Law students are at the heart of our Collection Development Policy. We must create a collection that “meets the research needs of the law school’s students, satisfies the demands of the law school curriculum, and facilities the education of its students.” (Standard 606(c)(1).
Faculty needs are core. Standards require we must build a collection which “supports the teaching, scholarship, research, and service interests of the faculty” and “serves the law school’s special teaching, scholarship, research and service objectives. . . “(Standard 606(c)(2)-(3).
We support the College’s role within the University community, supporting joint programs and other interdisciplinary activities. While most University collection needs are met through the Main Library, the Law Library will work collaboratively with Main Subject Specialist to prevent gaps and eliminate overlaps.
The Library supports the College as it fulfills ABA Standard 206,“Diversity and Inclusion,” by understanding that “the enrollment of a diverse student body promotes cross-cultural understanding, helps break down racial, ethnic and gender stereotypes, and enables students to better understand persons of different backgrounds.” (Interpretation 206-2). Working collaboratively with faculty and students, the Library purchases materials that support dialogue and engagement.
This also aligns with the ABA’s “Collection” standard (606). It is the “role of the library” to provide “essential” materials to prepare “students for effective, ethical, and responsible participation in the legal profession.” (Standard 606(a)) Our students will be entering an increasingly complex, increasingly diverse world.
A diverse study body has a diverse educational background. As graduates, they will be social justice change agents. Our most important DEI role is to ensure they succeed at law school. We purchase a wide variety of review aids, giving great thought to different learning styles (neuro diversity). We purchase backup copies of class textbooks, respecting “financial needs of many of these students” and creating “a favorable environment for students from underrepresented groups.” (Interpretation 206-2)
To meet the “core collection” requirement under Standard 606(b)(1)-(6) we must purchase primary authority (the law). This means we must have current subscriptions to print serials (codes, cases, and regulations) and specialized legal databases.
Approximately 60% of our budget is committed to the purchase of primary authority (the law). Specifics on the purchase of “the law” is outlined in Part II.
The remaining 40% is spent to satisfy Standard 606(b)(7)-(8), significant secondary works and finding tools. We steward this collection carefully.
The Library has long favored substantive commentaries that are written by respected authors, are comprehensive in scope, provide various points of access (index, tables, etc.), and are current and timely in their updates.
The Library will seek out authors who are known and respected in their fields and will give preference to publishers with established reputations. A title published by an organization with an obvious political or social bias (e.g., Brookings Institute or PETA) may be purchased on its merits if that title deals with substantive law or provides balance or depth to its subject area. Tracts, flyers and propaganda publications will rarely be purchased.
The Library will not normally purchase essays, honoraria, festschrifts, conference proceedings, or compilations of material which is owned in alternate formats.
To support the practice-skills portion of the curriculum, the Library will maintain a collection of selected resources commonly used in the practice of law. Since most practice-skills materials are available in a multiplicity of formats, the purchase of one format over another will be made after cost, features, and level of use have all been analyzed. Consideration will also be given to research practices and trends in the legal community.
Scholarly materials will be purchased based on the level of interest within the Law College community. An item may be purchased for a single faculty member if that item is central to a research plan. An item that is lightly used may have research significance when the content is not available from any other source, or if there is a broader interest within the MSU community.
The Library will avoid the purchase of any practitioner title that does not deal with substantive law. For that reason, the following terms will be considered “red flags” and titles that contain them will be carefully reviewed before purchase:
Checklist
Deskbook
Guide
Manual
Year in Review
All items will be evaluated in terms of the existing collection. Unnecessary duplication will be avoided. Titles necessary to bridge collection gaps will be sought.
Collection development is a highly consultive process. While the Library Director and Associate Director are central to the selection process, they work closely with the librarians and faculty members. Librarians often form project-based teams for collection tasks, such as reviewing the LMA agreement or large serial subscription renewals. New e-bundles and serial subscriptions are routed for discussion with the Librarians. New monographic purchases are coordinated by the Associate Director, who purchases all titles core to the Collection Policy, and routes titles of potential interest to Faculty members for consultation.
The Librarians will actively seek to build research partnerships at every stage of the faculty member’s career: attending the candidate’s job talk; interviewing the new hire about research interests; providing initial and ongoing training sessions on collection and services; supporting research via a web request database; attending work-in-progress workshops; and assisting with mechanics of submission and cite checking.
Choice of format is based on a balancing of interests.
The Library has a careful balance between print and e-resources, with a slight preference for digital delivery. E-format is preferred for sources that meet the high demand for off-site access; that are easier to use with e-search algorithms; that require digital currency; or that do not require extensive study time or repeated use. Print format is preferred for sources that meet a high demand for onsite use; that are easier to use in print; or that are either studied intensively or used repeatedly. The Library will purchase duplicates only when they support both the curriculum and user demand.
The Library will regularly seek faculty and staff input on the selection and retention of materials; to ensure that finite resources are apportioned, the Library retains ultimate authority for purchase decisions.
Collection metrics are consulted, but the Library puts more effort into consultive evaluations. All new faculty members are invited to a full team “research interests” meeting, and Librarians always attend the faculty “works in progress” session. Relationships built with students in the classroom (1L Research, Writing and Advocacy as well as Advanced Legal Research) help inform collection development, as students—throughout their three years in law school—turn to the Librarians for help with seminar papers and externship assignments. The Librarians also monitor College class offerings every semester. When a new class is offered the subject bibliographer contacts the professor to discuss the Library collection and any class research projects.
When a title is available in multiple formats, the Librarians will weigh the following criteria to determine which format is appropriate: suitability of the format for the type of information (e.g., charts for print material); superiority of indexing provided for the format; frequency and nature of the updates; ease of use; importance of remote access and the level of required staff support. Price will factor heavily if other factors are not determinative.
The Library will never purchase a title solely because it is inexpensive. Conversely, a high cost will not be an automatic bar. Cost will always be considered in the context of need.
Licensing and copyright considerations will always be evaluated as part of the final decision.
For print monographs, preference will be given to hardcover over paperback editions, unless a work is considered ephemeral or duplicates MSU holdings, or the price for hardbound is unusually high. If paper is purchased for a work that is not ephemeral, the Library will bind it in hardcover at point-of-purchase.
For print monographs, the Library will purchase multiple copies of a single title if demand is sufficiently high and reasonable circulation policies are already in place.
The Library will purchase materials in English unless a faculty member specifically requests another language.
Items purchased are University property; any faculty requests for non-law materials or for personal home copies will be referred as appropriate.
The Library subscribes to two collection development services: EBSCO/GOBI approval plan (with a web-based “new titles” purchasing service) and Hein Green Slips (paper announcements of new titles). The Associate Director is the chief bibliographer and is authorized to review and select titles, always in consultation with law librarians, faculty, and Main Library subject specialists.