SPEC Kit 337: Print Retention Decision Making · 179
UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO
Tri-University Group of Libraries Preservation of Last Copy Agreement
http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/staff/irmc/last_copy_agreement_sept06.html
Last Copy Agreement |Information Resources Management |Library |University of Waterloo
http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/staff/irmc/last_copy_agreement_sept06.html[10/1/13 5:11:00 PM]
teaching, learning and research at any of the three universities.
Agreement
This Agreement is intended to provide a framework to guide decision making while
recognizing that exceptions may be appropriate. For example, the Agreement does not
apply to Special Collections and there may be a need to make exceptions for reference
materials. The parties to the Agreement will work with each other in good faith to
determine a course of action when potential exceptions – either individual titles or
classes of material --are identified.
For the purposes of clarity, two or more copies of an item should be considered
identical (and therefore candidates for disposal) if: a) the copies in question are the
same year, edition and format or b) if, in the opinion of representatives of the owning
libraries, the copies in question are equivalent or near equivalent in content and
disposal of one copy would not result in any appreciable loss of information.
To contain the space needed for low-use material, TUG agrees to work towards
retaining no more than one copy of any item in the Annex by:
1. Identifying items in the Annex for which there is also at least one copy in any of
the campus libraries and discarding the Annex copy.
2. Identifying multiple copies of items in the Annex and discarding all but one copy
(all copies to be discarded if a copy is also held in any of the campus libraries).
3. Identifying and discarding serials in the Annex for which the owning library is
confident that it will have perpetual electronic access (for further details and
definitions, see Appendix B Electronic and Paper Journals). Because we have
relatively little experience with electronic books, electronic copies of books will not
be viewed as duplicates pending further review and analysis.
TUG also agrees that in future each library may send to the Annex only items for which
there is not already a copy in the Annex or anywhere else in the TUG libraries
(electronic books need not be taken into consideration at this time).
To put it another way: the Annex is to be used to house only the last copy of an item
owned by any of the TUG libraries.
TUG also agrees that the last copy retained continues to be owned by the originating
library and that it may be borrowed by anyone registered with any of the TUG libraries.
In addition, the copy may be consulted at the Annex or any of the campus libraries by
anyone regardless of registration with one of the libraries. The copy is also available for
usual practices related to services such as interlibrary loan, document delivery, and
reserves.
Should the copy go missing, the owning library will follow its usual practices to decide
whether to replace it. Should the owning library decide not to replace it and one of the
other libraries determines that it needs a copy, that library may purchase a copy at its
expense and decide whether the copy will reside in a campus library or the Annex.
TUG also agrees that none of the libraries will discard an item that is the last copy
within TUG before consulting with the other libraries to ensure that none of them want
to the item retained. If one of the libraries wants the copy, it may be transferred to
that library or to the Annex.
Note: While this agreement focuses on the preservation of last copies, it also recognizes
that there may be items in the Annex that are no longer needed to support teaching,
learning or research at any of the TUG institutions and that are not likely to be needed
in future. In such cases, all copies may be discarded.
Appendix A
Exceptions
The Agreement recognizes that exceptions may be necessary and appropriate. As
exceptions are identified and agreed upon, they will be listed in Appendix A along with
a brief explanation of the reason for the exception.
1. Because of their unique nature and value to each library “special collections”
owned by any of the TUG libraries are not included. (added May 2006)
2. Government publications received through the Government of Canada’s
UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO
Tri-University Group of Libraries Preservation of Last Copy Agreement
http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/staff/irmc/last_copy_agreement_sept06.html
Last Copy Agreement |Information Resources Management |Library |University of Waterloo
http://www.lib.uwaterloo.ca/staff/irmc/last_copy_agreement_sept06.html[10/1/13 5:11:00 PM]
teaching, learning and research at any of the three universities.
Agreement
This Agreement is intended to provide a framework to guide decision making while
recognizing that exceptions may be appropriate. For example, the Agreement does not
apply to Special Collections and there may be a need to make exceptions for reference
materials. The parties to the Agreement will work with each other in good faith to
determine a course of action when potential exceptions – either individual titles or
classes of material --are identified.
For the purposes of clarity, two or more copies of an item should be considered
identical (and therefore candidates for disposal) if: a) the copies in question are the
same year, edition and format or b) if, in the opinion of representatives of the owning
libraries, the copies in question are equivalent or near equivalent in content and
disposal of one copy would not result in any appreciable loss of information.
To contain the space needed for low-use material, TUG agrees to work towards
retaining no more than one copy of any item in the Annex by:
1. Identifying items in the Annex for which there is also at least one copy in any of
the campus libraries and discarding the Annex copy.
2. Identifying multiple copies of items in the Annex and discarding all but one copy
(all copies to be discarded if a copy is also held in any of the campus libraries).
3. Identifying and discarding serials in the Annex for which the owning library is
confident that it will have perpetual electronic access (for further details and
definitions, see Appendix B Electronic and Paper Journals). Because we have
relatively little experience with electronic books, electronic copies of books will not
be viewed as duplicates pending further review and analysis.
TUG also agrees that in future each library may send to the Annex only items for which
there is not already a copy in the Annex or anywhere else in the TUG libraries
(electronic books need not be taken into consideration at this time).
To put it another way: the Annex is to be used to house only the last copy of an item
owned by any of the TUG libraries.
TUG also agrees that the last copy retained continues to be owned by the originating
library and that it may be borrowed by anyone registered with any of the TUG libraries.
In addition, the copy may be consulted at the Annex or any of the campus libraries by
anyone regardless of registration with one of the libraries. The copy is also available for
usual practices related to services such as interlibrary loan, document delivery, and
reserves.
Should the copy go missing, the owning library will follow its usual practices to decide
whether to replace it. Should the owning library decide not to replace it and one of the
other libraries determines that it needs a copy, that library may purchase a copy at its
expense and decide whether the copy will reside in a campus library or the Annex.
TUG also agrees that none of the libraries will discard an item that is the last copy
within TUG before consulting with the other libraries to ensure that none of them want
to the item retained. If one of the libraries wants the copy, it may be transferred to
that library or to the Annex.
Note: While this agreement focuses on the preservation of last copies, it also recognizes
that there may be items in the Annex that are no longer needed to support teaching,
learning or research at any of the TUG institutions and that are not likely to be needed
in future. In such cases, all copies may be discarded.
Appendix A
Exceptions
The Agreement recognizes that exceptions may be necessary and appropriate. As
exceptions are identified and agreed upon, they will be listed in Appendix A along with
a brief explanation of the reason for the exception.
1. Because of their unique nature and value to each library “special collections”
owned by any of the TUG libraries are not included. (added May 2006)
2. Government publications received through the Government of Canada’s
