: The Reference Collection consists of monographic and serial publications, microforms, maps, and electronic media, the latter drawn mostly from the World-Wide Web and cd-rom. Publishers of this rich collection range across the academic, commercial, and public sectors.
More than three fourths of the print-format Reference Collection is now in the Library of Congress Classification system; the remaining portion is in Dewey Classification at this writing, although our objective is completing reclassification and re-integration of the collection.
Format choice is governed by functionality and budget. The study and research needs of our principal clientele, the students and faculty of Union College, are the highest priority in reference acquisitions. De-selection is carried out regularly and is aimed at trimming the Reference Collection of redundant, unnecessary, or obsolete items.
In excess of 33,000 volumes, the Reference Collection at this writing fits quite snugly into its new (as of March, 1998) quarters, without much room for growth, although we are adding newly acquired print material. Ongoing and special-project weeding as described above has so far forestalled the return to offsite storage.
Page created January, 1999, and revised August, 2001, by Professor David Gerhan, Head of Public Services and Reference, Schaffer Library, Schenectady, NY. Comments: please mailto:gerhand@union.edu |
