Michigan State University

Collection Development Policy Statement: Museum Studies and Library Science

Factors Influencing Collection Policy

A. Anticipated Future Trends

Museum studies now include museum ethnography; repatriation of native american remains; visitor studies; intergenerational programming for exhibits; museum evaluation; case studies in museum education; recent studies on the effects of the environment on outdoor art; cultural excursions; mission statements and codes of ethics; avant-garde in exhibition; computer and other technology in museums, and user experience.

Current and future trends in the library science field include more emphasis on databases, electronic journals and monographs, new technologies (such as GIS), networking, digitization, artificial intelligence, distance learning, and information and data literacy. Other areas include off-site shelving (libraries) or storage (museums); virtual libraries; collection development in a digital environment; metadata; licensing and managing digital content; consortia; e-publishing; cyberculture; and changes in reference service, e.g. chat reference and email reference. 

In the area of the history of the book and the book industry, we have seen growth in the area of computer-aided design, and website development and design. There has been exponential growth in the mining of the hidden collections of the archives and special collections units of libraries and museums for esoteric materials once known only to dedicated researchers.

B. Relationships with Other Resources

  1. On-Campus Branch or Format Collections, If Any

    Resources about online searching and all aspects of programming and web design may class in QA and be collected in the Mathematics & Statistics or Engineering sections in the library.. There may also be software or non-print formats in the Digital & Multimedia Center which also includes the Vincent Voice Library. The holdings in the Fine Arts Library consist primarily of reference materials; works about graphic design; U.S. printing history; practical printing, type specimen books; works about conservation and preservation; and museum studies. Additional significant art research holdings, such as illuminated manuscript facsimiles (http://catalog.lib.msu.edu/record=b2863635~S39a), rare books, microforms and software, are located in the Main Library (in Murray and Hong Special Collections or in the Microforms section of the Current Periodicals & Microforms, Reserves and Copy Service Unit).

  2. Regional or Network Resources, If Any

    The University of Michigan School of Information offers a specialization in Library & Information Services, including school library media programs; Archives & Records Management; Human Computer Interaction, and others. Its library collection relating to SI graduate programs is a resource of great depth and historicity. The UM Libraries are also very strong in areas such as paleography. Wayne State University School of Library and Information Science collects resources to support seven specialized programs.  As part of the Michigan Research Libraries Triangle, MSU Libraries maintains reciprocal borrowing agreements with both the University of Michigan and Wayne State Libraries. Materials are also obtained via interlibrary loan from other BTAA institutions.

C. Relationships to Resources Treated in Other Policy Statements

  • Education
  • Russel B. Nye Popular Culture Collection
  • Main Library Reference
  • Computer Sciences (cryptography, e.g.)
  • Murray and Hong Special Collections
  • Fine Arts
  • British History
  • American Radicalism

There are also relationships to other units or divisions within the Libraries, e.g. Access and Preservation; the Digital and Multimedia Center; Murray and Hong Special Collections; Fine Arts; Government Documents; Library Instruction; and Microforms.

D. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA)

We seek out historically underrepresented and marginalized voices, identities, and perspectives to diversify and fill gaps in our collections and participate in dismantling racism, sexism, and other biases.

New electronic collection purchase, especially electronic monographs/eBooks will prioritize vendor platforms based on the acessibilty comparison table for eBook platforms report, created by the MSUL Accessibilitiy unit.