I. INTRODUCTION

A. The University Library

The Ronald Williams Library collects informational resources and provides access to information it does not own in order to support the community engaged in the University's academic programs and to supplement the research needs of its community. The Library's primary community includes the faculty, students, and staff of Northeastern Illinois University.

As the University's academic programs respond to challenges in teaching and scholarly activity, the Library's collection must continuously reflect the dynamic nature of the University. In addition, the Library's collection must adjust to technological advances and online networked environments. The Library's Collection Management Policy establishes priorities concerning ownership and access to informational resources. The Government Information Center's Federal Collection Development Policy adheres to the priorities set forth in that document.

B. The Depository Library Program

As a participant in the Federal Depository Library Program, the Library has a responsibility to make information available to the public on the policies and programs of the federal government as well as to provide access to the vast resource of government conducted or sponsored research. The needs of the general public for government information products effect the collection development policy of the Government Information Center.

The Ronald Williams Library has served as a Federal Depository Library since 1963 and currently serves the 5th Congressional District in Illinois.

C Regional Resources

Northeastern Illinois University is fortunate to be situated in a city that is rich in library resources. The presence of many other depository libraries in the immediate vicinity also influences the Government Information Center's collection development policy. The Library will participate, to the fullest extent possible, in the cooperative collection development projects and information exchanges with the depository libraries in the region and the state to ensure access to government resources and effective referral to the appropriate library.


II. GENERAL SELECTION GUIDELINES

The guidelines set forth in this collection development policy are meant to ensure that the government information collection will meet the current and future needs of the curriculum, serve the instructional and informational needs of the university community, and provide for the needs of an informed pubic for open access to government information. To that end, the Government Information Center will provide for: basic resources in a broad base of governmental programs, areas, and services of interest to the general public; selective materials to assist faculty research, graduate and undergraduate studies, and more categorical public needs; and specific sources to support the academic program. In addition, the documents collection is considered a working collection, therefore, unless mandated by compelling public or curricular interest, the Center will not retain materials for in-depth, historical or research purposes.

The core collection for academic libraries as suggested in the Federal Depository Library Manual forms the base of the documents collection. In addition, selection of government information products will be founded on the following criteria:

1) The Government Information Center will select materials that contain basic information on the programs and services of the federal government.
2) The Center will select materials that inform the public about the current and ongoing activities of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government.
3) The Center will select materials that support the subject strengths of the university curriculum and the Ronald Williams Library's general collection. In addition, selections will support expanding university programs and services.
4) The Center will select materials that support the research needs of the university community in all available subject areas.
5) Wherever possible the Center will select materials in the format most accessible to our patrons.
6) The Center will select tangible electronic information products according to the criteria stated above.
7) The Center will provide public access to government information on the World Wide Web via the NEIU Government Information web site at: http://www.neiu.edu/~neiulib/govhome.html

III. COMMUNITY SERVICES

In an effort to assess and fulfill the public's need for open access to government information the Government Information Librarian will maintain active and ongoing communications with: the Library and University administration, the public libraries in the congressional district, and the offices of elected, federal officials. In addition, the Library will use whatever means are available to promote the use of government information products and the services offered by the government Information Center.

Approved by the Collection Development Committee June 27, 2000.

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