The Ohio State University Libraries
Collection Development Office

Collection Memoranda Series
Memorandum #2
October 1988, revised 8/20/02, revised 2/15/06

Guidelines for the Withdrawal of Library Holdings

The Ohio State University Libraries acquires, manages, and maintains its collections to support current and future curricular and research needs. In addition, the Libraries share in the cooperative maintenance and preservation of the nations research library holdings. The withdrawal of any item from the collections must, therefore, be considered very carefully within the context of both institutional and national programs.

Bibliographers are mandated to review all titles considered for withdrawal in light of teaching and research needs, its place in the historical record, inter-institutional collection commitments, preservation options, and availability of the items through alternative sources, such as OhioLINK and the Center for Research Libraries. Collection managers will consult with appropriate constituent faculty as the first phase of any withdrawal program.

Collection managers may withdraw the last copy of any title, volume or item, without further review, for any of the following reasons:

• when it has been declared missing or lost for an extended period of time (12-18 months);
  
  
• when its physical condition is so poor as to make it unusable and it has been reviewed according to pertinent preservation guidelines;
  
  
• when its content is available in microform, digital, or another format that can adequately supports current and future curricula and research; and preserves and archives the work.