The Collection Policy of the Library of JAMK
The Collection Policy is valid as of 27 April 2005. Updated on 21 February 2008.
1. The principles of acquiring library material
The library units of JAMK form together the library of JAMK. The collections are complementary to each other. The collection work is based on the basic mission of the library: to provide the students, teachers, and other personnel of JAMK with excellent learning, research, and development circumstances through the library collections and web services. The core customers are the students, teachers, and other personnel of the organization, as well as the economic life of the region.
For upper secondary level vocational schools, literature and other materials are acquired according to separate contracts. Regional collaboration in collection policy is done with the other local libraries. When necessary, the collections are complemented by interlibrary lending.
The library keeps the collections up to date and relevant, in accordance with the collection retention and disposal policy. Literature and other material is acquired cost-efficiently and placed in the library units of JAMK.
1.1 Acquiring the material
The library of JAMK acquires both printed and electronic material. The acquisition work is based on the collection policy accepted by the library of JAMK. Contact person: Arja Kunnela (+358 40 7717 902)
1.2 Course literature
Books mentioned in the course requirements are primarily acquired and placed in the library unit nearest to the educational unit. The library also improves course book availability by providing course literature in the reference collection, and when possible, in electronic form. The course books of interdisciplinary studies and language courses are primarily placed in the Main Library.
1.3 Other literature
The responsibility for developing the collections is shared by the educational unit and the library. In collaboration with the teachers, the library staff keeps track of the latest literature in different fields. Furthermore, the customers can make acquisition requests. The library units avoid overlapping acquisitions. Materials benefiting several fields of study are placed in the Main Library.
1.4 Continuing resource
A continuing resource is defined as a publication which basically is published continuously, i.e. journals that are published frequently (usually more often than once a year), updating publications, and serial publications published infrequently (sometimes at intervals of several years). A continuing resource usually has an international ISSN identifier. The acquisition of journals is based on annual subscriptions. The decisions about journals to be acquired are made every autumn.
Printed journals are primarily placed in the library unit nearest to the educational unit. As regards the acquisition of foreign printed journals, overlapping with other libraries in the Jyväskylä region is avoided. The electronic journals that can be searched for on the Nelli portal are generally not acquired to the library in printed form. The customers are guided to use electronic journals.
1.5 Electronic material
The library of JAMK participates in the Virtual Polytechnic project (the Finnish Online University of Applied Sciences) and is involved in developing web services, particularly for adult and distance learning. Journals and large reference materials are primarily acquired in electronic form, to be used directly online in the entire University of Applied Sciences area. The majority of electronic material is acquired in collaboration with the National Electronic Library Consortium (FinELib) and is available for customers through the Nelli portal on the network of JAMK. The library offers both loanable and freely usable eBooks on JAMK’s network. Contact person: Pirkko Jokela (+358 40 761 4180)
1.6 Other material
Other materials, such as sheet music, videos, and CDs, are acquired based on the needs of the educational units. The videos and CDs acquired to the library must have lending right from the copyright holder.
2. Acquisition requests
Acquisition requests can be made by:
Information about the acquisitions of printed material is visible on the JaNet library database already during the ordering process.
3. The retention and disposal of material in the library of JAMK
The collections are kept up to date and removals are made regularly, in order to keep the storages as small as possible. Worn-out or content-wise outdated library material will be removed. When judging the content of library material, the personnel of JAMK are also consulted. Material can be removed and stored due to decrease in demand, too.
3.1 Literature
Course book collections are regularly updated. Books are transferred or withdrawn when needed. Storage collections are regularly checked. The old study guides of JAMK are stored in the Main Library, but other annual study and application guides and brochures are not stored.
3.2 Audio-visual material
Worn-out audio-visual material is not stored. Records of web material are not saved.
3.3 Journals
Printed journals are stored for at least five years, free of charge journals optionally. Newspapers are stored for a month, at the most. Detailed journal storage information is available on the JaNet library database.
3.4 Donation and sale of withdrawn library materials
Materials withdrawn from the collections can be transferred, donated, sold, or delivered to recycling.
Further information
Arja Kunnela, Resources Team,
+358 40 771 7902, firstname.lastname@jamk.fi, JAMK University of Applied Sciences, Library and Information Services