General principles for establishing the holdings

Establishing the University Library

The University Library supplies its members with the literature required for teaching, research and studying in both printed and electronic form.

It supports the University of Duisburg-Essen in the goals agreed upon with the Federal State of NRW to ensure the quality of studying and teaching, and it contributes to strengthening the main areas of research and to the formation of the University's profile.

Function-oriented collection

The University Library fulfils its function with respect to collecting, documenting and archiving as a service provider of the University. Its acquisition profile is oriented towards the teaching and studying obligations and the main research areas of the University. This is true for both printed and electronic media which are purchased and for media which are offered to it as a present or in exchange.

Electronic publications ensure a high degree of accessibility and are available via the University network, independent of place and time. Therefore, they particularly meet the demands of a two-campus University. The University Library will continue to pursue this path and to expand its range of offers. It collaborates in national consortia in order to profit from discount prices.

Basic principles of literature selection

The Departments (the person responsible for the selection of literature) and the University Library section head cooperate in the selection of the media to be acquired. It is their common task to establish holdings which reflect the interests of studying and teaching and of research projects in a balanced manner.

It must be guaranteed that

  • up-to-date textbooks and the literature required for studies are available to students in sufficient quantities and that new copies or new editions of extant items and still required works are acquired;
  • basic research literature for each department can be acquired;
  • comprehensive reference works are available;
  • a necessary assessment of priorities takes place, since not all academic literature can be acquired.

In the case of special research literature there must be a careful evaluation between purchasing and ordering from a document delivery service. This is especially true for the purchase of journals and the subsequent establishment of a long-term commitment to purchase them. Duplicate or multiple copies should be acquired in justified cases. An exception are textbooks which can be acquired in greater numbers.

Every Department should determine whether there are special areas which are collected and whether a particular obligation to acquire further literature results from these.

Distribution of holdings by Department