This policy is intended to guide decision making by library faculty with direct responsibilities for the game collection but also to explain the nature and purpose of the collection to a wider audience.
This collection was created to support the instructional and research needs of the Simulation and Digital Entertainment program, and secondarily other units of the University of Baltimore. It also supports the Digital Designers Guild and other official student organizations with game related activities.
Materials in this collection do not generally circulate but may leave the library for on campus use with permission of library faculty. Access is limited to faculty and to students affiliated with the programs and groups the collection is designed to support. Materials will not be sent other institutions within or outside of the USMAI system.
In order to use the collection a waiver must be filed with the circulation department acknowledging responsibility each semester. These forms will be distributed to professors and student organizations directly by the library in order to control access to the collection for official purposes. Once a form has been completed and registered with the circulation department for the semester a patron may present their ID to access the collection. Keys are kept with the game librarian, technology librarian, and behind the circulation desk.
Robert L. Bogomolny Library's game collection consists of board games as well as video games for home use, as well as the hardware with which to play them. Arcade and pinball machines are not included. The scope of the collection is not that of a comprehensive archive. RLB Library will also attempt to archive major student works, for example senior projects or capstones, on an individual basis.
As the emphasis of the collection is on material which will directly support faculty instruction and research, a wide range of genres and time periods of materials are collected. Both mainstream and independent games are collected in a wide range of formats. Development of the game collection will be directed by the library faculty associated with the game collection and liaisons to the SIAT program in consultation with other faculty.
The game collection has no permanent funding outlay in the library budget though supplemental funds may be used in consultation with the director on a case by case basis. The collection will be grown primarily through the solicitation of donations and the pursuit of grant opportunities.
Materials will be selected primarily on the basis of instructional need, a secondary consideration is the inclusion of the widest variety of experiences and content, in terms of genre, systems, and unique games in the collection. Special emphasis will be given to unusual or rare items, games of a historic interest, and games held in critical esteem. Rankings in popular game periodicals such as game informer, famitsu, and others will be considered when making selections as will scans of major gaming websites and trade publications. A minor consideration for the collection is comprehensive coverage. Duplicates will be accepted both of hardware and games, space permitting, with the goal of eventually allowing circulation of duplicate copies to authorized patrons.
At this time there will be no weeding of the collection as space is not an issue for the foreseeable future. Hardware and software which are no longer in working condition and which cannot be cheaply repaired by students or staff will be removed from the collection.
Robert L. Bogomolny Library welcomes opinions concerning materials selected or not selected for the collection. Persons requesting consideration or reconsideration of materials must complete a “Request for Reconsideration” form.
Donations of any video games in working condition will be accepted provided the library has the hardware needed to play them or, in the case of board games, that all pieces are present. Original boxes and materials, such as instruction manuals, are greatly preferred but not required.
Donations of materials of lower quality, or that cannot immediately be used, will be accepted at the discretion of the game and technology librarians. Hardware will be accepted storage permitting. Donated materials are accepted with the understanding that the library may ultimately discard or sell them and RLB Library reserves the right to refuse any or all individual items. Library staff will not pick up potential donated items on a regular basis but may do so in exceptional or unique circumstances. Tax forms will be available upon request.
The collection will be evaluated annually through usage statistics, records of donated and added materials, patron input, and campus surveys.
This policy will be reviewed every 4 years beginning in 2014 by the librarian in charge of the game collection in consultation with the head of public services, technical services, and instructional technology.
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