The American University in Cairo

The current General Collection Development Policy is intended to serve as a guideline to build and maintain the substantive resource collections of the AUC Libraries and Learning Technologies. The Library is the chief information resource of the University, and is obliged to maintain collections offering information on a wide variety of subjects, including those undergoing rapid development and those disciplines in which research is being done.

Collections are divided between two library facilities, the Main Library and the Rare Books and Special Collections Library. The Collections provide the academic community with the largest English language research collections in Egypt. The Media Services collection of audiovisual media, and the reference media (such as databases and electronic encyclopedias) are housed in the Main Library. Within the Main Library is a "Main Special Collection" of valuable rare and fragile books.

GOALS OF THE LIBRARY

All collections are built with the goal to support the University's varied academic and research programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and to a lesser extent independent researchers. The guidelines in the Policy will assist in developing system-wide collection development policies that will serve as planning documents and working tools for selectors, aid communications between the libraries and with users, and assure consistent and balanced growth of the collections.

The AUC Library strives for excellence in providing the information resources and services to support the University's curricular and research activities at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and to provide resources to graduate students, scholars and researchers from Egyptian and international institutions.

tudents who are attending the Center for Adult and Continuing Education (CACE) programs are eligible to use the Library. The CACE provides certificate programs, non-credit semester length courses and variable length customized courses to fulfill the continuing education needs of individuals and organizations in Egypt and the Middle East.

The AUC Library provides cooperative support to the Egyptian national universities, for it allows Ph.D. and Masters candidates who are working on their dissertations and theses to access its facilities and use its resources, provided they observe the AUC Libraries Visitors Policy.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Library's objective is to develop its services in the new technological environment, and is consistently meeting the requirements for accreditation of the United States Commission of Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and the standards and guidelines of the Association of College and Research Library (ACRL) Standards and Guidelines.

FREEDOM OF ACADEMIC EXPRESSION

The AUC Library supports the University's policy of advancing the ideals of American liberal arts and professional education, freedom of academic expression, the free exchange of ideas and information, the healthy debate of divergent ideas, and the promotion of open and on-going interaction with scholarly institutions throughout Egypt and other parts of the world.

The University has been historically dedicated for the free expression of divergent beliefs and values, and as the Library is the repository for any form of knowledge, it opposes censorship of library materials. The Library also endeavors to adhere to the principles stipulated by the American Library Association's (ALA) Library Bill of Rights when carrying out its collection development activities: "Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information and enlightenment of all people of the Community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

"Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval."

Under the U.S. Copyright Law and the National Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyrighted Works (CONTU) Guidelines, the Library may make "an archival (back-up) copy for the sole purpose of protecting its investment from loss."

The Library follows the "Fair Use Guidelines" incorporated into the legislative history accompanying the 1976 U.S. Copyright Act and subsequent Amendments. Neither the Copyright Act nor the "Fair Use Guidelines" apply to published and unpublished works in the public domain.

Since the Library adheres to international copyright conventions, it forbids multiple copies by one person, copying more than one article from the same issue of a journal, or copying more than 10% of a single work which is under copyright (e.g. book).

In compliance with the U.S. Copyright Law and related laws contained in 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and its prevailing interpretations that are provided, the library does not reproduce or photocopy copyrighted articles such as those cited in the Egypt Articles Index, unless we are granted permission to that effect by the publishers of journals or books..

(for more information on Copyright law and Fair Use, see: 17 U.S.C. Section 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: fair use)

POLICIES GOVERNING THE ACQUISITION OF MATERIALS

The Library collects materials and other information resources in different types of formats so long as they meet the selection criteria and needs of the academic community. Print monographs and serials remain the chief formats but increasingly information materials are being produced in a variety of media. Significant instructional and research tools also include databases available on the Internet, compact discs, and other microcomputer software. The Library also has a growing collection of videotapes and other audio-visual materials. Use is defined by the terms of the relevant licenses.

Deciding which medium or format to acquire is also part of the collection development decision process. The Library strives to build collections that incorporate all forms of scholarly communication. In each discipline, we attempt to establish a collection consisting of every appropriate format in a quantity proportional to its value for practitioners of the discipline.

LANGUAGE

The primary language is English as it is the language of instruction at the University. Relevant materials are generally collected in Arabic, and to a lesser extent in other major Western languages. Furthermore, given the unique strength of multiple linguistic communities in Cairo and the University's decision to offer a liberal education, works in major Western and Arabic languages such as novels, plays, histories and other literary works, particularly materials acquired by donation, will be added to the collection. For purchased materials, determining which language to select is also part of the collection development decision responsibility.

ACCESS VS. OWNERSHIP

Limited budgets, space restrictions, and in AUC's case the Library may not acquire in a timely manner everything currently available in a subject area, due to the geographical constraints as usually the shipment of materials from abroad is slow. The Library can, however, endeavor to facilitate access of the materials located elsewhere that the faculty, students and other researchers may need by providing, for example, Internet access to full-text databases such as journals or collections of journal articles.

The Library may choose not to receive a print copy of a journal but will provide access to it electronically, or offer timely document delivery services that are rapidly provided by another source for acquiring articles in journals and short sections of books that are subject to copyright law.

The Library also arranges resource-sharing agreements with other libraries to facilitate access to information for AUC faculty, students and other researchers. It is a member of the Research Library Group (RLG), and its SHARES program, which is an international alliance of over 160 members, including universities and colleges, national libraries, archives, historical societies, museum and independent research collections, and public libraries.

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

Electronic resources are acquired selectively based on content, access, full image or full text, price, and ease of use.

Content: governed by subject. Should enrich and/or complement the print collections or replace lesser used, difficult to acquire, or extremely expensive print alternatives.
Access: IP access to the full database is preferred. Limited access, password access, or terminal-specific access may affect the decision negatively.
Image/text: Full image is preferred for electronic versions of print publications.
Price: value for price, cooperative purchase prices, savings from print budgets, subscription vs. per use pricing, and net cost are considerations.
Ease of use: Electronic resources vary widely in the interface provided. Some are available through other suppliers as well as from the original publisher. The interface chosen should be easy to use, appropriate to AUC's users population, and offer full access to the database's capabilities.

MICROFORMS

Libraries initially invested in microforms as a means of compact, permanent storage of print journals and other serials. This was particularly true of newspapers, which are published on poor paper and in an awkward size for shelving and use as bound volumes. In the last twenty years, microforms have become a major preservation medium as well as a medium for original publication. The latter has been particularly valuable as it has allowed the dissemination of unpublished manuscripts, papers, and reports to a wide audience, enriching many library collections far beyond what would be possible in the print collections alone. Some preservation products have had a similar enriching effect on individual library resources while serving the primary purpose of preservation of rapidly deteriorating book stock from the late 19th century.

The Library contains both microform copies of print journals and newspapers and research collections. The latter include:

Confidential U.S. State Department Central Files. Egypt/United Arab Republic, 1960-January 1963 Internal Affairs and Foreign/ [microforms]. Project Coordinator, Robert E. Lester, 2002.
British Documents on Foreign Affairs-Public Records of Great Britain --Middle East, 1911 - 20. Published by Kraus-Thomson Organization Limited (to be catalogued).

Newly developed digital microform reader/printers will make this medium more accessible, as there is the potential to create digital files instead of paper copies.

When the budget allows, the library considers microform purchases taking into consideration the following criteria:

Expense of the print or electronic version;
Frequency of use of the print;
Shelf space saved by conversion to microform;
The materials cannot easily be acquired, e.g. out of print, unpublished materials.
As a preservation copy when the print is fragile, deteriorating, or unusable due to poor paper and age.

CURRENT AND RETROSPECTIVE COVERAGE

Though the Library's emphasis is on the acquisition of current resources in all subject areas, it endeavors to acquire retrospective works as needed to strengthen and round out collections particularly in disciplines where retrospective works are deemed of special importance or in the areas of excellence as identified by the University and the Library.

JOURNALS

Journals and serial literature are essential parts of an academic library collection. For some disciplines, such as the sciences, the journal literature is by far the more important information resource because of its currency. For other disciplines, such as history, monographs may share equal or even more importance to teaching and research. Achieving the proper balance of journal titles to monographs as current acquisitions is one of the challenges of proper collection management which is the responsibility of the Collection Development Committee.

TEXTBOOKS

The Library purchases one copy of every textbook available at the AUC Bookstore and places it on Reserve. Although textbooks should be purchased by students at the AUC Bookstore, the Library makes an exception to this policy due to the constraints of acquiring materials that are not available locally. Those textbooks are purchased for the collection because they provide information on a subject or curricular areas, and are valuable because they are recommended by the faculty, or they are the only sources of information on a subject. Textbooks are removed from Reserve at the end of Semester and added to the regular collection.

AUC MASTER'S THESES

A copy of all AUC Master's theses is deposited in the AUC Library. Print copies of theses are not considered as part of the circulating collections and are kept in the Wallace Annex area on the ground floor. A second copy of the theses is copied onto microfiche and is kept in the Wallace Annex.

The Library acquires unpublished theses and dissertations from Egyptian and international institutions that deal with subjects related to Egypt. The criteria for selecting material of this type is based on two main factors:

Quality of theses or dissertations to support the research programs
Need of theses or dissertations for particular projects conducted by AUC community

All theses and dissertations whether in print or microforms are cataloged.

GIFTS AND DONATIONS

Monographs and Non-Serials Gifts: The Library actively solicits and accepts gifts to enhance its collections. These may be journals that could replace missing or damaged issues or whole collections of monographs. However, the Library reserves the right to refuse any gift or conditions of donation if the restrictions are incompatible with the Library's mission or impede the Library's ability to act efficiently and responsibly in the handling of resources and the spending of funds. The Director of Collection Development attempts to discuss donations with donors before accepting them. If the gifts appear highly duplicative (particularly in the case of serials) or unsuitable for an academic library, we suggest alternative recipients. We inform all donors that the Library alone will decide whether the materials will be accepted and where they will be placed in the Library or eventually discarded. The Library is particularly open to historical rare and special information materials suitable for the Rare Books and Special Collections Library and the Main Special Collections area in the Main Library. The Library is endeavoring to become a unique and recognized information resource in certain areas in which retrospective collections are important, notably architecture, culture, economic conditions, Egyptology, Islamic literature, Middle East politics, music, religion.

Gifts are selected for addition to the collection in consideration of the gifts' physical condition and usefulness. In all cases, the Collection Development librarians implement the selection criteria stated in the collection policies when considering gifts and their placement in the collections.

Gift Journals: Replacement copies of journals are always welcome. Long runs of journals to which the Library does not currently subscribe will only be considered if extremely relevant to current programs and research. Gift subscriptions may be considered but only if unconditional and with some guarantee of ongoing support from the donor.

Policies for Accepting Gifts:

The following considerations should apply to the acceptance of donations and gifts to the Library:

The Library will not accept gifts that are not useful for the purpose of study and research by the AUC community.
The Library owns the right of ownership once gifts are donated by the donor. Donations are irrevocable.
The Library may dispose of gifts to its best advantage. Such disposition may include:
- To retain the gift in the Library
- To transfer it to other departments of the University.
- To donate gifts that are needed to other national libraries.
- Appropriate recognition should be given to the donor upon his/her request, by placing a label or plaque on the inside of the front page of the gift showing the donor's name.

REPLACEMENTS, REPRINTS, OUT-OF-PRINT

The Library replaces torn-out, damaged, or lost material. Reprints are purchased to replace materials that are torn or missing, or that they are essential to include because of their academic value. Items of reprints that are already in the collection, and are in good condition, are not acquired.

Resources that are out-of-print are increasingly easier to acquire through the World Wide Web. More recent editions of books published prior to 1945 are generally preferred.

LIBRARY CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR MIDDLE EASTERN AND ARAB CULTURES

Purpose: The AUC Library has recently established a Center of Excellence for Middle Eastern Arab Cultures in the Library. This Center is dedicated to support the interdisciplinary programs, and to embrace all disciplines in the humanities and the social sciences. It supports the curricula of Middle East Studies at the undergraduate and graduate levels, faculty, and scholars from the international academic community. It is intended to promote the study of the Middle East and Arab history, culture and heritage in a larger number of academic departments, and to facilitate the flow of information about them at the AUC, in the Egyptian and Arab world communities, and beyond.

Scope: The Collection Development in Middle Eastern Studies will endeavor to supplement the current collection to include more comprehensive sources.

The collection would be prioritized as follows:

Primary focus will be on Egypt
Secondary focus will be on the broader Arab world
Third level of focus will be on the Middle East in general

The collection will be strong in medieval and modern cultures and history of Egypt, the Arab World, and to lesser extent Turkey and Iran. The collection will also focus on the classical and modern literature of the Arabic-speaking world, with emphasis on Egypt.
The collection will be shelved according to the Library of Congress subject classification scheme in the Main and Rare Books Libraries, and the audio-visual materials will be housed in the Media area. The records of all materials will be accessed through the IBIS Catalog.

Language: The collection will consist of materials in European languages, particularly in English and French. It will also include modern and classical Arabic, including the vernacular component, and will be collected selectively in Egyptian, Coptic, Hebrew, Persian and Ottoman Turkish languages when considered appropriate for the collection.

Geographical Areas: Areas that will be the main priority in selection will include countries from North Africa and the Middle East including Israel, stretching from Morocco to Afghanistan, and to a lesser extent sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, Pakistan and Muslim India. The collection would encompass countries that have impact on the Middle East from ancient times to the present.

Chronology: The collection includes a broad spectrum of chronology, from the Ancient Near East to the present.

MAPS COLLECTION

The collection is selective, and supports the instructional needs of the University. The Library has recently acquired maps depicting political divisions, populated places, physical features, infrastructure, economic conditions, historical accounts, and other subject matter related to Egypt and the Arab countries. Topographical and geological maps of the Nile Valley and various rural and urban areas in Egypt are among the collection. The collection also includes road maps of cities in Cairo and Alexandria, in addition to world maps.

Medium-scale coverage - 1:100,000 and 1:50,000 is appropriate for the selection.

AUC PRESS AND FACULTY PUBLICATIONS

AUC Library acquires on regular basis two copies of any publication published by the AUC Press or faculty members during their tenure at the university. A copy will be placed in the Main Library, and the other in the Special Collections. Faculty publications that appear in the form of unpublished dissertations, theses or articles in journals are not acquired unless their subject matter or topics relate to the instructional and research needs of the courses taught at the University. Monographic gifts of faculty publications are also a welcome addition.

RESERVE SERVICES

Books needed for reserve will be acquired rush with overnight delivery as needed whenever possible.

The Reserve policy allows maximum use of classroom assigned materials. Teaching faculty may provide their personal copies of books and articles, or request that books be transferred from the general Library collection to the Reserve Section. Articles that are needed for courses and are included in the journals that the Library owns are photocopied and submitted at the Reserve Section.

Reserve requests should be submitted on the appropriate forms, available at the Reserve Desk on the first floor of the Main Library. All items must be submitted on the form provided, giving complete information including desired loan period, author, title, call number.

Ideally reserve requests should be submitted at least 15 days before the beginning of the semester to ensure that material is available in time for classes.

Reserve requests are processed in the order received. For detailed information on Reserve Procedures and Policies link to the following address: http://library.aucegypt.edu/dept/circulation/reserves.htm

RARE BOOKS AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS LIBRARY

The AUC Rare Books and Special Collections Library (RBSC) is a branch of the AUC Library. It operates as a scholarly research facility and a teaching resource center specializing in the civilization of ancient, medieval, Modern Egypt, and the Middle East. The special collections include rare materials such as the Description de l'Egypte, the Creswell Library of Islamic Art and Architecture, and the collections of Max Debbane, Selim Hassan, Labib Habachi, Mahmoud Saba', and most recently of Hassan Fathy, and the world-class photographer Van Leo. The current holdings of over 50,000 books, manuscripts, photographs, slides, maps and plans attract researchers from all over the world. Scholars and other researchers should find it a wealth of otherwise unavailable or scattered information, and some areas are considered complete, rare and valuable resources. Very special titles may eventually be scanned and downloaded in the Library's Web page for the use of international scholars. The Library also owns a collection of historical maps and atlases that are rare, and are housed in the Rare Books and Special Collections Library.

THE SPECIAL COLLECTION IN THE MAIN LIBRARY

Valuable rare and fragile books in the Main Library make up the " Special Collection." The Library has collected and continues to acquire principally through donation materials too precious to risk damage, decay and loss in the open stacks. Such valuable materials judged inappropriate for the Rare Books and Special Collections Library are then considered for the Special Collection. The Main "Special Collection" also contains many first editions, author-signed copies and other valuable books which are gradually being transferred to the "Special Collection" in the Main Library.

The "Special Collection" in the Main Library includes many rare materials about Egypt, the Middle East and other topics. Scholars and other researchers should find it a wealth of otherwise unavailable or scattered information. Materials in the Special Collection and the Rare Books and Special Collections Library serve to comprise a complete and rare collection in certain areas. Sections of these collections have particular relevance to the teaching and research community at the University.

UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES

Materials relating to the history of the AUC since it was founded in 1919 to the present are preserved and maintained in University Archives. It serves as the depository of University publications of historical significance and research value. The collection includes manuscripts, publications of the University and its Press, correspondence, photographs, memoranda, records, and other documents pertaining to functions held at the University and the activities of its students, faculty and staff.

GENERAL COLLECTIONS GUIDELINES

The parameters of the collection building should include the following:

Language: This area identifies the languages in which material is collected, which includes particularly English and French, and to a lesser extent other European languages. Modern and classical Arabic is also emphasized.

Chronology: Limitations and decision for inclusion of materials are determined by subject areas, the needs of courses taught, and research that is conducted by the AUC community and international scholars. Rare historical and archival materials that were published in earlier centuries, are a major consideration for inclusion, in addition to valuable out-dated materials, and out-of-print materials.

Subject Area Coverage: Emphasis is on Egypt and the Middle East, with particular focus on the political, economical, developmental, historical issues pertinent to the region. Broad but selective international coverage will be also included, and some subject areas will receive more attention based on the needs of the academic programs and areas of excellence.

Geographical Areas: This identifies the geographical areas in which materials are collected. Areas that are particularly prioritized include North Africa and the Middle East.

Date of Publication: Selectors have to consider the date of publication of the source as one of the determining factors when acquiring materials.

Types of Materials and Format:The Library collects materials in all formats so long as the materials meet the selection criteria.

Books That are Subject to Limited Circulation in the Library Are Placed on Reserve: Some types of materials are problematic, for they may be perceived as libel by the Egyptian Censorship Office staff, and are subject to scrutiny by them, alleging that they would incite some type of religious or doctrinal controversy. They would also include types of materials that contain sexual implications, terminology, profanity or violence.

Therefore, upon the recommendations of the Censorship Office any item that is proscribed as libel by the Egyptian Censorship Office staff is subject to limited circulation and is placed on Reserve. Therefore, the Library's Committee on Intellectual Freedom Advisory Board deals with such materials and decides upon the matter case by case.

Whereas materials that are unbiased and state facts concerning major religions are a welcome addition to the collection, and sacred sources and historical matter are acceptable, provided that they do not evoke sectarian beliefs in an environment that is sensitive to such issues.

COLLECTION DEPTH INDICATOR DEFINITIONS:

The WLN collection level codes below run from numbers from 0 through 5, and they describe the three above levels of collection activities.

0. Out of Scope: The library does not intentionally collect materials on this subject.

1. Minimal Information Level
The collection is limited to include such materials as monographs and reference works.
Periodicals and in-depth electronic information sources dealing with the a particular topic of research are not collected.

2. Basic Information Level
Collection that serves to introduce and define a subject, to indicate the information available elsewhere, and to support the needs of general library users through the first two years of undergraduate programs. It may include dictionaries, encyclopedias, selected editions of important works, limited collection of representative general periodicals, bibliographies, and access to limited access to bibliographic databases.
3. Study or Instructional Support Level
A collection that provides information about a subject in a systematic way, but at a level of less than research intensity, and supports the needs of the undergraduate and the beginning graduate levels.
The collection includes a wide range of general and specialized monographs and reference sources, a wide range of basic works in appropriate formats, a significant number of classic and retrospective materials, and complete works of more important and lesser-known authors.

The collection includes periodicals both general and specialized in perspective, and access to the appropriate electronic resources pertaining to the subject, such as journals, bibliographies, and text.
The collection includes a limited collection of appropriate foreign language materials, foreign language materials about a specific topic, and learning materials for a non-native speaker, such as Arabic language texts with English translations and transliterations.

4. Research Level
A collection includes the major published sources required for dissertation and independent original research. The collection includes all of the sources mentioned in level no. 3, but the collecting level is very extensive in all areas, including materials containing research reports, new findings, scientific experimental results, and other information useful to researchers. It includes all important reference works, and a wide selection of specialized monographs, as well as a very extensive collection of journals and major indexing and abstracting services. Older materials are usually retained for historical research and are preserved to serve the needs of historical research in various areas of study and research.
5. Comprehensive Level
The level of intensity at this level is described as a "Special Collection." The collection is in a specifically defined field of knowledge, and serves the national and international scholars. It includes all significant works of recorded knowledge, such as rare publications and manuscripts, slides and other formats, and in all applicable languages, for a necessarily defined and limited field. As for the electronic resources, the library provides links to defined selected resources to serve the needs of users at this level.