Library Collection Development Policy
1. Purpose
This Collection Development Policy (CDP) provides guidelines for the systematic selection, acquisition, maintenance and de-selection of information resources to support the mission of Innopharma Education. The collection is designed to facilitate teaching, learning, assessment and research across all Innopharma run programmes.
2. Scope
The Innopharma Library is a fully digital (online) library. The scope of this policy pertains exclusively to the selection, licensing and management of all digital resources, including subscribed commercial content, open-access materials and content housed in the Institutional Repository. Programmes run in association with collaborative partners (e.g. Griffith College, TU Dublin) are out of scope; collaborative partners manage resource needs for these programmes through their libraries.
3. Collection Priorities and Subject Coverage
Subject coverage collection development is intrinsically linked to the College’s programme portfolio. The primary collection focus is on disciplines within:
• Pharmaceutical Science
• MedTech/Medical Device Technology
• Food Science and Technology
• Digital Transformation and associated technologies (e.g., Data Analytics, AI)
• Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs
• General academic and research skills (e.g., Academic Writing, Referencing, Information Literacy).
Monitoring and Review
The implementation of this policy will be monitored and reported to the Academic Council.
This policy will be reviewed before each academic year for accuracy and any updates in policy.
4. Formats and Types of Material
The collection is developed around the principles of digital-first and Open Access (OA) promotion, ensuring all resources are accessible via the College’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and Library Management System (LMS).
4.1. E-books and Digital Texts
• Description: Core and supplementary course readings; reference works; specialised professional texts.
• Selection Criteria: Priority is given to titles with multi-user licensing models to ensure concurrent learner access. Emphasis is placed on texts that directly support module learning outcomes.
4.2. E-Journals and Subscribed Databases
• Description: Full-text journals, periodicals, and industry-specific databases.
• Selection Criteria: Must provide current, peer-reviewed, and industry-relevant research. Subscriptions are selected based on subject relevance and cost.
4.3. Open Access (OA) Resources
• Description: Open Educational Resources (OERs) and Open Access (OA) journal and book collections (e.g., via DOAJ, Open Textbook Library).
• Selection Criteria: OA resources are actively sought and catalogued to maximise resource availability and cost-effectiveness, provided they meet the quality standards for authority and currency.
4.4. Institutional Repository (DSpace Content)
•Description: The College’s own intellectual output, including faculty and student publications, student theses/dissertations, conference presentations and posters, internal academic reports and the Innopharma Insights Journal.
• Selection Criteria: Content is included following College policy on the submission of graduate research and faculty publications, primarily focused on preservation and dissemination.
4.5. Library Guides and Workbooks
• Description: Internally produced digital resources focused on essential academic skills, software training (e.g., Turnitin, Zotero) and information literacy.
• Selection Criteria: Developed by the College Librarian to fill instructional gaps and directly support the academic activities of Innopharma Education.
4.6 Instructional Videos and recorded workshops
• Description: Internally produced video content, including recordings of library workshops (e.g., academic skills, referencing, software training), specialised video tutorials.
• Selection Criteria: Content is included to supplement or replace synchronous instruction. Emphasis is placed on recordings that directly address identified learner needs or instructional gaps, with a formal review process for recordings older than 2 years to ensure continued relevance.
5. Selection Criteria and Procedures
5.1. General Selection Criteria All resources are evaluated based on the following criteria:
• Relevance: Direct correlation to the curriculum, learning outcomes and research interests of the College.
• Authority and Quality: Authoritativeness of the author(s), publisher or source; evidence of peer review for scholarly material.
• Currency: Timeliness and up-to-date nature of the information, particularly in rapidly evolving fields.
• Accessibility: Compatibility with the College’s systems (VLE, LMS) and adherence to universal design and accessibility standards.
• Cost and Licensing: Favourable Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for subscription/licensing models, with preference for perpetual access rights where feasible.
5.2. Selection Process
• Librarian-Led Selection: The College Librarian is responsible for the final selection and acquisition of resources based on budget, collection balance and curriculum needs.
• Faculty Recommendations: Programme Managers and Lecturers are actively encouraged to submit recommendations via a formal resource request process. These requests must clearly demonstrate alignment with specific module learning outcomes.
• Student Recommendations: Learner suggestions are considered where they align with the collection profile.
6. Collection Maintenance (De-selection and Review)
6.1. Continuous Review The digital collection is subject to continuous review by the College Librarian. Subscriptions and licenses are reviewed annually to ensure continued relevance, usage levels, and cost-effectiveness.
6.2. De-selection (Weeding) Resources may be de-selected or excluded from core collections based on the following:
• Obsolescence: Information that is significantly outdated or superseded, particularly in highly technical and regulatory fields.
• Licence Lapse: Non-renewal of subscriptions due to cost, alternative resources becoming available (especially OA), or a shift in curriculum focus.
7. Responsibilities
The College Librarian holds primary responsibility for implementing this policy, including selection, acquisition, review and reporting to the Academic Council.
Programme Managers and faculty provide input via formal requests aligned to learning outcomes.
8. Monitoring & Review
The implementation of this policy will be monitored and reported to the Academic Council.
This policy will be reviewed before each academic year for accuracy and any updates in policy.
