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The Library maintains a non-circulating collection of board, card, and tabletop games. The collection was initially built and continues to develop through donations, but Library funds can be used to support this collection with approval of the Collection Development Committee.
A Librarian is assigned to collect and maintain the Board Games Collection.
Languages: Primarily English
Subject Areas: All subjects are considered
Worn out or incomplete games are deselected from the collection.
Follows general guidelines for gifts.
Worn out games or games missing pieces are removed from the shelves and evaluated for replacement.
The Children’s Collection is a working collection of children’s and young adult literature that serves undergraduates seeking teacher certification, graduate students studying library media education, other university students pursuing careers working with children preschool through age 12, and the general community.
A Librarian is assigned to collect and maintain the Children’s Collection.
Languages: Primarily English, with some works suitable for bilingual education, particularly Spanish. May acquire materials in other languages for some significant feature other than the text such as illustrations; translations of such foreign language materials with desirable features are acquired instead whenever possible.
Geographical Areas: Worldwide. Works with Oklahoma coverage or by Oklahoma authors are acquired when funds are available
Chronological Periods: Prehistory to present
Subject Areas: Undergraduate teacher education; graduate library media; general community
Materials Selected and Excluded: Print and non-print media are selected. Special emphasis is placed on acquiring award-winning and special merit materials. Two copies of each Newbery and Caldecott Award books along with one copy of the honor books should be purchased. Other titles are selected, as funds permit, from the Oklahoma Library Association’s Sequoyah Masterlists and other nationally recognized awards, including the following:
Follows general deselection guidelines.
Follows general guidelines for gifts.
Replacement of the same edition is preferred since many editions of juvenile literature have special distinguishing characteristics.
The Course Reserves Collection consists of items considered essential or required for a course, items that are used by various departments or programs, and items in high demand. Course Reserves include items owned by the instructor, departments, or Chambers Library. A small number of textbooks are purchased, primarily for general education courses that have the highest enrollments as well as courses that have high-cost textbooks.
Research & Learning Librarians identify the general education textbooks for purchase. Librarian Liaisons working with their Faculty Liaisons may also request textbook purchases to be placed in Course Reserves. Faculty and departments may place library-owned books and their own personal copies on reserve as well.
Languages: Sources in languages other than English are collected when they are needed to support the curriculum
Subject Areas: All subjects
Materials Selected: Books, media, other formats to support the curriculum
Expiration and deselection are based on academic year usage. Items are taken out of Course Reserves and transferred to the main collection or, in the case of personal copies, given back to the owner.
Faculty and departments are encouraged to donate their textbooks for Course Reserves. If a faculty member places a personal copy on reserve, the Library is not responsible for wear and tear resulting from the use of such materials nor is the Library able to replace personal copies of books if they should be lost.
Faculty may request that their Librarian Liaison purchase replacement copies to be owned by the Library from the materials budget available to that department.
The Curriculum Collection serves as a Congressional District Review Center for textbooks reviewed and adopted by the state of Oklahoma for use in the public schools. This collection supports the College of Education, whose programs focus on training future educators, and the local public schools, whose educators may review the materials when the Library is open. Contents of this collection fall into two categories: review and adopted.
Publishers send materials based on a subject cycle pre-determined by the State’s textbook committee, typically toward the end of the summer or beginning of the fall semester. Metadata & Cataloging staff unpack and organize physical review materials and make electronic review materials available through a public computer terminal. The state textbook committee will post a list of adopted material the following spring. Review materials not adopted are removed from the collection and given to Advancement & Communications to process through Friends of the Library.
Adopted curriculum are those selected by the State textbook committee. The State textbook committee will post a list of adopted materials. These items are cataloged and transferred to the primary part of the Curriculum Collection. Circulation of adopted materials is limited to UCO students, faculty, and staff.
All materials in this collection are considered gifts from publishers who provide the materials for possible adoption by the State. No funds are expended to purchase materials for this collection.
The Curriculum Collection does not have an assigned Librarian Liaison as state textbook committee rules inform the processes for selection and maintenance, which is coordinated between the Metadata & Cataloging, Stacks Management, and Advancement & Communications departments. The Assistant Director, Metadata & Cataloging is the review center point of contact for the State textbook committee, publishers, and local educators.
Languages: Language texts provided reflect the languages taught in the public schools and generally include English, Spanish, French, German, Latin, and Russian
Geographical Areas: Worldwide
Chronological Periods: Prehistory to present
Subject Areas: All subject areas taught in the public schools at the elementary and secondary levels
Materials Selected and Excluded: All subjects taught in public schools at the elementary and secondary levels; the state textbook committee establishes and communicates the subject cycle of the review materials
Materials are retained only for the period during which they are adopted for use, generally six years. Expiration years are noted on the spine labels for Stacks Management and Metadata & Cataloging to determine which items are eligible to process for withdrawal. Withdrawn materials are given to the Friends of the Library.
Follows general guidelines for gifts.
Generally not replaced.
The Federal Government Document Collection is a comprehensive selection of publications that are issued by the United States Government or the authority of a governmental body with an emphasis on electronic information. Since 1954, Chambers Library has been part of the FDLP (Federal Depository Library Program), a nationwide federal depository system established by the United States Congress under the direction of the Government Printing Office.
The Library is required to designate a Depository Coordinator as a primary contact for the FDLP. The Depository Coordinator is responsible for ensuring federal government documents comply with all FDLP rules and regulations. The Depository Coordinator may be a librarian; however, experience with government documents is strongly preferred by FDLP when designating the coordinator.
Languages: Primarily English, some Spanish materials are available; additionally, some English materials are available in braille
Geographical Areas: United States
Chronological Periods: Prehistory to present
Subject Areas: Congressional and executive historical materials, health, American Indians, international relations, military history, labor, criminal justice, business, education, and statistical materials including the Census
Materials Selected and Excluded: As a selective depository, 59% of materials available in all formats are selected with an emphasis on electronic versions when available
The FDLP defines Deselection as opting to no longer receive new items for a specific FDLP number. In addition to deselecting the items, the Library may want to remove the old item for the FDLP number from the collection. Both processes have specific guidelines and rules to be performed under the direction of the Depository Coordinator with input from the Librarian Liaisons.
Gifts are generally not accepted for the Federal Government Documents Collection. Items received from other depositories in the Needs & Offerings process are not considered gifts.
Replace high use items from regional depository if available.
The State Government Documents Collection consists of all publications issued by the State of Oklahoma or by authority of a State agency through December 2021. Prior to the program’s ceasing of physical shipments in January 2022, Chambers Library was a State Publications Depository Library through the Oklahoma Publications Clearinghouse, which had designated Chambers Library as a core participant in this program.
The Depository Coordinator for Federal Documents will steward the physical collection until all materials have completed their weeding cycle.
Languages: Primarily English, but some Spanish materials are available
Geographical Areas: Oklahoma
Chronological Periods: Prehistory to present
Subject Areas: State publications (history, governance, programs, etc.)
Materials Selected and Excluded: Program participants no longer receive physical shipments from the Oklahoma Publications Clearinghouse and were advised to supplement with open access through the Oklahoma Department of Libraries’ Digital Prairie database.
Follows general deselection guidelines, as long as the title was received more than three years ago.
Not accepted for this collection.
Generally not replaced.
Collection consists of materials supporting the use of emerging technologies and may also include technology purchased by faculty requests from the Materials Fund. Inclusion will be determined by the Emerging and Immersive Technology Librarian. For purposes of this policy, does not include technology purchased via the Director of Technology & Data Management’s budget lines.
The Emerging and Immersive Technology Librarian is responsible for collection upkeep.
Languages: English only
Subject Area: Emerging technologies
Materials Selected: Books and media of all formats
Follows general deselection guidelines.
Follows general guidelines for gifts.
Will be considered on an item-by-item basis but is unlikely given the nature of emerging technologies.
The Main Collection is the primary collection of physical books acquired with the Materials fund.
Languages: All languages
Geographical Areas: All geographical areas
Chronological Periods: Prehistory to present
Subject Areas: All subjects
Materials Selected and Excluded: Guidelines for Materials Selection
Follows general deselection guidelines.
Follows general guidelines for gifts.
The J. Gale and Lucy L. Chumley Book Collection consists of materials integrated into the Main Collection and funded by an endowment, which is the only Library endowment not managed by Special Collections. Materials purchased with this endowment must be related either to management or to literature, per the wishes of the donor. The Librarian Liaisons for Management and English are responsible for expending any available Chumley funds prior to the start of winter break each fiscal year. This deadline allows ample time for the UCO Foundation to process these purchases and reimburse the Library for expenditures.
When a play or script is ordered for Theatre Arts, it is current practice to order two copies
The Multimedia Collection supports the scholarly and research needs of the University of Central Oklahoma. New formats are added as they develop and as demand requires. Currently, Multimedia includes:
The Librarian Liaison for the School of Music and the ACM is responsible for the collecting and maintenance of the Multimedia Collection
Languages: The Library purchases videos in English or with English subtitles. Spoken materials on compact discs may include purchases in any language
Geographical Areas: Most materials originate in the United States due to equipment compatibility and availability
Chronological Periods: Preference is given to material published within the last ten years. Feature films have no chronological limits
Inclusions: Compact discs, DVDs, vinyl records, and Blu-ray when DVD is unavailable
Exclusions: Audio cassettes, video games, 16mm films, video cassettes, filmstrips, and 5 ¼” floppy disks are not purchased
Exceptions: The Library may accept as gifts spoken word records
New Formats: New formats may be added if the format is universally accepted and if equipment is readily available for use in the Library or elsewhere
When available, use of Multimedia funds should take priority over use of academic department materials budgets. Selectors should take the following into consideration when purchasing multimedia material in addition to other collection criteria:
Follows general guidelines for gifts. In addition, spoken word records are only collected via donation.
Collection supports academic programs, especially in the College of Fine Arts & Design, and the general interests of students, faculty, and staff. Users will include students, faculty, staff, and the community.
The Librarian Liaison for the School of Music and the ACM is responsible for the collecting and maintenance of the Musical Recordings Collection.
Languages: All languages
Geographical Areas: Worldwide
Chronological Periods: Prehistory to present
Subject Areas: All musical forms and styles collected
Materials Selected and Excluded: CDs and vinyl are the formats of choice. Audiocassettes, mp3 files, or other individual storage container are not accepted
New Formats: New formats may be added if the format is universally accepted and if equipment is readily available for use in the Library or elsewhere
Worn or broken recordings are withdrawn. Duplicate copies may be withdrawn if low use. Deselection takes place in the summer as it does not require faculty review.
CDs and LPs are the only formats accepted as gifts. Exceptions may be made for new formats (see above).
Follows general guidelines for replacement.
The musical score collection reflects and supports the curriculum, performance, and research interests of the faculty and students of UCO’s School of Music and Academy of Contemporary Music.
The Librarian Liaison for the School of Music and the ACM is responsible for the collecting and maintenance of the Musical Scores Collection.
Languages: All
Geographical Areas: No set limitations
Chronological Periods: Medieval to the present
Subject Areas: Sacred and secular vocal and instrumental works; jazz and contemporary popular scores, charts, and tablature; musical theatre selections and songbooks
Materials included:
Print-on-demand and digitally-born scores are purchased only when no other format or acceptable alternative is available. Cost for binding should be taken into consideration for these types of scores.
Scores may be withdrawn when irreparable, when irreplaceable parts go missing, or when duplication is unnecessary for performance.
Follows general guidelines for gifts.
Lost and missing items should be replaced in as timely a manner as possible.
Reference materials include sources that index, summarize, or concisely compile information. The Reference Collection traditionally has been an expansive collection; however, the Library has conscientiously shifted focus to electronic resources and moved items into the circulating collection. The Reference Collection consists primarily of items deemed to be in high-demand or those that do not have electronic equivalents.
All Librarian Liaisons share responsibility for selection and retention of databases relevant to their respective Collection Development areas. Research & Learning Librarians also take responsibility for identifying general reference resources and the location of print Reference materials based on the needs of students and faculty and input from other librarians.
Languages: English; other languages are collected when they are needed to support the curriculum
Geographical Areas: Worldwide
Chronological Periods: Prehistory to present
Formats: All formats are considered
Materials Selected:
Follows general deselection guidelines.
Follows general guidelines for gifts.
Follows general guidelines for replacement.
This collection of popular and leisure reading is named in honor of Ruby Canton, who was the first person in Oklahoma to teach Library Science and was a beloved Central librarian. Her goal as a librarian was “stressing the cultivating of the reading habit.”
The Librarian Liaisons sign up to purchase materials in a designated month over a 10-month period (generally August-May) of the fiscal year.
Languages: English only
Geographical Areas: Worldwide
Chronological Periods: Prehistory to present
Subject Areas: All subjects
Materials Selected: Current or popular books
Books remain in the designated Ruby Canton location for six months, at which point they integrate into the Main Collection and fall to general deselection criteria.
Not accepted for this collection.
Follows general guidelines for replacement.
The library maintains a circulating collection of zines. We define zine as a DIY, independent or self-published booklet on a variety of topics. The collection was initially built and continues to develop through donations, but library funds can be used to support this collection with the approval of the Collection Development Committee.
A librarian is assigned to collect and maintain the Zine Collection.
Languages: Primarily English
Subject Areas: All subjects are considered
Worn out or damaged zines are deselected from the collection.
Follows general guidelines for gifts.
Worn out or damaged zines are removed from the shelves and evaluated for replacement or deselection.
Chambers Library
Corner of Ayers St. & University Dr.
Edmond, OK
405-974-3361
The University of Central Oklahoma recognizes the university's main campus is located on the traditional lands of the Caddo and Wichita people.
View the full Land Acknowledgement.