A four-year project to strategically withdraw library materials in order to make space for collection growth without compromising access to the scholarly record.
The William H. Hannon Library’s Sustainable Collection Growth Project combines strategic deselection of our lowest-use library materials with continued access and preservation of the scholarly record through agreements with partner colleges and universities. Taking a disciplinary approach in evaluating materials for deselection from the library basement, we completed the project in the STEM disciplines in 2018-2019. We projected the social sciences would be completed in 2019-2020, but COVID-19 disrupted our plans. The project will resume with the social sciences in 2022 and the project will conclude with arts and humanities in 2022-2023.
The following disciplines will be under review this year. We will be sharing specific dates and review instructions for each department through the librarian liaison/FLR network.
Spring 2022
- Sociology
- Women’s & Gender Studies
- African American Studies
- Chicana/o Studies
- Asian / Asian American Studies
- Jewish Studies
Fall 2022
- Communication Studies
- English
- Modern Languages
- Film & TV
- Music
- Dance
- Theatre Arts
The library developed the project plan through careful research in our own discipline and in consultation with the Faculty Library Committee and the Provost. We are committed to transparent communication and engagement with you–our faculty–throughout the entire project. In service of this, we have created a LibGuide that contains background information, policies and procedures, a schedule for faculty to physically review candidates for deselection by subject area, a FAQ, and a bibliography. We encourage you to read the Sustainable Collections LibGuide closely, as it contains answers to most of the questions that you might have.
We look forward to hearing any questions or concerns that you have, and working together transparently and productively through the duration of this important project. Throughout this entire process, we encourage you to feel free to contact Dean of the Library Kristine Brancolini directly or get in touch with your librarian liaison.