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Reference Services

BIBLIOGRAPHER: Jenifer Flaxbart and Bill Kopplin
OTHER SUBJECT RESPONSIBILITIES: Bill - Computer Sciences and PCL Periodicals Room
ADDRESS: Reference and Information Services Division PCL 2.430
PHONE: 495-4266

I. Purpose:

The PCL Reference Services Department is the largest and most comprehensive reference collection in The University of Texas Libraries and is considered the core collection for the library system. As such it collects general reference materials for the entire University community. In particular it provides reference materials in support of University teaching and research at all levels in the fields of: the social sciences, humanities, education, business, nursing, computer science applications and software, and in many cognate and interdisciplinary fields. In general, for all subjects in which the PCL Reference Collection is the primary reference DemoUrl, the collection policy is to follow the same subject guidelines used by the individual collection policies of the general collection.

II. General Collection Guidelines:

A. Languages: No limitations. English is the primary language of the collection. In general the Reference Services collection policy is to collect reference material which is consistent with the established collection development guidelines for the individual subjects .

B. Chronological Guidelines:No limitations. In general the Reference Services collection policy is to collect reference material which is consistent with the established collection development guidelines for the individual subjects.

C. Geographical Guidelines: No limitations. In general the Reference Services collection policy is to collect reference material which is consistent with the established collection development guidelines for the individual subjects.

D. Treatment of Subject: In general the Reference Services collection policy is to collect reference material which is consistent with the established collection development guidelines for the individual subjects. Detailed observations and exceptions may be found in the Observations and Qualifications section appended to this policy.

III. Observations and Qualifications by Subject and LC Class:

Subject Priorities and Collecting Levels Key

Subject Priorities
1. PCL REF is the primary reference DemoUrl. Subject has a UT Austin curriculum program.
2. PCL REF is the primary reference DemoUrl. Subject has no curriculum program.
3. PCL REF is a secondary reference DemoUrl.
4. PCL REF should only collect selectively in this subject.
Collecting Levels
- A. Minimal Level: highly selective purchases
- B. Instructional Level: Standard works and selected current works
- C. General Research Level: Acquire most of the materials required to support research through the doctoral degree level and the general research needs of the faculty. Allows for retrospective purchasing.
- D. Comprehensive Level: All currently published relevant material will be acquired. Extensive programs of retrospective purchasing.
- E. Intensive Level: Acquire all current and retrospective written or recorded material in all languages, editions, translations, and formats.
- F. Types of Material: National and trade bibliographies, guides to the literature, biographical and critical sources, directories, indexes, abstracts, dictionaries, and encyclopedias are collected extensively. English language thesauri and thesauri that accompany indexes and abstracts are collected. Standard English language quotation books in all subject areas are collected; foreign language quotation books are collected selectively. Books of statistics are collected extensively in appropriate subject areas. Concordances to holy books are collected; concordances to individual authors are not collected except for Shakespeare. Standard world and thematic atlases and selected. U.S. atlases are collected. Books with short term value are generally not collected. Detailed observations and exceptions may be found in the Observations and Qualifications section appended to this policy. Nonpaper formats are acquired selectively with ease of use, cost, and archival value factored into the same collection guidelines as are used for the paper formats.
- G. Date of Publication: In most case current materials have collection priority over retrospective materials.
- H. Other General Considerations: In general the Reference Services collection policy is consistent with the established collection development guidelines for the individual subjects and with The University of Texas Libraries Policies and Guidelines No. 10 "The Reference Collections Policy." Except for selected standard works the PCL Reference Collection does not duplicate the specialized material in the branch libraries and special collections.