
NCIP Conspectus Collection Depth Indicator Definitions Fifth Edition, 7/8/96
- 0 Out of Scope: Library does not intentionally collect materials in any format
for this subject
- 1 Minimal Information Level: To support minimal inquiries about this subject, the
following are included:
- a very limited collection of materials including monographs and reference works.
- Periodicals directly dealing with this topic and in-depth electronic information
resources are not collected.
- The collection should be frequently and systematically reviewed for currency of
information. Superseded editions and titles containing outdated information should be
withdrawn. Classic or standard retrospective materials may be retained.
- 2 Basic Information Level: to introduce and define a subject, to indicate the
varieties of information available elsewhere and to support the needs of general library
users through the first two years of college instruction, the following are included:
- a limited collection of monographs and reference works;
- a limited collection of representative general periodicals;
- access to a limited number of owned or remotely accessed electronic bibliographic tools,
texts, data sets, etc.
- The collection should be frequently and systematically reviewed for currency of
information. Superseded editions and titles containing outdated information should be
withdrawn. Classic or standard retrospective materials may be retained.
- 3 Study or Instructional Support Level: To provide knowledge about a subject in a
systematic way, but at a level of less than research intensity and to support the needs of
general library users through college and beginning graduate instruction, the following
are included:
- an extensive collection of general monographs and reference works;
- an extensive collection of general periodicals and a limited collection of
representative specialized periodicals;
- limited collections of appropriate foreign language materials, e.g., foreign language
learning or foreign language materials about a topic like German history;
- extensive collections of the works of better-known writers and selections from the works
of less well-known writers;
- access to an extensive collection of owned or remotely accessed electronic bibliographic
tools, texts, and data sets.
- The collection should be systematically reviewed for currency of information and to
assure that essential and significant information is retained including significant
numbers of classic retrospective materials.
- 4 Research Level: To provide a collection that contains the major published
source materials required up to and through dissertation and independent research levels,
the following are included:
- a very extensive collection of general and specialized monographs and reference works;
- a very extensive collection of general and specialized periodicals;
- extensive collections of appropriate foreign language materials;
- extensive collections of the works of better-known writers as well as other important
but less well-known writers;
- access to a very extensive collection of owned or remotely accessed electronic
resources, including bibliographic tools, texts, and data sets.
- Older material is usually retained for historical research and is actively preserved.
- 5 Comprehensive Level: To provide a collection that maintains a "special
collection" on this topic, the following are included as far as is reasonably
possible and in all applicable languages:
- exhaustive collections of published materials;
- very extensive manuscript collections;
- very extensive collections in all other pertinent formats.
- Older material is retained for historical research and is actively preserved.
- A Comprehensive Level collection can serve as a national or international resource.
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