NUI Galway Library - New Collections Strategy

The Library seeks to proactively support and enhance the learning, teaching and research activities of the University by providing seamless access for all its users to excellent and relevant collections.

Our collections comprise many formats and media including print books, e-books, print and e-journals, databases, special collections, archives, AV material, microform, newspapers etc.

In managing and delivering seamless access to these collections, the library faces many challenges:

• There are competing demands for the limited space available within the Library and on campus. 
• The publishing world is in a period of transition between traditional print publishing and the maturing world of e-books and e-journals. 
• Our users’ preferences continue to vary greatly with some preferring e-books and others print books. 
• Our users increasingly expect instant access to the information they need and there can be extremely high, but short term, demand for course textbooks and prescribed readings. 

To help the Library to meet these varying demands and challenges, we have defined a Collections Strategy, and some related policies, which outline the key principles which will inform the future acquisition, storage, management and delivery of access to collections.

We welcome your feedback on this strategy.