Policies

Introduction 

It is the primary responsibility of the Wallace Library to provide collections to directly support the curricular needs of Rochester  Institute of Technology's career-oriented undergraduate programs. The research needs of the RIT community are served through a  combination of on-site collections, electronic resources (indexes and full-text), interlibrary loan and document delivery services,  including ConnectNY.  

The subject librarians are responsible for specific portions of the libraries' collection. In their assigned disciplines, selectors in  collaboration with their faculty, provide for collection development, bibliographic instruction and academic department liaison  activities. 

General Description of the Wallace Library Collection and Its Use 

The subject scope of the Wallace Library collection is broad. The collection is developed in support of the current and anticipated  instructional, research and service programs of the nine individual colleges at RIT (applied science and technology; business;  computing and information sciences; engineering; health sciences and technology, imaging arts and sciences; liberal arts; National  Technical Institute for the Deaf; and science). The collection primarily supports undergraduate and graduate level courses (student  research, faculty teaching needs) and faculty and doctoral student research. Administrative staff also frequently draws upon the  resources of the collection. 

Collection Development Objectives 

The primary objective of the Wallace Library is the support of undergraduate and graduate academic programs at RIT.  Library collection development and library acquisitions programs work in support of these programs. In addition to curricula-based  development the Library collects in these related areas: 

• Acquisition of research material (print, electronic, media, microform, etc.) of lasting value that is requested by faculty and  administration.  
• Acquisition of a variety of materials to provide different perspectives on controversial issues.  

Description of the Programs Served by the Collection 

Undergraduate Programs 

• College of Applied Science and Technology 
• Saunders College of Business 
• B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences 
• Kate Gleason College of Engineering 
• College of Health Sciences and Technology 
• College of Imaging Arts and Sciences 
• College of Liberal Arts 
• National Technical Institute for the Deaf 
• College of Science 
• Other degree-granting academic units: Center for Multidisciplinary Studies; Golisano Institute for Sustainability
• Bachelor’s degree programs: bachelor of fine arts (BFA) and bachelor of science (BS); and associate degree programs: AS,  AOS, AAS 

Graduate Programs 

• College of Applied Science and Technology 
• Saunders College of Business 
• B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences 
• Kate Gleason College of Engineering 
• College of Health Sciences and Technology 
• College of Imaging Arts and Sciences 
• College of Liberal Arts 
• National Technical Institute for the Deaf 
• College of Science 
• Other degree-granting academic units: Center for Multidisciplinary Studies; Golisano Institute for Sustainability 

Doctoral (Ph.D.) programs in astrophysical sciences and technology, color science, computing and information sciences,  imaging science, microsystems engineering, and sustainability; master’s degree programs: master of architecture (M.Arch.),  master of business administration (MBA), master of engineering (ME), master of fine arts (MFA), master of science (MS), and  master of science for teachers (MST) 

Criteria for Selection of Materials 

Institutional goals, relevancy to the RIT curriculum, quality of content and fulfillment of academic needs are the primary factors taken  into consideration when selecting materials. Specific considerations in choosing individual items include some or all of the following: • Lasting value of the content  

• Appropriateness of treatment level 
• Strength of present holdings in same or similar subject areas  
• Demand, as determined by, e.g. circulation data and interlibrary loan requests for material on the same or similar subjects • Cost effectiveness 
• Suitability of format to content  
• Authority of author  
• Reputation of publisher  
• Reviews in subject-specific and standard library reviewing sources  

The general emphasis is to acquire and retain materials which are currently the most authoritative in their fields. The library recognizes  the need for retrospective purchases, and systematically uses standard bibliographies and other evaluation tools to locate and fill gaps in  the collection when warranted by curriculum changes and new program additions. However, in view of the difficulty and expense in  obtaining out-of-print and reprinted material, it is most important to spend funds for valuable current publications of long-term worth,  thus preventing a future need for retrospective buying.  

Except for limited foreign language dictionaries, learning foreign languages materials, and a small number of foreign language  newspapers, the library acquires primarily English language reference and research sources.  

Pamphlets are acquired only if substantial enough to justify cataloging. No pamphlet/vertical file is maintained. Note: Exceptions to the above statements will appear within individual subject area policy statements.

Cooperative Collection Development Agreements 

No contractual cooperative collection development agreements have been made between Wallace Library and any other library.  However, Wallace Library participates in ConnectNY which allows direct access to several other library collections (i.e. Rensselaer  Polytechnic Institute, Colgate University, St. Lawrence University, Siena College, Pace, Union College, etc.). Informal working  relationships with other members of the Rochester Regional Library Council (RRLC) also exist for specific disciplines. 

Where faculty and student research needs fall outside the primary undergraduate curriculum-based scope of the onsite collection, access  to this information will be provided through traditional, as well as, commercial document delivery services. 

Wallace Library participates in other local, regional and national cooperative efforts that allow us to optimize our buying power to  procure large online databases. 

Types of Materials 

Monographs  

When there is an option of paper, hardcopy or electronic format, the choice is based on expected use, lasting value of content, and cost  differential. While all formats will be considered in the library's purchase and/or access decisions, increased emphasis will be on  electronic format. When available and budgetary constraints allow, the electronic format will be the primary format purchased. 

Textbooks are not normally purchased. The exceptions are those which have earned reputations as "classics" in their fields, or when a  textbook is the best or only source of information on a particular topic. Duplicates are purchased only under unusual circumstances.  Examples of exceptions include multiple copies purchased for speakers’ series, commencement speakers, etc.  

Pamphlets are acquired only if substantial enough to justify cataloging. No pamphlet/vertical file is maintained. 

Serials 

The serials collection supports the research needs of RIT undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty. Serials are issued in paper,  microform and electronic format. While all formats will be considered in the library's purchase and/or access decisions, increased  emphasis will be on electronic format. When available and budgetary constraints allow, the electronic format will be the primary  format purchased.  

General Selection Criteria 

Serials will be selected and deselected based on how well they support the continuing information needs of the college community.  Factors to be considered are:  

• Support of academic programs  
• Cost, including such data as rate of price increases and cost of storage  
• Uniqueness of subject coverage  
• Standing or reputation of the journal within the professional community  
• Full-text availability through electronic means.  
• Usage or projected usage  
• Availability of indexing for the serial being considered 
• Holdings at other institutions  
• Availability through database aggregators 
• Trade publications retention 

Evaluation

Wallace Library has a longstanding annual serials review process to determine which serial subscriptions should be added/cancelled.  Through this process the most appropriate and cost-effective formats are determined. 

Coverage overlap between print and e serials will be analyzed for duplication. Decisions will be made to keep both formats, put the  print in remote storage, or withdraw the print format. 

E-resources 

• The intellectual content of the electronic resource, whether purchased or free, must meet curricular needs based on the  judgment of the relevant subject bibliographer(s). 
• Selection criteria need to be consistent with Wallace Library plans for continuing an electronic information environment. • The electronic resource will provide sufficient added value over other formats. 
• The search interface must be powerful, flexible, user-friendly, and well-indexed, with numerous points of access. • Whenever possible, access to the electronic resource must meet these goals:  
• Support remote users of library and information resources 
• Deliver reliable remote access 
• Be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 
• Utilize a unified and intuitive interface 
• The cost of the resource must be sustainable by the Wallace Library’s budget resources for the foreseeable future. • The technology and staff to deliver and support the resource is available at the Wallace Library. 
• Wallace Library will participate in consortia purchases for desired materials when the agreement provides a significant price  advantage over the cost as an individual institution. 
• Wallace Library will purchase available back files of an electronic resource if affordable and deemed necessary to the support  curricular and/or research needs of the RIT community. 
• The product should reflect the quality expected of similar materials in other formats. 
• The product should be “user-friendly,” that is, provide ease of use and guidance for the user via appropriate menus, help  screens, or tutorials. 
• Wallace Library will maintain the stability and consistency of electronic titles offered to the RIT community whenever  possible. 

Format 

Wallace Library concentrates on collecting electronic materials available in a Web based format. Other formats are considered on a  limited case by case basis when the information is critical to our community and is not available in a Web based format. 

• The resource employs (whenever possible) a user interface already familiar to the RIT community. • Ideally the format provides a single-search access to the entire electronic resource. 
• Wallace Library will not support more than one version of an electronic resource (such as electronic and print) unless there are  overriding and compelling reasons for maintaining multiple formats such as accreditation factors. 
• When moving an electronic resource from one format to another, there must be compelling reasons to make the change; and  the content of the new resource should be comparable or better than that of the existing format, unless others factors prevail. 

Vendor and Licensing 

• The vendor should be stable and reliable, and offer technical support. 
• A change of vendors will occur only when a new vendor can deliver a superior search interface, enable greater and more  reliable remote access at a reasonable cost, or provide other key factors, such as archives. 

Non-Print/Media Materials

Limited purchases of non-print/media materials (i.e. image collections, etc.) are evaluated on the same basis as monographs, with  special emphasis on the suitability of the format to the content, and on the quality of the production. Non-print/media materials needed  by faculty to use in the classroom are handled by the Wallace Library’s Media/Reserve Specialist.  

Support Levels 

The collection development policy statement for each college concludes with a list of "Subject Divisions" for that discipline and the  "support level" provided for each of these divisions. The support levels assigned to each subject division are based on national  standards developed by the American Library Association and explained in detail below. In most cases, support levels for on-site  collections do not exceed C-1, the "advanced study level." When the curriculum dictates, on-site collections are augmented to higher  support levels through a combination of selective acquisition, interlibrary loan, and document delivery. 

A. Comprehensive level:  

A collection in which a library endeavors, so far as is reasonably possible, to include all significant works of recorded  knowledge (publications, manuscripts, other forms) for a necessarily defined field. This level of collecting intensity is that  which maintains a "special collection"; the aim, if not the achievement, is exhaustiveness. 

B. Research level:  

A collection which includes the major published source materials required for dissertations and independent research,  including materials containing research reporting, new findings, scientific experimental results, and other information useful to  researchers. It also includes all important reference works and a wide selection of specialized monographs, as well as an  extensive collection of journals and major indexing and abstracting services in the field. 

C. Study level: 

Advanced study level: A collection which is adequate to support the course work of advanced undergraduate and master's  degree programs, or sustained independent study; that is, which is adequate to maintain knowledge of a subject required for  limited or generalized purposes, of less than research intensity. It includes a wide range of basic monographs both current and  retrospective, complete collections of the works of more important writers, selections from the works of secondary writers, a  selection of representative journals, and the reference tools and fundamental bibliographical apparatus pertaining to the  subject. 

Initial study level: A collection which is adequate to support undergraduate courses. It includes a judicious selection from  currently published basic monographs (as are represented by Choice selections) supported by seminal retrospective  monographs (as are represented by Resources for College Libraries); a broad selection of works of more important writers; a  selection of the most significant works of secondary writers; a selection of the major review journals; and current editions of  the most significant reference tools and bibliographies pertaining to the subject. 

D. Basic level:  

A highly selective collection which serves to introduce and define the subject and to indicate the varieties of information  available elsewhere. It includes major dictionaries and encyclopedias, selected editions of important works, historical surveys,  important bibliographies, and a few major periodicals in the field.

Collection Maintenance 

Continuous maintenance of the collection is carried out based upon availability of more recent publications, out dated information,  physical condition of materials and shifting demands of the curriculum. In general, all materials regardless of format, in the collection  should be reviewed minimally every three to five years to remove materials no longer relevant to the curriculum and older materials  where sufficient coverage is provided by contemporary titles.  

When appropriate, very effort should be made to replace lost or heavily mutilated titles if they are judged to be of continuing relevance  to the collection. When mutilation is confined to a few pages, replacement copies of these should be requested through Information  Delivery Service. 

Gifts which duplicate existing holdings should be used to upgrade the condition of the collection by replacing worn circulating copies  with sounder gift copies. See separate Gift Policy for further information. 

The condition of all materials should be monitored to ensure those in need of repair and rebinding is attended to before they are  irreparably damaged. 

Each bibliographer is also responsible for coordinating with the Library technical service staff for appropriate attention, including the  modification of cataloging records, transference of items, or needed preservation treatment. 

3/28/2018

Introduction

Recognizing the need that RIT students have desired a fiction collection for casual reading, RIT Libraries maintains a small Casual Reads collection. With a strong focus on the holistic well-being and mental health of the student population, RIT Libraries seeks to serve the RIT community by offering diverse reading materials that promote well-roundedness and student engagement. The members of the Casual Reads Collection Committee maintain this collection.

Library Services Diversity Statement

RIT Libraries develops its collections in accordance with the American Library Association’s definitions of diversity: "The American Library Association (ALA) promotes equal access to information for all persons and recognizes the ongoing need to increase awareness of and responsiveness to the diversity of the communities we serve."

Collection Development Guidelines

 1.   Selection

The selection of materials is an ongoing process based on the donations provided by the RIT community and the time available to assess donated materials by RIT Libraries Staff. While research is the focus of the main collection, there is a recognized need for accessible leisure literature.

2.   Format

RIT Libraries acknowledges that there are varieties of formats available in which to access literature. However, this collection will focus on print materials and will be subject to the selection criteria as outlined in this policy. 

3.   Language

RIT Libraries primarily collects materials written in English. Literature in other languages may be chosen based on the popularity or prominence of specific titles.

4.   Multiple Copies

Multiple copies of materials will not be available unless there is a known and ongoing demand for specific items. Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis and evaluated in relation to space availability. 

5.   Selection Responsibility

The Casual Reads Collection Committee members are responsible for selecting materials for the collection.  Input from the Collection Management Team will be considered for materials that may be questionable for the scope of this collection.

Miscellaneous

1.   Weeding and Discards

RIT Libraries aim to maintain a Casual Reads Collection that is both relevant and useful to our University community. Materials that no longer meet the needs of the Casual Reads Collection may be removed from the collection. Deselection processes take place once the collection fills its allotted space. The Casual Reads Collection Committee is responsible for determining what materials can be safely removed from the collection.

 2.   Evaluation

The decision to remove material is done by assessing its usefulness and physical condition. Usefulness is based primarily on the item’s cultural currency, which includes factors such as how long the material has been in the library and how many times it has been checked out since the last deselection process. The exact numbers that warrant deselection depend on recent research and circulation trends. Items in poor condition will have one or more of the following issues: loose/missing pages, excessively marked up by non-erasable ink, and/or mold and mildew damage. Additionally, RIT Libraries will remove any materials that no longer adhere to the RIT Library’s mission.

Gifts in Kind

RIT Libraries are grateful for the generosity of their donors and welcome the gifting of materials that will enrich the Casual Reads Collection of the University.

1.   Procedure for Gift Donation

Any person wishing to donate materials to RIT Libraries must give their donation to a Library Services staff member. Donations for this collection will remain anonymous. Donation inquiries will be shared with the Casual Reads Collection Committee who will evaluate if the materials are appropriate for the collection.

2.   Donation Policy

RIT Libraries welcomes donations of hardcover and paperback casual fiction reading books from RIT students, faculty, and staff as outlined in RIT Libraries’ Casual Reads Collection Donation Policy. 

Intellectual Freedom Challenges

RIT Libraries adhere to the principles of intellectual freedom set forth in the American Library Association’s (ALA) Library Bill of Rights, The Association of College and Research Libraries Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries, and ALA’s Freedom to Read statement. Attempts to restrict access to materials for other patrons is contradictory to the democratic principles that the Rochester Institute of Technology and its Libraries abide by. However, restricting a patron’s right to challenge a material is also censorship. Therefore, RIT Libraries have a procedure in place for the reconsideration of materials. All requests are taken seriously and are attended to in a timely and consistent manner.

Requests for Reconsideration

A patron who wishes to challenge a library material must file a formal request to be submitted to RIT Libraries University Librarian. The procedure for reconsideration is as follows:

 [In progress]

Approval and Revision

1.   Responsibility for Approval

The responsibility for approval of RIT Libraries’ Casual Reads Collection Development Policy falls under RIT Libraries Collection Development Policy and Collection Management Team. It is imperative that this task does not fall on one individual but rather a group selected to give input where needed. 

2.   Approval Procedure

The approval procedure for RIT Libraries’ Casual Reads Collection Development Policy adheres to a strict approval procedure to ensure that the policy remains an authoritative document that will guide the selection process. The renewal and revision process is initiated by the Casual Reads Collection Committee, which consists of select members of the Collection Management Team.

3.   Revision of Policy

RIT Libraries’ Casual Reads Collection Development Policy is formally revisited every three (3) years, unless extenuating circumstances warrant an immediate review. If the Libraries is the subject of a formal challenge, the policy will not be revised until a final decision regarding the matter is reached. 

Rev. April 2025

Scope of Policy

This policy applies exclusively to the RIT Libraries circulating zine collection. All other material is governed by the Wallace Library Collection Development Policy Statement. 

What is a zine?

A zine can be defined as a self-published, small-circulation, mini-magazine. They can cover a variety of formats and topics, from basic booklets to more elaborate bindings, from print to digital publications. For the purposes of this collection, RIT Libraries will only be accepting physical copies of zines. 

Collection Development Policy

1. Purpose

This policy statement governs the acquisition, use, and deselection of circulating zines at RIT Libraries. It may be considered a collection-oriented supplement to the Wallace Library Collection Development Policy Statement and is best understood in tandem with the RIT Libraries RIT-made Circulating Zine Donation Policy.

2. Scope of Collection

The RIT Libraries circulating zine collection consists of two sub-collections of zines: a living collection of RIT-made work and a more permanent collection of non-RIT work. Both types of zines are intended to serve as creative inspiration and instructional material for all patrons. All zines will reflect the diverse tastes, interests, and talents of the RIT community. RIT Libraries collects zines of all types, but is especially interested in zines of local/community interest.

3. Selection Criteria

RIT-made zines are acquired by donation only. Donation acceptance is subject to the criteria outlined in the RIT Libraries RIT-made Circulating Zine Donation Policy. 

Non-RIT-made zines will be selected and deselected based on how well they support the continuing information and creative needs of the RIT community. Factors considered include any individual zine’s (and/or its creator’s):

• Support of academic programs
• Relevance to student creative interests
• Unique content matter
• Contribution to inclusion of a diversity of perspectives within the circulating zine collection
• Standing or reputation within the zine community  
• Usage or projected usage 
• Artistic merit
• Condition
• Cost

The RIT Libraries staff members who oversee the zine collection are responsible for selection and deselection. Other RIT Libraries staff members may make selection recommendations in consultation with this group, which includes the Print Serials Specialist, the College of Art and Design Liaison/Librarian, the College of Liberal Arts Liaison Librarian, and the Scholarly Communications Librarian.

4. Acquisitions

Materials are acquired for the circulating zine collection via purchase and donations. 

RIT-made zines

RIT-made zines are only acquired via donation per the RIT Libraries RIT-made Circulating Zine Donation Policy. 

Non-RIT-made zines 

Non-RIT-made zines may be purchased or donated. Purchases will be made using non-grant-based special funds.

Purchases 

Purchases of non-RIT-made zines are made in-person at zine fairs and book fairs/shops as well as online via zine distributors, individual zinesters’ online storefronts and any other sources deemed appropriate by RIT Libraries staff who oversee the RIT-made circulating zine collection.

Donations

Donations of non-RIT-made zines are governed by the RIT Libraries Donating Books and Other Materials Policy. We consider donations of self-made zines from creators not affiliated with RIT, as well as donations of zine collections from any source. If you would like to donate please contact Claire Payne, College of Art and Design Liaison/Librarian, at ccpwml@rit.edu. 

5. Preservation and Maintenance

Please see the RIT Libraries RIT-made Circulating Zine Donation Policy for information on the preservation and maintenance of RIT-made zines. 

Preservation and maintenance of non-RIT-made zines in the collection is governed by the principles outlined under “Collection Maintenance” in the Wallace Library Collection Development Policy Statement.  

6. Access and Circulation

Materials in the circulating zine collection are available to browse on the first floor of Wallace Library and have the same loan periods and policies as other individual journal issues. Current loan period and policy information is available on the Borrow, Renew, and Return page on the RIT Libraries website. 

7. Revision of Policy

This policy will be reviewed on an annual basis and updated as necessary.

Last updated September 2024.

Introduction

RIT Libraries welcome any size donations of books, periodicals, and other library materials as a valuable way to develop its resources. All gifts entail initial expenses to the library to review, catalog, and process, as well as continuing expenses to house and maintain materials that have been added to the collection. Therefore, the library staff must be selective in accepting gifts to ensure donated materials support the library’s goals for collection development. The following statement explains the library’s policies and procedures concerning donations of library materials. RIT Libraries staff is happy to discuss these guidelines with potential donors and invites inquiries about gifts to the collections. 

Any questions not answered by this policy should be directed to:

• Daniel Trout, Manager of Serials and Acquisitions
  • Email: drttwc@rit.edu 
• Karen Liljequist, Senior Manager of Research and Instruction Services
  • Email: kllwml@rit.edu

Scope of policy

This policy is designed to govern the general collection at RIT Libraries. If you’d like to make a donation to RIT Archives or The Cary Library, please use the contacts provided below

• For donations of materials related to the college's history - college publications, photographs, manuscripts, and other records - please contact the University Archivist RIT Archivist: . Elizabeth Call, elizabeth.call@rit.edu 
• For donations of materials related to graphic communication history and practice- please contact Dr. Steven Galbraith, curator of the Cary Library, skgtwc@rit.edu 

Sources of Donations

Subject to the conditions described below, RIT Libraries will accept gifts of library materials appropriate to its collections from any donor, including current and former RIT students, faculty, and staff and any other individuals and organizations interested in the library’s collections and services.

Review and Acceptance of Donations

The subject librarian(s) whose areas of responsibility are represented in the potential donation will review the material from a description or itemized inventory supplied by the donor or by examining the collection itself. The inventory should include the following:

•  title 
• author 
• edition 
• ISBN number (if any) 
• year of publication 
• Condition

Although exceptions may be made for rare and unique items, materials that fall outside of our collecting policy generally include:

• Textbooks 
• Popular fiction/trade hardcover and paperbacks 
• Popular magazines 
• Issues of periodicals (exceptions may be in made in special circumstances) 
• Titles the Library already owns (exceptions may be made in special circumstances)

The subject librarian(s) and, when appropriate, the Senior Manager of Research and Instruction Services and the Director of Libraries, will determine whether the content, format, physical condition, and size of the gift are suitable for addition to the RIT Library collection.

The donor will be notified within three weeks after the review whether or not the library will accept the gift. If the gift is not accepted, the subject librarian(s) may suggest other potential collections for the donation. 

Do not send books or leave boxes of books at the library unless they have been pre-approved. RIT Libraries cannot accept or acknowledge materials that have not been pre-approved as part of the process outlined above. 

If the donation would needs to be recognized with a book plate, or a note in the record, this should also be communicated to the library at the time that the donation is accepted.

Transportation of Donations to the Library

Donors are encouraged to consider the costs of transporting their gifts to the library as part of their donations. The library staff will work with the donor to make transportation arrangements convenient to both parties. Gifts may be sent to the library through the U.S. Postal Service or other delivery services. Both United Parcel Service and Federal Express offer home pick-up services, but materials must be packed and weighed by the sender. Contact UPS at 800-742-5877 or www.ups.com and Federal Express at 800- 463-3339 or www.fedex.com to arrange for pick-ups anywhere in the Western New York area and for more information about packing requirements, charges, etc. If the donor wishes to transport the gift him/herself, library staff will assist with unloading and moving materials into the library building. Please schedule an appointment or direct any questions regarding the drop off of donations to the Head of Acquisitions/Serials at 585-475-7283

Retention of Donations

Although the library staff makes every effort to accept only materials appropriate to the RIT Libraries collections, there is no guarantee that all gift items will be added to the collections. Inappropriate titles or duplicates of items already in the library collections may be sold, traded for other materials through library exchange programs, given away to other libraries, distributed to RIT students/faculty/staff, or discarded. 

The library does not guarantee that gifts added to the collection will be kept in perpetuity. RIT Library collections are evaluated and de-selected regularly based on the guidelines of the library’s collection development policy statement. All items in the library collections are subject to the same criteria for retention. 

Gifts that are not incorporated into the collection are sent to an outside vendor to sell, donate to those in need or recycled. RIT libraries will receive a portion of the proceeds from the sales of these books. We use these proceeds to purchase materials or provide upkeep on our collection. RIT Libraries will not sell books for individuals or institutions via our outside services. 

Acknowledgement of Donations 

The donor will receive a letter acknowledging his/her gift within thirty days of its receipt by the library. If the donor makes a series of contributions to the library collection over a period of time, the library staff will prepare an annual summary of the year’s gifts instead of individual letters of acknowledgement for each gift. If the gift is received in December, every effort will be made to acknowledge the gift before December 31st. If this deadline cannot be met, the letter of acknowledgement will cite the day the donation was received by the library. 

If the donor requires itemization of the gift, the inventory must be supplied by the donor. If itemization is not required, a general description of the content, format, and extent (number of items) of the gift will be provided in the letter of acknowledgement. 

A book plate acknowledging the donor will be affixed to the inside front cover or flyleaf of all gift books and bound volumes of periodicals retained for the collection.

Valuation of Donations

The donor bears full responsibility for determining the value of the gift. RIT Libraries staff will not provide appraisals of gifts to the collection, as Internal Revenue Code, Section 2512(c), “Valuation of Gifts” precludes the recipient from evaluating a gift. The donor should consult with his/her tax preparer for more information regarding “Noncash Charitable Contributions”. The library will not pay for outside appraisers to evaluate gifts to the collection. 

The value of books is usually determined by selecting comparable sales and adjusting the prices according to the differences between the comparable sales and the item being evaluated. The most economical way for a donor to appraise a book donation is to research the title for sale via an Internet used book seller site such as www.amazon.com or www.abebooks.com. An average price may be derived from these sites dependent upon the condition of the donated volume. 

Additional information can be found at http://www.rbms.info/yob.shtml 

Placement and Processing of Donations

All gifts accepted for the library will be integrated into existing collections. The location of gifts within the collections will be determined by the subject librarian(s) based on the format, physical condition, content, and value of the materials.

Gifts will be processed (cataloged, bound (if necessary), and labeled) as the workflow of the library’s Acquisitions Department and Cataloging Department permit. It may be necessary to store large gifts until the staff time and other departmental resources are available for processing.

Rev. August 2020 (KL)
Rev. October 2009
Maintained by Daniel Trout, Manager of Serials and Acquisitions. drttwc@rit.edu 

Introduction

RIT Libraries welcomes donations of hardcover and paperback casual fiction reading books from RIT students, faculty, and staff as a valuable way to develop its Casual Reads collection as described in the RIT Libraries Casual Reads Collection Policy. 

All gifts entail initial expenses to the library to review, catalog, and process, as well as continuing expenses to house and maintain materials that have been added to the collection. Therefore, the library staff must be selective in accepting gifts to ensure donated materials support the library’s goals for collection development. The following statement explains the library’s policies and procedures concerning donations of casual fiction reading materials by RIT students, faculty, and staff. RIT Libraries staff is happy to discuss these guidelines with potential donors and invites inquiries about gifts to the collections.  

Scope of Policy

This policy applies exclusively to casual fiction reading material donated by current RIT students, faculty, and staff to the RIT Libraries Casual Reads Collection. Donations of all other material or by individuals not currently attending or employed by RIT are governed by the RIT Libraries Donating Books and Other Materials Policy.

Sources of Donations 

Subject to the conditions described below, RIT Libraries will accept gifts of casual fiction reading materials appropriate to its collection from current RIT students, faculty, and staff.

Review and Acceptance of Donations 

Review and acceptance of donations is at the discretion of the RIT Libraries staff who oversee the RIT Library’s Casual Reads Collection, including but not limited to the Manager of Circulation Services, the Manager of Metadata and Digital Scholarship Services, the Multiformats Acquisitions Librarian, and Remote Collections and Lending Specialist.

RIT Libraries staff will determine whether the content, format, physical condition, and size of the gift are suitable for addition to the RIT Library collection. Donations will remain anonymous and will not be recognized with a bookplate or a note in the library catalog.

Transportation of Donations to the Library 

Casual fiction reading book donations are accepted at the Library Services Desk during the RIT Libraries’ open hours. 

Please contact the Library Services desk at 585-475-2562 or circwml@rit.edu if you have extenuating circumstances or have questions about transporting your donation to the library.

Retention of Donations 

Although the library staff makes every effort to accept casual fiction materials appropriate for the RIT Libraries Casual Reads Collection, there is no guarantee that donations will be added to the circulating collection. Inappropriate titles or duplicates of items already in the library collections may be sold, traded for other materials through library exchange programs, given away to other libraries, distributed to RIT students/faculty/staff, or discarded. 

The library does not guarantee that casual fiction materials added to the collection will be kept in perpetuity. RIT Libraries Casual Reads Collection is evaluated and de-selected when the collection fills its allotted space based on the criteria outlined in the RIT LIbraries Casual Reads Collection Development Policy. All library items in the library collections are subject to the same criteria for retention. 

Books that are de-selected from the Casual Reads Collection may be sold, traded for other materials through library exchange programs, given away to other libraries, distributed to RIT students/faculty/staff, or discarded. 

Gifts that are not incorporated into the collection are sent to an outside vendor to sell, donate to those in need, or recycle. RIT Libraries will receive a portion of the proceeds from the sales of these books. We use these proceeds to purchase materials or provide upkeep on our collection. RIT Libraries will not sell books for individuals or institutions via our outside services. 

Acknowledgement of Donations 

As articulated above, all donations are accepted at the Library Services Desk. Donations will remain anonymous, the donor will not be notified whether or not the library will accept the gift. Bookplates will not be added to donated materials for the Casual Reads collection, nor will there be a note in the library catalog recognizing the donation. 

Valuation of Donations 

The donor bears full responsibility for determining the value of the gift. RIT Libraries  staff will not provide appraisals of gifts to the collection, as Internal Revenue Code, Section 2512(c), “Valuation of Gifts” precludes the recipient from evaluating a gift. The donor should consult with their tax preparer for more information regarding “Noncash Charitable Contributions”. The library will not pay for outside appraisers to evaluate gifts to the collection. 

Placement and Processing of Donations 

All gifts accepted and retained by the library will be integrated into the RIT Library’s Casual Reads Collection. The location of gifts within the collection will be determined by library staff based on the format, physical condition, content, and value of the materials. 

Gifts will be processed (cataloged and labeled) as the workflow of the library’s Acquisitions Department and Cataloging Department permit. It may be necessary to store large gifts until the staff time and other departmental resources are available for processing. 

Revision of Policy

This policy will be reviewed on an annual basis and updated as necessary.

Last updated November 2024.

Contact

Please contact the Library Services desk at 585-475-2562 or circwml@rit.edu with any questions.

Rev. April 2025

Introduction

RIT Libraries welcomes donations of self-made zines by RIT students, faculty, and staff as a valuable way to develop its RIT-made circulating zine collection as described in the RIT Libraries Circulating Zine Collection Statement. 

All gifts entail initial expenses to the library to review, catalog, and process, as well as continuing expenses to house and maintain materials that have been added to the collection. Therefore, the library staff must be selective in accepting gifts to ensure donated materials support the library’s goals for collection development. The following statement explains the library’s policies and procedures concerning donations of self-made zines by RIT students, faculty, and staff. RIT Libraries staff is happy to discuss these guidelines with potential donors and invites inquiries about gifts to the collections.  

Scope of Policy

This policy applies exclusively to self-made material donated by current RIT students, faculty, and staff to the RIT Libraries RIT-made circulating zine collection. Donations of all other material or by individuals not currently attending or employed by RIT are governed by the RIT Libraries Donating Books and Other Materials Policy.

RIT Libraries accepts only physical self-made zines. We are not able to accept digital files.

Sources of Donations 

Subject to the conditions described below, RIT Libraries will accept gifts of self-made zines appropriate to its collections from current RIT students, faculty, and staff.

Review and Acceptance of Donations 

Review and acceptance of donations is at the discretion of the RIT Libraries staff who oversee the RIT-made circulating zine collection, including but not limited to the Print Serials Specialist, the College of Art and Design Liaison/Librarian, the College of Liberal Arts Liaison Librarian, and the Scholarly Communications Librarian.

Donations must be initiated via the current academic year’s Circulating Zine Submission Form. RIT Libraries staff will determine whether the content, format, physical condition, and size of the gift are suitable for addition to the RIT Library collection. The donor will be notified within the dates indicated on the current form whether or not the library will accept the gift. Do not send zines or leave zines at the library unless they have been pre-approved. RIT Libraries cannot accept or acknowledge zines that have not been pre-approved as part of the process outlined above. Due to their unique format, donated zines cannot be recognized with a bookplate or a note in the record.

Transportation of Donations to the Library 

When pre-approved, zine donations are accepted at the Library Services Desk during the dates indicated on the current academic year’s Circulating Zine Submission Form. 

Please contact Amanda Tillapaugh, Print Serials Specialist, at amtwml@rit.edu if you have extenuating circumstances or have questions about transporting your donation to the library.

Retention of Donations 

Although the library staff makes every effort to accept only zines appropriate to the RIT Libraries collections, there is no guarantee that all gift zines will be added to the circulating collection. Inappropriate titles or duplicates of items already in the library collections may be sold, traded for other materials through library exchange programs, given away to other libraries, distributed to RIT students/faculty/staff, or discarded. 

The library does not guarantee that zines added to the collection will be kept in perpetuity. RIT Libraries zine collections are evaluated and de-selected regularly based on the guidelines of the RIT Libraries Circulating Zine Collection Statement. Typically, zines created by RIT students/faculty/staff are retained for approximately one year in the circulating collection. After one year, at the discretion of RIT Archives staff, zines may be transferred to RIT Archives where they will be added to Archives collections. Zines may be transferred to other collections or retained in circulation for longer or shorter periods of time at the discretion of RIT Libraries staff. 

Zines that are de-selected may be sold, traded for other materials through library exchange programs, given away to other libraries, distributed to RIT students/faculty/staff, or discarded. RIT Libraries is not able to return zines to their creators under any circumstances.  

Zines identified for sale at any stage are sent to an outside vendor to sell, donate to those in need, or recycle. RIT Libraries will receive a portion of the proceeds from the sales of these zines. We use these proceeds to purchase materials or provide upkeep on our collection. RIT Libraries will not sell zines for individuals or institutions via our outside services. 

Acknowledgement of Donations 

As articulated above, all donations are initiated via the current academic year’s Circulating Zine Submission Form. The donor will be notified within the dates indicated on the current form whether or not the library will accept the gift. A notification of acceptance serves as acknowledgement of donation. 

Donor/creator names may be listed publicly as a celebration of our donors’ hard work! Donors are encouraged to provide an artist name/pseudonym or elect the “anonymous” option on the Circulating Zine Submission Form to ensure they are credited as they wish.  

Valuation of Donations 

The donor bears full responsibility for determining the value of the gift. RIT Libraries  staff will not provide appraisals of gifts to the collection, as Internal Revenue Code, Section 2512(c), “Valuation of Gifts” precludes the recipient from evaluating a gift. The donor should consult with their tax preparer for more information regarding “Noncash Charitable Contributions”. The library will not pay for outside appraisers to evaluate gifts to the collection. 

Placement and Processing of Donations 

All gifts accepted and retained by the library will be integrated into the RIT-made circulating zine collection. The location of gifts within the collection will be determined by library staff based on the format, physical condition, content, and value of the materials. 

Gifts will be processed (cataloged, placed in protective plastic if necessary, and labeled) as the workflow of the library’s Acquisitions Department and Cataloging Department permit. It may be necessary to store large gifts until the staff time and other departmental resources are available for processing. 

Donors acknowledge that they are the copyright holder to the zine(s) they are donating. Donors retain all copyright to their zine(s), unless otherwise stated by the donor. Upon donation, donors grant RIT Libraries permission to digitize their zine(s) for non-commercial purposes pertaining to preservation, research, instruction, and other scholarly or educational uses, which may include, but is not limited to, digital exhibitions. 

Revision of Policy

This policy will be reviewed on an annual basis and updated as necessary.

Last updated September 2024.

Contact

Please contact Amanda Tillapaugh, Print Serials Specialist, at amtwml@rit.edu with any questions.

 

RIT Libraries makes accessible digital or digitized collections for purposes of education and research. RIT Libraries strives to indicate attribution to rights holders when possible; however, due to the nature of some archival collections, we are not always able to identify this exact information.

Within the RIT Libraries’ digital collections, users may find 1) unattributed or misattributed materials; or 2) materials for which they are the rights holder and have not granted permission (or are not covered by a copyright exception under U.S. copyright laws).

In any of these cases, you may request the removal of the material from our site by submitting a Digital Millennium Copyright Act takedown notice using the process detailed here: https://www.rit.edu/copyright-infringement. Please email RIT Libraries at librarytakedown@rit.edu.

Harmful Content Notice

RIT Libraries recognizes that many of the materials held in our collections are created by, result from, or represent historically marginalized groups of people, and we are committed to describing those people accurately and respectfully. We acknowledge that past descriptive practices in the library and archives fields have been based on systems and standards which do not reflect our core values; that descriptive work may contain insensitive, outdated, or inappropriate language that reflects the harmful biases built into earlier descriptive systems, and we are actively making steps toward repairing offensive or harmful language in our legacy records.

Certain parts of collections held by RIT Libraries may contain historical language and content that may be considered offensive or harmful, such as language used to refer to racial, ethnic, and cultural groups. The content of materials in these collections reflect the period during which they were created and the views of their creators, and they retain their original descriptions to ensure that these attitudes and perspectives are not erased from the historical record. RIT Libraries strive to provide additional descriptive information to offer more context on the records; this is an ongoing process.

We welcome your questions or comments related to these approaches and the language we use to describe and provide access to collections. Please contact RIT Libraries with your feedback at librarytakedown@rit.edu.

Personal Data

Certain parts of collections held by RIT Libraries may contain personal information for which the data subject does not want to have shared online. If you would like to request the removal of your personal data, please contact RIT Libraries at the email above, or the RIT Privacy Officer at dataprivacy@rit.edu.

Wallace Library welcomes you to a clean, safe environment where everyone can enjoy comfortable seating, study rooms, library resources, and assistance from the library staff!

In order to ensure that Wallace Library is a place for everyone, listed below are the policies for using the various spaces found within the building. If these policies are not followed, action steps may be taken by the library administration according to RIT’s Code of Ethical Conduct and Compliance and RIT’s Student Conduct Process.

Courteous behavior and consideration of others is expected by all who are in the library for any purpose. See RIT’s Code of Ethical Conduct and Compliance.

Food and nonalcoholic beverages are allowed in the library, except in the Cary Collection and in the RIT Archives. Beverage containers with lids must be used when working on library computer workstations.

Tobacco use is prohibited inside and outside the library. RIT policy prohibits the use of cigarettes, cigars, pipes, hookah, e-cigarettes, vaping tools, and smokeless tobacco. Please refer to RIT Policy C16.0.

Tabling events, the selling of items, campaigning, and proselytizing are not allowed in Wallace Library, unless sponsored by the library administration.

Flyers representing activities by official RIT organizations may be posted on the first floor bulletin board inside the front entrance of the library. Flyers that are approved and stamped by the staff at the first floor Library Services Desk are allowed. Recommended size for flyers is 8.5” x 11”. All other flyers found within the building will be removed.

The library is not responsible for the loss of any unattended belongings. Lost and found bins are found near Java’s on the first floor. Valuable items such as mobile phones, jewelry, laptops, etc. will be held at the Library Services Desk, first floor until turned over to Public Safety.

Service or Assistance Animals are the only animals allowed in the building.  Please refer to RIT Policy C13.0.

All Wallace Library study rooms (individual and group) may be reserved through the Event Management System (EMS) up to four (4) one-hour bookings per 24 hours (See Room Access & Reservation below for more details).

Study rooms are to be left clean after use. Trash receptacles are available on every floor in the common areas on each floor.

All lights must remain turned on in all study rooms.

For your safety, do not block the windows or doors in any way, including the placement of rolling whiteboards in front of doors. All doorways must have clear egress for safety and evacuation purposes according to NY State building and safety codes.

Study rooms are to be used for studying, phone/video calls, or video conferencing. Use for any other purposes is prohibited.

RIT Libraries staff reserve the right to enter any room at any time.

Classrooms on A-level, the 3rd Floor, and the 4th floor of Wallace Library are available for RIT faculty and staff, and approved RIT student organizations, when those rooms are not in use for classes, and when the Wallace Library building is open (See Room Access & Reservation below for more details).

An electronic room schedule is located by the door of each classroom and meeting room in the building.

All requests for reservations and any special services must be made online through RIT's Event Management System (EMS).

Any special arrangements for RIT-sponsored events outside of regular building hours should be arranged at least one month in advance with the Manager or Assistant Manager of Circulation Services, sending the request to circwml@rit.edu.  Use of the Wallace Library building after hours is dependent on available library staffing for the requested time period.

 All rooms should be left in the same condition in which they were found, and the room furniture set-up returned to its standard format. Large trash receptacles are available in the common areas on each floor.

To access the classrooms and study rooms in Wallace Library, Event Management System(EMS) room reservations must be made in advance through reserve.rit.edu. Additionally, you will need a RIT ID Card to gain access to the room. Meeting, event, and study room reservations must be “Confirmed” or “Approved” in EMS in order for your RIT ID card to open the door.

Academic Classes and Final Exams

Rooms will automatically unlock 30 minutes prior to the start time of classes and exams. Rooms will automatically lock 10 minutes after class or exam ends.

Meetings, Events, and Study Rooms

Rooms will allow RIT ID card access 15 minutes prior to the start of EMS room reservation. Rooms will automatically lock 5 minutes after the reservation ends.

If you need help navigating to your room, please check the RIT Libraries Map.

If you need additional assistance, contact the Library Services Desk.