Six Key Challenges for Collection Development (Original Document)
*editors note- The Six Key Challenges and Actions for Consideration that were presented to the invited particpants at the Janus Conference on October 9-11, 2005
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Six Key Challenges for Collection Development
1. RECON. Convert to digital form objects currently only available in traditional form.
Action for Consideration: Each research library will transfer 10% of its materials budget annually to a central fund, to be used for mass digitization. Decisions on what to digitize in what order will be made by a committee of research library collection development officers, special collections managers, and technical specialists.
2. PROCON. Ensure objects published in the future are available in digital form.
Action for Consideration: Subsequent to 1 January 2008, research libraries will no longer purchase materials published in North America or Western Europe that are not in digital form.
3. Core Definition. Define collectively the notification objects that compose a core collection in each discipline.
Action for Consideration: Building of separate, local collections of basic level materials (2+ level) will be discontinued in research libraries. Instead, committees of subject specialists (operating primarily online) will agree upon what belongs in a basic or core collection, and all research libraries with at least a basic collection in the subject will automatically acquire those materials.
4. Publisher Relations. Negotiate collectively with publishers on the best possible access to notification sources.
Action for Consideration: Research libraries will agree upon fair price ceilings for all types of notification sources, and will further agree to buy no materials that exceed these ceilings.
5. Archiving. Ensure the coordinated, long-term maintenance of traditional and digital holdings.
Action for Consideration: With the exception of clearly defined special collections materials, all print materials published between 1830 and 1960 should be transferred to a regional print repository (constructed, if necessary, for that purpose). Each regional repository should sell or discard any duplicates it receives that are available in other repositories (so that it retains only one copy). At the same time, all digital objects selected by all research libraries should be added to an OAIS-based repository that can meet the certification requirements as defined by RLG/NARA.
6. Alternative Channels for Scholarly Communication. Create a network of publishing structures that scholars can use as a supplement or alternative to standard scholarly publishing channels.
Action for Consideration: Research libraries will agree on the design and services of an open access repository. Each research library will select a subject, and, working with local faculty and other appropriate stakeholders, such as scholarly societies, will create an open access repository for that subject, using funding from the materials budget. Supporting the repository will be the materials budget’s highest priority.
Questions for the Break-Out Groups.
1. Is the action for consideration feasible? Is it likely your library will be prepared to participate in such action? If so, what specific steps should be taken to put the action in effect? If not, why not?
2. If the action for consideration is not feasible, what action would be feasible to achieve comparable, or nearly comparable, or related goals?
a. Why is the substitute action preferable to the action for consideration?
b. What specific steps should be taken in order to put the substitute action into effect?
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