Collection development

1. The Librarian shall have direct control of library acquisitions and purchasing.
2. If the Librarian has assistants, specific tasks may be delegated to assistants.
3. The WU library uses sources that are copyleft, open access, and open-source where available. This may include:
1. Directing library users to sources via hyperlink.
2. Directing library users to repositories of sources via portal or hyperlink.
3. Providing sources on the library website.

Acquisition priorities: Coursework units

1. In order of priority, starting with highest priority, resources should be acquired as follows:
1. Textbooks and required reading for units being taught at the time
2. Textbooks and required reading for units being taught in the next semester
3. Supporting resources for coursework units being taught at the time, for example, books relating to essay and assignment topics, reference books
4. Supporting resources for coursework units being taught in the next semester, for example, resources relating to essay and assignment topics, reference sources
5. General support materials in subjects taught
6. General support materials in the fields taught at WU
7. General support materials of other fields of interest to the WU learning community

Acquisitions policy: Research projects

1. In regard to WU research projects, the highest priority is identifying and acquiring access to primary resources, especially repositories of open access journals and dissertations in fields of interest to WU.
2. The Librarian should check that students have access to suitable systems to search resources.

Internet and copyright

1. Unless stated otherwise, Internet material is presumed to be copyright.
2. If there is no security gate (e.g. password), Internet sources may be viewed for free.
3. Materials produced by the US government are presumed to be free of copyright.
4. Unless permission is given otherwise for other uses, copyrighted material may not be downloaded and redistributed. Note: in some jurisdictions, persons may freely save copies for offline use.

Procedures

1. As early as possible in the planning for each coming semester, the Librarian should confer with each faculty member to:
1. Get a list of textbooks and required reading for the coming semester.
2. Get a list of any useful supporting resources.
3. Decide on how resources should be provided: e.g. a link through the library or through the course page on the LMS, or both.
4. When a resource is provided by a link to a page in an external website, get a backup resource in case the first resource is deleted or moved from its URL.
5. When resources require budget allowance, check that any expenditure complies with budget.
2. When a resource is copyleft or public domain, add it to the WU repository.
3. When resources require budget allowance, check that any expenditure complies with budget.
4. Resources that are copyleft or public domain are added to the WU repository.
5. A report from the Librarian Assistant outlining what is secured and the resources received for the month.
6. The Librarian Assistant processes the newly secured learning resources to be entered into the catalog.

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Note: Standardized bibliographies are available for building collections in some fields: e.g., David R. Stewart, The Literature of Theology: a Guide for Students and Pastors. Rev. ed. (Louisville, KY: John Knox, 2003).