- Acquisitions
- Cataloging Tools, Documentation
- Catalogs, Authority Records
- Classification
- Cooperative Programs
- General, Descriptive Cataloging
- Products for Purchase
- Professional Activities
- Publications, Reports
- Subject Headings
Subscribe
Receive an e-mail when a new issue of the Library of Congress Cataloging Newsline is available.
Newspapers -- Current -- Foreign 1
Collection Policy Statement Index
Contents
I. Definition
II. Policy
III. Criteria for Selection/Deselection
IV. Preferred Format for Permanent Retention
V. Review for Retention/Discard
I. Definition
For the purposes of this statement, a newspaper is defined as a serial publication which is mainly designed to be a primary source of written information on current events, either local, national, or international in Scope. It contains a broad range of news on all subjects and activities and is not limited to any specific subject matter. Newspapers are intended either for the general public or for a particular ethnic, cultural, or national group (e.g., _Uj Szo_, the Hungarian language newspaper published in Slovakia, but intended for the Hungarian minority living in Slovakia). Newspapers usually appear without a cover, with masthead, and are normally larger than 12 x 17 inches (297mm x 420mm). The individual parts are listed chronologically or numerically and usually appear at least once a week. These criteria are qualified to allow for exceptions, but they define characteristics which clearly distinguish newspapers from periodicals that also report general news.
II. Policy
The Library of Congress will attempt to acquire, on a selective basis, current newspapers for its permanent collections from each politically independent foreign nation, principality or other territorial unit, as well as from the more important politically dependent foreign territories and possessions throughout the world. Foreign newspapers are selected to provide the most complete coverage of events and to represent the principal political, economic, and social viewpoints in the various national and territorial areas so represented.
A recommendation to acquire a current newspaper title for permanent retention implies a long-term commitment by the Library to provide resources to process, maintain, preserve and provide reference service for that title into the future. The Library must purchase, produce, or otherwise acquire microfilm of that title, since newspapers normally become a permanent part of the collections only after microfilming. (See below Section IV. Preferred format for permanent retention. Consult also Collections Policy Statement Microfilm Negatives of Newspapers and Other Serials and Microforms - Quality. Therefore, each recommendation to subscribe to or otherwise obtain a current newspaper title to be added to the Library's permanent collections must be accompanied by a justification that addresses the selection criteria listed in Section III below. (For additional information or justifications, see Collections Development Guideline No. 10, Acquisitions Impact Statements for Exceptional Materials Recommended for the Library's Collections.
Although this statement provides criteria for the acquisition of newspapers for the Library's permanent collections, it does not preclude the acquisition, either selectively or on a comprehensive basis, of current newspapers from individual foreign areas for temporary use or to meet important demands for information on rapidly evolving developments critically affecting the economic, political, or social situations of the area concerned. See also the Collections Policy Statements for Ephemera and Developing Countries.
III. Criteria for Selection/Deselection
The prioritized criteria listed below are considered to be those most generally applicable for choosing new titles to include in the Library's collections. They are also to be applied when reviewing titles already listed in its holdings, to determine whether they should continue to be retained or be discontinued. They fall into the broad categories of criteria for (1) choosing titles from individual countries and (2) criteria for choosing individual titles. Those criteria marked with an asterisk [*] are of prime importance and must be considered when making a decision to select or retain a given title. The remaining criteria have been included to provide further guidance and should be taken into account as circumstances warrant.
Because staff, facilities, and funds are limited, decisions to collect, retain, or discard foreign newspaper titles must be tempered by careful consideration of such additional factors as the availability of storage space, staff to organize and process the newspapers once received, and the priorities and availability of funds for permanent retention and preservation on microfilm of these materials, as dictated by the local circumstances of each custodial unit. Recommenders may also wish to consider the option of one year "current issues only" acquisition of titles that might not warrant permanent retention, i.e., microfilming.
- Criteria for choosing titles from individual countries
- * Balance of points of view: Significant points of view of various groups (political, social, ethnic, exile, etc.) in a country or region should be represented in LC holdings.
- * Importance of the title in its place of origin: Among other factors, titles may be chosen on the basis of their importance to political or social elites; to significant special interests; or their importance in a special field (e.g., political or public opinion, economics, religion, etc.). A title under consideration may also possess a particular historical significance.
- * Level of coverage: The levels of coverage may be subnational, national, multinational, or international. The extent of circulation, readership, and influence are key factors. If a given title does not provide a national level of coverage, the significance of the province, region, or city in which it is published may be a determining factor. cf. Appendices A and B of the Collections Policy Statement Government Publications, Foreign.
- Issuing bodies: In addition to standard, independently published general circulation newspapers, selective representation should be sought for titles published by government agencies, political organizations, business, labor, student, religious, ethnic, or other significant organizations or interest groups.
- Political or social conditions: Rapid political or social change is a consideration that argues for wider coverage.
- Criteria for choosing individual titles
- * Congressional demand: The anticipation of frequent or even occasional use by the U.S. Congress is a primary consideration in acquiring a title.
- * Demand from U.S. Agencies: Anticipation of frequent or even occasional use by U.S. Agencies is also a primary consideration.
- * Research value: Quality, accuracy, and coverage of a title should be such that it would be consulted for serious research purposes.
- * Cost: When titles are being acquired in inkprint and subsequently microfilmed, the ongoing cost of preservation and permanent retention may be high. A factor justifying such expense might be that the Library of Congress is known to be the only source for public access to the title, and demand for it is deemed sufficient. Cost might then possibly be offset through sale of positive film subscriptions to outside institutions, unless prohibited by copyright restrictions.
- * Reader demand (usage): Recommendations based on reader demand should take into consideration whether the demand is for current information, or for research in non-current topics, or both.
- * Redundancy: The extent to which the content of a title overlaps or duplicates that of another title being received at the Library should be taken into account. Titles with better coverage should be selected.
- Uniqueness: Titles that are the only representative of a particular language, dialect, or script merit acquisition.
- Availability of title in other institutions (inter-library loan): Since current inkprint issues are usually not available via interlibrary loan, availability in microform, photocopy, or telefacsimile should be determined.
- Unreliability of receipt: Sporadic publication or receipt of issues may justify discontinuing retention of a title.
- Other factors
Recommendations must also take into account the following acquisitions and processing considerations:- Decisions to obtain airmail subscriptions to inkprint copies should be justified by need and are a function of the relative importance of the title, the extent to which timeliness of receipt is necessary, and the additional cost.
- Decisions to acquire and retain a given title must also take paper quality into account. Exceptionally poor quality paper may require immediate microfilming, which must be arranged in advance and taken into account by written impact justification (see Collections Development Guideline No. 10.E).
IV. Preferred format for permanent retention.
In general, the Library prefers archival microfilm as the permanent medium for the retention of foreign newspapers acquired for its collections. Although foreign newspapers are generally acquired in their original format, this material will be replaced by the permanent medium of microfilm. If it is available from a commercial source, the Library will purchase archival-quality microfilm from that source. 2 If not, the Library will prepare it for filming and purchase it from the Photoduplication Service. Foreign newspapers acquired on a one year "current issues only" basis will be obtained only in paper format for current service purposes, with older issues continually being weeded.
Reader demand and political, historical, economic, or cultural significance are factors which may justify retention of the original paper format, although such retention will be on an exceptional basis only. Newspapers judged to be rare, including especially notable single issues, will also be retained in their original paper format regardless of microfilming. When available and justifiable in terms of planned retention, potential demand, cost, storage, status of holdings, etc., sets in machine-readable format (e.g., CD-ROM) may also be acquired in addition to microfilm or paper sets.
V. Review for retention/discard
Area and subject specialists shall work with the appropriate staff of custodial units when making recommendations to add or delete titles to the Library's collections. Specialists shall make a firm commitment to review foreign newspaper titles at least every two years, especially those which are primarily of regional or local interest or kept as "current issues only," to determine whether they should continue to be retained, applying the criteria set forth in Section III above. Results from these reviews will be reflected in the ongoing biennial publication, Newspapers received currently in the Library of Congress.
Notes:
(1) Supersedes former Acquisitions Policy Statement No. 37.
(2) For a description of the Library's requirements for archival microforms, see Microforms - Quality, especially Section I.A and Section II. Cf. also Collections Policy Statement Microfilm Negatives of Newspapers and Other Serials.
May 1993