We purchase content in many formats, including print and electronic books and journals, images, audio, visual media, maps, and data. We also lease access to content when that meets the access needs of the campus. Our choice of formats is guided by the anticipated patron needs, fair and transparent licensing terms, and long-term availability. We work through NERL and PALCI consortia to leverage our collective purchasing power to negotiate for licenses that reflect the needs of and afford protections for our patrons.
Individual items may be identified for addition to our collection from carefully curated approval plans, subject specialist selection, patron recommendations, and from our resource sharing team. We also accept donations; see the donation policy for more details.
While we are format agnostic, for English-language books in the sciences and social sciences we may consider e-formats first. However, we will acquire print books at a patron’s request, for course reserves needs, where visual content and images are of higher quality in print, the cost of e-format greatly exceeds that of print, the item is not available for licensing for academic use, or where licenses offered do not meet the criteria for fairness and transparency. Print format is usually preferred for fine arts and architecture materials.
Specifically for e-books we prefer that:
We generally acquire journals in e-format unless they are available only in print. However, print format may be preferred if it offers significant advantages, such as image quality, cost, technical requirements, or licensing terms. To support our open access priorities, we seek to secure “read and publish” agreements, where they meet our needs and provide a sustainable and equitable model for advancing Open Science and Open Scholarship.
Considerations for selecting databases may include content and quality of the database, platform and usability, cost, licensing, comparison to similar products, and overall balance in the collection.
For vendor-hosted content, we prefer:
Please Note: our journal licenses should conform to the principles elaborated under the Licensing Preferences section.
Journal and database subscriptions are regularly reviewed, and we may solicit feedback from community members to inform our decisions. Final decisions on acquiring or cancelling specific resources are made within the library.
Video
We acquire films in both physical and digital formats, depending on the needs of users. If a film is not available for acquisition by an institution, the requester will be provided with alternative options when the availability of the film allows. Public Performance Rights (PPR) are not acquired for any single film (unless included as part of a subscription) nor does the ULS manage PPR purchased by individuals at the University.
Collections of streaming media are acquired when the content matches the teaching and research needs of the University community. Among these collections, individual titles allow for viewing by unlimited simultaneous users and may be added or released within a given year depending on licensing.
In addition, for streaming video, we prefer:
Audio
We acquire or license commercial and noncommercial audio recordings in all formats. Most new recordings are acquired through licensing agreements with streaming platforms and can be accessed on or offsite with Pitt credentials. Physical recordings are acquired as needed, with preference for rare materials or content that is unavailable in other formats. Many recordings that are in the public domain or for which the ULS has permissions are made available for streaming through Digital Collections and American Music at Pitt.
