* Why are you doing this?
Based on their collection development experience, Mansfield Library Liaison Librarians believe that this process will best meet the needs of those faculty and departments who rely most on the acquisition of books/monographs and media. This enhanced approval plan in tandem with supplemental acquisitions focuses resources on meeting the teaching, research, and learning needs of these departments. Additionally, increased reliance on approval plan purchasing will allow coordinated, systematic, curriculum-based collection building across all disciplines, strengthen interdisciplinary collections, and eliminate collection gaps.
* Isn’t this a large, fundamental change to the allocation process?
It actually enhances the focus of the process that has been in place in previous years. Department faculty will continue to be integral to the process both in review of the approval plan profiles and through submission of orders of monographs and media. In addition, their participation is guaranteed by the consistency of the plan that is in place throughout the year and during faculty sabbaticals.
* Will I still be able to submit purchase orders for monographs and media?
Yes. Simply check the library catalog and, if the item is not there, submit a request via the library web site for purchase orders:
Print and Media Materials
Note: Use your department library fund code on the order forms. (Your Department Library Representative or Liaison Librarian can provide that information to you.)
* You mean I can order anything I want, and as much as I want, anytime I want?
The Mansfield Library has never received unlimited funds. Consistent with previous years, the total acquisition budget and the supplemental fund are both fixed amounts. Please order items as you have a particular teaching or research need. If there are subject areas that you believe need significant enhancement, please work with your Department Library Representative and Liaison Librarian to develop a long term plan for collection development in that area; e.g. the CAP can be reviewed and revised, purchases can be placed over a number of years, gift funds can be sought, etc.
* What will prevent an individual or department from monopolizing the funds?
All orders will be tracked by department library fund codes. Review of all individual purchases and a quarterly review of the budget by the Mansfield Library Collection Development Group will provide fiscal oversight and management of the Supplemental Fund. If needed, intervention will occur.
* What happens if the money runs out?
Based on a review of acquisitions in previous years, the model currently in place should prove satisfactory. However, in the event that orders exceed budget capacity, then ordering on the supplemental fund will cease and procedures, policies, and acquisition budget amounts will be reviewed for the following year.
* What are the deadlines for ordering materials?
There are no specific deadlines this year. You may submit orders as you have an individual need for them. Typically a cessation of ordering occurs near the end and beginning of each fiscal year (May-July) for accounting purposes.
* Doesn't the Core Approval Plan (CAP) result in quantity not quality?
The CAP profiles high quality academic books/monographs identified as most important to the teaching, learning, and research needs of students, staff, and faculty at UM. We welcome your participation with improving and revising the CAP. Contact your Department Library Representative and Liaison Librarian with suggestions and concerns.
* How do I make sure my research and teaching areas, and those of my colleagues, are included in the CAP? What should we do when faculty retire or new faculty are hired or department research and teaching interests change?
Please communicate with your Department Library Representative and Liaison Librarian. The more information and examples you can provide about your research and teaching needs and those of your colleagues (e.g. names of courses, relevant publications, grants, etc.) will ensure that they are adequately covered within the profile for the CAP. Your Liaison Librarian can provide a list of current monographs being captured by the CAP in your area and can determine why a recently published relevant monograph wasn’t captured. The CAP does not include everything published nor does it have unlimited funds, so prioritization does have to occur and some ordering from a supplemental fund will always be necessary. However, your feedback will help us continue to dynamically revise and improve the CAP. As department research and teaching interests change so should the profile for the CAP.
* What am I supposed to do with the slips generated by the CAP and distributed to me?
Slips generated from the CAP can be used (or not) as a current awareness tool for monographs published within your subject area above and beyond those titles already arriving as part of the CAP. Slips should be sent to your Liaison Librarian and will be ordered using the Supplemental Fund. Since the total amount of funds available are limited, every order needs to be prioritized.
If you have other questions not covered here please contact your Department Library Representative and/or your Liaison Librarian. Thank you for your attention and participation with building collections at The University of Montana, Mansfield Library.
