Exploring Collection Development Policies at R1 Research University Libraries

Abstract

This article documents the structure, content, and components of collection development policies (CDPs) at R1 research universities using content analysis. Of the 146 R1 research universities in the 2021 R1 classification cycle, just under 60% had a publicly accessible CDP. The most used title for a CDP was “Collection Development Policy.” Over half of the CDPs had a section for material formats and gifts or donations. Many documents discussed space and budgets within the policies. If an academic library does not have a document, library staff should create a document for the library and update it annually.