COLLECTIONS:

Special Collections

University Archives

Collection Preservation

Research Collections:
General Reference

Collection Overview
The reference collection is defined as that collection of reference materials found on the third floor of O'Neill Library, and some materials designated as non-circulating but shelved in the regular O’Neill stacks.

The objectives of the reference collection are to provide resources for the users of O'Neill Library which will supply immediate answers to specific questions, and to assist users in more extensive research projects. In the former case, the reference collection may be the only resource consulted by the user or assisting librarian; in the latter, it most frequently will be but one step in the process of information gathering and assessment.

The users of the reference collection whose needs the reference collection is expected to meet include the various segments of the B.C. community: students, faculty, and administration.

The Reference and Instructional Services Department needs to be cognizant of new technology and product delivery modes, and their possible influence on reference collection development.

In addition to the general reference stacks, reference materials may be arranged in designated areas on the reference floor (the Reference Desk, the Corporate Information Area, the Index Area, and the general reference stacks). Titles shelved in areas other than the general reference area should have appropriate sub-location codes in the online catalog system. Within the Reference area, the Electronic Information Center (EIC) offers users more than fifty workstations to access the electronic resources to which the the library subscribes as well as open access to the Internet. Sources in the EIC include web-based products and CD-ROMs. The majority of the electronic resouces are web-based, but when deciding on format, the library considers several variables. These include the demand for a title, cost, consortial purchasing possibilities, ease of use and searching capability, time period covered, and level of support required.

Description of College Program
The scope of the reference collection is determined by two major factors: the academic levels of the library clientele, and the subject areas to be covered.  In addition, the reference collection may include titles of general interest, such as almanacs, general handbooks and manuals, general directories, etc., if the need for such materials is demonstrated by the B.C. academic community.

The B.C. academic community contains at least three identifiable levels which reflect successive stages of development in academic skills: undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate or professional. The second level includes academic graduate and preprofessional students. The third level is represented primarily by teaching faculty engaged in research, but includes other B.C. community members (e.g., library and administrative staff ). As a consequence, the reference collection contains materials which serve as introductory college reference sources as well as items intended to serve more sophisticated research needs.

Subject areas which are to be covered by the reference collection should reflect the curriculum emphases of the various academic programs, and the information needs of the B.C. community. Reference materials are not selected for the reference collection because reserve use is anticipated, nor because of possible theft; the primary purpose of placing any item in the reference collection is to have it serve as a reference work, not to restrict its circulation.

Selection of Reference Collection Materials

Disciplinary and interdisciplinary elements of the reference collection:
Every effort will be made to have a balanced reference collection in all the subjects being taught at Boston College in a way that will serve both the reference needs of the various disciplines and their interdisciplinary nature. The development of the reference collection should be considered as complementing the development of the various subject areas in the regular collection. In fact, a number of the collection development policies for the subject areas mention reference as one of the types of materials to be collected in that area. Therefore, the reference collection development policy must be interpreted and carried out in close harmony with the development of  the rest of the collection.

Responsibility for selection:
The Reference Services Manager, or appointed staff, is responsible for developing, managing, and maintaining the more general, cross-disciplinary sections of the reference collection. Subject bibliographers are responsible for developing and maintaining specific subject areas within the reference collection under the general supervision of the Reference Services Manager. When a specific reference item covers two academic disciplines or is devoted to a particular set of disciplines (e.g., social sciences), the appropriate bibliographers together with the Reference Services Manager and appointed staff should decide as to its status in the reference collection.

Criteria for selection (not in priority order):

• Significance and usefulness of the title

• Authority and reputation of the author and publisher

• Favorable reviews in the professional literature

• Inclusion of the title in reference guide

• Price of the item in relation to:

  • Availability of the information contained

  • Its physical quality

  • Intended length of use

• Anticipated frequency of use.

• Currency of information (electronic vs print)

• Level of user-friendliness

Note: Given the varied nature of the individual subject disciplines, the criteria will differ from subject to subject, (e.g., currency of reference materials may be more important in certain areas than in others).
 

Formats and Types of Materials
Formats include: print, CD-ROM, online databases and microfiches.
Types include:

• Almanacs and yearbooks

• Atlases and maps

• Bibliographies

• Concordances

• Biographical dictionaries

• Dictionaries

• Directories

• Encyclopedias

• Handbooks and manuals

• Periodical indexes and abstracts

• Legal materials

• Business/financial data

• Library catalogs

• Statistical indexes and numeric datasets

• Medical materials

• Bibles and other selected scriptures

• Quotation/proverb books

• Statistical/numerical data, handbooks, indexes

Languages
Most of the collection is in English, but reference works in other languages are collected, especially when they are clearly fulfilling selection criteria.

Geographic Areas (Subject Approach)
Geographic areas chosen for reference coverage greatly depend on curriculum needs, but there has been a traditional emphasis on American and West European regions.

Time Periods (Subject Approach)
All time periods are covered.

Date of Publication
Emphasis is placed on acquiring current materials. Selective retrospective purchasing will be carried out and may involve reprints or microform rather than the original format. Exceptions are made for indexing and abstracting sources.

Collection Management:

Weeding Removal of materials from the reference collection:
The two criteria for deciding if a general reference item is to be removed are whether or not it is superseded or outdated, and the availability of shelf space. Subject bibliographers make the decision to have reference materials removed based on these criteria, as well as the determination of the location of transferred materials (e.g., general stacks, storage, etc.)

Cancellation Retention of reference materials in the library collection:
Superseded editions, or older runs of reference titles are retained in the library collection according to decisions as to retention made by bibliographers. Complete runs of indexing and abstracting sources may be kept as part of the reference collection.

Preservation
The management of reference materials in need of repair, binding, etc., will follow the current library preservation policies.

Relationships to other departments and/or libraries
The following departments/libraries will either collect reference works more extensively in their area or be expected to hold particular reference titles relevant to their holdings:

 Libraries:
  Bapst Library
  Burns Library - Special Collections
  Law Library
  Social Work Library
  Educational Resource Center
  Newton Resource Center
  Weston Observatory Library

 Departments/Units (O’Neill Library):
  Government Documents
  Media
  Catalog Department
  Acquisitions Department
  Serials Department
  Preservation Department

Note:  Staff responsible for reference collection development and management will liase as needed with the above libraries and department in matters pertaining to the acquisition and retention of reference titles. Reference titles may be “shared” by libraries/departments by the transfer of certain editions between these departments.

Staff responsible for reference collection management will work with the Online Catalog Management Unit to reconcile records for reference titles in the online catalog with actual holdings and locations.

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