Medical Subject Collection
Management Policy
5th edition, February 2014
Hilary Ollerenshaw
Medical Faculty Librarian
Editions
1st edition April 2010
2nd edition June 2010
3rd edition September 2011
4th edition May 2013
5th edition February 2014
Schedule of significant Policy updates since 3rd edition:
Date
May 2013, 4th edn
Section (as
renumbered)
3 and
Appendix F
5
5a (ix)
5b(iii)
5a(xi)
5c(v)
5c(vi)
5c(vii)
5c(viii) and
Appendix D
5d(iv)
5e and
Appendix E
5g(iv)
5i;6a
6a(ii) and
Appendix G
6a(iii) and
Appendix H
6a(v)
February 2014, 5th
edn
6c and
Appendix I
Appendix A
Details
The Medical History collection is now held at the University Store and
Special Collections
Book budgets may now fund eBook subscriptions (LPAG April 2013)
Date for full encumbrance of book budgets
Additional guidance: reading lists or updates to be provided preferably
three months before the readings are required
Book budgets (excepting Endowment Funds) must be fully
encumbered in the first instance by 31 March. Funds thereafter
unencumbered through supplier discounts should be encumbered by
30 June, with the aim of 110% encumbrance and expenditure
(invoiced) by 31 July.
Delete “and meet the expressed format preferences of the user group
as represented by the School”
subject to cost and funding, for distance learning programmes the
provision of eBooks where available will be standard practice
Library-managed reading lists and academic-managed reading lists will
specify which titles can be accessed as eBooks.
Reading list flow chart
Delete the paragraph: “Exceptionally, Subject Librarians may allocate a
3 day loan status where they consider this essential. Any 3 day loan
items will be assigned “no vacation loan” status.“
Availability of eReserve Service (from March 2013).
New serials subscriptions considered only where funding available:
 Within the DEN, MED, SCM or VET serials budget
 From the School (recurrent additional funds contribution)
 Where an existing subscription is identified for cancellation to
release funds for the new title (see 6c)
 (For interdisciplinary serials), from the GEN Library budget
 Exceptionally, allocated from University funds
Biomedical books published before 1875 are catalogued and held at
the University Store, or, in agreement with the Special Collections
Librarian, to be held at the Library Special Collections.
Subject Librarian stock weeding responsibility
Withdrawing print journals held online with guaranteed perpetual
access
Textbooks relegated from the open shelves will be withdrawn from
stock … The Subject Librarian withdrawing the item will indicate the
method of disposal.
To reflect current practice: review decisions on serials subscriptions:
usage information applied to serials list by subject team
Subject Librarian role now includes advocacy for Open Access
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Circulation:
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Medical Libraries Liaison Committee (Academic Library Representatives, for dissemination
to Schools/Centre; Medical Subject Librarians)
Library Management Team
Senior Branch Supervisor, Medical Library and Veterinary Sciences Library
This policy is published on the University website (http://www.bristol.ac.uk/is/library/subjects/
– select any medical subject and the tab “information for academic staff”)
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1. Purpose of the Medical Collection Management Policy
This Policy is to be read in conjunction with the University’s Library Collection Management
Policy [available at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/library/using/policies/collection-mgt-policy.html
[accessed 1/5/13]. The purpose of the Medical Subject Policy (hereinafter, the Policy) is to
provide Academic Library Representatives and Library staff with guidelines for making decisions
on the development, management and exploitation of Library medical collections. The Policy is
also available on the University website as a source of information for students and researchers.
The Policy has been developed by the University of Bristol Medical Faculty Librarian and
Medical Subject Librarians in consultation with Academic Library Representatives in the Faculty
of Medicine and Dentistry and the Faculty of Medical and Veterinary Sciences.
In this Policy “medical subject” includes “oral and dental science”, “medical sciences” and
“veterinary sciences”.
2. Brief history of the medical subject collections
The present day Medical Library collection was developed from the amalgamation of the
collections of the Bristol [Infirmary] Medical Library (collection created 1831 and transferred
1892 to the then University College after the City took over the collection), the Bristol MedicoChirurgical Society (collection created 1874 and managed under joint ownership from 1892) and
the Bristol General Hospital (collection transferred 1894). In 1925 the University of Bristol
Medical Library was established with the help of an endowment of funds in memory of J Mitchell
Clarke (1860-1918) and G Munro Smith, grants from the University and the formal transfer of
ownership of the Medico-Chirurgical Society’s large collection of journals and books. Dr
Mitchell Clarke played a leading part in establishing the University, and was Professor of
Medicine, Pro Vice Chancellor and a physician; Dr Munro Smith, a graduate of Bristol Medical
School, was a tutor at the University College and surgeon at the Bristol Royal Infirmary (see also
5(a)iv). (Parker, 1933). In 1963 the Medical Library was moved to the newly built Medical
Sciences Building at University Walk (Roberts, 1970). The Library was extensively refurbished
in 2008 as part of the University’s LifeZone project. In 2011 Dental Library collections and
services were relocated to the Medical Library.
The Clinical Veterinary Sciences Library was established after the Veterinary School was
opened at Langford in 1948 (Roberts, 1970).
3. Aims and scope of the medical subject collections
The aim of the medical subject collections is to support the teaching, learning and research
needs of the Faculties of Medicine & Dentistry and Medical & Veterinary Sciences. Unit and
Programme Catalogues are available at http://www.bris.ac.uk/esu/ and Research Programmes
at http://www.bris.ac.uk/prospectus/postgraduate/2010/all_urcs [accessed 1/5/2013].
The collections are provided principally to meet the needs of students and staff in the Medical
Faculties of the University, including honorary academic staff, and are also available for use by
other eligible users including members of the Medico-Chirurgical Society, with level of access
appropriate to registered user status.
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The printed collections are housed in the:
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Clinical Veterinary Sciences Library – clinical veterinary sciences
Medical Library –clinical dentistry, clinical medicine, oral & dental sciences and
medical sciences
Special Collections (located in Arts and Social Sciences Library) – medical history
Store, Brislington – medical history collection, copy of low usage non-textbook items
for retention within University collections
The collections are developed to support the learning and research needs of undergraduate and
postgraduate students and the teaching, learning and research needs of academic staff in the
two medical Faculties.
The printed medical subject collections are complemented by related subject collections held in
other branches of the University Library. With the exception of the clinical dentistry collection,
printed collections in the Medical Library are catalogued and arranged using the Cunningham
Scheme, which classifies and arranges resources by anatomical system and was developed by
Eileen Roach Cunningham at Vanderbilt University in 1929. The University of Bristol’s Medical
Subject Librarians maintain and develop the Cunningham Scheme locally. Clinical dentistry and
veterinary sciences printed collections are catalogued and arranged using the Library of
Congress Scheme.
Electronic medical subject collections subscribed to under licence are available to registered
staff and students of the University, including honorary academic staff, to support teaching,
learning and research. Relevant electronic information resources available through open
access are signposted through the MetaLib gateway, as a material type and also by subject.
[available at http://metalib.bris.ac.uk, accessed 1/5/13, and resources can also be retrieved
through the search box on the Library home page].
The printed and electronic collections consist of materials written in English and include:

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


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Textbooks, including eBooks, on reading lists
Study skills and exam revision guides
Research monographs and background reading relevant to the University’s medical
subject teaching, learning and research
Statistical publications
Journals – electronic, or printed where not available or affordable electronically
Medical reference materials (eg medical dictionaries and pharmacology indexes)
Finding aids, including electronic bibliographic databases (eg Medline, Embase, BIOSIS,
CAB Abstracts, PsycINFO and Web of Science) through appropriate platforms/search
interfaces
Official publications relating to the medical subjects
A medical history collection containing printed and electronic resources of local, national
and international significance.
University of Bristol Doctoral theses (medical subjects)
Information on access to Library resources and services is available through the Library web
pages at http://www.bris.ac.uk/library/, accessed 20/09/2011].
4
To support the learning resource needs of students in the clinical years of the BDS and MB ChB
programme, the Dental Subject Librarian for Oral & Dental Sciences and the Medical Faculty
Librarian provide reading lists annually to relevant NHS South West Clinical Academy Libraries.
The NHS Trust Libraries are responsible for making available library services to students on
clinical placement including NHS Library induction, electronic access to NHS eResources and at
least one copy of each textbook listed on the reading lists (University of Bristol, 2011). These
resources are intended to provide additional copies of core textbooks to meet the needs of
students on clinical placement.
4. Academic Liaison
Academic Library Representatives are responsible for communicating to the Library the
teaching, learning and research needs of their colleagues. Medical Subject Librarians will liaise
regularly with their academic library representative(s) and take action to ensure that the Library
meets current and emerging needs for services and resources and plans for anticipated future
needs. Medical Subject Librarians and Academic Library Representatives should follow the
guidelines available at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/library/using/policies/librep.html [accessed
1/5/13]. Subject Librarian contact details are set out in Appendix A.
5. Acquisition, Access and Preservation
a. Budgets:
i. Book budgets for printed books and single purchase or subscription eBooks:
 Clinical Dentistry (DEN)
 Clinical Medicine (MED)
 Clinical Veterinary Sciences (VET)
 Medical Sciences (MSCI) (including medical sciences books for the preclinical years of the medicine, dentistry and veterinary programmes)
 Social and Community Medicine (SCM)
 General (GEN) for books with a broader or more general scope of
interest, including of interest to registered users in the medical Faculties
ii. Serials budget for subscription payments for serials, including journals and
databases (DEN-, MED-, SCM- and VET- serials)
iii. General serials budget (GEN-serials) for subscriptions to serials of interest to a
wide variety of subject areas
iv. Medical Endowment funds for purchase of books:
 Mitchell Clark (CLA) – Neurology (clinical medicine)
 Dental alumni (DENSPO) – Dental
 Norman Lloyd Price (PRI) – Child Health
 George Munro Smith (SMI) – Clinical medicine
v. Replacement fund budget (REP) to purchase replacements for books or other
loan items damaged or lost and paid for by users
vi. Library Purchasing Advisory Group (LPAG) – funding for non-recurrent purchases
which cannot be funded from an individual subject budget and/or are of interest
across a wide range of subject areas.
vii. Campaigns funds and other additional University funds – availability to be
determined annually
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viii. If additional Library resources are required to supplement medical book and
journal budgets, the Medical Faculties may vire funds to the Library on a one-off
or, for subscription resources, on a recurrent basis to support purchasing.
ix. Resources will be purchased in accordance with the current teaching, learning
and research needs of the Medical Faculties. In expending book funds priority
will be given to purchase of books (eBooks or printed books) on reading lists,
having regard also to constraints of funding and space. Maintenance of a current
and relevant medical reference collection is also a high priority. Where funds
permit, and having regard to medical subject teaching, learning and research
needs, regional and national collections held elsewhere and specialist subject
bibliography recommendations from academic staff, Subject Librarians will
purchase research monographs and other relevant scholarly books.
x. The critical importance of currency of information in the medical subjects makes
journals, with a rapid turnaround time to publication, generally the preferred
source of research information for medical researchers and academic staff, and
an important source of information for students. Medical library collections reflect
this preference with, in terms of funding commitment, proportionately larger
holdings of journals (e-journals or printed) than books.
xi. To protect book funds from erosion, and to enable purchase of all essential and
recommended textbooks for undergraduate programmes, book budgets are ringfenced for one-off purchases of books and single purchase or subscription
eBooks, and may not be used for journal subscriptions. Book budgets (excepting
Endowment Funds) must be fully encumbered in the first instance by 31 March.
Funds thereafter unencumbered through supplier discounts should be
encumbered by 30 June, with the aim of 110% encumbrance and expenditure
(invoiced) by 31 July.
xii. Subject Librarians will arrange signposting to relevant open access scholarly
(peer reviewed) electronic resources through MetaLib and/or the Library
Catalogue as appropriate.
b. New or revised Programmes or Units: collection development
i. Subject Librarians should maintain close liaison with their academic Schools
(hereinafter referred to as Schools and to include the Centre for Comparative and
Clinical Anatomy) to ensure that they know of forthcoming changes to
programmes and units. Subject Librarians should also seek involvement in
curriculum reviews and attend programme planning and review meetings to plan
and provide appropriate subject support through collection development and
embedded information literacy training. Sample questions for inclusion in
curriculum reviews are at Appendix B.
c. Book buying:
i. The Library will buy items to support teaching, research and clinical practice. It
will also buy copies of all items of essential and recommended reading on student
reading lists, and develop collections in related areas to support student learning
(for example, student Directed Self Education (DSE) and Student Selected
Component (SSC) projects).
ii. Academic and research staff may request the purchase of a book (printed or
eBook). Further information is available at:
http://www.bris.ac.uk/library/resources/recommend/purchase.html [accessed
7/5/2013]. See also 5f(iii) regarding recommendations to purchase serials.
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iii. Schools should provide reading lists or list updates to their Subject Librarian
preferably three months before the reading list items are required. Where items
are required for the start of the academic year, the deadline for submitting new
lists and updates is 31 July. This allows sufficient time for books to be ordered,
received and processed. Reading lists should indicate whether books are
essential, recommended or further reading. Academic unit and element leads for
the MB ChB programme should also inform the relevant Subject Librarian of any
updates to reading lists on an ongoing basis, as these lists are now managed
dynamically by the Subject Librarians and hosted on the Blackboard Library
content area (see also Section 5(c)(iii). Appendix C shows the relevant point of
contact in each School.
iv. Subject Librarians will purchase the latest edition of each book identified as
essential, recommended or further reading and will advise the relevant
unit/element lead(s) if a newer edition than requested is available so that reading
lists can be updated by the Subject Librarian or Unit/Element Lead. For the MB
ChB programme, Subject Librarians will manage reading lists in liaison with Unit
and Element Leads; the lists are centrally hosted in a Library Content repository
on Blackboard, and a “Library” button on each MB ChB course links to the
repository.
v. Subject Librarians will check at least annually for new editions of textbooks, and
will prioritise purchase of these and any additions to existing reading lists or
reading lists for new programmes or units.
vi. Titles available as eBooks will be considered for purchase or subscription where
these represent good value for money when compared with the supplier
discounted cost of a printed version. Subject Librarians will select formats to
meet the needs of the intended user group and will inform Schools where an
eBook is available so that this can be highlighted on the reading list. EBooks
purchased as one-off items will be charged to the relevant School book budget;
eBooks purchased on a subscription basis will also be charged to the book
budget, and Subject Librarians will have regard to these subscriptions when
planning further use of the budget.
vii. EBook purchases of items on reading lists will normally complement rather than
replace printed textbooks; however, subject to cost and funding, for distance
learning programmes the provision of eBooks where available will be standard
practice. Subject Librarians may purchase eBooks to support teaching, learning
and research without also buying a printed copy, taking into account any stated
preference from academic staff or students. The Library eResources Team will
include eBook links in the Library Catalogue.
viii. Library-managed reading lists and academic-managed reading lists will specify
which titles can be accessed as eBooks (see Appendix D)
ix. Subject Librarians will ensure that open access resources listed on reading lists,
or otherwise recommended by academic staff, are discoverable through the
Library Catalogue, MetaLib and eJournals search functions as appropriate.
d. Multiple copies of textbooks/loan statuses
i. Availability and accessibility: the Library will make textbooks available to users
for borrowing periods which achieve a balance between meeting the study and
learning needs of individual students and providing sufficient printed copies or
access to eBooks to meet level of demand.
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ii. Copies: Where an essential item on a reading list is purchased or subscribed to
as an eBook, Subject Librarians will purchase sufficient print copies to maintain
the ratio of print books to students within the range of 1:30 to 1:15. Where an
eBook is not made available, Subject Librarians will purchase sufficient print
copies to maintain the ratio within the range 1:15 to 1:10. Recommended and
further reading titles may be considered for purchase at a lower ratio. Decisions
on number of print copies to purchase will also take account of:
 Multiple citations across Programmes, Units and Elements
 Number of copies of any earlier editions to be retained (see Section 5(a)
Relegation)
 Item cost
 Availability of funding
 The need also to develop broader collections that support student
projects, teaching, research and clinical practice
 Level of demand
 Shelf space
iii. Loan statuses for essential and recommended reading:
 Subject Librarians will determine the loan status of books and other media to
maximise availability and accessibility.
 Where an eBook has not been procured, Subject Librarians may allocate
confined status to one copy of the current edition; confined copies of
superseded editions are to be reassigned a 7 day loan status.
 All other copies of the current and any previous edition(s) to be retained will
have 7 day or 7 day(v) loan status. Two 7 day loan copies of each title of
textbooks on BDS and MB ChB Year 3 to Year 5 reading lists are to be
assigned the status “no vacation loans” to increase the availability of
textbooks during University vacations when it remains term time for medical
students.
iv. Changes to loan statuses: Subject Librarians may make a temporary change
to the loan status of specific textbooks to meet anticipated peaks in demand.
Options are: confined; 7 day (vacation); 7 day (no vacation). Branch circulation
staff receiving a request from academic staff or students to amend a loan status,
or receiving a circulation report indicating high demand, must refer to the relevant
Subject Librarian for a decision.
e. EReserve
i. Academic staff may request scanning of elements of key student readings
through the eReserve Service, under the University's Copyright Licensing Agency
(CLA) Licence. The service supplies the readings through Blackboard. The
Service Guide is at Appendix E.
f. Reference collections
i. The collections will provide generic and biomedical-specific reference materials to
support medical subject learning, research and teaching needs. Reference
materials will be provided in the most appropriate format available for each
resource, which currently includes both printed and online resources.
8
g. Subscription-based resources: databases and serials (journals and serial books)
i. Databases and serials will be subscribed to as eResources where appropriate,
available and within budget; otherwise subscriptions will be to printed resources.
See Section 5c(vi)-(vii) regarding eBooks.
ii. The Medical Libraries Liaison Committee (MLLC) will review biomedical database
and serials subscriptions annually to ensure that the resources continue to be
relevant and will prioritise access to biomedical journals that support current
teaching, learning (ie on reading list) and research (essential to current research
project) requirements. Following an annual review each spring, the MLLC will
make a decision on subscriptions to be commenced, amended or discontinued.
The Medical Faculty Librarian will communicate this decision to the Acquisitions
Librarian in August each year.
iii. Members of academic staff requesting a subscription to a database or serial title
should submit a suggestion form to their Subject Librarian; the submission must
include justification for the request. The form is available at:
http://www.bris.ac.uk/library/support/subjects/medicine/academics/ [accessed
7/5/2013]. Subject Librarians will maintain an Excel spreadsheet listing requests
for new subscriptions. See also 5c(ii) regarding recommendations to purchase
books.
iv. New serials subscriptions can be considered only where funding is available:
 Within the DEN, MED, SCM or VET serials budget
 From the School (recurrent additional funds contribution)
 Where an existing subscription is identified for cancellation to release
funds for the new title (see 6c)
 (For interdisciplinary serials), from the GEN Library budget
 Exceptionally, allocated from University funds
v. Resource trials that are provided free of charge or at a cost may be requested
through the relevant Subject Librarian. Before commencing a trial, the Subject
Librarian will have regard to whether resources are likely to be available for a
subsequent subscription. See also 4(f)(iii).
vi. The Library Purchasing Advisory Group funds or contributes towards the
purchase of electronic serials backfiles, single purchase resources for use across
a wide range of subject areas, or items that are too expensive to purchase from a
single book budget. LPAG does not fund or part-fund subscription-based
resources. Academic staff should make application through their Subject
Librarian.
vii. Subject Librarians will arrange with the EResources Team for subscribed
eResources and any significant and relevant open access eResources to be
added to MetaLib and tagged with the relevant medical subject categories.
h. Inter-library loans
i. Inter-library loan vouchers are distributed according to precedent to named
contacts in Schools in August of each year. Subject Librarians will promote the
voucher scheme to students. Academic Library Representatives should ensure
that academic colleagues and students are aware of the availability of the
vouchers and how to obtain them. Contact details to obtain vouchers are listed
within the medical subject support web pages (see “information for academic
9
i.
j.
staff”). Vouchers may be used to access books, journal articles or other materials
that are not held or available through the University’s collections.
Medical history collection
i. Biomedical books published before 1875 will be catalogued and held at the
University Store, or, in agreement with the Special Collections Librarian, held at
the Library Special Collections. In reviewing the medical history collection,
Subject Librarians may consult with the Special Collections Librarian and
Academic Library Representatives. See also Appendix F.
Gifts
i. Criteria for acceptance of donated items are set out in the Library Collection
Management Policy, available at:
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/library/using/policies/collection-mgt-policy.html [accessed
7/5/13]. To assist with decisions on materials offered as gifts, Subject Librarians
are advised to refer to the Garrison Morton guide (pre-1971 titles of rarity or high
intrinsic value) and/or consult with the Special Collections Librarian.
6. Retention, relegation and withdrawal
a. Reviewing and editing eBooks and stock held on open shelves
i. The medical libraries will hold on open shelves or provide electronic access to
items required to support the current teaching, learning and research of the
Faculties. Printed resources will be reviewed and edited annually by the relevant
Medical Subject Librarian to ensure that the collection continues to be relevant to
user needs. EBooks will be reviewed annually and, for single purchase eBooks,
additionally when a new edition becomes available.
ii. Subject Librarian responsibility for reviewing stock is set out at Appendix G.
iii. Editing criteria for print resources on open shelves, and for e-books (as
appropriate) include:
 Relevance to current teaching or research
 Currency of the item (publication/reprint date)
 Whether a better or more recent edition of the title is available (for clinical
books, where the content remains current the most recent previous edition
may be retained on open shelves; for basic medical sciences, earlier
editions may also be considered for retention)
 Whether the item has continuing validity as a seminal work, a pre-1875
publication date, association value, other claim to rarity or high intrinsic
value (in case of doubt, Subject Librarians should consult with Special
Collections Librarian)
 Infrequently used loan item or loan item not borrowed in previous five
years
 For printed journals, where permanent and secure electronic access is
confirmed by the Relegation Librarian (see Appendix H)
 Number of copies held in relation to user demand
 Physical condition (consider replacement with latest edition)
 Item also held electronically (in particular for serials; for essential
textbooks consider holding both printed and e-books)
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
Not on current reading lists, and copies of latest edition are available in
other branches, local libraries or through inter-library loan
 Insufficient space
iv. Unit Leads/Academic Library Representatives may recommend to Subject
Librarians specific titles and editions for addition to or removal from the collection.
See also Section 5(f)(ii).
v. Upon purchase of a new edition of a title, superseded editions for retention on
open shelves will be labelled ‘a more recent edition of this book is available’
vi. Textbooks relegated from the open shelves will be withdrawn from stock. One
copy of non-textbook items identified by the Subject Librarian for withdrawal may
be relegated to the Store. Withdrawn items may be offered for sale within the
Library or recycled as a paper product; out of date clinical books and items in
poor condition will be recycled; the Subject Librarian withdrawing the item will
indicate the method of disposal.
b. Reviewing stock at Store
i. Printed items held in the Store which are also available electronically will be
considered for disposal unless they are confirmed to be intrinsically valuable or
rare materials.
c. Reviewing and editing serials collections (journals)
i. Review decisions for electronic serials will be based on the Methodology for
reviewing journal subscriptions (University of Bristol, 2011). See Appendices H
and I.
ii. Review decisions for printed serials will be based on the Methodology for
reviewing Print Journal subscriptions and replacing with backfiles (LPAG,
University of Bristol 2014). See Appendix J.
7. Review of the Policy
The Policy will be reviewed annually and ratified by the Medical Libraries Liaison Committee.
8. References
Parker, G (1933) Schola medicinae Bristol: its history, lecturers, and alumni 1833-1933. Bristol:
John Wright & Sons Ltd
Roberts, A (1970) On the history and growth of the Bristol Medical School Library. Bristol
Medico-Chirurgical Journal, 85, pp 93-100
University of Bristol (2010) Draft Clinical Academy contract. University of Bristol
University of Bristol (2009) Collection Management Policy. University of Bristol
University of Bristol (2011) Methodology for reviewing journal subscriptions. Release: version
1.0.
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Appendix A
Subject responsibilities
Subject Librarians are responsible for planning, developing, delivering and monitoring library services and
collections to meet the changing needs of academic staff and students in designated Schools. Subject
Librarians are also adopting an advocacy role in relation to research, which includes providing guidance on
issues relating to Open Access. A School-based approach to the provision of library services enables Subject
Librarians to develop an understanding of the changing information resource and Library service needs of
medical research groups and academic programmes. This supports development of coordinated and
appropriate and provision of library resources, enquiry services and information literacy teaching embedded in
academic curricula.
Subject Librarians will liaise with their designated Schools to obtain reading lists, or updates to lists, for each
academic programme led by that School. Subject Librarians have collection management responsibility for
their subjects to support teaching, learning and research.
Subject Librarian contacts:
Anatomy: Richard Kielb, richard.kielb@bristol.ac.uk (0117) 33 11504
Biochemistry: Richard Kielb, richard.kielb@bristol.ac.uk (0117) 33 11504
Cellular & Molecular Medicine: Martin Hewitt, martin.hewitt@bristol.ac.uk (0117) 33 11504
Clinical Science: Hilary Ollerenshaw, hilary.ollerenshaw@bristol.ac.uk (0117) 33 11503 (see also individual
contacts for MB ChB programme, listed below)
Clinical Veterinary Sciences: Emma Place, emma.place@bristol.ac.uk, (0117) 33 11504
MB ChB programme:
Coverage
Academic liaison for Programme (Central Teaching Committee)
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Psychiatry and Ethics
Year 4
Year 5
Self-assessment and referencing
Vertical Consultation and Procedural Skills
Studies Disability, Disadvantage and Diversity
Ethics and Law in Medicine
Evidence Based Medicine and Public Health
Medical Humanities and Whole Person Care
Personal and Inter-professional Development
Library contact
Hilary Ollerenshaw
Richard Kielb
Richard Kielb
Martin Hewitt
Cath Borwick
Naomi Nile
Martin Hewitt
Naomi Nile
Richard Kielb
Naomi Nile
Cath Borwick
Richard Kielb
Richard Kielb
Martin Hewitt
Oral & Dental Sciences: Emma Place, emma.place@bristol.ac.uk, (0117) 33 11504
Physiology & Pharmacology: Martin Hewitt, martin.hewitt@bristol.ac.uk (0117) 33 11504
Social & Community Medicine: Cath Borwick, cath.borwick@bristol.ac.uk (0117) 33 11504
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Appendix B
Curriculum review
The following sample questions provide a starting point for Medical Subject Librarians and Schools to identify
required learning outcomes and fine-tune timing, content and spirality of IL training within academic curricula.
Discussions could include how IL skills might be assessed within academic curricula through formative or
summative academic assessments.
1. Is it clear from your reading of the curriculum material whether any support from the university library
services is likely to be required? Is this built in, in any way, to the Programme/Unit timetable?
2. Does the curriculum of this Programme/Unit have any content related to students being able to use
information effectively in a medical/medical sciences context?
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Appendix C
Reading list contacts for academic programmes:
School/Centre
Contact
Centre for Comparative and Clinical Anatomy
Unit academic lead
School of Biochemistry
Unit academic leads
School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Academic library representative
School of Clinical Sciences/Centre for Medical Education
Unit and element leads
School of Clinical Veterinary Sciences
Student administrative secretary
School of Oral and Dental Science
Course handbooks on intranet
School of Physiology and Pharmacology
Academic library representative
School of Social and Community Medicine
Unit academic leads
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Appendix D
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Appendix E
The eReserve Service
What are eReserves?
The eReserve scanning service provides electronic copies of key student readings via Blackboard, under the
University’s Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) Licence. These electronic copies are known as eReserves.
The aims of the service are threefold:
1. To provide a mechanism whereby academic staff can easily request scans of book chapters and journal
articles for student reading.
2. To provide a platform where students can access the scanned resources from within Blackboard.
3. To ensure that the provision of scanned documents for academic purposes is done under the terms of the
licence purchased from the CLA.
Further information about the service is available here:
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/library/resources/eresources/ereserves.html
16
Appendix F
Medical Libraries: Description of Special Collections
COLLECTIONS HELD (University Store and Special Collections)








Pre-1800: around 1,900 18th century and 300 earlier volumes, and 285 volumes in the Mineral Waters
and Spas Collection.
The nineteenth century collection includes around 7,640 books and 6,240 journal volumes.
The library of Caleb Hillier Parry contains 900 early medical works. A gift from the Royal United
Hospital, Bath (Roberts, 1970), this collection has a separate manuscript sheaf catalogue.
The thesis collection includes: PhD, MD, MSc, ChM and DSc theses of staff and postgraduate
students of the Medical Faculty, from 1910 to date. These are the sole copies held in the University
Library.
Post 1900 material relevant to the history of medicine including biographical works and the collected
works of individual authors.
Post 1900 serials relevant to research into the history of medicine, including The Medical Register.
A pamphlet collection.
Medical portraits, biographical information and details of medical history exhibitions (held at Special
Collections).
ACQUISITION


Newly published books covering medical history may be purchased to support current teaching,
learning and research. Antiquarian and out-of-print material is not purchased.
Most medical history acquisition is through donation. Duplicate copies are added to stock if
appropriate: for example material of local interest, annotated copies or those signed by the author.
RELEGATION AND WITHDRAWAL

Where secure permanent access is provided, print journals will be replaced by electronic backfiles,
except for titles considered to be of high intrinsic value or rarity. Early volumes of the Lancet and the
British Medical Journal are under consideration for designation as of high intrinsic value.
17
Appendix G
Subject Librarian responsibility for weeding stock
PERSON
RESPONSIBLE
SUBJECT AREA
Subject Librarian
CMM and Physiology
and Pharmacology
A - Biology, C – Physiological Biology, G – Nervous System (except G1d
psychology and palliative medicine; G1e: psychiatry;G1f clinical neurology), I
– Respiratory System, L – Endocrine System (except clinical titles &
L10:geriatrics), M – Digestive System, Q – Microbiology and Immunology, V
- Pharmacology, MM – General Science, QQ - Chemistry, UU – Laboratory
Animals.
Subject Librarian
Anatomy,
Biochemistry and Y1
and 2 Medicine
Subject Librarian
CMM/Physiology &
Pharmacology
(Clinical Sciences and
Y3 and 5 Medicine)
Subject Librarian
Dental & Oral/ Vet
Sciences;Assistant
Subject Librarian
Subject Librarian
Social and Community
Medicine
Assistant Subject
Librarian (Year 4
Medicine)
B – Systematic and Morphological Biology, D – Biophysics, Biochemistry F –
Skeletal System (except clinical areas of F1),H – Special Sense Organs
(except clinical areas ofH6: ophthalmology) , J – Circulatory System, K –
Haematopoietic System, N – Reproductive System (except clinical areas of
N4 & N9), O – Urinary System and Urology, DD - Nursing, EE - Fiction , PP
– Physics.
F1 – Locomotor System (clinical areas),G1d - Psychology, G1f – Pathology
of the Nervous System, H6 – Ophthalmology (clinical areas) S – Clinical
Medicine, U - Surgery, W – Medical Jurisprudence, X – Armed Forces, Y –
Radiology, CC - Hospitals.
E3 - Dentistry, Z – Veterinary Science, RR – Industrial Botany and
Agriculture, Clinical Dental collection
AA8a – Professional Ethics and Medical Philosophy, R – Preventive
Medicine and Public Health, G1e - Psychiatry, JJ - Sociology, KK –
Philosophy and Religion, NN – Medical Writing, OO – Maths.
AA (except AA8a) - Reference. T - Paediatrics,E2 - Dermatology, P Pathology, L10 – geriatrics, N4 – Female Reproductive System, N9 –
Pregnancy and Obstetrics.
18
Appendix H
Procedure for withdrawing print journals held online with guaranteed perpetual
access
This procedure will be applied to Store journals in the first instance but will then be adopted to duplicate
journals throughout the library system. It will make library practice consistent with the 2009 Collection
Development Policy which states that “print copies of journals will normally be discarded when secure and
permanent online access becomes available, unless there are exceptional circumstances.”
Relegation have worked with Acquisitions and E-Resources to produce an up-to-date list of library owned
backfiles. These backfiles have been checked against SFX, JISC, Ex-Libris , the publishers and licences
when available. This checking process will also involve consideration of potential inclusion in digital
preservation services, and an examination of the print holdings at other institutions. Usage will also be
checked by Relegation. If material has been frequently consulted, it is unlikely that it would be considered as
an appropriate candidate for withdrawal. As an additional safeguard, all journals that pre-date 1851 will be
checked with the Special Collections Team as a matter of course. In future, as backfiles are purchased,
Relegation will be notified and print journal runs will automatically be withdrawn from stock.
Relegation will also identify print journals that are held on JSTOR Complete. This is considered to be a “safe
subscription”, that is to say that it is considered by the Library to be too valuable a resource to cancel.
Once a journal has been thoroughly checked by a qualified member of library staff to establish online
guaranteed perpetual access, the following steps will be followed:
1. Subject Librarians will be notified by the Relegation Team that a duplicate journal has been
identified and it will be withdrawn.
2. The relevant Subject Librarian will be advised similarly if the journal is a split run (i.e. some later
volumes are held in a different branch).
3. The Relegation Team will make the necessary amendments to the journal holdings on the library
catalogue.
4. The journals will be stamped for withdrawal and disposed of.
Withdrawing print journals will often be initiated by Relegation – particularly in respect of making space at
Store. If Subject Librarians wish to undertake any work to withdraw duplicated journals, then they should
consult with Relegation in the first instance.
If the journal has detailed illustrations and/or maps and the digital version is considered by the reader to be
inferior to the original, consultation of the print form will be provided via Inter Library Loan, free of charge.
Although these journals will no longer be available to external borrowers and those reader who do not have
borrowing rights, work is ongoing to provide a way for external borrowers to gain access to electronic
resources in the future.
If a pre-existing arrangement is in place to offer withdrawn material to a department, it will be the responsibility
of the department in question to arrange for the collection and removal of any items within three weeks of
being notified by the relevant Subject Librarian. Any department wishing to arrange collection of duplicated
journals need to contact the Relegation Department (phone 0117 9288028 or email relegteam@bristol.ac.uk).
17/01/12
19
Appendix I
Methodology and workflow for reviewing Library subscriptions
Release: Version 2.0
Date: Last updated September 2013
Author: David Boyd, Patricia Rogers, with input from Hilary Ollerenshaw
Audience: Faculty and Subject Librarians
Context
The information needs of the University continually change and suggestions for subscription based resources
are regularly received from academic members of the University. Library policy states that new subscriptions
for journals and other resources can only be taken up if existing subscriptions to the same value are proposed
for cancellation, and agreed by the Head of Information Management. It is important that existing library
resources demonstrate value for money. Comparative usage statistics can help to evaluate the impact of
electronic resources, justify the library's investment, and inform future purchasing decisions. On a regular
basis the Library should evaluate its existing subscriptions with a view to making cancellations to free up
sufficient funds to allow, where necessary, for new subscriptions to be placed.
Please note: licence agreements for journals and other subscription based resources may vary in the extent to
which (and whether or not) cancellations are permitted.
1. Identifying new subscriptions and prioritising need
Over the course of the academic year Faculty Librarians and/or Subject Librarians may keep a list of journal
titles (with related ISSN, subscription price, and Impact Factor where necessary) that academics and other
members of the University request as new subscriptions. In liaison with academic library representatives,
relevant academic committees/groups, etc., a prioritised list of subscriptions should be agreed.
Factors to take in to consideration when prioritising the list of subscriptions may include one or more of the
following:

journal titles should be considered essential to the information needs of the University as a world
class higher education and research institution

bibliometrics tools such as Journal Citation Reports [1]; the journal Impact Factor [2], and the
Eigenfactor Score [3], as determined by the Faculty Librarian and/or Subject Librarian

the number of inter-library loan requests made in the past year for articles from the requested journal
title
2. Collating lists of existing subscriptions
Step 1 (create a list of current subscriptions):
Each year, to begin the process of evaluating existing subscriptions you will first need to create a list of current
subscriptions for your faculty or subject area. Taking the current serial-orders list of subscriptions as a starting
point, Faculty Librarians and/or Subject Librarians will filter the spreadsheet by the relevant fund code(s) in the
column labelled ‘Fund’, e.g., for the Medical Faculty: DEN, MED, MSCI, SCM & VET. If the resulting list
appears incorrect in anyway please send an email with your query to our Serials Team: libserials@bristol.ac.uk
It is likely that you will wish to copy and save the information in columns A (brief title), B (our Order Number), I
(the Agent to whom we send payment). As it is likely that you will be using the usage statistics for the previous
year (to ensure a full year’s worth from January to December) it is probably best to use the total cost of the
journal subscription from the same year. So, to complete a usage statistics review in 2012 you would use the
current title list from the 2012 serials spreadsheet and the information in column O (total cost paid in GBP)
from the 2011 serials spreadsheet. Print only subscriptions need not be included. Entries for any relevant
database subscriptions will be identified as such in the spreadsheet.
20
Step 2 (identify relevant journal publishers/service providers):
You will now need to identify the publisher/service provider platform via which we access the electronic journal
or other type of resource. Use the eJournals Catalogue to search for each journal title on your list. In many
cases the resulting screen will indicate which platform the journal is hosted on, i.e., the platform may be
underlined and is mentioned after the words: ‘Get full text online via’. In some cases the platform may not be
specifically mentioned on the eJournals Catalogue, this may be the case for ejournals that reside on one of
the large aggregator platforms, e.g., Sage journals are hosted on the HighWire Press platform. Other smaller
journals that are not hosted on one of the larger platforms will be listed as being available via Miscellaneous
Ejournals. Please bear in mind that an ejournal may be accessible on more than one platform, via a single
subscription, e.g., the publishers own platform and also an aggregators platform. If you are unsure which
platform or publisher hosts a particular ejournal then please contact the Electronic Resources Team: elibrary@bristol.ac.uk
Step 3 (incorporating usage information):
COUNTER [4] compliant usage reports in the form of spreadsheets are made available by a growing number
of electronic resource publishers/service providers. The reports are gathered automatically, and then
processed, and in March of each year the Electronic Resources Team will make the preceding year’s reports
accessible to subject teams via the Library filestore folder, Library Subscriptions and Usage Reports.
Journal usage reports are stored according to year and then platform. Please bear in mind that the Library
maintains subscriptions to journals that are accessible from hundreds of publisher/service provider platforms,
therefore it is not possible to automatically gather reports from all relevant platforms. Where reports can be
obtained manually from vendors, the Electronic Resources Team will (by request) endeavour to do this where
time allows.
Usage information, where available, will be drawn from usage reports and applied by the subject team
alongside each journal title on the list of current subscriptions that has been collated for your faculty or subject
area. On opening the spreadsheet for the platform that you identified in Step 2 you will see a Year To Date
(YTD) column giving you a figure for the number of downloaded articles from a particular journal title.
However, where relevant, archive usage of a journal will be subtracted from total usage to arrive at a figure for
current usage only. Current usage figures will appear in a column at the far right-hand side of the
spreadsheet where it applies. Where an ejournal is accessible on more than one platform, via a single
subscription then usage across platforms will need to be collated. Finally, by taking both the total cost of a
subscription and relevant usage information into account, a figure for cost-per-download may be derived for
each subscription.
Please note: further advice, including examples on how to make use of the information in the usage reports
can be found within the appendix at the end of this document.
3. Identifying subscriptions for possible cancellation
Having arrived at a list of existing subscriptions with incorporated usage data the Faculty Librarian and/or
Subject Librarian will in turn consider the data and arrange for consultation with academic colleagues, and aim
to identify those titles that may be candidates for cancellation.
Zero and low usage subscriptions:
Usage data appears to offer a simple method of measuring the value and cost effectiveness of journals, i.e.
the more an article is used, the more value it would seem to have. In general terms, zero and low usage titles
are most likely to prove suitable for cancellation, though a flexible approach should be taken. It is important to
note that low usage may be due to a lack of awareness of a resource, how easy it is to use, the nature of
online access, or perhaps a failed/broken link at the supplier end. Where it occurs, low usage may also be due
to a resource being needed by a small research group and care needs to be taken in any comparison of
usage between different subject areas or types of resource.
When considering usage, Faculty and/or Subject Librarians and academic colleagues should be alert to
possible errors in the data and are asked to consider whether the reported usage tallies with their own
estimation of what usage might be. If errors are suspected then these should be reported to the Electronic
Resources Team: e-library@bristol.ac.uk for checking.
Additional metrics:
21
It is generally agreed though that no one single metric will be universally effective in measuring usage and the
usefulness of a particular resource. Other variables and qualitative measures should be taken in to
consideration when making renewal or purchase decisions and for this reason it is very important to seek the
opinions and gather comments from academic colleagues in this regard, you may also wish to discuss the
findings with Mike Wall.
Factors to take in to consideration when identifying subscriptions for possible cancellation may include all or
some of the following:

journal titles should be considered essential to the information needs of the University as a world
class higher education and research institution

bibliometrics tools such as Journal Citation Reports [1]; the journal Impact Factor [2], and the
Eigenfactor Score [3], as determined by the Faculty Librarian and/or Subject Librarian

the cost-per-use of a journal in relation to the cost of an Inter Library Loan, i.e., identify titles where
the cost-per-use is higher than the cost of an Inter Library Loan
4. New subscriptions and subscriptions to be cancelled
Details of subscriptions that have been identified for cancellation, and those that are required as new
subscriptions should be sent to the Acquisitions Librarian by the end of August. Requests for cancellations
and new subscriptions can be sent at other times of the year, though mid-term changes are not likely to result
in any immediate saving.
5. Glossary
1.
Journal Citation Reports (JCR) is a comprehensive tool for journal evaluation using citation data
drawn from over 7000 journals. Journal Citation Reports is a major source of citation data on
journals, including impact factors, and includes virtually all specialities in the areas of science,
technology and social science. For more information see the website: http://adminapps.webofknowledge.com/JCR/JCR?
2.
Impact Factor (IF) is a widely known measure that uses quantitative information to approximate
qualitative usage. In 2007, when surveyed, over 70% of academic authors considered IF either a
‘very important’ or ‘important’ factor when considering where to submit their work for publication.
The Impact Factor can help to evaluate a journal’s relative importance, especially when compared
with others in the same field.
3.
In this context it is important to consider the age of the publication and how this can impact upon
its usage rate. Research suggests there are wide differences in how publications are used over
time. The peak age of journal articles can often vary by subject discipline. For humanities, it is
about 20 years, but for chemistry, engineering and medicine, it is around 5 years.
4.
The 5-year journal Impact Factor, was released in 2009 by Thomson Reuters, with the aim of
tracking citations over a longer period of time. The 5-year journal Impact Factor is the average
number of times articles from the journal published in the past five years have been cited in the
JCR (Journal Citation Report) year. It is calculated by dividing the number of citations in the JCR
year by the total number of articles published in the five previous years. ”Long tail” content in
stable disciplines like the humanities, where valuable information becomes more visible and gains
usage over time, would have a higher JCR.
5.
Like usage data, the value of the Impact Factor should not be compared across different scientific
disciplines. For instance, Microbiology journals have, on average, much higher Impact Factors
than Mathematics or Engineering journals. Similarly, preclinical medical journals tend to have
higher impact factors than clinical medical journals, the latter being used primarily for teaching
rather than to inform further research leading to further citations. The citation and usage patterns
in these disciplines are entirely different, which affects the numerical values of their Impact
Factors, so when making purchasing decisions, care needs to be taken that journals are
compared with others in the same field.
6.
The Eigenfactor Score uses Web of Knowledge citation data and measures the number of times
articles from the journal published in the past five years have been cited in the JCR year.
Eigenfactor metrics are available only for JCR years 1995 and later. Like the Impact Factor, the
Eigenfactor Score is essentially a ratio of number of citations to total number of articles.
7.
COUNTER (Counting Online Usage of Networked Electronic Resources) is an international
initiative serving librarians, publishers and intermediaries by setting standards that facilitate the
22
recording and reporting of online usage statistics in a consistent, credible and compatible way.
For more information see the website: http://www.projectcounter.org/index.html
Examples:
The following examples demonstrate a range of scenarios that may help you make use of the data within the
usage reports
Example 1 - Canadian Journal of Zoology
Having followed Step 2 above, you will have found that this is a single subscription to a journal title which
appears on two platforms, i.e., IngentaConnect (aggregator platform) and the National Research Council
(NRC) Canada website (publishers own platform). Access the Library Subscription & Usage Reports folder,
open the ‘Journal reports’ folder and then find the year you wish to view usage for. Having opened the folder
you will be presented with a list of MS Excel spreadsheet files named by platform. The spreadsheets provide a
list of the journals on each platform with their associated monthly usage for the year.
IngentaConnect is one of the platforms we would automatically collect usage reports for, the National
Research Council (NRC) Canada is not. Should you wish to complete the usage statistics picture and include
the number of downloads for those users who use the NRC website to download the full-text of this title then
please email: e-library@bristol.ac.uk with a request for usage statistics for the title and platform. As previously
stated, where reports can be obtained manually from vendors, the Electronic Resources Team will endeavour
do this where time allows.
Example 2 – Capital & Class
This is a current journal subscription that is part of a package deal. There are instances when a journal in a
package deal can be cancelled (reducing the overall cost of the package and enabling the money to be spent
on an alternative subscription). To enquire whether a title, that appears to be in a package deal, can be
cancelled please send an email to: lib-acquisitions@bristol.ac.uk
Having followed Step 2 above you will have found that Capital & Class is accessible via three platforms. Only
one of these platforms gives access to the current content, i.e., Sage Premier via the HighWire Press
platform. As before, access the Library Subscription & Usage Reports journals folder and select the year you
wish to view usage data for. HighWire Press is one of the platforms we automatically collect usage reports for.
Example 3 – PsycArticles
This is a current subscription to an indexing and abstracting database. In this instance you will find
PsycArticles usage statistics in the Database reports folder.
Example 4 – European Review of Contract Law
This is a current journal subscription for a title that appears on the publisher’s (De Gruyter) own platform. By
following Steps 1, 2 and 3 above you should be able to locate the relevant usage data.
Example 5 – Inspec
This is a current subscription to an indexing and abstracting database. In this instance the platform belongs to
Elsevier and this is indicated on the database homepage. Certain database usage reports are available in the
Database reports folder. Should you require usage stats for indexing and abstracting databases not in this
folder then please contact: e-library@bristol.ac.uk
Drawing conclusions
23
Having collated your list of current subscriptions and usage statistics your spreadsheet might look something
like this fictional example. These results indicate that the subscription to Canadian Journal of Zoology could
be reviewed as the cost-per-download appears to be high.
Brief Title
Order
Number
Agent
Cost
GBP
YTDT
2011
Flight International
Capital & Class
Canadian Journal of Zoology
5630262
76536
33343
E
E
E
250
700
600
1000
811
40
Document ratified by LPAG December 2013
24
Cost per
Download
GBP
.25
.86
15
Appendix J
Review of print journal holdings and replacement of required titles with backfiles
1. Background
A digital-first approach to the provision of information resources is a key strategic priority for the
Library (draft Library Strategy 2013-2018, October 2013). This, combined with an urgent need to free
up space within Libraries to create additional student study areas, makes review of print journal
holdings a high priority.
2. Scope, objectives and methodology
a. Scope and objectives
i. Withdraw and recycle print journal titles/volumes to which the University already has
secure permanent online access.
ii. Identify and withdraw print journals that are no longer relevant to the University’s
teaching, learning and research interests (“required titles”).
iii. Prioritise remaining journal titles and volumes for replacement with purchase of
backfiles, giving priority to those linked to planned University-approved refurbishment
projects.
iv. Through Faculty level journal request lists, identify any additional required backfiles to
replace titles/volumes held in print.
b. Methodology
i. Create a single spreadsheet listing University-wide print journal holdings, to include
Libraries and Store. A template is available at Appendix A.
ii. Identify content already available with secure and permanent online access.
iii. For titles/runs not available as at (ii), consult with academic staff through Library
Liaison Committees and Academic Library Representatives to determine:
a. which titles are relevant to the University’s current and future teaching and
research, are available through a current subscription that does not provide
secure and permanent access and, in the event of the eJournal subscription
being cancelled, could be provided through inter-library loans
b. which titles/runs are relevant to current and future teaching and research and
should be considered for purchase as backfiles
c. which titles/runs do not support current and future teaching and research and
may be withdrawn without replacing with backfiles
d. review of the final list, with non-relevant columns hidden, before implementing
decisions on replacement with backfiles.
iv. Special Collections and Relegation Team to advise on titles/runs to consider for
archival preservation
v. Check availability of and negotiate on pricing for backfiles to replace titles and
volumes currently held only in print and where the content continues to support the
University’s teaching, learning and research
vi. Withdraw and recycle holdings already held securely online and not identified as
Special Collections
vii. Withdraw and recycle holdings not held securely online and not required to support
current and future teaching and research
viii. Produce priority list for purchase of backfiles. Criteria are:
a. Backfile purchase will support a confirmed refurbishment project to provide
additional study space or other Library facilities
b. Start date for linked refurbishment project
c. Metres of shelf space freed up by removal of print runs
d. Cost (of backfile) per metre of shelf space freed up (modelling of savings will
provide support for funding bids)
e. Backfile completes University holdings for a required title that is not available
through open access
f. Backfile fills a gap in coverage for a required title
25
ix.
x.
xi.
xii.
xiii.
g. Journal title and date coverage is relevant to current University teaching,
learning and research
Purchase prioritised backfiles within the scope of available funds and/or bid for
funding, using modelling of savings in support of bid.
Create SFX records for purchased backfiles.
Confirm instruction to withdraw remaining deselected print journal holdings upon
replacement with backfiles
Remove and dispose of all deselected stock and delete catalogue record and any
related schedule entry.
LPAG approval of backfile purchases will initiate a re-run of this process in relation to
the relevant journal title, if held in print.
3. Benefits
a. Optimise the relevance of the Library’s journal collections to the University’s teaching and
research interests
b. Move towards a fully digital journals collection to provide timely access to research findings
c. Free up space to create additional student study areas
d. Reduce the medium and long term costs of physical storage and movement of stock in and
between Libraries and the University Store
4. Costs
a. Staffing and other costs for implemention of the print journals review project:
i. All relevant cataloguing
ii. Removal and disposal of deselected print journals
iii. Checks for permanent and secure access
b. Purchase of backfiles – consider including within refurbishment project bids
c. Removal and disposal of deselected print journals
d. Dismantling and removal of fixtures and fittings and repurposing as study space to be costed
separately within refurbishment projects.
e. In relation to 4b and 4d, future refurbishment project bids should specify whether funding is
required for removal of print journals and purchase of backfiles and provide indicative pricing.
5. Constraints and risks
a. Loss of print serials where access to print has significant benefits over access to electronic
format.
b. Subsequent demand for access to journals withdrawn and not available through backfiles,
University online subscriptions or open access. SunCat records cannot be guaranteed to be
current at the point of checking that an agreed number of libraries continue to hold a print
journal that the University is considering withdrawing. This can be mitigated by use of interlibrary loans, although with the risk of increased staffing/resource costs relating to possible
increased volume of inter-library loans.
c. Possibility of future usage statistics showing low use of purchased backfiles and therefore
uneconomical use of funds.
d. Interruption in access to content during the switchover between print and online; to be
prevented by securing online access before withdrawing print volumes.
e. Risk of loss of immediate/easy access to historical content currently held; mitigate through
user education in availability and use of ILL system.
f. Backfiles supplied may not cover the entirely of the date range advertised.
26
Appendix A: Spreadsheet template headings
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
Journal Title
Library Name/Store
Location
Metres held
Print holdings for title
Online holdings for title
Relevance to current University teaching, learning and research
Start date of linked refurbishment project
Source and amount of any linked funding for backfile purchases
Secure perpetual online access/Relegation Team check
Online holdings not secure, but could replace with ILLs
No print holdings, but backfile requested by (contact details and date of request)
Backfile available to purchase
Backfile purchase will support approved refurbishment project to create study spaces
Backfile price, including VAT
Cost per metre of replacing with backfile
Decision by LPAG/Faculty Serials Review Committee
Action taken
NB: Backfile requests from Faculty for titles held neither online nor in print will be considered together with
the priority list to prioritise backfiles for required titles currently held only in print.
Appendix B:
Participants for University-wide review
Academic Library Representatives
Brian Arkell, Senior Library Assistant, Serials
Debra Avent-Gibson, Faculty Librarian, Engineering and Science
David Boyd, eResources Librarian
Jez Conolly, Faculty Librarian, ASSL
Nadine Hill, Team Leader, IT Services
Lesley Mudway, Senior Systems Analyst
Library Assistants
Irene Murch, Senior Library Assistant, Serials
Hilary Ollerenshaw, Faculty Librarian, FMDY and FMVS
Michael Richardson, Special Collections Librarian
Patricia Rogers, Acquisitions Librarian
Rebecca Rose, Library Development Officer
Senior Library Supervisors
Chris Smart, Cataloguing Librarian
Karen Thomas, Relegation Librarian
Mike Wall, Head of Information Management; Project Sponsor
James Webley, Acquisitions Librarian
Document ratified LPAG December 2013; last updated February 2014
27