A. Dissertations & Theses of Students and Publications of Faculty (Richmond)
Two paper copies are required by the Academic Dean of all dissertations submitted for the PhD degree (formerly, EdD or ThD degrees), printed on acid-free 24-lb paper and donated by the student. One copy of record is sent to ProQuest for scanning and binding, and when it returns it is filed permanently in the Archives. The second copy is sent to Cataloging, is classified by subject and housed in the stacks (unless the student withholds permission). A single copy of record of any thesis submitted for the MA or ThM degrees is housed in the Archives. Final projects submitted as part of the D.Min or any other professional degree program may be accepted as gifts, cataloged and added to the stacks collection. Publications by faculty members will be purchased and added to the collection, with a non-circulating copy maintained in the Union Seminary publications area. Publications by alumni/ae and staff will be purchased or accepted as gifts and added if deemed appropriate by the Seminary Librarian.
B. Gifts
Arrangements for such appraisals must be made by the donor directly with an outside appraiser of the donor’s choice. The Library will acknowledge receipt of any unrestricted gifts but is not responsible for the choice of the appraiser, the quality of the appraiser’s work or any complications with the IRS that may arise from an appraisal. Library staff members and librarians can determine whether items given to the Library will be added to the collection.
They may refuse a proposed gift if it does not serve the needs of the collection. The Library only accepts unrestricted gifts (not loans) and reserves the right to exchange, sell, forward to other libraries or dispose of these materials. Because of Internal Revenue Service guidelines, the Library, as the recipient of a gift, cannot provide an appraisal of the gift’s value.
C. Weeding
1. Items in the collection that come to the attention of the Library staff through their normal duties and contact with the collection will be weeded from the collection if they meet the following criteria that inform all such decisions by Library staff:
2. Normally, the Library will hold no more than two copies of any item.
3. Items in the circulating collection that have not been circulated in the last ten years will be seriously considered for deaccessioning. In such deliberations, however, it will be assumed that it is better to retain an item in the collection than to remove it.
4. The value of an item’s presence in the collection will be a function of how closely the item still fulfills the collection development criteria.
D. Periodic Review
1. This policy will be reviewed and reevaluated every three years.
2. The next review of this policy will take place during the second half of 2022.