The heart of a library is its collections, whether materials physically contained within the building or virtual collection subscriptions. The library collections total over 600,000 items including books, journals, videos, government publications and archival collections.
Liaison areas are assigned to all SVSU librarians based on their academic background and areas of interest. In collaboration with faculty, liaisons select materials to support the curriculum of the five University Colleges. See the Library directory for a list of liaisons and their associated subjects.
Liaisons carry out their work in selection by forging a relationship with their assigned departments – much of this work is carried out by email or telephone, but often liaisons will work with faculty personally in their offices or in department meetings. Each librarian is allocated a portion of the overall budget to use for book and audio-visual materials; funding for print and electronic serials and databases is allocated separately. Communication with faculty is essential – a significant portion of library purchases are made based on recommendations from SVSU faculty, both solicited and unsolicited. Liaisons also consult with faculty regarding vendor promotions, including new databases, price discounts, and free trials.
Reviews found in reputable library and trade literature are also important. Liaisons use sources such as Choice, Booklist, and a variety of review and trade journals to supplement recommendations from faculty.
The library collection has been built in part using using a collection evaluation tool, the Bowker Book Analysis System, that compares SVSU’s library holdings with those recommended for peer institutions. Reports produced using this tool were communicated with faculty as core lists were identifed for their subject areas, and to improve the overall collection by adding volumes published in previous years that have recently become standard works.