Collection Development Policy and Procedures

Collection Overview  

The University Library's collections at Nevada State serve as a vital foundation for the academic curriculum, supporting faculty and student research as well as artistic creation. Guided by a teaching-focused and digital-first collection philosophy, the Library strives to provide information resources with a level of currency, depth, and breadth sufficient to support and sustain the institution’s mission, programs, and services. 

Collection History  

When Nevada State was established in 2002, the Library began with a modest collection of 6,000 books and 100 journals housed in Classroom 105 of the Dawson Building. In 2007, the Library expanded with the opening of a branch at the institution's downtown Henderson location on South Water Street, dedicated to nursing and education collections funded in part by a grant from the Silver State Schools Credit Union. 

In November 2012, the Dawson Library relocated from its classroom space to a newly renovated area in the Dawson Building, officially becoming the Marydean Martin Library. This transition marked the beginning of a new chapter for the Library, enhancing its capacity to serve the campus community. 

The opening of the Rogers Student Center in 2015 provided an opportunity to consolidate the Basic and Water Street branches along with the Dawson Building location into a single, central campus library on the second floor of the Rogers Student Center. This move also marked Nevada State's transformation into the first fully digital library in the state. The new space was entirely dedicated to student service, with the online collection growing substantially to meet evolving academic needs. Meanwhile, the print collection, which now totals approximately 13,000 volumes, is housed in the Library Annex located in the Kasner Academic Building and remains accessible by request, typically within one business day. 

As of Fall 2025, the Library’s digital collection includes access to over 770,000 ebooks, 98,000 online journals, and 35,000 streaming films. Through partnerships with Southern Nevada libraries, the Library extends its reach to more than two million print books, ensuring comprehensive access to both digital and physical resources for students and faculty. 

Collection Impact and Value

Student Success  

Through a long-standing partnership with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, the Library has demonstrated a statistically significant correlation between library use and key student success outcomes, including retention, GPA, and academic standing. Notably, data indicates no significant equity gaps in digital collection usage across ethnicity, first-generation status, or gender, highlighting the Library's commitment to accessible and inclusive resources. The Library's research in this area has earned national recognition from the Association of College and Research Libraries’ (ACRL) Assessment in Action program, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (Nevada State’s accrediting body), and the ACRL Excellence in Academic Libraries Committee. 

Course Materials Programs 

Nevada State University considers course material affordability a critical equity issue that directly affects students' ability to be prepared for class. Nearly half of Nevada State students receive need-based financial aid, and a 2024 campus-wide survey revealed that cost is the number one reason students choose Nevada State and the second most common reason they consider withdrawing from their studies. 

Since 2017, the Library has spearheaded a range of initiatives aimed at reducing textbook costs, resulting in over $1.5 million in student savings. These efforts include strong collaborations with faculty who transition their courses to freely available online textbooks, as well as targeted library purchasing of ebooks that are already assigned as course texts at Nevada State. 

Beyond financial savings, no-cost textbooks have been shown to improve student outcomes. Data from the Library’s No-Cost Textbook Summer Institute demonstrates that students in sections using no-cost textbooks were 14% more likely to earn a grade of B- or better compared to those using traditional paid textbooks. Additionally, the rate of D, F, or Withdrawal grades dropped by 50% in classes where students were not required to purchase textbooks, underscoring the positive impact of affordable course materials on student success. 

Academic and Intellectual Freedom  

The Library is dedicated to building a collection that champions the free exchange of ideas and opposes censorship, in alignment with the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights (1996). To maintain a relevant and impactful collection, the Library conducts regular evaluations and withdrawals of materials. This process ensures that the collection remains current, supports the curriculum, reflects advancements in scientific understanding, and authentically represents diverse authors and perspectives. Withdrawal decisions are guided exclusively by the principles outlined in the Library's collection development plan and are made by library faculty—free from influence by individuals or groups seeking to restrict access to ideas. 

Collection Assessment  

The Library evaluates the currency, breadth, and depth of collections via faculty and student surveys and collection benchmarking with library peers. 

Collection Budget  

The collections budget is determined through the institution’s annual budgeting process, which begins with the submission of budget proposals each October for funds that become available the following July. 

Online library subscriptions often increase in cost at rates that exceed the consumer price index, meaning that a budget increase may not accommodate the addition of new resources. In most cases, a flat or declining budget will necessitate the cancellation of existing subscriptions. 

Each fall, library faculty conduct a comprehensive review of cost and usage data for all ongoing subscriptions. This review informs decisions about renewals, cancellations, and potential new acquisitions for the upcoming fiscal year. Rather than allocating funds by discipline, the Library takes a holistic approach to collection management, allowing flexibility to respond to the evolving needs of the curriculum. 

When new programs or courses are proposed, any required library collections must be clearly identified within the relevant course or degree proposal submitted for NSHE approval. Funding for new library resources is contingent upon approval by the Board of Regents and is not typically available outside of this formal process. Faculty developing new degree proposals are encouraged to consult with the Dean of the Library (nathaniel.king@nevadastate.edu) early in the planning process to discuss collection needs. 

Collection Acquisitions  

The Library welcomes requests for collection additions on a rolling basis. Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to submit requests via the Resource Recommendation Form. Resources that require ongoing funding commitments—such as databases, journal packages, and other subscription-based materials—require additional planning, coordination, and budgetary approval due to their recurring costs.  
When evaluating potential additions or removals from the library’s collection, the following factors are carefully considered: 

Content Considerations 

Curriculum Alignment: Priority is given to materials that directly support the curriculum. Resources that are embedded in coursework or required for assignments receive the highest consideration for purchase and continued access

Cost and Value: The Library operates within a budget that reflects our instructional mission. Decisions are informed by the availability of funding, cost-per-use data, and the scale of the academic program requesting the resource.

Textbooks: The Library acquires textbooks only when they are available in digital formats with unlimited simultaneous user access to ensure equitable use by all students.

Accreditation Support: Resources that support program-level accreditation requirements are prioritized in acquisition decisions.

Regional Collection Overlap: To maximize resource diversity in Southern Nevada, the Library avoids duplicating physical materials that are readily available in nearby academic libraries.

Faculty Publications: The Library actively seeks to collect works authored by Nevada State faculty. Faculty members are encouraged to submit acquisition requests for their publications via libraryacquisitions@nevadastate.edu.

Representation and Inclusivity: The Library is committed to developing a collection that reflects the diverse backgrounds, identities, and perspectives of our campus community.

Information Quality: Resources are evaluated based on authority, currency, and the reliability of the content provider or publisher.

Interlibrary Loan Demand: Items that are frequently requested through interlibrary loan will be considered for permanent acquisition to improve access.

Format Considerations 

Digital-First Strategy: The Library strongly prioritizes acquiring digital resources due to limited space for physical collections. Online formats ensure broader, more flexible access for the university community. 

Accessibility: All digital resources must meet the accessibility standards outlined in Nevada State’s Information and Communication Technology Accessibility (IT 1), ensuring equitable use for all students, including those with disabilities. 

Usability: When the same content is available on multiple platforms, the Library favors vendors that offer intuitive navigation, responsive design, and overall ease of use for students, faculty, and staff. 

Collection Gifts and Donations  

Due to significant space limitations, the Library is unable to accept gifts or donations of physical materials at this time. We appreciate your generosity and understanding. 

Interlibrary Loan

The Library extends access to materials through Interlibrary Loan (ILL), a service that enables borrowing and lending between libraries nationwide. Nevada State students, faculty, and staff may request curriculum-related items not currently held in the Library’s collection, and the Library will obtain them—either electronically or in print—from partner institutions at no cost to the user. When feasible and funding allows, the Library may also purchase high-demand ILL-requested items to expedite access and enhance the collection. 

Interlibrary Loan services are conducted in accordance with nationally recognized guidelines and copyright regulations. 

Collection Partners  

The Library actively collaborates with local and national partners to expand access to resources and implement cost-effective collection development strategies. These consortial agreements and cooperative purchasing arrangements enable the Library to maximize its budget while providing high-quality academic content. As a result, more than 56% of the Library’s collections budget is leveraged through these strategic partnerships. 

National Consortia  

The Library is an active member of two national consortia—SCELC and Lyrasis—which negotiate resource agreements on behalf of libraries across the country. These partnerships often result in more favorable pricing and terms than local or regional agreements, while also reducing the staff time required for individual negotiations. Approximately 27% of the Library’s collections budget is allocated through these national consortia, generating an estimated $1.3 million in annual cost savings for the institution. 

Nevada State Library and Archives  

The Nevada State Library and Archives provides all academic and public libraries in the state—including Nevada State University—with free access to 28 databases through grant funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). At Nevada State, these shared resources account for nearly 30% of the Library’s database offerings, representing an estimated annual value of more than $73,000. 

Partner Libraries in Southern Nevada  

While most database and journal subscriptions are best organized through national consortia, certain resources are more effectively acquired through local and regional partnerships. In Southern Nevada, the Library collaborates closely with UNLV and the College of Southern Nevada (CSN) to collectively purchase a curated selection of journals not available through national agreements. These partnerships also allow for unique “add-on” pricing to enhance databases provided at no cost through the Nevada State Library and Archives, and support our shared use of the Ex Libris Alma library services platform. 

In addition, our Southern Nevada library partners participate in reciprocal borrowing agreements. Students, faculty, and staff from any participating institution can visit partner libraries to check out physical materials or access online collections while on-site. Due to licensing restrictions, remote access to online resources is limited to users affiliated with the subscribing institution. For more information, please visit the Borrowing Items page on the Library’s website.