UCI Libraries collects materials in all formats to support the university's research, teaching, and public service mission, demonstrating diversity across the collection to the extent possible. Primary emphasis is on acquiring current materials and providing access to online resources, although materials in all formats are considered.
Materials are selected by our subject librarians to meet the needs and interests of a diverse body of users. Materials considered for inclusion within the collection are evaluated based on quality, utility, and collection strengths and gaps.
We believe it is crucial that our collections reflect the diversity of our students, faculty, staff, and larger Orange County community. Therefore, we collect materials that consider the needs and perspectives of historically under-represented, marginalized, and oppressed groups. For more information, please refer to our Diversity Statement and Plan.
The UCI Libraries also adheres to the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights, which supports access to information and denounces censorship, and the Association of College & Research Libraries' Diversity Standards, Cultural Competency for Academic Libraries, which create standards that emphasize the need and obligation to serve and advocate for racial and ethnically diverse constituencies.
The UCI Libraries provide educational resources and services that support learning and scholarship at the University of California Irvine. To be effective in these activities, the Libraries must create an environment that fosters intellectual development through open inquiry and access to information representing all points of view, even when this information may be considered controversial. Members of the UCI community and all others who use our resources are welcome to do so with the understanding that the UCI Libraries neither restrict access to lawful materials nor shield library users from exposure to materials they may find offensive.
Because UCI is part of the University of California system, we benefit from the consortial acquisition of electronic resources via the California Digital Library (CDL) as well as the rich collections of scholarly resources that are available from the other UC campuses, two off-site UC library storage facilities (SRLF and NRLF), and our membership in the Center for Research Libraries. We take these partnerships into consideration when selecting materials for the UCI collection. UC-wide collections appear in Library Search, a catalog of all materials owned by the UC libraries and beyond. The UCI Libraries' first priority is to keep on campus those materials that are needed to support the campus' current academic programs.
We welcome suggestions for new content, either through our Suggestion Form, or by contacting the appropriate subject librarian.
Related Policies: