General collection guidelines
Resource selection criteria
- Quality
We assess each resource for its authority, scholarship, reliability and suitability for undergraduate or postgraduate study or research. - Currency
Resources should provide up to date information. The exception is material purchased for research or where a historical perspective is needed in a discipline. - Accessibility
Resources should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities. The Library seeks to purchase accessible resources wherever possible. - Licence conditions
Licence conditions should allow maximum access and use for Library users. This includes access for remote users and reasonable printing and download conditions. - Context and scope
We consider new material in the context of the current collection, including the depth and breadth of the discipline areas we support. - Language
As English is the language used in academic programs and research at Monash, we purchase resources in English by default. We acquire resources in other languages when they are needed to support teaching, learning or research. - Pricing and procurement
All scholarly resources should offer value for money based on quality, demand and usage. The Library supports equitable access to information and will challenge unreasonable price increases from vendors and publishers. All purchases must comply with the University Procurement Policy [PDF, 281KB] and must be financially sustainable. - Resource type
Our general collection includes many resource types, such as books, journals, theses, newspapers, maps, databases, archives, intelligence platforms and multimedia. We maintain a balance across resource types to support all research disciplines.
Unit readings and textbooks
To support teaching and learning and equity, the Library will proactively order resources included in unit reading lists. Students are expected to purchase their own copies of essential learning resources. When viable, the Library purchases a limited number of resources to support equity. Due to funding constraints, the Library is not able to provide copies of reading resources for all students.
For more information about how the Library supplies reading resources, see Understanding how the Library supports unit reading lists.
Licenses and copyright
Information resources provided by the Library follow licence and copyright law. All users must follow these laws when they use Library resources.
Donations
The Library does not accept donations to the general collection.
Items that meet the collection guidelines for Library Special Collections may be reviewed for potential inclusion into the collection.
Suggestions for new material
Users can request materials such as single items, journals, datasets, subscriptions and databases that support the goals of the general collection. Requests can be made via the Request Library Purchase page.
Research outputs
Monash staff and students record their research outputs in Pure, the University’s institutional repository.
Monash also manages Bridges, a collaborative digital platform that allows staff and students to manage, store and share their research files, including datasets and grey literature. Bridges also stores and provides access to theses submitted by Monash students.
Together, Pure and Bridges help increase the accessibility, visibility and global reach of Monash research through their display on the public portal.
Access to collection
While the majority of items are accessible to all users, some items within the collection, both physical and electronic, may have mediated access. Mediated or restricted access is applied when there are privacy concerns, cultural sensitivities, embargoes, copyright restrictions or where the item requires specialist storage and access such as rare or fragile items.
If users identify materials in the collection they believe require mediated access they should email the University Librarian.
Collection management
Collection management is necessary to ensure the collection meets current needs of Library users. As not all Library materials can be held onsite, some low use significant material will be moved to offsite storage facilities and be available on demand.
Low use or duplicated material that is not significant will be deselected taking into account currency, format, content and alignment with University teaching, learning and research.
Low use items with disciplinary or cultural significance or where materials are rare or significant may be transferred into our Special Collections.
The Library will dispose of materials in accordance with University policies and procedures.
Responsibilities
Monash University Library is responsible for the development and management of its collections.
The University Librarian’s Group, consisting of:
- the University Librarian,
- Director Academic Services,
- Director Collections & Technology, and
- Director Operations & Management Services,
provides direction for the Collections and will review these guidelines on a biannual basis.