
material will be relegated to store as a matter of course. Particularly rare and valuable material
will be retained in the Library Store.
Relegation
Any material may be relegated to store at the discretion of the subject librarian. Low use
material and rarely used research material will be relegated to store where necessary to
accommodate more frequently used material on the open shelves. Periodical titles which have
ceased publication or which are no longer subscribed to will be relegated to store.
Retention and disposal
Superseded editions of undergraduate textbooks are disposed of unless academic staff
specifically request otherwise. Other material will be retained unless it is judged to be of little
value to future scholarship when it will be disposed of. Research level collections and journals
removed from the open shelves will be retained. Where material is relegated to store only one
copy will be retained, any additional copies will be disposed of. Particularly rare and valuable
material, such as pre-1850 imprints will not be considered for disposal. Unique/rare items will
be retained indefinitely.
Review of the collection
The collection will normally be reviewed annually, including detailed examination of parts of
the collection as necessary with regard to the transfer of material to store. The reviews are
undertaken by the subject librarian in conjunction with members of the academic staff. Use of
space in the History Series room would be discussed with the Royal Historical Society.
Use of open access space
Priority is given to items needed for teaching purposes. In general, material is retained on the
open shelves according to a number of criteria including usage, language, and date of
publication. Important series will be maintained together on the open shelves. Particular
consideration will be given to the transfer to store of journal runs where electronic versions
are readily available to users.
Relegation
Limitations of space make necessary regular relegation of material to store, according to
criteria mentioned in 3.2 above. Changes in the teaching curriculum or in research interests
can sometimes lead to items from store being restored to the open shelves.
Retention and disposal
Different editions of the same title will be retained, but normally only one copy of each,
provided the publication date is not prior to 1850. Items falling outside those fields of History
with which the Library is primarily concerned may be considered for disposal, in the first
instance being offered to other suitable libraries.
Review of collection
The collection will be reviewed annually to apply the retention, preservation, relegation and
disposal policies set out below
Open access material
Priority will be given to high and medium use material in the allocation of space. Material
required for teaching will be retained on the open shelves except where it is duplicated in
electronic format, when it may be relegated to store at the discretion of the subject librarian.
Rarely used research level materials will be removed from the open shelves where necessary
to accommodate more frequently used material, while superseded and out dated material will
be removed from the open shelves as a matter of course. Periodical titles which have ceased
Page | 12
Librarianship
&
Archive
Studies
Maths
publication or which are no longer subscribed to will be removed from the open shelves. Rare
or particularly valuable material will not be held on open access.
Relegation to store
Any material may be relegated to store at the discretion of the subject librarian. Low use
material will be relegated to store where necessary to accommodate more frequently used
material on the open shelves. Periodical titles which have ceased publication or which are no
longer subscribed to will be relegated to store.
Retention & disposal
Superseded editions of undergraduate textbooks and cases and materials books are disposed
of. Other material will be retained unless it is judged to be of little value to future scholarship
when it will be disposed of. Research level collections will be retained. Where material is
relegated to store only one copy will be retained, any additional copies will be disposed of.
Until formal and binding collaborative collection management agreements are entered into,
no consideration will be given to the holdings of neighbouring libraries in making retention and
disposal decisions.
Review of collection
The collection will be reviewed annually to apply the retention, preservation, relegation and
disposal policies set out below.
Open access material
Priority will be given to high and medium use material in the allocation of space. Material
required for teaching will be retained on the open shelves except where it is duplicated in
electronic format, when it may be relegated to store at the discretion of the subject librarian.
Rarely used research level materials will be removed from the open shelves where necessary
to accommodate more frequently used material, while superseded and outdated material will
be removed from the open shelves as a matter of course. Periodical titles which have ceased
publication or which are no longer subscribed to may be removed from the open shelves. Rare
or particularly valuable material will not be held on open access.
Relegation to store
Any material may be relegated to store at the discretion of the subject librarian. Low use
material will be relegated to store where necessary to accommodate more frequently used
material on the open shelves.
Retention & disposal
Superseded editions of textbooks are disposed of. (Earlier editions of current Librarianship and
Archive Studies textbooks may be retained on the open shelves while their content is still
relevant and while there is demand for additional copies.) Other material will be retained
unless it is judged to be of little value to future scholarship, in which case it will be disposed of.
Research level collections will be retained. Where material is relegated to store only one copy
will be retained; any additional copies will be disposed of.
Periodic review of the printed collection
The open access Mathematics collection will be reviewed annually for decisions on retention,
relegation to store and disposal. These decisions are the responsibility of the Subject Librarian
for Mathematics, although the advice of members of UCL Mathematics Department may from
time to time be sought.
Use of the open shelves and relegation of stock
Books
In general, the Library will aim to house the most highly-used books on the open shelves. The
most recent edition of such books will be kept on open access; earlier editions may be
removed.
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Physics
Psychology
Journals
Recent volumes of journals to which a current subscription is held, and which are not available
electronically, will be housed on the open shelves. Journal volumes will be removed from the
shelves when they become available electronically or when Library Services' subscription
ceases. Back runs of journals may from time to time be removed from the shelves in order to
accommodate more recent volumes.
Retention and disposal
Material removed from the open shelves may be retained in store or discarded. Material
deposited by the London Mathematical Society is owned by the Society and will not therefore
be considered for disposal.
Books
Research material relegated from the open shelves will be retained in store rather than
discarded (except where it has been superseded by later editions, in which case it may not be
retained). Superseded textbooks and other out-of-date teaching materials will be discarded:
certainly no more than one copy of any such material will be retained, at the discretion of the
Subject Librarian.
Journals
Any journals removed from the open shelves will be retained in store.
Periodic review of the printed collection
The open access Physics collection will be reviewed annually for decisions on retention,
relegation to store and disposal. These decisions are the responsibility of the Subject Librarian
for Physics, although the advice of members of relevant UCL Departments may from time to
time be sought.
Use of the open shelves and relegation of stock
Books
In general, the Library will aim to house the most highly-used books on the open shelves. The
most recent edition of such books will be kept on open access; earlier editions may be
removed.
Journals
Recent volumes of journals to which a current subscription is held, and which are not available
electronically, will be housed on the open shelves. Journal volumes will be removed from the
shelves when they become available electronically or when the Library's subscription ceases.
Back runs of journals may from time to time be removed from the shelves in order to
accommodate more recent volumes.
Retention and disposal
Books
Material removed from the open shelves may be retained in store or discarded. Research
monographs relegated from the open shelves will be retained in store rather than discarded,
except where they have been superseded by later editions, in which case they may not be
retained. Superseded textbooks and other out-of-date teaching materials will be discarded.
Journals
Any journals removed from the open shelves will be retained in store.
Review of the collection
The print collection will be reviewed periodically by the Subject Librarian for decisions on
retention, relegation to store and disposal.
Use of open access space
Priority will be given to accommodating high and medium use texts on the open shelves.
Current print journals are held on site from 1991. Rare or valuable material will not be held on
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open access.
Relegation
Lesser used books will be relegated to store. Runs of journals prior to 1991, and volumes held
electronically, will also be removed to the Library Store.
Retention and disposal
The current and most recent previous editions of student textbooks are normally retained;
earlier editions are discarded.
Normally only one copy of a book will be retained in the Library Store. Any valuable, unique or
rare materials will be retained.
All of these policies may be viewed at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/cmp.shtml.
Durham University
http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/about/policies/
The only mention of relegation or withdrawal in the general Collection Management Policy is this:
Weeding is a positive aspect of collection management, an essential factor in space management. Operational
efficiency and user satisfaction are enhanced by removing from over-full shelves stock which is under-used and
out-of-date. Stock will be revised regularly, with little-used material re-located to store and a judicious
withdrawal policy, to ensure that material on open access is relevant to current need.
The policy can be viewed at http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/about/policies/. Tantalisingly positioned on the lefthand side of this page is a link titled ‘subject-specific collection management policies’; sadly, these can only be
accessed by authorised users.
Cardiff University
http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrv/libraries/scolar/news/insrv-scolar-policies.html#archives.
The Cardiff Library website details criteria for the disposal of material:
Disposal Criteria:
Texts which can be safely discarded if not likely to be required for present or future research within SCOLAR or
any School in the University, and not of any historical interest (above criteria noted) would include:
-
superseded or out of date modern scientific, medical, legal and similar texts,
duplicate copies of texts held in other Cardiff University libraries,
badly damaged and unusable copies,
large sets or series which are readily available in a nearby library or online,
individual texts of no current or historical value, and unrelated to any present collections.
Schools views on any major disposal of material would obviously be canvassed by the relevant Subject Librarian
in advance of any stock disposal. Alternative external locations for the deposit of such material would also be
considered, prior to disposal; these include other research libraries, or the British Library’s research reserve for
lesser used dated journal series.
This can be viewed at http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/insrv/libraries/scolar/news/insrv-scolar-policies.html#archives.
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Bangor University
http://www.bangor.ac.uk/library/documents/Stock_Editing_SLA.pdf.
Bangor library provides a link to a service level agreement on the subject of stock editing. This deals with the
relegation and withdrawal of material, and provides a procedure for the settlement of disputes that may arise
between the library and academic departments as a result of stock editing.
Relegation
Withdrawal
Notice of the need for a relegation exercise (or combined relegation and withdrawal
exercise) will be communicated by Library and Archive Services to stakeholders by way
of:
College Managers
Publicity will also be posted on the Library and Archive Services website
Low use material from prominent locations (such as Richards Reading Room) will be
relocated to one of the Library onsite stores (typically Main library basement, or Safle’r
Normal closed stacks) or other storage area as provided by Estates.
Every effort will be taken to ensure that relegated stock remains within the same branch
library in which it was previously located. Where this is not possible, stakeholders will be
advised in advance.
The relegation procedure will be carried out by Library staff in full consultation with
named representatives from Colleges and Schools. The following factors may influence
relegation decisions:
• The item has not been borrowed within the last n years; typically n = 7.
(This excludes material from the reference collection)
• The work has been superseded by a new edition
• There is excessive pressure on space in specific sections (in which case
academic staff will be invited to suggest titles for relegation within a
specified location/call number range)
• Changes to programmes of study lead to specific subjects being dropped
from a College’s programme.
If multiple copies of the same item become candidates for relegation, only a single copy
will be retained, and other copies will be withdrawn.
Advance notice of the need for a withdrawal exercise (or combined
withdrawal and relegation exercise) will be communicated by Library and
Archive Services to stakeholders by way of:
Publicity will also be posted on the Library and Archive Services website
Stock will only be withdrawn where there is no reasonable expectation of
use in support of any current or anticipated module programme or area of
research.
Withdrawal will be carried out by library staff in collaboration with academic staff. The
following factors may influence withdrawal decisions:
• The item has not been borrowed at all in the last n years; typically n = 10
(This excludes material from the reference collection)
• Relevance to current and projected academic provision (modules,
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Dispute Resolution
courses and research)
• Unacceptable physical condition beyond economic repair
• Availability elsewhere (locally or through ILL)
• Availability in electronic format
Items of considerable financial value will not withdrawn
In advance of the actual physical withdrawal of stock, a preliminary list of books which
are being considered for withdrawal will be compiled,
publicised and posted on the Library’s web pages so that academic staff
and research postgraduates may comment and propose stock that should
remain before final decisions are made.
The Library will nominate stock to be withdrawn and then give academic staff in the
relevant School a minimum of four weeks to review the list. The Library will
communicate to the relevant Head of School, College and College Manager one week
before the review period is to begin. It is the responsibility of the Heads of College and
School to ensure all relevant staff are notified.
If, as a result of the review of material by academic staff, the number of items remaining
for withdrawal fails to achieve any targets set for the exercise (i.e. number of items,
shelf capacity gained), the Library may (in consultation with academic staff) require
Colleges to identify alternate items to be withdrawn in the place of “saved” items. If
non-cooperation in this occurs, an Arbitration Group (see 4.1) will determine the
outcome. That decision will be final and binding on all parties.
Withdrawn stock may be disposed of by sale, gift (to relevant Student Union academic
societies) or discard.
Disputes between a college/school and the Library service regarding any
aspect of the stock editing process should be addressed to the University
Librarian or Desk Services Manager in writing who will attempt to resolve
any disputes to the satisfaction of both parties. Where agreement cannot
be reached, an Arbitration Group consisting of the University Librarian or
nominee, Chair of the Library and IT Task Group or nominee, and one
other College member of the Library and IT Task Group, will determine the
outcome. That decision will be final and binding on all parties.
The whole agreement can be viewed at http://www.bangor.ac.uk/library/documents/Stock_Editing_SLA.pdf.
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