Definitions:

In this policy, the term Learning and Research Materials is meant to include various types of course materials, including software, electronic files, supplemental materials, and course packs.

Preface:

The importance of the Library in the educational process of the University depends largely on those concerned with building the collection. It is the general policy of the Galala University Library not to purchase copies of textbooks. We define a textbook as a monograph specifically intended for work in a classroom environment and have adopted the following specific definition "An edition of a book specifically intended for use of students who are enrolled in a course of study or preparing for an examination on a subject or in an academic discipline...sometimes published in conjunction with a workbook, lab manual, and/or teacher’s manual.

This policy does not apply to supplemental or Additional reading materials, most of which would ordinarily be acquired for the collection as a matter of course.

There are a number of reasons we do not purchase textbooks:

• One copy will generally not suffice for an entire class and buying multiple copies for all classes that need them is prohibitively expensive.
• Textbooks are generally expensive and are constantly updated, so repetitive purchasing over time would be required once started.
• The library has traditionally been resourced to purchase material for research and to supplement that used in the classroom, not basic curriculum material.Purchase of textbooks would fall outside of the library’s traditional mission and beyond our current level of funding.
• Space considerations make it impractical to maintain growing collections of textbooks in library stacks.
• One of the major factors in the professional academic libraries is to circulate the library books among the University community to fulfill their needs and to reachthe ultimate benefits from the purchased book in the same time.

Acquisition Policy Guidelines:

• Although electronic versions of textbooks that are able to be purchased by libraries are often expensive and allow only one user at a time, but it isconsidered as priority if it is available through the Egyptian Knowledge Bank (EKB) or available through vital source that guarantee live long use!
• The library endeavors to provide digital content that is free from digital rights management restrictions. As courses increasingly move online, we work withinstructors to explore and identify viable e-textbook alternatives, including:
  1. Non-textbook e-books already in the library collection or obtainable by the library.
  2. Open educational resources (OER).
  3. Scanned chapters and excerpts of e-textbooks, subject to copyright limitations.
• Instructors have the academic freedom to select the best course materials for their teaching needs. There is no prohibition against the assignment of instructor-authored textbooks or other course materials for relevant classes. 3 While instructors are encouraged and welcome to use their instructor-authoredmaterials in courses they teach or oversee, a conflict of interest (COI) may arise when instructors earn profits on the sale of instructor-authored materials in thesecourses. College deans are charged with overseeing the conflicts of interest that may arise when instructors create textbooks and other materials and then requiretheir students to purchase them.

Exceptions to this policy will be considered on an individual basis by the Library’s collection team in consultation with the appropriate subject liaison. Possible exceptions include:

• Purchasing a minimum 3 copy, maximum 5 copy of reserve textbook that the Bookstore has difficulty supplying for students in sufficient numbers;
• Acquiring titles that are not typically identified as textbooks and broadly support the Galala University's teaching and research interests.

Deadline for Library Orders

The deadline for submitting programs’ book orders is March of the current fiscal year.Any unencumbered funds after this date will be used for library materials at thediscretion of the librarians.

On the other hand, through the Academic year, an email will be sent twice by theLibrary management, for each semester programs’ book/ educational materials shouldbe ordered before 3 months from the beginning of the semester, according to the actualtime spent to supply original books. Which is approximately 6-8 weeks regardingpublisher and the shipping process.

Acquisition procedures:

• Galala University’s recommendations for any type of reading material, e.g.Books, Journals, Magazines, Sound and Video recordings, Newspapers,electronic materials, databases ....are open 24/7 through various librarychannels: Website, Open Public Access Catalogue (OPAC), social networkingaccounts...etc.
• Received recommended materials are subject to critical verifications that covers,OPAC to assure repeating purchasing same material with no justification, EKB,to assure availability or not.
• A tender between Foreign books vendors and publishers that trust or secure bothtechnical specifications as well as lower prices.
• All purchasing order cases with justified compared analysis between tenderedpublishers should be submitted to the finance department to process and finishthe payment phase.

Gifts and Donation Policy:

Galala University welcomes donated materials i.e Books, Journals, CD, DVD...etc. Theacquisition of gifts and donations should be evaluated based on the academicinstitution’s mission and policy. Accepted material should support the curriculum,special collections, and research needs of the University community as outlined in thelibrary’s acquisition procedure and selection policy focusing on the University users.

Conditions of acceptance

1. Material should be relevant to the schools’ University fields of education;
2. Material language should be in English or Arabic;
3. Good physical condition is required;
4. Materials should be recent publication date;
5. No duplicate materials are accepted. The only exception would be whereadditional copies of an item would meet library current demand.

Weeding policy

Weeding policy is an important component of Collection development policy. Weedingmeans removing materials which are found not useful or not serviceable from thelibrary.

Academic libraries frequently employ a methodology for weeding such as MUSTIE(misleading, ugly, superseded, trivial, irrelevant, or obtained elsewhere) or CREW(continuous review, evaluation, and weeding). In Galala University libraries, collectionmaintenance and weeding are driven by library faculty and staff to reflect thecollege/university’s mission, goals, and curricula needs. In most academic libraries, thesubject specialist librarian and/or departmental liaison plays a significant role in weedingthe collection. The review process should include multiple librarians, faculty, and/or thelibrary’s dean.