Library Services content statement

Library Services supports the University’s mission and strategies by providing and maximising access to high quality services and materials. This statement sets out our approach to the effective management of the resources which include the physical and digital material within UWL Libraries, UWL Archive and UWL Repository. The statement is further underpinned by other policies and best practices.

Library Services is committed to intellectual freedom and rejects censorship in all its forms. All the information sources purchased by the Library are freely available to all UWL students and staff¹ and we strive for high accessibility to the collections. Our collections span a broad range of ideas, opinions and viewpoints. We do not exclude material based on political, moral or religious grounds. Inclusion of material within our collections does not imply that Library Services endorses the viewpoints expressed within the material held.

We are strongly committed to creating a more inclusive collection of material, to be more representative of our students' and staff's diverse identities and to give a greater sense of the breadth and diversity of their professional community. This commitment includes increasing the number of highly inclusive reading lists as research has shown the positive effect of an inclusive reading list is greatest for those lists assessed as such. We take an intersectionality approach to this work focusing on underrepresentation at a subject level, recognising that each section of the collection requires its own analysis and action.

All physical and digital collections, paid and openly accessible, are discoverable using LibSearch (library discovery tool), UWL Archive catalogue, UWL Repository or via an individual database accessible via LibSearch. Each module is supported by a reading list, curated using Library collections and external sources. In cases where material is not available in our collections, inter-library loans, digitisation and complementary schemes such as SCONUL Access are available to our students and staff.

The Library is committed to expanding the discoverability and availability of open access material. This includes seeking out and making use of transformative agreements to support not only teaching, learning and research, but also immediate open access publishing of the University’s outputs.

The annually allocated information resources budget is used for the development of the Library collections and the flexible use of the budget allows for a quick response to changing teaching and research needs. Where possible, purchases are made through consortia deals, to ensure the best value for money for the University. Paid for resources are selected using several criteria, including subject relevance, inclusivity, quality, format and value for money.

The wide-ranging formats of materials of our physical and digital collections are reviewed regularly using several quantitative and qualitative methods such as cost-per-usage analyses, output measures from Schools/Colleges and qualitative understanding of how content supports UWL teaching and research. The regular review ensures the currency and relevance of the collections and effective space management.

Through the archive and repository, we preserve access to content in perpetuity to ensure that the content is preserved for future generations of researchers and students.

We support staff and students in developing their information literacy skills to ensure that they can make effective use of the information sources available to them.

We welcome recommendations from our staff and students relating to collection development and will review donations of material which support the teaching, learning and research needs of the University.

^{1. UWL staff and students defined as staff and students from the HE UWL Group. Subcontracted partners staff and students will have limited access to sources.}