Collection policy

Approved by the Library Management Team 23.8.2024

The University of Applied Sciences Seinäjoki Library’s (SeAMK Library) collection policy is based on the curricula and the needs of research, development and innovation (RDI). The library supports learning, teaching and RDI activities by acquiring and providing access to professional and scholarly materials and by maintaining a diverse and up-to-date collections. The collection policy also takes into account the needs of the University Consortium of Seinäjoki in accordance with the service agreement.

The SeAMK Library is open to all. The collection consists of printed and electronic books and journals as well as various online materials (e-resources). The printed collections are available to everyone. Only SeAMK students and staff have access to e-resources acquired under license agreements.

Information on the materials can be found on SeAMK-Finna, a search service open to all. The discoverability and use of the materials is promoted through advice and guidance services and by displaying interesting content in the library space, online services and through communication.

Timeliness, professional and academic quality and users’ needs are the cornerstones of the collection policy. It defines all stages of the collection process, from the selection of materials to their withdrawal. The usage, timeliness and quality of the materials are continuously evaluated using both statistical and qualitative methods. Low-use, worn-out and outdated material is regularly withdrawn. Where necessary, the withdrawn material is sent to the National Repository Library.

The acquisition is based on contracts with publishers and intermediaries, which are subject to competitive tendering. Most of the material purchased is in Finnish and English. E-resources will be purchased if there are no barriers in terms of price, availability or terms of use. Any unnecessary overlap between printed and electronic material will be minimised.

Library staff monitor the usage and the availability of materials in accordance with their key responsibility areas. The acquisition of materials is carried out in cooperation with the SeAMK staff and the staff of the University Consortium of Seinäjoki. Patrons’ requests are considered, and they are encouraged to make recommendations and give feedback.

Printed materials

Professional and scholarly literature and journals related to the fields of education and RDI activities of SeAMK are acquired for the general collection.

Journal and newspaper subscriptions are evaluated on an annual basis. Finnish professional and scholarly journals are purchased in print if they are not available in electronic format. Retention periods for journals vary per journal. International scholarly journals are generally subscribed to in electronic form, as part of large journal packages.

Course books

We systematically review the needs for course books each year when new curricula are published. The number of students and other potential usage are considered when determining the quantities of course books to be purchased. Course books are purchased both in print and in electronic format, depending on the situation.

Electronic materials

Electronic materials are acquired through contracts negotiated by the FinELib consortium or directly from intermediaries and publishers. Other purchasing consortia are also possible. A key criterion for acquisition is that SeAMK students and staff have access to e-resources also through remote access. While single e-books will be purchased as required throughout the year, the subscriptions of large e-resource packages and databases will be decided on a period-by-period basis. New acquisitions and possible contract terminations are decided at the end of the year and new contracts generally come into force at the beginning of the year.

Open online resources

Online material that is openly available is monitored actively and presented selectively through SeAMK-Finna. The search service also provides access to the contents of the Library of Open Educational Resources and some national and international open access repositories.

Theses

According to the regulations of Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences, students must save their thesis in the Open Repository Theseus, either in an open or restricted collection. Theses saved in the restricted collection can be read on the library’s customer computers. The theses are also available on SeAMK-Finna.

SeAMK staff publications

According to the policy of open science and research, the publications of SeAMK staff are, as a rule, openly accessible. The library supports the staff in matters of publishing, ensures the transfer of publication data to the national research database and promotes the visibility of the SeAMK publications. Publication data can be searched on Research.fi.

Donations

Donations and other material that is available free of charge are accepted into the collection according to the same criteria as material that can be purchased. The library may refuse to accept donated material if it does not meet the criteria of the collection policy.