Collection development policy

11. OVERSEAS COLLECTIONS: GENERAL

PURPOSE

11.1 The overseas collections are intended to provide a strong base for those engaged in research, authorship and creative endeavour. The main objectives to building the collections are to support the needs of researchers in the field of Australian studies who need access to comparative and contextual materials of various kinds, and to enable Australians to be well informed about world events and issues. The overseas collections are also intended to support research in the field of Asian and Pacific studies as well as general research based on overseas developments in politics, government, international affairs, economics, the humanities, the arts, and broad movements in science and technology. It is also important to note that large and important collections of older overseas materials, principally in the social sciences and humanities, have been acquired over the years and that these have the capacity to support substantial retrospective research.

SCOPE

11.2 The overseas collections are strong in the social sciences and humanities and these strengths will be built on in developing the collections. To meet the objectives of the overseas collecting program, a broad general focus will be maintained to ensure the provision of basic up-to-date information across most subject areas. Reference sources and other standard works in the social sciences and humanities will constitute an integral part of the overseas collecting program. Works which are merely of popular interest and which might be expected to be found in public libraries are generally not collected.

11.z The following categories of material are collected:

  • materials which meet the Library’s responsibilities to build a comprehensive collection relating to Australia and the Australian people and to serve the needs of researchers working in the field of Australian studies. The Library acquires publications about Australia published overseas, publications by Australians published overseas and translations, in languages other than English, of works by Australian authors;
  • publications which provide a contextual understanding of Australia’s history and development from at least the eighteenth century to the present day including works of history, politics, biography, literature, the visual arts and natural history. Such materials are evaluated according to their relevance to Australia’s history and its development from colonial times to the present day in areas such as war, immigration, diplomacy, international sport, the arts and scientific and medical investigation. The Library places an emphasis on overseas publications which deal with issues which have a special interest in their Australian context. Examples include federalism as a system of government, republicanism and other models of government, and literature relating to indigenous populations and First Nation peoples;
  • materials likely to be of general public interest and intended to provide an understanding of world events and issues. This collection covers a wide range of topics including politics, economics, education, the environment, energy, science, technology and public health. Emphasis is placed on the social aspects of such topics. Material collected includes major biographical works, historical descriptions of major movements, surveys of general developments, international comparative studies, new analyses and forecasts. Major works on the humanities and literature are also collected;
  • materials relating to East Asia, South-East Asia, South Asia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific. The Library has over many years developed substantial research collections for these areas recognising the many important linkages which exist between Australia and its near neighbours. In the case of New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific, there are important historical, cultural and economic connections which extend over a long period. Similar ties emerged during the twentieth century with East Asia, South-East Asia and South Asia. Australia is a major centre for research relating to several of these countries and geographic areas and the collections of the Library have been consciously developed to meet a known national need. The intention to continue a major emphasis on the collecting of materials from what is defined broadly as the Asia-Pacific region acknowledges the special contribution the Library is able to make to the nation’s library resources;
  • government publications and material from international non-governmental organisations. The Library’s depository status and links with other national libraries have enabled it to build a strong collection of government publications from a number of countries including the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan and New Zealand. In addition, a wide range of publications is received from major world bodies such as the United Nations and the World Bank. The Library maintains a strong interest in government publications from a range of countries and from intergovernmental and world bodies of which Australia is a member. Emphasis is given to publications which deal with topics relevant to Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. This category of material is increasingly available on the Internet and the Library may provide access to this material in electronic format rather than collect the printed item;
  • materials in specific subject areas. Special collecting emphasis is given to library science, particularly fields such as information technology, management, preservation, exhibitions and copyright. Cartographic materials and works in international law are also acquired by the Library recognising that its collections in these fields built up over many years constitute an outstanding national resource.

11.4 Formed collections of research materials, generally in microform or electronic format, are acquired according to the policies outlined in this collection development policy. Where a collection fills a gap in the Library’s holdings or contributes significantly to an existing strength, it is considered for acquisition. Microform material is also acquired when it is needed to replace frequently used library material which is fragile or in poor condition.

11.5 Overseas original materials such as manuscripts and pictures are not collected except where these have been issued in microform or electronic format and where they complement major areas of collecting strength or subject interest such as Asia and the Pacific.

FORMAT

11.6 While the Library continues to collect overseas print publications such as books, journals and newspapers, electronic resources are now central to the collecting strategy. These allow access to a much greater range of information than could be collected in print form and provide enhanced searching capability. In moving to a greater level of electronic access to overseas publications, the Library will build on the strengths of its existing collections and the priorities identified in the Collection Development Policy. In determining whether to provide electronic access to eligible publications rather than collecting them in print form, the considerations outlined in the Guidelines for the Selection of and Access to Electronic Resources are taken into account. www.nla.gov.au/policy/electronic/eguidelines.html .

LANGUAGE

11.7 Material collected is predominantly but not exclusively in the English language. The Library collects widely from the major publishing nations, particularly North America and the United Kingdom. While emphasis is given to English language materials, major or seminal works published in other parts of the world may be collected in their original language. Works collected from Asia, especially from Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam are generally acquired in the languages of the region.

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