A subject area in which few selections are made beyond very basic works.
A selective collection of materials that serves to introduce and define a subject and to indicate the varieties of information available elsewhere. It may include dictionaries, encyclopedias, access to appropriate bibliographic databases, selected editions of important works, historical surveys, bibliographies, handbooks and a few major periodicals.
Emphasis is on providing resources that introduce and define a subject. A collection at this level includes basic reference tools and explanatory works, such as textbooks; historical descriptions of the subject's development; general works devoted to major topics and figures in the field; and selective major periodicals. This level should be sufficient to support students in introductory level courses.
Emphasis is providing basic information about a subject on a wider range of topics and with more depth. There is a broader selection of basic explanatory works, historical descriptions, reference tools, and periodicals and indexes that serve to introduce and define a subject. Access to appropriate bibliographic databases, a selection of editions of important works and a greater quantity and variety of materials is typical. This level is sufficient to support community college students.
A collection that is adequate to impart and maintain knowledge about a subject in a systematic way but at a level of less than research intensity. The collection includes a wider variety of the basic works in appropriate formats, a significant number of classic retrospective materials, complete collections of the works of the more important writers, selections from the works of secondary writers, a selection of representative journals, access to appropriate machine-readable data files, and the reference tools and fundamental bibliographic apparatus pertaining to the subject.
Provides resources adequate for imparting and maintaining knowledge about the basic or primary topics of a subject area. The collection includes the most important primary and secondary literature, a selection of basic representative journals, and subject based indexes, the fundamental reference and bibliographic tools pertaining to the subject. This subdivision supports lower division undergraduate courses and minors.
This level provides resources adequate for imparting and maintaining knowledge about basic or primary topics of a subject area. The collection includes a broad range of basic works in appropriate formats, classic retrospective materials, all key journals on primary topics, selected journals and seminal works on secondary topics, access to appropriate machine-readable data files, and the reference tools and fundamental bibliographic apparatus pertaining to the subject. These materials are adequate to support advanced undergraduate course work.
This level provides resources adequate for imparting and maintaining knowledge about primary and secondary topics of a subject area. The collection includes a significant number of seminal works and Journals on the primary and secondary topics in the field; a significant number of retrospective materials; a substantial collection of works by secondary figures; works that provide more in-depth discussions of research, techniques, and evaluation. This level can support master's degree level programs as well as other specialized inquiries.
A collection that includes the major published source materials required for dissertation and independent research, including materials containing research reporting, new findings, scientific experimental results and other information useful to researchers. It is intended to include all important reference works and major indexing and abstracting services in the field. Pertinent foreign language materials are included. Older material is usually retained for historical research and actively preserved. This level supports doctoral and other original research.
A collection in which a library endeavors to include all significant works of recorded knowledge in all applicable languages, for a necessarily defined and limited field. This level of collection intensity is one that maintains a "special collection"; the aim is exhaustiveness older material is retained for historical research with active preservation efforts.