Books, journals, databases, and streaming media are the primary items acquired to support curriculum and research needs. Books are acquired in electronic or print format as appropriate. Electronic access is the preferred format for books and journals. Some materials have restrictions on simultaneous users, printing, and downloading based on the contract terms. The preference is for resources with unlimited simultaneous users and little to no digital rights management (DRM). Other materials such as music scores and DVDs are acquired selectively as needed to support the curriculum.
The library participates in the centralized acquisition of electronic resources, such as journal packages and databases, through cooperative library arrangements. These resources are acquired through collaboration with other Florida State University System Libraries, the Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC), and LYRASIS.
As a selective depository of federal documents and Florida documents, the library collects publications distributed through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) of the United States Government Printing Office and the State Library of Florida Documents Depository Program.
General Selection Criteria
Additional Selection Criteria for Electronic Resources
Selection Criteria for Databases
The following factors are considered when considering a subscription to a database:
Streaming Video
The Carpenter Library supports the streaming video needs of the curriculum; however, due to the increasing costs and limited timespan of individual streaming video licenses, the library has adopted a selection of subscription platforms that allow us to maximize access and minimize costs. Please check our current Streaming Video Collections to see if a film will meet the needs of your course.
Given the extensive number of titles available through our subscriptions, the library will only be able to process a limited number of individual streaming video licenses each semester for direct use in the curriculum. The criteria we use for selecting streaming videos are as follows:
We encourage instructors to submit their streaming video requests before the beginning of the semester as requests will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
It is the general policy of the Thomas G. Carpenter Library not to purchase copies of traditional textbooks.
There are a number of reasons:
However, the library is committed to partnering with faculty to reduce the cost of textbooks and other required course materials and supports UNF's Open Educational Resources (OER) Initiative. Library faculty liaisons work with instructors to explore and identify viable e-textbook alternatives, including:
Faculty members seeking textbook alternatives are encouraged to consult with their liaison librarian and/or review the Carpenter Library’s OER: Open Educational Resources guide.
This collection in the third-floor alcove supports the College of Education and Human Services. Priority is given to acquiring award-winning children’s and young adult fiction. This area also houses the library's graphic novels collection.
UNF Digital Commons is an institutional repository (IR) for the University of North Florida and the northeast Florida region. It is intended to bring together all of the university’s research and scholarship to preserve and provide perpetual access to that scholarship.
Theses and dissertations are submitted electronically to UNF Digital Commons, which serves as the institutional record. Print theses and dissertations are no longer collected.
Gift materials are subject to the same criteria for addition to the collection as purchased materials. The Thomas G. Carpenter Library reserves the right to accept or reject gifts, with or without restricting conditions, and the right to dispose of unwanted gift material. The Library Gifts of Materials Guidelines should be consulted for more detailed guidelines.
