The purpose of the Multimedia Library is to:

• support UWM's curriculum by providing appropriate non-print instructional materials to be viewed in the Libraries, as well as to be used by UWM faculty and staff in classes;
  
• acquire audiovisual materials to ensure adequate representation of all disciplines supported by UWM's educational mission;
  
• serve as the primary on-campus location for viewing of non-print library instructional materials.

The Multimedia Library has a restricted circulation. All titles in this Library are catalogued and represented in the Libraries' online computer catalog.

Basic.

Given the interdisciplinary nature of the Multimedia Library and the UWM curriculum, all subject matter is considered for acquisition. Focus is on substantive informational documentary, literary, and dramatic materials. Purely recreational materials (e.g. hobby, vocational and self-help works) are generally not collected.

Selection criteria must remain broad and flexible in order to provide a collection which supports the broad range of academic programs and diverse backgrounds of the Library's clientele. Criteria used include: appropriateness of the medium to the subject; scarcity of material available on the subject; and demand.

Purchases are made on the basis of priority, past rental records, and the number of UWM users. High priority purchases are those items that have been rented several times in the past by more than one user or department. Price, and the relative cost of materials in relation to the budget and other available materials, are also important factors. The Library does not have sufficient funds to purchase all requests. Titles the Library does not own may be obtained through rental or borrowing from other collections.

Efforts are made to order from authorized United States vendors and distributors. Videos with a closed-caption option for the hearing impaired are chosen whenever available.

The Library's efforts to comply with copyright law include a routine request for Public Performance rights with each purchase order for media and non-print materials

Equipment and network compatibility are important factors in both purchase and rental decisions.

• 1/2" VHS Videotape (NTSC North American Standard);
  
• laserdisc;
  
• CD-ROM (IBM compatible).

The Multimedia Library will not collect the following formats due principally to considerations of availability and cost of materials, equipment, and service: 16mm film (with the exception of titles for the Cinema Arts Collection); 8mm film; 3/4" videotape; BETA videotape or any other material requiring equipment or facilities currently unavailable in the Library.

While high technical audio and video quality (e.g., at or near professional broadcast standard) is preferred in the video collection, it is recognized that it may not always be possible to meet such exacting standards. Field recordings, off-air recordings, and certain categories of materials, such as silent films, frequently fail to meet the highest possible standards for technical quality. Nevertheless, most commercially available titles selected to support instruction will and must meet these professional broadcast standards. In all cases, titles whose picture and sound quality fail to convey the content will not be selected.

These same criteria apply to consideration for replacement. After evaluation of use, wear, and demand patterns, duplicates of selected titles will be purchased to facilitate circulation.

Audiovisual gift materials are added at the discretion of the Head of the Multimedia Library. They must comply with the acceptable formats and technical quality considerations mentioned, and must meet copyright requirements.

Weeding will be done to maintain the quality and usefulness of the Library's collections, as well as to enhance space utilization. Items may be removed from the collections because of poor physical condition (e.g., worn or damaged materials) low usage, or obsolescence of edition or format.

English, or foreign language productions with English subtitles.

Geographical guidelines are not used in selecting media, except that particular emphasis is placed on acquiring any Wisconsin-produced (or Wisconsin-focused) non-print instructional materials.

Africology, Anthropology, Architecture, Art, Biological Sciences, Business Administration, Education, English, Film, Geosciences, History, Information Studies, Mass Communication, Nursing, Psychology, Sociology, and Women's Studies. Most other subject areas are relevant.

Curriculum Library and Music Library.