The UNO Criss Library's collection is enhanced by purchases and donations of materials and resources. These policies help determine the process by which these are selected.
UNO Faculty Collection
The library seeks to obtain copies of monographs written or edited by UNO faculty members. Faculty publications are identified with a "UNO Faculty Collection" subject heading in the library catalog and are generally placed in the library's main circulating collection. Faculty authored textbooks or monographs where the faculty is not a first or second author or editor may not be collected. Individual journal articles, creative works, and other faculty produced content may be collected in the library’s institutional repository.
For more information on specific library collections please see our subject-specific policies:
Business Collection Development Policy
Clientele
The UNO Libraries Business collection development program supports instruction and research in the College of Business Administration and associated centers and programs. Primary faculty contacts are the chairs, faculty liaisons, administrative aids, and other interested faculty. The collection development program also supports the business information needs of faculty, staff, and students in other departments of UNO. While the library collects for the UNO campus community, its collection is used by local unaffiliated walk-in visitors and, through the Interlibrary Loan program and cooperative agreements with research institutions, the international life science research community.
Participation of patrons in collection development
In collaboration with the Collections Coordinator, the Business Librarian selects additions to and withdrawals from the collections in these areas in UNO Libraries. Faculty, staff, and students routinely recommend books, journal titles, and databases. Recommended books are generally purchased. Journal and database recommendations are evaluated, trialed, and considered along with relevant data. UNO Libraries consults with departments when large changes in the collection, including cancellation or addition of several serial titles or withdrawal from database subscriptions, are proposed.
Nature of the subject literature
The various business programs and departments at UNO combined with the constant changes in these fields make collection development in these areas a great challenge. The need for current, up-to-date information for research and education is vital. There is a distinct emphasis on conventionally published, peer-reviewed scholarly journals and professional trade magazines over monographs. Journal literature and commercially prepared reports are the primary source of information for the UNO Libraries clientele. Books and streaming media are also important to the collection. Popular literature is very sparingly collected, generally when requested to support teaching or research needs. Textbooks designed for use in undergraduate and graduate courses are collected selectively. UNO dissertations are available in electronic format. When users need dissertations from other institutions, they are directed to interlibrary loan, to electronic resources, or to commercial services that supply dissertations.
Description of materials collected
For all types of literature, digital format is preferred. Print may be acquired if no electronic version is available, if the electronic version is judged as poorly presented or unstable or if its content is incomplete, or if price or license terms of the electronic version are prohibitive. Both print and electronic versions may be acquired if a user needs the print version. Document delivery is an important source of the literature needed by library users. Currently, document delivery services rely on the Interlibrary Loan Department to deliver monographs and copies of journal articles to the UNO community for teaching and research needs. Fast and efficient document delivery decreases the need to purchase infrequently used materials. Records of past document delivery requests are used as a tool in collection development.
Books
Book purchases, whether in electronic or print formats, must be relevant to business topics and fit the nature and scope of the collections. Librarian and patron recommendations, usage statistics of previous editions or items covering similar topics, publisher promotions, and published reviews are used when selecting books. As a rule, one copy of a title will be purchased. Duplicates are purchased on occasion and at the discretion of the librarian. Only electronic books available through institutional licenses will be purchased. Whenever possible, electronic books should be purchased with the right to maintain perpetual access. Remote use and multiple simultaneous users are also preferred license terms. Electronic books are purchased from a variety of vendors and can be purchased and licensed for UNO use only or purchased and licensed through various library consortia. Due to limited shelving space, print books are periodically reviewed and considered for withdrawal. Criteria for withdrawal include the usage of the item, local availability of electronic or more current editions, and the physical condition of the item.
Journals
The journal collection is the primary source of information in UNO Libraries. Journals are purchased primarily to support the teaching and research needs of business clientele. Interlibrary loan borrowing statistics, departmental research needs, and faculty suggestions are used in developing this collection. Priority is given to those publications with multiple requests, high impact factors, and titles of interest to more than one college or department.
Each spring, an evaluation of the journal collection is conducted. New journal titles are purchased each year as needed based on new programs and research interests. Low usage, low or no impact factors, extreme price increases, and problems receiving issues are most often the cause for cancellation.
Other materials
Audiovisual media are acquired very selectively and primarily in response to requests by library users and only when they meet all other collection development criteria. Microforms are no longer collected. Computer software is not actively collected except when associated with a traditional printed monograph. General software manuals and computer graphics are not collected. Data resources (data sets) are not actively acquired but select sets are available through various commercial, not-for-profit, and government suppliers.
Coordination
Close cooperation is maintained with other librarians at UNO that collect in related subject areas. Cooperation ensures comprehensive coverage while minimizing duplication, particularly for interdisciplinary programs.
Collection priority areas
The following areas are a specific target for print and eBook collection development as a reflection of campus and program strategic priorities.
- Women and LGBTQIA in business histories, biographies, and autobiographies
- Entrepreneurship
- Supply Chain Management
- Real Estate
- Consumer Markets and Sales
- Books about Nebraska and/or Midwestern business leaders
Subject and language modifiers
Geographical
Most items in this collection concern the United States, with special emphasis on the Midwestern and Mountain Plains regions. An increasing number of international publications are being added to the collection including China and India regions. Many of these items concern supply chain management and international business.
Chronological
Emphasis is on acquiring current literature. As available shelf space diminishes, certain classes of older, rarely used materials are withdrawn.
Language
Literature in English is preferred. Materials in other languages are usually acquired in response to requests by library users and when the materials meet other collection development requirements.
Collection areas and gaps
The following LC classifications are significant to the collection:
HB Economic theory. Demography and HC Economic history and conditions
- Economics has traditionally been a strong research area and it remains a major emphasis.
HD Industries, Land Use, Labor
- Supply Chain Management bears special attention as a recently added and rapidly growing curriculum.
- Real Estate and Land Use Economics bears special attention as a growing research area.
HE Transportation and communications
HF Commerce
- Management and Marketing remain the two largest curricular areas. •
- Entrepreneurship and Sales are growing areas of emphasis.
HG Finance
- Investment science and portfolio management bear special attention as growing research and curriculum areas.
- Accounting bears special attention as its change of status from Department to School signals a greater emphasis on research.
Legal Studies
Beyond a small core collection of monographs, journals, and electronic resources, UNO Libraries depends on document delivery programs for most needs for legal literature. In general, law materials are not collected at UNO. This literature is most likely to be found in the UNL Libraries.
Fine Arts Collection Development Policy
Clientele
The Fine Arts collection development program supports research and instruction in the Art & Art History, Theatre, Writer’s Workshop, and Music programs. This program also supports the fine arts research and instruction needs for other faculty, staff, and students at the University of Nebraska Omaha. While the library collects for the UNO campus community, its collection is used by local unaffiliated visitors and, through cooperative agreements with research institutions in Nebraska and the Interlibrary Loan program, the greater arts community worldwide.
Participation in collection development
The Fine Arts Librarian selects and de-selects material from the collections in these areas. Department chairs, faculty liaisons, and other interested faculty are the primary contacts for collection development and routinely recommend books, journal titles, and databases for the collection. Recommended books are typically purchased. Journal and database recommendations are evaluated, trialed, and considered along with other relevant data to determine suitability for the collection as a whole. Departments are consulted when large changes in the collection, including cancellation or addition of journal titles or changes in database subscriptions, are proposed.
Description of materials collected
In general monographs are purchased as either print or e-book depending on subject area and availability. Art monographs and scores are typically purchased in print. For all other works there is no greater emphasis placed on format. Journals and reference works are generally only purchased in electronic format unless the electronic version is judged as poorly presented or unstable or if its content is incomplete, or if price or license terms of the electronic version are prohibitive. Where digital versions are available print copies of journal back files and bibliographies, encyclopedias, and other reference materials are not retained. Dissertations are made available through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database.
Document delivery is an important source of the literature needed by library users. Currently, document delivery services rely on the Interlibrary Loan Department to deliver monographs and copies of journal articles to the UNO community for teaching and research needs. Fast and efficient document delivery decreases the need to purchase infrequently used materials. Records of past document delivery requests are used as a tool in collection development.
Textbooks are generally not acquired unless the library is purchasing an electronic textbook in conjunction with our Open Educational Resources program.
Books
The monograph collection is vital to research in the fine arts. Librarian and patron recommendations, usage statistics of previous editions or items covering similar topics, publisher promotions, and published reviews are used when selecting books. As a rule, one copy of a title is purchased. Only electronic books available through institutional licenses are purchased. Whenever possible, electronic books should be purchased with the right to maintain perpetual access, but multiple simultaneous users are also acceptable terms. Electronic books are purchased from a variety of vendors and can be purchased and licensed for UNO use only or purchased and licensed through various library consortia. Due to limited shelving space, print books are periodically reviewed and considered for withdrawal. Criteria for withdrawal include the title or author’s importance to the discipline, the usage of the item, local availability of electronic or more current editions, and the physical condition of the item.
Journals
Journals are purchased primarily to support the teaching and research needs of faculty and students. Interlibrary loan borrowing statistics, departmental research needs, and faculty suggestions are used in developing this collection. Priority is given to those publications with multiple requests, anticipated classroom use, and to support new programs.
An evaluation of the journal collection is conducted on a regular basis. Low usage, low or no impact factors, extreme price increases, and problems receiving issues are most often the cause for cancellation.
Scores
Full scores are purchased for chamber music, orchestral, band, and large vocal works. Piano scores for operas, oratorios, and other large vocal works, as well as large instrumental works with solo instrument are purchased. Parts for orchestra, band, string orchestra or other large ensembles, and solo works are typically not purchased except upon request by a faculty member.
Other materials
CDs are purchased when streaming versions are not available. Films, both in DVD and Bluray format, are purchased when digital or streaming versions are not available. Microforms, VHS, and cassette tapes are no longer collected.
Coordination
The Fine Arts Librarian coordinates with other librarians at UNO who collect in related subject areas to ensure comprehensive coverage while minimizing duplication, particularly for interdisciplinary programs. Materials for Writer’s Workshop are typically collected by the Humanities Librarian.
Scope
Chronology
No time period is excluded from consideration.
Publication date
Emphasis is on acquiring current literature, with older imprints selectively acquired to fill gaps in the collection.
Geography
All areas are considered.
Language
Literature in English is preferred. Materials in other languages is acquired in response to requests by library users and when the materials meet other collection development requirements.
Collection areas
Art & Art History
The department’s mission is to educate artists, designers, scholars and teachers by fostering visual literacy, creative expression, and critical thinking through practice and research. There are three degree options for art students: Bachelor of Arts in Art History, Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art, and Bachelor of Fine Arts. Studio Art students further define their major with a concentration in one of these areas: Two Dimensional (2D), Three Dimensional (3D), Graphic Design, or Media Arts. Students may pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art or a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a PK-12 Teaching Certification. Students may also minor in Art History or Studio Art.
Collection strengths include twentieth-century art in general; American and European painting; and the decorative arts. Growth areas are African, Asian, Latin American, Pacific and Native American art, handicrafts, or textiles; artists of color, female artists, and LGBTQIA artists (or themes); local and regional artists (or themes); graphic arts; arts education; sequential (comic) art and gaming.
Theatre
In the Theatre program, students develop an in-depth understanding of the entire theatremaking process. Degree options for students are a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre with focuses in acting/directing, design, or technical and stage management or a minor in Theatre with option of study in general theatre, acting, design/technical, directing, or scholarship.
Collection strengths include theatre in the United States and Europe; study and teaching of acting; and film studies. Growth areas are dramaturgy; technical aspects, such as scenery, lighting, props, costuming, and sound; local and regional playwrights, playwrights of color, female playwrights, and LGBTQIA playwrights (or themes).
Writer's Workshop
This program offers studio-based instruction from professional writers in a collegiate context that incorporates visual arts, journalism, communication and design. The degrees offered include Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in creative writing with an emphasis in fiction, poetry or creative nonfiction; a minor in Creative Writing; or Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Writing. The MFA in Writing is a two-year primarily distance education program in fiction, poetry or creative nonfiction.
The Writer’s Workshop program uses many different collection areas; see collection strengths in English, Art, Journalism, and Communication. Growth areas include critical essays and other works as requested by visiting faculty.
Music
The mission of the School of Music is to offer a comprehensive music program within a professional environment that stimulates the highest standards of excellence in music education, performance, research, creativity, entrepreneurship, technology, advocacy and service. Degree options include a Bachelor of Music in Music Education or Music Performance; a Bachelor of Arts in Music with a concentration in music technology, jazz studies, music entrepreneurial studies, or music studies; or a Master of Music in Music Performance, Conducting, or Music Education.
Collection strengths include orchestral, piano, and jazz scores; operas; music instruction and study; and music biographies. Growth areas are music technology; experimental music; music entrepreneurship; technical material for instruments; and music theory.
Related subject areas:
- Anthropology (ethnography, ethnomusicology, cultural artifacts)
- Education (art and music education)
- English (fiction, critical essays)
- Ethnic Studies, including Native American, African American, Asian American, and Chicano/Latino (ethnography, ethnomusicology, sociology, cultural artifacts)
- Technology (handicrafts and textiles, recording technology)
- Philosophy (aesthetics)
- Latin American and Caribbean Studies (Pre-Columbian thru contemporary ethnography, artifacts)
- Journalism (photojournalism and graphic design)
- Religious Studies (history, iconography of religions, churches, orders, saints, gods in Western and Eastern religions, liturgical music)
- History (pictorial works, such as history documented in WPA photographs)
Humanities Collection Development Policy
Clientele
The UNO Libraries Humanities collection development program supports instruction and research in the Departments of English, Communication, Foreign Languages, History, Philosophy, Religious Studies, and associated centers and programs. Primary faculty contacts are the chairs, faculty liaisons, administrative aids, and other interested faculty. The collection development program also supports the information needs of faculty, staff, and students in other departments of UNO as they pertain to the humanities. While the library collects for the UNO campus community, its collection is used by local unaffiliated walk-in visitors and, through the Interlibrary Loan program and reciprocal agreements, with research institutions.
Participation of patrons in collection development
Humanities subject specialist librarians select additions to and withdrawals from the collections in these areas in UNO Libraries. Faculty, staff, and students routinely recommend books, journal titles, and databases. Recommended books are generally purchased. Journal and database recommendations are evaluated, trialed, and considered along with relevant data. Departments are consulted when large changes in the collection, including cancellation or addition of several serial titles or withdrawal from database subscriptions, are proposed.
Nature of the subject literature
Monographs are the most commonly acquired types of materials. Scholarly and literary journals, and items in monographic series are also collected extensively. Publications of various societies and institutions, and the transactions and proceedings of conferences and congresses are acquired in select cases. Major sets or collections in print or electronic formats are acquired if they significantly serve to strengthen present collections, and if funding permits. Reference works, including bibliographies, biographies, encyclopedias, dictionaries, are selectively collected. Videos in various formats are collected in support of the curriculum.
Description of materials collected
In general monographs are purchased as either print or e-book depending on subject area and availability, with no greater emphasis placed on format. Journals and reference works are generally only purchased in electronic format unless the electronic version is incomplete, or if price or license terms are prohibitive. Where digital versions are available print copies of journal back files and bibliographies, encyclopedias, and other reference materials are not retained. Dissertations are made available through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database.
Document delivery is an important source of the literature needed by library users. Currently, document delivery services rely on the Interlibrary Loan Department to deliver monographs and copies of journal articles to the UNO community for teaching and research needs. Fast and efficient document delivery decreases the need to purchase infrequently used materials. Records of past document delivery requests are used as a tool in collection development.
Textbooks are generally not acquired unless the library is purchasing an electronic textbook in conjunction with our Open Educational Resources program.
Books
The monograph collection is vital to research in the humanities. Librarian and patron recommendations, usage statistics of previous editions or items covering similar topics, publisher promotions, and published reviews are used when selecting books. As a rule, one copy of a title is purchased. Duplicates are purchased on occasion and at the discretion of the librarian. Only electronic books available through institutional licenses are purchased. Whenever possible, electronic books should be purchased with the right to maintain perpetual access, but multiple simultaneous users are also acceptable terms. Electronic books are purchased from a variety of vendors and can be purchased and licensed for UNO use only or purchased and licensed through various library consortia. Due to limited shelving space, print books are periodically reviewed and considered for withdrawal. Criteria for withdrawal include the title or author’s importance to the discipline, the usage of the item, local availability of electronic or more current editions, and the physical condition of the item.
Journals
Journals are purchased primarily to support the teaching and research needs of faculty and students. Interlibrary loan borrowing statistics, departmental research needs, and faculty suggestions are used in developing this collection. Priority is given to those publications with multiple requests, anticipated classroom use, and to support new programs. An evaluation of the journal collection is conducted on a regular basis. Low usage, low or no impact factors, extreme price increases, and problems receiving issues are most often the cause for cancellation.
Other materials
Electronic versions of indexes, encyclopedias, and bibliographies are preferred, but print updates may be purchased when the electronic version is cost prohibited. Films, both in DVD and Blu-ray format are purchased when digital or streaming versions are not available. Microforms are no longer collected.
Coordination
Close cooperation is maintained with other librarians at UNO that collect in related subject areas. Cooperation ensures comprehensive coverage while minimizing duplicaiton, particularly for interdisciplinary programs.
Collection areas
English
The collection supports concentrations in American, British/Irish and Anglophone literature, Creative Nonfiction, Composition and Rhetoric, Linguistics, Technical Communication, First Year Writing, and TESOL. Current growth areas are Latinx literature, Native American literature, comics and graphic novels, and medical humanities. Also collected are ESL materials, including “high interest, low vocabulary” items, and other items to support the ILUNO (English as a Second Language) Program at UNO.
Communication
The collection supports Communication Studies along with Journalism and Media Communication. Subject areas include communication law and policy, intercultural communication, organizational communication, public speaking, media studies, media writing, human resources, public relations, advertising, and technical communication. Growth areas are social media and digital networks, social change, global communication, health communication, and film studies. Related collections include social science methodology, research methods, and statistics.
History
The collection supports the curriculum and faculty research across a wide range of chronology and geography. The chronology includes ancient history, late antiquity, medieval history, early modern history, and modern and contemporary history. Geographically, greater emphasis is placed on the history of the United States and of Europe; but Asia, Africa, and Latin America are represented as well. Published primary sources in the form of books, both print and electronic, or databases are of particular interest for the collection.
Foreign Languages and Literature
The collection supports the curriculum and faculty research in French, German, Spanish and Russian. Other languages are acquired selectively. Collection development includes all aspects of language studies, including dictionaries, grammar and pronunciation guides, language teaching methods, and TESOL. Growth areas include cultural studies, Central and Latin American studies, and film studies.
Philosophy
The collection supports an undergraduate curriculum with three major concentrations: a traditional philosophy major covering the core subfields of history of philosophy, metaphysics, theory of knowledge, and ethical theory; philosophy of brain and mind; and law and social/political philosophy.
Religious Studies
The collection supports an undergraduate curriculum which ranges broadly across the academic study of religion. It addresses major religious traditions around the world (Hinduism and Buddhism; Judaism; Christianity and Islam; Chinese; and indigenous peoples of North America and in Africa). The collection also addresses various themes such as “spirituality and wellness” and “religion and human rights.”
Digital Humanities
The collection supports a variety of humanities disciplines in the pursuit of computational and informational techniques in the curriculum, faculty research, and public history. The collection has a major concentration in approaches used by History and English, but is widely encompassing of current digital scholarship as practiced by humanities disciplines.
STEM Collection Development Policy
Clientele
The UNO Libraries STEM collection development program supports instruction and research in the Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geology/Geography, and Mathematics, the College of Information Science & Technology, and associated centers and programs. Primary faculty contacts are the chairs, faculty liaisons, administrative aids, and other interested faculty. The collection development program also supports the life science information needs of faculty, staff, and students in other departments of UNO. While the library collects for the UNO campus community, its collection is used by local unaffiliated walk-in visitors and, through the Interlibrary Loan program and cooperative agreements with research institutions, the international life science research community.
Participation of patrons in collection development
The STEM Librarian selects additions to and withdrawals from the collections in these areas in UNO Libraries. Faculty, staff, and students routinely recommend books, journal titles, and databases. Recommended books are generally purchased. Journal and database recommendations are evaluated, trialed, and considered along with relevant data. Departments are consulted when large changes in the collection, including cancellation or addition of several serial titles or withdrawal from database subscriptions, are proposed.
Nature of the subject literature
The various STEM programs and departments at UNO combined with the constant changes in these fields make collection development in these areas a great challenge. The need for current, up-to-date information for research and education is vital. There is a distinct emphasis on conventionally published, peer-reviewed scientific journals and monographs. Journal literature is the primary source of information for the UNO Libraries clientele. Books and streaming media are also important to the collection. Popular literature is very sparingly collected, generally when requested to support teaching or research needs. Textbooks designed for use in undergraduate and graduate courses are collected selectively. UNO dissertations are available in electronic format. When users need dissertations from other institutions, they are directed to interlibrary loan, to electronic resources, or to commercial services that supply dissertations.
Description of materials collected
For all types of literature, digital format is preferred. Print may be acquired if no electronic version is available, if the electronic version is judged as poorly presented or unstable or if its content is incomplete, or if price or license terms of the electronic version are prohibitive. Both print and electronic versions may be acquired if a user needs the print version.
Document delivery is an important source of the literature needed by library users. Currently, document delivery services rely on the Interlibrary Loan Department to deliver monographs and copies of journal articles to the UNO community for teaching and research needs. Fast and efficient document delivery decreases the need to purchase infrequently used materials. Records of past document delivery requests are used as a tool in collection development.
Books
Book purchases, whether in electronic or print formats, must be relevant to STEM and fit the nature and scope of the collections. Librarian and patron recommendations, usage statistics of previous editions or items covering similar topics, publisher promotions, and published reviews are used when selecting books. As a rule, one copy of a title will be purchased. Duplicates are purchased on occasion and at the discretion of the librarian. Only electronic books available through institutional licenses will be purchased. Whenever possible, electronic books should be purchased with the right to maintain perpetual access. Remote use and multiple simultaneous users are also preferred license terms. Electronic books are purchased from a variety of vendors and can be purchased and licensed for UNO use only or purchased and licensed through various library consortia. Due to limited shelving space, print books are periodically reviewed and considered for withdrawal. Criteria for withdrawal include the usage of the item, local availability of electronic or more current editions, and the physical condition of the item.
Journals
The journal collection is the primary source of information in UNO Libraries. Journals are purchased primarily to support the teaching and research needs of STEM clientele. Interlibrary loan borrowing statistics, departmental research needs, and faculty suggestions are used in developing this collection. Priority is given to those publications with multiple requests, high impact factors, and titles of interest to more than one college or department.
Each spring, an evaluation of the journal collection is conducted. New journal titles are purchased each year as needed based on new programs and research interests. Low usage, low or no impact factors, extreme price increases, and problems receiving issues are most often the cause for cancellation.
Other materials
A solid collection of indexes to the life sciences literature is acquired. Historically, these were received in print but currently most are available electronically through various commercial, notfor-profit, and government suppliers.
Audiovisual media are acquired very selectively and primarily in response to requests by library users and only when they meet all other collection development criteria. Microforms are no longer collected.
Computer software is not actively collected except when associated with a traditional printed monograph. General software manuals and computer graphics are not collected. Data resources (data sets) are not actively acquired but select sets are available through various commercial, not-for-profit, and government suppliers.
Collection priority areas
The following areas are a specific target for print and eBook collection development as a reflection of campus and program strategic priorities.
- Women and LGBTQIA in STEM histories, biographies, and autobiographies
- Informatics and bioinformatics
- Cybersecurity
- Big Data
- Climate change, sustainability, and environmentalism
- Books about Nebraska and/or Midwestern biology, ecology, geology, geography or other disciplines
- Video game development and history
Subject and language modifiers
Geographical
The collection supports concentrations in American, British/Irish and Anglophone literature, Creative Nonfiction, Composition and Rhetoric, Linguistics, Technical Communication, First Year Writing, and TESOL. Current growth areas are Latinx literature, Native American literature, comics and graphic novels, and medical humanities. Also collected are ESL materials, including “high interest, low vocabulary” items, and other items to support the ILUNO (English as a Second Language) Program at UNO.
Communication
Most items in this collection concern the United States, with special emphasis on the Midwestern and Mountain Plains regions. An increasing number of international publications are being added to the collection. Many of these items concern public health, climate change, and global warming.
Chronological
Emphasis is on acquiring current literature. As available shelf space diminishes, certain classes of older, rarely used materials are withdrawn.
Language
Literature in English is preferred. Materials in other languages are usually acquired in response to requests by library users and when the materials meet other collection development requirements.
Coordination
Close cooperation is maintained with other librarians at UNO that collect in related subject areas. Cooperation ensures comprehensive coverage while minimizing duplication, particularly for interdisciplinary programs.
Collection areas and gaps
Science
Agriculture, forestry, and animal care
Beyond a small core collection of monographs, journals, and electronic resources, UNO Libraries depends on document delivery programs for literature in agriculture and forestry. In general, studies of animal care in agricultural or zoological garden settings are not collected at UNO. This literature is most likely to be found in the UNL Libraries.
Biology and biochemistry
Biology has the primary collection development responsibility including medical titles that support pre-health and medical humanities programs. UNO Libraries has acquired some biochemistry materials through the collection development program for chemistry. UNO Libraries collects practical manuals designed to assist with written, oral, graphical, or electronic communication. To support the teaching programs, UNO Libraries acquires some works of history and historical biography in life sciences. Literature in genetics, molecular biology, cell biology, and developmental biology is collected at a low level. Those areas are the primary responsibility of UNMC McGoogan Library.
Bioinformatics, biocomputing, and biostatistics
Bioinformatics is a rapidly growing area and there is some overlap between biology and mathematics and statistics in bioinformatics, biostatistics, and computer modeling. In general, the collection development program in technology focuses on applications of computers, mathematics, and statistics.
Biological education
In general, studies of biological education are more likely to be purchased by the collection program in education. UNO Libraries does collect some works designed to assist life science faculty and graduate students in improving teaching skills and other works that are of more use to biologists than to researchers in education.
Chemistry
UNO Libraries has built a working collection for the chemist that is responsive to the research requirements of the Chemistry Department. Topics include analytical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, green chemistry, material chemistry, and theoretical chemistry.
Clinical medicine and health care
UNO Libraries does not extensively collect clinical medicine or health care. Those areas are the primary responsibility of UNMC McGoogan Library. UNO Libraries has a core collection of medical texts covering anatomy and physiology for general education courses. The library collects works on biological illustration and a smaller collection of works that focus primarily on medical illustration.
Environmental studies and toxicology
UNO Libraries acquires works that emphasize interactions between the physical environment and ecosystems, nonhuman populations, or individual nonhuman organisms. Works that discuss climate, pollution, or other abiotic aspects of the environment are also collected. Studies of climate and climate change are of particular interest.
The library also has a serious interest in substantive studies of nature conservation, especially in research regarding the Mountain Plains or Midwest regions. Environmental health and toxicology are generally closely related to public health and items are considered in collaboration with the social sciences program.
Geography and geology
Print monographs are reserved for theoretical and foundational texts as well as social and cultural commentaries, including tourism, GIS, and urban geography. UNO Libraries does not actively collect print maps but some historical maps and atlases are still available for use.
Neurosciences
UNO Libraries supports the longstanding neurobiology research interests of multiple campus departments, including Psychology, Neuroscience, and Biology and items are considered in collaboration with the social sciences program.
Physiology
UNO Libraries collects extensively for physiology including physiology and anatomy, sports medicine, and kinesiology and items are considered in collaboration with the education program.
Technology
In order to keep up with rapidly changing technology, UNO Libraries collects mostly ebooks and online serials in the following areas: include information technology, computer security, network security, wireless communications, social media, big data, biometrics, cryptology, informatics, computer game design and development, artificial intelligence, and robotics. Print monographs are reserved for theoretical and foundational texts as well as social and cultural commentaries.
Engineering
Beyond a core collection of journals and electronic resources, UNO Libraries depends on document delivery programs for most needs for literature in engineering. There is a small collection of engineering monographs and the print ASME Standards are updated approximately every five years. The bulk of engineering literature is found in the UNL Libraries.
Mathematics
Coordination and continuing evaluation is required concerning overlap in theoretical computer science, information theory, machine theory, and operations research. The mathematics and statistics collection emphasizes the theoretical and mathematical aspects as well as applied aspects.
Social Sciences Collection Development Policy
Purpose & Scope
The purpose of the Social Sciences Collection Development Policy is to serve as a guiding document to collect materials to support instruction and research in the areas of Anthropology, Aviation, Black Studies, Criminal Justice, Education, Emergency Services, Gerontology, Latino/a Studies, Native American Studies, Political Science, Psychology, Public Administration, Social Work, Sociology, Women’s and Gender Studies, as well as interdisciplinary research initiatives such as Social Science Research Commons (SSRC), Office of Latina/Latin American Studies (OLLAS), and The Leonard and Shirley Goldstein Center for Human Rights.
In collaboration with other subject librarians, the Social Sciences Librarian selects additions to and withdrawals from the collection. The collection development efforts are also facilitated by periodic outreach to library liaisons, faculty, staff, and students who recommend monographs, journals, and databases in light of their research agendas as well as general information needs of the campus community. The UNO Criss Library Interlibrary Loan (ILL) program fills the gaps in the collection through participation in consortium of other academic libraries to allow campus community members to request books, articles, and microfilm depending on the lending restrictions of the participating library.
Coverage & Materials
The constantly shifting interdisciplinary landscape of social science research calls for the most current and up-to-date information to be available for researchers. Researchers primarily rely on peer-reviewed journals but the library actively collects both print and electronic books that synthesize areas of research, and databases that include streaming media, and dissertations and theses. Though the primary goal of the collection is to facilitate teaching and research in the social science disciplines, popular literature in the social sciences that advances the broader campus-wide initiatives, priorities, and understanding of key topics is also selectively collected.
The library recognizes the ease of access of digital resources for undergraduate and graduate online courses offered in various social science disciplines. However, print resources may be preferred in cases where electronic resources are not feasible due to license, incomplete content, and inferior usability. Relevance in scope and overlap with the curriculum and research agenda of the teaching faculty drives book purchases in electronic and print formats. Recent disciplinary trends, faculty recommendations, and published book reviews in established journals are used for selecting titles. Typically, one copy of a title is purchased. However, duplicates may be purchased on the request of faculty or students for wider accessibility. In case of electronic book purchases, institutional licenses with simultaneous multiple users are preferred. Consistent with the goal of supporting the teaching and research, print books are periodically reviewed and considered for withdrawal based on criteria such as the usage statistics, availability in electronic format, and physical condition. Academic peer-reviewed journals are extensively used in social science research at UNO. An ongoing priority list of journals is developed based on faculty requests, Interlibrary Loan statistics, and new academic programs. Library faculty routinely evaluates and prioritizes the journal titles based on multiple requests, impact factor, and interdisciplinary and crossdisciplinary value.
In addition to traditional formats, the library recognizes the value of audiovisual content to support the teaching and research needs of various social science disciplines. Both practitioners and researchers in early childhood education, psychology, and social work rely heavily audiovisual content to draw important connections to theory and practice. The library continues to explore platforms and venues for providing access to quality audiovisual content to support the teaching and research needs of the campus community.
Subject Areas
Anthropology
The curricula at UNO focuses on cultural and physical anthropology and their interaction across time--encompassing sub-disciplines of archeology, biological anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and socio-cultural anthropology. The common thread of examining different cultures through various theoretical frameworks along with methodological approaches of anthropological research drives the collection development efforts.
Aviation
The library collects material to support three concentrations offered by the Aviation Institute, in conjunction with the Division of Continuing Studies--Air Transport Administration with a focus on airport administration, airline operations, and government entities; Professional Flight focuses on professional pilot training, psychology, and behavior; and Unmanned Aircraft Systems focuses on management and operation of unmanned aircraft.
Black Studies
Black Studies collection highlights the critique and discussion of issues related to the Black experience in the United States--issues of communicating race relations, ethnicity, gender identity, law, psychology, and art through both historical and current perspectives. The collection emphasizes the political and social dimensions of revolutionary movements including Civil Rights movement, Black Lives Matter, and others that highlight Black history across time.
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Criminology and Criminal Justice collection reflects a variety of research areas including but not limited to criminology theory, juvenile delinquency and juvenile practice, public perceptions of criminal justice policies, nature of criminal propensity, biosocial and psychological factors, policing, sexual assault, domestic violence, program evaluation, and careers in criminal justice.
Emergency Management and Disaster Science
The collection development efforts in Emergency Management focus on tribal emergency management, critical infrastructure, disaster preparedness, e-governance, and collaborative disaster management. Emphasis is also given to communication and developmental strategies in NGO-government relations in the context of disaster readiness and management.
Gerontology
To fully support the interdisciplinary nature of the undergraduate and graduate programs in Gerontology, the library collects materials on topics ranging from biosocial concerns, politics, mental health, law, hospice care, spiritual aspects, death, end of life planning, caregiving, intergenerational relationships, ageism, and other dimensions of aging.
Latino/a Studies
Latino/Latin American Studies encompasses the history, geopolitics, art, literature, language, culture, and identity through anthropological and sociological lens. The collection supports the growing interdisciplinary research on Latino/Latin American issues and populations within and across borders.
Native American Studies
Native American Studies collection includes perspectives on Native American culture, history, arts, values, lifeways, spirituality, social and political institutions, and other contemporary issues within the framework of the North American experience. Other focused aspects of the collection include Native American medicine, art, law, education, public administration, social work, and criminal justice.
Political Science
The areas of emphasis for Political Science collection includes American government, European politics, Latin American politics, East Asian politics, Middle East politics, Islam and politics, gender and politics, Intelligence and national security, US foreign policy, political theory, Constitutional law, environmental security, authoritarian regimes, conflict resolution, and Political Science research methodologies.
Psychology
The psychology collection is comprised of items that focus on research areas such as cognitive science, developmental psychology, forensic psychology, industrial and organizational psychology, mental health, social psychology, neuroscience, behavior and applied behavior analysis, and school psychology. This collection especially focuses on areas that are supported by student and faculty research such as positive psychology and wellbeing, quantitative data analysis, and industrial psychology.
Public Administration
The collection supports the six concentrations in Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at UNO--emergency management, healthcare administration, local government, nonprofit management, public management, and public policy. With specializations offered in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Information and Technology Management, and doctoral program in Public Administration, emphasis is given to recent trends and areas of research in public policy.
Social Work
Some of the key areas of the collection include child welfare, evidence-based practice, intervention development, adaptation and evaluation of programs, human service organizations, social work policy, mental health, suicide education, trauma, grief, LGBTQIA+ identities, aging, professional development as a social worker, authentic community engagement, and qualitative and quantitative research methods in social work.
Sociology
The areas of primary research in Sociology include medical sociology, sociology of families, global social inequality, organizational sociology, and social anthropology. With broad interdisciplinary connections with other social sciences, the collection also includes seminal titles in social epistemology and sociological theory.
Women's and Gender Studies
Women’s and Gender Studies collection includes a variety of topics related to gender identity, major philosophical and social movements, crime and justice, work, health, communication, and sociology of gender through different theoretical perspectives.
College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
The Education collection contains materials to support all subject areas housed in the College of Education. The research areas covered include but are not restricted to early childhood education, primary and secondary education, higher education, special education, school administration, Praxis preparation, speech-language pathology, physical education, library science, counseling, public health, athletic training, and biomechanics. This collection highlights new and existing programs and research areas that are supported by student and faculty interest such as inclusive early childhood education, adolescent speech and language development, educational leadership, programming in libraries, and behavioral interventions.
Biomechanics
This collection supports student and faculty research with materials from the disciples that intersect within the field of biomechanics. This includes but is not limited to biology, physiology, anatomy, physics, mathematics, and chemistry. The collection highlights specific student and faculty interests in biomechanics such as rehabilitation, design of assistive devices, robotics, prosthetics, and applications in sports, sports medicine, and military performance.
Counseling
Materials for students and faculty researching counseling includes higher-level graduate and professional materials to support degrees in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, School Counseling, and Student Affairs that the department offers. The collection is focused on professional counseling work in a diverse range of settings, including mental health agencies, non-profits, hospitals, government agencies, public and private schools, and higher education settings.
Educational Leadership
Educational leadership programs focus on administrative certification for those in the field of education. Materials in this collection concentrate on building administration, special education leadership and teacher leadership. This collection also includes test preparation materials for the Praxis II – School Leadership and Superintendent Exams.
Health & Kinesiology
The department of Health & Kinesiology offers degrees at undergraduate and graduate levels. This collection includes a range of materials in order to support those in the department regardless of their experience within the field. Specific topic concentrations within the collection include but are not limited to athletic training, kinesiology, physical education teaching, coaching and pedagogy, public health, exercise science, health behavior, and promoting physical activity in a variety of populations.
Special Education and Communication Disorders
This collection aims to support those researching aspects of special education and communication disorders. Special education research areas that are focused on within the collection include but are not limited to American Sign Language and sign language interpreting, education of the deaf and hard of hearing, inclusive early childhood education, and elementary and secondary special education teacher education. Research areas in communication disorders that are focused on include speech-language pathology, adolescent speech and language development, early childhood interventions, and clinical materials.
Teacher Education
The Teacher Education offers programs leading to educator certification in a variety of areas. The collection aims to support this goal by providing materials concentrating on early childhood education, elementary education, middle grades education, secondary education, library science, literacy, and English as a second language and reading specialist research. This collection ranges from items for undergraduate to professional level materials. This collection includes juvenile and young adult books that support children and young adult literacy courses. This collection also feature test preparation materials for the Praxis Core and Praxis II subject specific exams.
Interdisciplinary Research Initiatives
In addition to supporting the research and teaching in the above mentioned subject areas, the collection also supports the following campus initiatives.
Center for Applied Psychological SErvices (CAPS)
The Center for Applied Psychological Services, or CAPS, promotes community engagement and real life learning within the psychology department. CAPS provides research-based consulting services to local, public, and private organizations. Prominent research areas for those involved in CAPS include Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Social Psychology, School Psychology, and Developmental Psychology.
Juvenile Justice Institute
Established in 2002, the Juvenile Justice Institute (JJI) provides technical assistance and conducts program evaluations for state and local agencies, and private organizations in partnership with policymakers, practitioners, and criminal justice faculty. The institute encourages the development of future criminal justice professionals by providing students with unique educational and research opportunities.
Leonard and Shirley Goldestein Center for Human Rights
A nonpartisan, nonsectarian organization that promotes the understanding of human rights issues through teaching, research, creative activity, and community engagement. The Center is faculty governed, student centered, and community engaged. It is composed of over thirty affiliated faculty from five Colleges at UNO.
Office of Latino/Latin American Studies (OLLAS)
Office of Latina/latin American Studies (OLLAS) offers educational programming and resources to advance understanding of Chicano/Latino/Latin American peoples and the critical issues affecting these populations. In addition, OLLAS offers mentoring and advising of first-generation and ethnically diverse college students.
Office of STEM Education
The goal of the STEM Leadership Team is to help UNO to provide meaningful learning experiences in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for students of all ages. The Team focuses on many aspects of STEM education, including improving teacher training, increasing the number and diversity of STEM teachers, providing innovative STEM curriculum, and researching STEM education interventions.
Social Science Research Commons (SSRC)
The Social Science Research Commons (SSRC) provides a space for students, faculty, and community members to build opportunities and support networks for interdisciplinary research. SSRC is an initiative of the social sciences to promote academic partnership and collaboration by offering a network of support for UNO/UNMC students and faculty as they work to master critical research tools and methodologies.
Support and Training for the Evaluation of Programs (STEPs)
Support and Training for the Evaluation of Programs (STEPs) promotes evidence-based decision making through research and evaluation using a collaborative, utilization-focused approach to support social service programs and policies that transform and improve lives. STEPs makes extensive use of data visualization and infographics to make assessments accessible, understandable, and inform program improvement, increase sustainability, prepare logic models, and assess needs, activities, and outcomes.
Community Counseling Clinic
The Community Counseling Clinic is staffed by advanced students in the UNO Graduate Department of Counseling and is supervised by licensed department faculty. The clinic offers individual and group counseling sessions for people of all ages. Areas of research include personal wellness, anxiety, depression, addiction, and stress management.
The CADRE Project
The CADRE project provides an opportunity for newly certified elementary or secondary teachers to complete an accelerated master's program while receiving support from UNO faculty. One of the goals of this project is to create a stronger network between teacher preparation programs, professional development, and participating school districts.
Government Documents Collection Development Policy
Criss Library joined the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) of the U.S. Government Publishing Office in 1939, and it joined the Nebraska Library Commission’s depository program in 1976. The Library receives documents distributed via these programs, and it agrees to provide free public access, research assistance, and appropriate processing, cataloging, and preservation.
Depository documents are now often distributed over the Internet, and the Library adds catalog records which link to them. The catalog thus describes a physical and virtual collection which ranges across time from the 1790s to the current year.
The Library has also purchased archival collections of government documents. Most were distributed on microfilm or microfiche, but recent purchases have been for online databases.
A detailed description the Library’s government documents collections may be examined at http://libguides.unomaha.edu/government_documents.
Access to the Government Documents Collection
The Library welcomes any and all to the Government Documents Collection. Documents are kept on public shelves or in self-service cabinets, and they are available whenever the library is open. The documents librarian and staff are happy to provide assistance, but visitors may browse and work on their own. This access policy is governed by legal requirements of the Federal Depository Library Program.
Borrowing privileges for government documents largely parallel those for other library materials. Most paper U.S. and Nebraska documents may be checked out for 28 days. CD-ROMs and DVDs may be checked out for 14 days. Exceptions include several series which are treated as archival or reference works; for example, the Congressional Record, the Code of Federal Regulations, and decennial census reports must be used within the Library. Photocopiers are readily available, as are scanners for microfilm and microfiche.
Both current and historical government documents are recorded in the library catalog, so they may be searched in the same manner as other library collections. Documents holdings are also noted in the OCLC WorldCat database, and the Library’s Interlibrary Loan office may loan them to other libraries nationally and internationally.
The Library’s public access computers may be used to search U.S. and State of Nebraska government Internet sites. The computers include disk drives which can be used for depository CD-ROMs and DVDs. All visitors may search commercial databases such as ProQuest Congressional and the U.S. Congressional Serial Set on computers inside the Library, but off-campus access is restricted by license to UNO faculty, staff, and currently-enrolled students.
Collection Guidelines
Relationship to depository programs
Criss Library is a selective depository in the Federal Depository Library Program, and we typically receives about 1,400 documents each year. The Regional Depository for Nebraska (Love Library, UNL) serves as a coordinating agency for the state, and the Library cooperates with the Nebraska State Plan.
The Library’s selections align with the specific teaching and research concerns of UNO, but some items, chiefly associated with legal, consumer, and health-related information, also address interests in the wider community. The Library’s official service area in the FDLP is the 2nd Congressional District of Nebraska, and in practice this incorporates the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area.
In 2005, the Nebraska Library Commission converted its depository program to Internet distribution, and the Library annually catalogs and links to about 450 documents which reside on the NLC’s archive server.
Chronology
The Government Documents collection spans the history of the United States and the State of Nebraska. Current receipts naturally tend to focus on recent concerns, but documents are not excluded because of their chronological emphasis.
Geography
Scientific treatments of agriculture, ecology, geology, and geography are typically limited to Nebraska and the surrounding states (Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, and South Dakota), but exceptions may be made to support curricular and research emphases. For example, studies of the ecological effect of wildfire in any state may address the teaching and research interests of certain faculty in Biology.
The Library selects U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps for Nebraska, and map selections also include national and international maps issued by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Central Intelligence Agency.
Departments and Agencies
The Government Documents collection emphasizes depository documents issued by these U.S. government departments and agencies:
- Congress (including the Congressional Budget Office)
- Agriculture
- Commerce (especially the Census Bureau)
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
- Defense
- Energy
- Federal Trade Commission
- Government Accountability Office
- Health and Human Services
- Interiour
- Justice
- Labor
- President (including the Central Intelligence Agency)
- Social Security Administration
- State
- Supreme Court
- Transportation
- Treasury
The Library catalogs Internet-accessible documents added by the Nebraska Library Commission to its archive server, and it receives paper copies of several Nebraska government periodicals still distributed by mailing list.
UNO does not have a law school, but interest in legal reference sources remains notable. The Library subscribes to the NexisUNI and WestlawNext databases, which provide access to decisions of the U.S. District Courts, Courts of Appeal, and Supreme Court. They also include the decisions of the appellate courts of all fifty states.
Type of Material and Format
U.S. depository documents include both monographs and serials. The specific format (paper, microfiche, CD-ROM, or DVD) is determined by an agency or by the FDLP, and the Library’s selections are guided by content. Documents are not excluded entirely on the basis of format, but additional scrutiny is given to items such as Braille editions, kits, and visual media which may present shelving, filing, or storage challenges.
Content concerns guide the selection and cataloging of Internet-accessible documents. Whenever possible, the Library prefers to link to an electronic facsimile, typically a PDF file. In the case of U.S. documents, the library prefers to link to those which have been certified as authentic with the digital signature of the U.S. Superintendent of Documents.
Collection Maintenance
Government documents are subject to the same standard of care as other library materials. When necessary, they are mended, bound, or otherwise treated so that they remain in good repair. Ranges of shelving are inspected at least weekly to identify areas where shelf-reading is needed to restore call number order. A government document may be moved to the Library’s Special Collections area when fragility and particular rarity indicate that extra care should be taken to insure its long-term survival.
The Library follows the FDLP’s guidelines governing the discard of depository materials and the guidelines addressing the substitution of electronic access for tangible copies.