Browsing
Collection Development Policy Statement
Michigan State University Libraries
Selector: Terrie Wilson
I. Purpose or Scope of Collection
This collection is peripheral to research and curriculum need, but sometimes duplicates or supplements collections housed elsewhere in the Libraries system.
Browsing has been around since about 1973. It was created as a collection that would serve the University community as a kind of current-titles-only “public library”. As such it features books with sound academic or subject authority written for the “lay” reader. Fiction includes both the popular and literary. Browsing tries to maintain a balance of fiction to non-fiction but in fact is heavily fiction; many non-fiction titles end up being cancelled because they are duplicated elsewhere in the collection. In contrast, fiction, at least in the past, was rarely duplicated because we did not attempt to collect popular genres like mystery or historical romance for Main. It has been a policy not to put duplicate or added location titles in Browsing, but this may be reviewed in order to inprove the balance.
Selections are made pre-publication from Kirkus Reviews, The New York Times best-sellers list and other lists of current interest. These sources are sufficient to identify titles of likely interest. Patron requests are usually honored if recent and in print.
II. Factors Influencing Collection Policy
Relationships with other resources
Occasionally serious and timely books can be selected from the approval shelves to go to Browsing before it goes to Main or its final location. Permission from the bibliographer in charge of the relevant fund will be sought.
In general, Browsing houses popular titles that have some research value in addition to popular appeal, such as science for the lay person, history of science, mysteries, science fiction, and biographies of marginal historical personages who have stimulated the popular imagination (e.g., royalty, entertainers, and sports figures). More and more, and since there is the 1098 approval plan that includes the NYT Best-sellers, titles suitable for Browsing come automatically via that plan.
III. Analysis of the Subject Field
Languages
English language only.
Format
Print monographs only. Occasionally a well–reviewed annual will be selected, such as The Year’s Best …(Short Stories, Sports Reporting, etc.).
Date of publication
Current imprints only are selected, pre-publication when possible.
IV. Levels of Collecting Intensity
RLG levels N/A
V. Collection Management Issues
Only the most recent three years imprints are housed in Browsing. Weeding is done yearly during the summer period by Datacat staff; such weeded titles are sent to Main. Because it is such a current collection, replacements are not usually made unless it can have a reasonable period of time in the collection before it is weeded to Main on the basis of imprint date.
Jane Arnold
December 5, 2005