The University of Southampton Library collections include all physical and digital resources managed by the Library, which is at the heart of our education, research, and engagement at the University. The collections have an international reputation for quality and excellence, provide rich and exciting resources for inter-disciplinary learning, teaching and research. The Library’s Collections Policy supports current and future generations to access physical and digital collections by collecting, conserving, and making accessible resources in the delivery of the University’s mission. The policy aligns with the vision, values and goals of the University Strategy, and relevant strategic plans.
The policy is reflective of key changes in recent years, including but not limited to the increasing availability and use of digital resources, coalition-building, open scholarship, user-centric design, agility, equality, diversity and inclusion, blended learning and inter-disciplinarity. The policy supports our engagement with academic colleagues and our wider community, aimed at ensuring that our physical and digital resources meet academic current and emerging imperatives as precisely and efficiently as possible.
The policy has been developed in partnership with staff and students to meet current and future needs, and in response to evolving changes to the environment in which we operate. The policy is designed to ensure that the library is a catalyst for deeply collaborative, innovative and flexible solutions for an increasingly diverse eco-system, with an ever-wider range of open and freely available resources. It will be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure it remains relevant. The policy covers the Library collections. It:
