pile of books on a table

Introduction

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to outline the collection parameters of the MSU Billings Library. The collections support the mission, vision, and values of the Library. The policy guides staff in selecting materials for inclusion in the Library collections. The policy informs the Library's various publics (including university students, faculty, staff, and members of the community at large) about the rationale for making selection decisions.

Mission

The Library supports the University's efforts toward meaningful education, enabling learners from diverse backgrounds to achieve intellectual, cultural, and social enrichment. The library encourages and supports intellectual inquiry from the campus community and beyond.

Vision

The Montana State University Billings Library is a partner in creating a dynamic community of learners and information-literate global citizens.

Values

  • Openness and access
  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion
  • User-centeredness

Intellectual Freedom and Copyright

The Library recognizes its role in contributing to the vibrant intellectual life of the university. As such, it seeks to provide access to a wide variety of resources on many topics, realizing the importance of providing materials that address all sides of a given issue. In keeping with the ALA Code of Ethics and ALA Bill of Rights, the MSUB Library is committed to preserving and protecting intellectual freedom and copyright, even if those materials are controversial. This commitment extends to all areas of information access and provision. 

The Library complies with all of the provisions of U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code). The Library supports the Fair Use section of the Copyright Law (17 U.S.C. 107) which permits and protects citizens' rights to reproduce copyrighted works for the purposes of teaching, scholarship, and research.

 

Scope of Collection

General Description of MSUB Programs

MSU Billings is an urban, comprehensive state university comprised of five colleges. The university offers numerous degrees, from one-year certificate and two-year degree programs at City College to graduate programs. MSU Billings is a regional leader in providing online education. Several programs are offered entirely online.  The Library's resources reflect the education and research of the University. The Library has a representative on the General Education Committee to keep abreast of changes in the curriculum. Links to current undergraduate and graduate degrees, majors, and programs are provided below.

Target Audiences: Patron Needs and Services

The university is located in Billings, Montana, population 117,000, which is the Yellowstone County seat, the largest city in the state, and a regional transportation and healthcare hub. The Library's primary service community is MSU Billings students, faculty, and staff (numbers are approximate):

Students:  2,551 FTE

Needs and Services: Students have wide-ranging needs. As revealed in surveys, students value electronic access to library resources, reference assistance, technology access (in the Information Commons), meeting space, and basic study areas. Students utilize printing services and Interlibrary Loan services.

Faculty: 208 Full & Part Time (99 tenured/tenure-track)

Needs and Services: Faculty value 24/7 electronic access to information very highly and collaborate with the Library to expand electronic resources. They value Interlibrary Loan and are heavy users of this service. Finally, faculty utilize research services and librarian consultation.

Staff:  296

Needs and Services: A significant number of MSUB staff use the library and take classes (from MSU Billings as well as other institutions). Staff members use the library for recreational reading, research, and media check-out as well.

Community:  Approximately 181,000

Needs and Services: As an urban university whose mission includes outreach, and with the Library's designation as a Selective Federal Depository Library, the Library welcomes visitors from the general community, and provides the same prompt, careful service as it does for its primary service populations. Community patrons utilize free internet access and reference services. The Library offers a Courtesy Borrower Card for community members. To obtain a card, visitors must provide a photo ID and complete an application. Visitors under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian (with photo ID). Generally, school groups will check out materials under a teacher's card.

Responsibilities

Every effort is made to make collection development an inclusive process. Faculty members, who are considered experts in their own disciplines, are regularly invited to make recommendations for new acquisitions and for assessment of the quality of the collection. 

Librarians share in the responsibility for building the collection by:

  • Regularly reviewing approval plan notices and books received
  • Establishing and maintaining liaisons with academic departments and regularly updating faculty members on new acquisitions of interest
  • Soliciting requests from faculty members for new purchases
  • Recommending modifications of the Library's approval plan
  • Participating in de-acquisition and quality assessment projects

The Librarian assigned to oversee collection development is the primary contact for selection and accession of new materials. The Acquisitions, Cataloging, & Government Documents Technician is the main liaison with the book vendor. The librarians and other library staff members all contribute to the development of the Library's approval plan. All library staff members are invited to participate in regular Collection Development, where approval plan notices, faculty recommendations, and current collection-related projects are discussed.

Ultimately, responsibility for the Library collection, including the selection, acquisition, and removal of outdated materials, rests with the Library Director. 

Approval Plan

The Library utilizes the services of a book vendor (currently GOBI Library Solutions from EBSCO), which sends approval notices for review on a weekly basis. Library staff members develop a profile with the vendor, based on Library of Congress (LC) classification, and centered on current and approved academic programs. They further designate LC areas where curricular offerings are strong and request that related notices be sent for review.

The approval plan is regularly monitored and updated by librarians to ensure that it accurately reflects current academic offerings. 

The Library makes purchases from other vendors as needed.

General Selection Criteria

The following general principles guide the selection of materials at the MSU Billings Library (more detailed, department- and college-focused selection criteria follow in the Current Collection Levels section):

  • Select materials that will support current instructional programs offered at MSU Billings.
  • Select materials to support anticipated academic programs.
  • Select materials that will support the research needs of MSU Billings students, faculty, and staff.
  • Select materials that document the history of MSU Billings (University Archives) and the local community (Special Collections).
  • Select materials that provide balanced, research-based perspectives on current issues.
  • Select primarily English language materials.  Select non-English materials as needed to support foreign-language students and international students.
  • Prioritize the selection of newer materials, rather than purchasing retrospective materials.
  • Do not select course textbooks.
  • Because of the primarily undergraduate focus of our academic offerings, select general materials in program disciplines.
  • Select fiction and poetry of a high literary quality.
  • Select some popular materials to support recreational reading.
  • Review the holdings of other regional academic libraries, especially those of libraries included in the TRAILS consortium, before purchasing expensive materials.
  • Select electronic books and journals when possible and if appropriate to improve access.
  • Review titles recommended by patrons.

In making decisions regarding material selection, Library staff members:

  • Consider existing material in the subject area
  • Consider usefulness of the book
  • Locate reviews of the item
  • Verify the credibility of the author
  • Follow the general principles outlined elsewhere in this document

Budget Allocation

The Library's budget is derived from the state legislature's allocation to the university. In keeping with university budget policy, the budget is administered to support Library operations and services. Funding for print and electronic resources resides in a capital line, and a student Library Fee provides further support for electronic resources. 

The Library's endowment, managed by the MSU Billings Foundation, is made up of a corpus of donations from generous donors. The endowed funds' uses are limited to:

  • Professional development
  • Special projects
  • Resources
  • Programming/outreach support

While librarians make recommendations for purchase, the ultimate responsibility for budgetary decisions rests with the Library Director.

Format Statement

The following principles guide decisions related to questions of format:

  • Accessibility is paramount: The format will be selected that provides the widest access to the greatest number of Library users.
  • Media. As recommended by teaching faculty, the Library subscribes to packages providing streaming video material making it easier for faculty to integrate into the university’s Learning Management System. Other media material to support classroom instruction is purchased on an as needed basis.
  • Microfilm. The Library has reduced the amount of microfilm materials received and retained. The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) has phased out the microfiche format for government documents and the Library is transitioning to online versions of those documents as they are available. The Library receives the Billings Gazette newspaper on microfilm for retrospective use. 
  • Periodicals. The majority of journals used for research purposes are readily available in electronic format. Print periodicals are added very selectively, with electronic access preferred. Library staff members review paper journal subscriptions annually, considering usage (checkout, in-house, and ILL) and electronic availability.
  • Ebooks. To enhance access to current books, the Library subscribes to online services including extensive ebook collections. The Library also participates in demand-driven ebook acquisitions, borrowing and purchasing ebooks when requested by patrons. Based on student and faculty use, the Library continues to expand ebook offerings as needed. 
  • Textbooks. The Library does not purchase textbooks that are required for coursework. Exceptions may be made for works with value beyond course applications, particularly works not intended mainly to support structured, course-based instruction. The Library is conscious of the issues surrounding textbook affordability and makes efforts to support faculty and administration in selecting and adopting Open Access and Open Educational Resources (OER).
  • Audiobooks. Audiobooks are available for download through online services such as MontanaLibrary2Go.

Collection Description – Physical Collections

The Library is located in a three-story building at the heart of the MSU Billings campus, and houses over 143,800 items. The book collection, with sections found on each of the three levels, totals over 134,500 items.

The overall age of the collection varies. Some materials located in Special Collections have been part of the collection since the institution's founding in 1927. New materials are added to the collection each week as Approval Plan selections and other purchases are processed.

First Floor

  • Book Collection: LC Classification areas A through N. Approximately 75,420 items.

Second Floor

  • Microform: Collections and reader.
  • Special Collections: Includes Reading Room and a secure, climate-controlled vault.
  • Reference: Select print materials.
  • Government Documents: Approximately 25,000 items in print and microfilm. The majority of government documents in the collection are now available exclusively online.
  • Children/Young Adult Collection: Approximately 6,900 items.

Third Floor

  • Book Collection: LC Classification areas P through Z. Approximately 49,850 items.
  • Oversize: LC Classification areas A through Z.
  • Serials Collection: Arranged alphabetically by periodical title. Approximately 59 current print subscriptions and a total of 1,180 titles in the print serials collection (see Format Statement and section on Serials for more information).
  • Media Collection: Educational and general DVDs. Approximately 2,590 items.

Collection Description - Digital Resources

To facilitate access to research materials for students, faculty, and staff, the Library subscribes (both individually and as a consortium member) to many digital resources, including periodical databases, image databases, e-journal packages, e-book collections, and streaming video. Whenever possible, the Library establishes authentication by IP recognition for on-campus users, and extends remote access to off-campus students, faculty, and staff using various authentication means. To facilitate ease of use for all the various digital resources, the Library also subscribes to a discovery layer service which allows searching of multiple resources simultaneously.

An overview of digital resources arranged by subject area can be found at Databases by Subject Area.

Selection Priorities, Goals, Organization, and Access

For primary subjects, we collect at a level adequate to support the course work of advanced undergraduate programs, master's degree programs, and sustained independent study. This collection includes a wide range of primary resources, basic and retrospective collections of the works of important writers, selections from secondary writers, representative journals, and reference tools pertaining to the subject. For subject areas with advanced degrees or intense research, the Library may acquire additional information resources. The Library’s collections are primarily organized by Library of Congress Classification Scheme. Materials are discoverable through our library catalog, library indexes and databases, finding aids, and in-house searching and indexing tools.

Ready access to the collection is ensured by maintaining item records in a shared online catalog. The current catalog is shared by the 24 college, university, and tribal college libraries in Montana forming the TRAILS consortium. Catalog records and holdings are regularly entered in the shared catalog and in the OCLC database WorldCat.

The Library makes every effort to accommodate those with disabilities. In cooperation with Disability Support Services, the Library provides assistive technology, which includes many cutting-edge hardware and software options for those with disabilities. We are committed to providing web-accessible resources to individuals with disabilities. We make every effort to gather information and prioritize the acquisitions of web accessible electronic resources, except in cases where a product or service would be fundamentally altered.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

The MSUB Library is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in all aspects of the Library, including collection development. The Library actively collects literary award winners focused on diverse voices. A listing of the awards the Library collected is available on the Literary Award Research Guide. 

Preferred Languages

Most resources selected are in the English language except for basic works in any other language taught at MSUB. Exceptions include foreign-language dictionaries, encyclopedias, other reference tools, and audio, video, and other materials determined to be necessary to support the curriculum.

Cooperative Purchasing with Other Units & Institutions

The MSUB Library purchases items jointly with other institutions, as appropriate. Because vendors offer a wide variety of pricing options, joint purchases do not always result in a lower price than if they were purchased by each institution individually. Primary partner libraries include the TRAILS Consortium; the other MSUs; the Montana State Library/State of Montana; and other Montana academic libraries. In addition, MSUB participates in a variety of consortia arrangements including but not limited to organizational memberships such as LYRASIS where additional discounts may be obtained. 

Interlibrary Loan

The reach of the Library's collection is greatly extended through Interlibrary Loan (ILL). ILL participates in regional and national consortia that foster ready exchange of library materials. This allows the Library to provide access to materials which would not normally be purchased.

ILL staff make significant contributions in improving the Library's collection by:

  • Informing staff about items that are frequently requested by MSU Billings Library patrons. These materials may be selected for purchase if they would support a wide range of Library users.
  • Informing staff about items requested by MSU Billings Library patrons which are too new for ILL circulation. These materials may be selected for purchase if they satisfy other selection principles outlined in this policy document.
  • Informing staff about MSU Billings Library items that are frequently requested by other institutions. This informs Library staff members about high-demand items, and may guide future purchases or updates.

Reserves

Except for a few highly specialized items, such as media unavailable electronically or Test Collection kits, instructors upload electronic and scanned copyrighted documents to their online course shells in Course Management System. Library staff answer questions regarding reserves and work in collaboration with the university’s Center for Teaching & Learning to assist faculty with electronic reserves.

Per Section 107 of the US Code Title 17, the following guidelines apply when considering whether reserve materials constitute fair use:

  1. the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
  2. the nature of the copyrighted work;
  3. the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
  4. the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

Gifts / Donations

The Library accepts appropriate book donations from on-campus individuals and groups. Magazine and journal donations from on-campus individuals or groups are only accepted to fill gaps in the existing periodicals collection. Donations from the general public are not accepted.

Decisions to accept donations will be based on relevance to the Library's mission of supporting the MSU Billings academic curriculum. Those interested in donating materials are directed to contact the appropriate liaison librarian, who will assess the suitability of the materials for our collection prior to any items being brought to the library. The Library reserves the right to include donated materials in the collection, donate to charitable causes, recycle, or discard as needed. The Library will provide a Letter of Acknowledgment to donors indicating the number of items donated. Fixing the specific value of donated materials for tax purposes is the responsibility of the donor. 

Interested in making a monetary donation to the library?

Thank you for considering a gift to the Montana State University Billings Library. Our collections continue to be enriched through generous gifts of funds that we have received over the years. Please contact Krista Montague, President & CEO of MSUB Foundation & Alumni, at (406) 657-1622.

 

Collection Evaluation and Maintenance

Collection Evaluation

Periodically, Library staff engage in collection update projects to maintain a well-balanced, up-to-date collection.  These general principles guide the evaluation process:

  • The primary consideration in retention decisions is the support for MSU Billings academic program offerings.
  • Every effort is made to include subject-area faculty members in the process.  Librarians share lists of potential removals with faculty in assigned colleges/departments, and those items are displayed in a central location for faculty review. 
  • Current need/demand is considered.
  • Ultimately, updating/evaluating decisions rests with the Library Director.

Collection Evaluation Strategies

The Library evaluates the collection by:

  • Generating circulation reports
  • Generating acquisition/deaccession reports
  • Generating age-of-collection reports in specific subject areas
  • Comparing subject area collections against national standards and other published lists
  • Obtaining information regarding new programs
  • Querying Library users regarding their use of Library materials
  • Querying University faculty regarding their level of satisfaction with Library materials

Acquisition Priorities

Over time, materials have been added throughout the library to support the university's constantly evolving curriculum and programs. To keep collections current and flexible in a rapidly changing environment, the Library uses a combination of data driven acquisitions (DDA), patron driven acquisitions (PDA), and just in time (JIT) acquisitions. In addition to these general principles, priority is placed on acquisitions to support programs undergoing accreditation.

Multiple Copies

In general, the Library avoids retaining multiple copies of resources. Exceptions to this policy include copies needed in more than one location (e.g. Special Collections and general stacks for circulation), different versions of a work, or high-use items.

Deselection – Physical Collections

Because of the ever-growing body of information, space constraints, and the constantly changing focus of the research and teaching at MSUB, the collections are regularly evaluated for appropriateness and condition.

Consideration is given to:

  • The age of the collection
  • Circulation and usage statistics
  • Physical condition of materials (as appropriate)
  • Coverage in other, better sources
  • Inaccurate, outdated, and misleading information (except where historically significant)
  • Suitability for the collection mission

Following MSUB Policy and Procedures (see MSUB Financial Services Fixed Asset Guide, page 4), the Library disposes of surplus physical resources through a variety of mechanisms including donating to other libraries, online reselling, auction, charitable donation, recycling, etc.

Deselection – Electronic Resources

Because of high subscription costs, the ever-shifting instructional needs of MSUB, and the need to adapt to shifts in vendor demands and offerings, all digital resources are regularly evaluated. These include databases, ebook packages, streaming video platforms, and electronic journals.

Consideration is given to:

  • Changes in product pricing and/or the library budget
  • Usage statistics in relation to cost
  • Coverage (or lack thereof) in other sources
  • Inaccurate, outdated, and misleading information (except where historically significant)
  • Ease of access
  • Suitability for the collection mission

If a resource is identified by the Electronic Resources Librarian for possible non-renewal, input will be sought from faculty who would be impacted, as well as their liaison librarian. The final determination for renewal or cancellation lies with the Library Director.

Reconsideration of Resources

Resources in the MSUB Library, whether physical or digital, may be brought up for reconsideration by students, faculty, and staff of MSU Billings. Any persons wishing to submit a resource for reconsideration in the MSUB Library will be asked to complete a Reconsideration of Library Resources form, following the Reconsideration Procedure detailed below. This form must be physically obtained from the Library Director. The Library Director may confer with other Librarians or with university administration. The Library Director retains final decision authority regarding the retention or removal of reported materials.

A reconsideration submission in the MSUB Library must identify the reason for the reconsideration and how the identified material fails to comply with the Library’s selection and collection development policies, including the commitment to intellectual freedom. When presenting an item for reconsideration, the patron may ask the library to take one of two actions: (1) removal of an item, or (2) the addition of a source to balance the collection by providing alternative views. The Library may agree to take either action or no action at all. Materials under reconsideration will remain available to Library users during the duration of the reconsideration period.

Materials in the library are selected to support the instructional and research needs of the university community, as detailed in the Collection Development Policy. Please refer to the Intellectual Freedom and Copyright portion of the policy for further information. Appearance of any resource does not mean that the Library advocates or endorses the ideas found in that resource. It is the responsibility of the Library to ensure that different points of view are represented in the collection. Additionally, the American Library Association (ALA) defines a challenge as an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others.

Reconsideration Procedure

A completed Reconsideration of Library Resources form will be submitted to the Library Director; the Director will acknowledge receipt of the form via letter. The request will then be reviewed by a selected group of librarians, and faculty in the related department, functioning as the Reconsideration Committee, with the assistance of the librarian responsible for collection development in the subject area of the resource. The recommendation(s) of the Committee will be sent to the Library Director, who will make the final decision. The person submitting the Reconsideration of Library Resources form will be notified in writing by the Library Director of that decision and any action to be taken. The entire process may take anywhere from two to four weeks. If the person submitting the reconsidered resource wishes to appeal the Library Director’s decision, they must contact the Office of the Provost.

 

Specific Policies for Discrete Collections

In selecting and maintaining each of these collections, the following criteria will be considered in addition to the Libraries' general selection and evaluation criteria.

Government Documents

The MSU Billings Library has been a selective member of the Federal Depository Library Program since 1958. The mission of the MSU Billings Government Documents collection is to serve the following groups:

  • Students, faculty, and staff of MSU Billings
  • Citizens of Billings, Montana
  • Citizens of Yellowstone County, Montana
  • Citizens of Eastern Montana

The Library selects documents that will serve these populations. To facilitate access to government information, the Library uploads records for electronically available documents to its online catalog. In 2022 the Library transitioned to a digital depository going forward and is retaining only a highly selective collection of tangible materials. 

The government documents collection is evaluated regularly using the following criteria:

  1. Is the document at least five years old? Except for duplicates and superseded items, documents cannot be disposed until they have been in the depository library for five years.
  2. Is the document related to curriculum or topic of interest to MSU Billings (teacher education, etc.)?
  3. Is the document related to Billings?
  4. Is the document related to Montana?
  5. Is the document related to states adjacent to Montana?
  6. Is the document related to a topic of wide interest? (Examples: stem cell research, campaign finance reform.)

Computer Access. Public access terminals on the Library’s 2nd floor provide electronic government information access to Government Documents service populations. Printing for government materials/forms is available upon request.

The Library's FDLP profile is regularly reviewed by Library staff to ensure that materials selected are aligned with the above-noted criteria. The U. S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) conducts a Biennial Survey of Depository Libraries and the MSU Billings Library passed its most recent assessment in March of 2022.

Maps 

The Library has a collection of USGS maps for Montana and adjacent states: North and South Dakota, Wyoming, and Idaho.

Special Collections / University Archives

The Special Collections department will collect, organize, describe, and preserve strategic records that are of historical value for the purpose of maintaining the history of the University. It will select and accession materials about the local history of the people and places in and around Billings, including Eastern Montana, in support of the research needs of MSU Billings students, faculty, and staff. 

Test Collection

The MSUB Library maintains a small collection of kits and manuals for psychological and educational tests. New materials are selectively purchased upon faculty request to support curricular needs. The Library does not purchase tests kits when equivalent materials are accessible electronically, and the Library encourages university departments to purchase their own testing materials when practical.

Storage and use of Test Collection materials is guided by the APA's Statement on the Use of Secure Psychological Tests in the Education of Graduate and Undergraduate Psychology Students.

 

Policy Review

This collection development policy will be reviewed every other year. The next review will occur in 2026.  

This revision was approved by the Library Director, Eileen Wright, in October 2024.