Collection Development Policy, Government Documents, UK Libraries

Collection Development Policy

U.S. Federal Government Publications

(revised 12/3/2003)

Purpose: To maintain a comprehensive depository collection of U.S. Federal government publications with supporting reference materials. The library also maintains collections of Canadian, European Union, Kentucky state government, British Parliamentary and United Nations publications with supporting reference materials. As a Regional Depository for U.S. Federal publications, the library has an obligation to assist the 20 selective depository libraries in Kentucky. It is expected to have the most comprehensive government publications reference collection in the Commonwealth. Where collection development decisions can be made, the strengths of the university's teaching and research programs are taken into consideration, as well as the characteristics of the population and businesses in the surrounding counties (area and subject descriptions).

Collection Analysis by Source:

United States Collecting Level: B*

a. Formats: Depository materials are received in hardcopy, electronic and microformat as appropriate. Reference tools are acquired in hardcopy, microform and electronic formats. Large maps are housed in the Map Collection / Geological Sciences Library.

b. Languages: Primarily English or English translation of foreign titles. Some titles have both English and Spanish editions.

c. Chronological Limits: 1776 to date.

d. Geographical Limits: Any area relating to the U. S.

e. Date of Publications: Current imprints or reprints of older materials where appropriate.

f. Other General Considerations: Most U.S. publications are received on deposit through the Federal Depository Library Program from the U.S. Government Printing Office. Some of the types of materials that may not be available in our depository collection are:

NTIS

Reference and periodical material to support this collection are acquired as comprehensively as possible. Commercially published materials (paper, microform and electronic) are acquired when original documents are no longer available or to supply missing or non-depository titles. This is the library's largest and most comprehensive government publications collection. Periodical issues are bound on a cyclical basis, and replacments for lost materials are purchased when possible or acquired from discard lists submitted by selective depositories.

Technical Reports Collecting Level: C

a. Formats: Hardcopy and microfiche are acquired as appropriate--fiche is preferred and is acquired automatically unless requestor specifies paper.

b. Languages: English and some foreign languages.

c. Chronological Limits: Includes U. S. Atomic Energy Commission/Energy Research and Development Administration reports from 1946-1974, U.S. Department of Energy reports from 1974 to 1996, and all NASA technical reports from 1958 to 1983. All DOE technical reports are now accessed via DOE's new Web-based distribution system called the DOE Information Bridge. From 1984 to present NASA technical reports are included in our federal depository collection described above.

d. Geographical Limits: United States, Canadian and British technical reports are represented in the paper collection, while some foreign technical report literature is represented in the fiche collection.

e. Date of Publications: Same as c. above and selected current imprints.

f. Other General Considerations: This collection is primarily developed to document energy and space technology research since 1940. However, any other technical reports from federal government sources (usually gifts or purchased from NTIS) are added to the collection as requested regardless of subject. Since 1986, most of the collection has been built through the GPO depository system which provides us with a fiche copy of all NASA and DOE technical reports as they are published. Prior to that time, these technical reports were purchased directly from these agencies. Through 1992, we also purchased from DOE the foreign technical reports that they had filmed.

The technical report collection also includes all of the material we received from the Administration on Aging in the late 1970's (often called SCAN).

The Engineering Library also houses a collection of technical reports which are purchased from NTIS based on a profile they have established with the Selected Research in Microfiche (SRIM) program.

SUBJECT AREAS EMPHASIZED:

Agriculture and Natural Resources
Appalachian Studies
Education
Energy/Mining
Planning
Public Administration
Social and Public Welfare

RELEVANT CHARACTERISTICS OF STATE, CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, AND UNIVERSITY TO BE USED IN MAKING COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT DECISIONS:

The Sixth Congressional District's population in 2000 was 673,626, with Fayette County (the University's county) at 260,500. All counties are heavily agricultural with tobacco, corn, soybeans and livestock (including horses) being the largest income producers. There are light manufacturing industries such as Rand McNally, Trane Air Conditioners, Ancient Age Distillery, Valvoline Oil, General Electric, Osram-Sylvania Glass, Rockwell International, Whirlpool, LexMark (formerly IBM) and Toyota scattered throughout the counties, as well as numerous textile and chemical plants. The seat of state government, Frankfort in Franklin County, is also included in the Sixth District. Richmond, in Madison County, also has one of the largest concentrations of stored chemical weapons in the U.S.

Statewide, there are numerous coal mines and whiskey distilleries, several other automotive plants, at least four Ohio River ports, a large recreational river system: the Kentucky and Cumberland Rivers, and the headquarters of Humana, a large medical insurer and hospital system. The state is criss-crossed by four interstate highways, and all but two of our SMSA's are split with a contiguous state, so Kentucky is heavily involved in interstate commerce.

The University of Kentucky is a land-grant institution with an enrollment of 27,000. The University's faculty of 2,000 teaches in 17 colleges, four professional schools, Army ROTC and Air Force ROTC programs, and a graduate school including 71 doctoral programs, all of which are supported by the Libraries' collections.

The University puts a heavy emphasis on service to the state as a whole, especially in agriculture, rural health care, and small business development. There is a university hospital, and two other hospitals--one private and one VA facility--are located within two blocks of the campus. There is a separate cancer research facility on campus as well.

*The only library collection that receives an 'A' collecting level is Kentuckiana in Special Collections. The 'B' collecting level is reserved for extensive research collections.

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