The ZSR Library’s Browsing Collection is intended to provide general and recreational reading for the University community. Collecting emphasis is on current literature and popular nonfiction. Selections are based on literary merit and interest from our academic community. Browsing collection librarians make regular and systematic use of professional tools such as reviews, bibliographies, publisher announcements, catalogs, and other sources of information to identify and evaluate new materials for selection.

Basic Criteria to be Used in Selecting Browsing Materials

• Importance of subject matter in relation to the University’s educational goals and the interests of our community.
• Literary merit and/or recognition by literary awards (such as the Booker Prize, National Book Award, Nobel Prize for Literature, Pulitzer, etc.)
• Timeliness and/or permanence of the material.
• The author’s reputation and significance as a writer, as well as the reputation and standing of the publisher.
• Content created by and representative of marginalized and underrepresented groups, and works of literature in translation, that have received acclaim and recognition.
• Authoritativeness as reflected in recommendations by respected authorities or book reviewers.
• Relative importance in comparison with other similar types of materials on the subject.
• Accessibility in terms of cost, format, and availability.

Additional Guidelines

• The Library will selectively acquire titles included on bestseller lists as well as other works of genre-fiction which have received critical acclaim. The need for other popular materials is addressed through InterLibrary loan.
• While some WFU-authored materials may appear in Browsing, those titles are acquired through a separate process. New WFU faculty-authored books get bought systematically, and WFU student/staff/alumni-authored books are selectively acquired.
• Materials that directly support instruction and research should be directed to the appropriate ZSR subject liaison.
• Items that are confirmed to be lost or missing will be replaced if still relevant and useful, and if a replacement is available for purchase. Not all items will be replaced.

Collection Suggestions

Purchase recommendations from WFU faculty, students, staff, and the community for the Browsing collection (popular fiction and nonfiction) are welcomed. Recommendations are not a guarantee of purchase. If a requestor’s recommendation is ordered, they will be notified.

Requests for Reconsideration of Browsing Materials

As stated in the Library’s Reconsideration Policy, any concerns regarding library materials should be directed to the Dean of the Library; zsrdean@wfu.edu.

Prepared by Meghan Webb, Kathy Shields, and Summer Krstevska, March 2024