We've also recently discussed this issue with our nursing faculty, and I'd be interested in hearing other perspectives. Our rule is to review print materials in nursing every 1-2 years, usually with help from the faculty. (There's usually somebody who is working during the summer and is willing to come in and purge.) We also try to update weeded titles as part of the process, e.g. if the latest edition is the 3rd, we order it at the same time we weed the 2nd edition.
This only applies to materials where currency is essential. We retain things like history, biography, and nursing theory longer, and so far, nobody has objected.
Sara R. Williams
Sara R. Williams
Library Director
College of Saint Mary
7000 Mercy Road
Omaha, NE 68106
(402) 399-2467
swilliams_at_csm.edu<mailto:swilliams_at_csm.edu>
From: colldv-request_at_lists.ala.org [mailto:colldv-request_at_lists.ala.org] On Behalf Of Robert Heaton
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2018 3:20 PM
To: colldv_at_lists.ala.org
Subject: [ALCTS-colldv] print-book requirements in nursing accreditation
My university is in the process of pursuing the initial accreditation of a bachelor's in nursing. We are seeking clarification on the point, but our contact has asked that we weed or mark as "historical" any print books that are older than 5 years. The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) explicitly requires (here: http://www.acenursing.net/manuals/sc2017_B.pdf) that "Learning resources and technology are selected with faculty input and are comprehensive, current, and accessible to faculty and students."
Whether the stricter "not older than 5 years" rule applies or just the broader injunction to have current materials, how have other institutions with nursing programs handled this accreditation requirement? Have you deemphasized the importance of the print collection (or brought up journals in addition to books)? Do you add a note to "expired" materials annually in the catalog? Do you weed annually to meet the requirement? Do you emphasize that you select resources with faculty input even when it contradicts the 5-year rule? What strategies have you used, and with what degree of success?
I hope to get considerably more information during the accreditors' visit, but I want to be armed with some anecdotes about the scope of what we should be willing to incorporate into policy. Thank you!
Robert Heaton
Collection Management Librarian
Utah State University Libraries
Received on Wed Sep 26 2018 - 16:47:44 EDT