Purpose of the collection

The development of Fraser Library’s collection is guided by the SFU Library collections policy statement and a goal to provide a core collection that is discipline-current and relevant, discoverable, and accessible to support the current teaching and research of the Surrey Campus. 

Collection overview

Fraser Library's collection includes monographs, serials, periodicals, video and board games, audio-visual media, and equipment. 

Included in monographs is the Popular Reading collection, which is developed and maintained using locally-developed guidelines and provides access to popular fiction and non-fiction works that may not be captured by other discipline-specific collection policies.

Electronic resources, which are available at all library locations, and remotely for current SFU students, staff and faculty, are an important element of the collection.

The main physical library collection is housed in the W.A.C .Bennett Library on the Burnaby Campus and is accessible via a daily courier delivery and electronic document delivery. 

Collection management

Collection development and management is coordinated by the Head, Fraser Library.

There are separate collections polices to support programs based at Surrey Campus: Mechatronic Systems Engineering, Interactive Arts and Technology, and Sustainable Energy Engineering (forthcoming). These policies and the spending of assigned allocations are the responsibilities of the liaison librarians for those areas.

Additional subject-specific allocations, including Business, Computer Science, Criminology, Education, and Science are included in the Fraser Library collections budget, and are also the responsibility of liaison librarians.

Allocations are also available for Arts and Social Sciences, discretionary purchases, games, serials and databases and are the responsibility of the Head. 

Retention and deselection

In order to support currency, relevancy, discoverability, and accessibility, as well as efforts to ensure best use of shelf and floor space, regular deselection from Fraser Library will occur. Deselection can occur daily, annually, or on an as-needed basis.

Criteria may include, but is not limited to: low use, lack of currency or relevancy to current study and research, superseded or duplicate editions, physical condition, and availability in digital format. Criteria for deselection activities is created in consultation with liaison librarians.

Deselection will be conducted in consultation with the Collections division at Bennett Library, which will make the final decision regards retention or deselection. 

School of Interactive Arts and Technology’s equipment collection

Fraser Library manages and circulates the School of Interactive Arts and Technology’s equipment collection.

This collection is not included in this policy.