How we choose our resources

About our collection

Subject, scope, and format are the primary considerations for purchase of digital and print resources. Priority is given to resources that support the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture’s (UTIA) land-grant mission to provide education, research, and outreach through the Herbert College of Agriculture, the College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM), UT Agriculture Research (AgResearch), and UT Extension. Special attention is given to resources that provide coverage of underrepresented or high-priority subject areas.

Access

Pendergrass Library provides the broadest possible access to resources under the constraints of vendor agreements and funding limitations. Please see UT Libraries scholarly communication page for information about new publishing models relevant to increasing and promoting access.

The collection should provide ease of use and guidance for the user via appropriate menus, help screens, and/or tutorials. We will engage in ongoing evaluation of products and usage to ensure the best possible access to information.

If digital resources duplicate other resources already available in the collection, the proposed digital resources should offer some value-added enhancement (such as wider access or greater flexibility of use).

Questions about collection development?  Please contact your subject librarian with any questions.