Mission: Advise the AUL for Collections and Scholarly Communication on collection development and management activities to support the research, instruction, and programmatic needs for the University of Iowa.

Charge: The Team serves as an advisory committee, under the direction of the AUL for Collections and Scholarly Communication, recommends collection policy to the Libraries’ administration. The Team seeks to build and manage a collection offering the breadth and depth of subjects, formats, and languages necessary to support diverse fields of scholarly inquiry. The Team serves as the first group for deliberations on policies impacting collections in traditional and digital formats. The Team will operate as a work team which will require engagement outside of team meetings.

The Team will focus on a wide range of collections issues encompassing all formats. Members will:

  • Coordinate and provide leadership to selectors/collection managers to ensure their long-term development and consistency with selection responsibilities.
  • Coordinate collection management activities throughout the system.
  • Establish policies and priorities to improve access to information resources.
  • Align collection development practices to respond to shifting user needs.
  • Oversee and manage the development of collection development policy statements to describe the scope and nature of collections.
  • Make recommendations to align collections funds with University priorities and Libraries’ strategic directives.
  • Identify print collections suitable for offsite storage facilities and work collaboratively with the Collections and Storage Team.
  • Develop policies that govern both traditional and digital information resources.
  • Monitor cooperative purchasing agreements.
  • Identify trends, emerging practices and standards impacting collection development in a research environment.

Advises the AUL for Collections and Scholarly Communication on issues relating to evaluation of collection management work, digital collections, and collection assessment projects.

Membership: The Team will consist of 11 members (3 ex officio and 8 appointed), but this number may decrease pending the development of the Team.  Members will service three-year terms. Terms will be staggered to maintain knowledge and consistency of Team. Continuous renewal will require approval from the Chair/Admin Liaison.  It is expected that members selected will rotate. Members will be appointed by the Chair/Admin Liaison in consultation with heads of areas as appropriate.

Appointed members will be selected based on the following factors:

  • Discipline and interdisciplinary representation
  • Engagement and understanding of collection management
  • Developing knowledge of collection budgets
  • Ability to understand broad issues impacting collection development strategies
  • Understanding of 21st century collection issues for research libraries and health science centers

Ex Officio members:

  • Collections Strategist
  • Head, Acquisitions
  • Head, Access Services