Policies

Specific Policies and Guidelines

• Tabling Policies
• Flyer Policies
  
  

Policy Table of Contents

• Access Guidelines
• Access to Electronic Resources
• Cell Phones
• Circulation and Loan
• Collection Development
• Donation Boxes
• Internet and Computer Use
• Noise
• Reynolds-Finley Historical Library
• Scooters and Skateboards
• UAB Archives
• Unattended Children

Access to Electronic Resources

The Library's electronic databases and journals may be accessed from any computer on the UAB campus.UAB students, faculty and staff may access the electronic databases and journals from any computer in the world with their BlazerID.

Most of the Library's electronic resources are provided by publishers whose policies restrict remote access to current UAB students and employees. The Library is obliged to abide by the publishers' policies. The Library cannot offer remote access to UAB alumni or to students not currently enrolled in a class.

The following guests may use Library computers to access electronic databases and journals, the internet, and Microsoft Office:

• Faculty, staff, and students from other colleges and universities with current college or university-issued photo IDs or proof of enrollment. If ID does not show an expiration date, guests will be required to verify enrollment or employment online.
• UAB National Alumni Society members with current membership cards
• Anyone with a valid UAB Libraries Courtesy card.

Other users including Alumni Society members and those with Courtesy cards must obtain a password at one of the HUB service points in order to access Library resources while on campus. Guest passwords expire each day at 10:00 p.m.

Cell Phones

UAB Libraries strives to provide an environment that supports scholarship, research, and study. The use of cell phones in the Library is often distracting to others. Therefore, we request that cell phones be placed in a silent mode while in the building. Use of cell phones is permitted in the first-floor lobby areas.

Circulation and Loan

View all Circulation and Loan Policies.

Collection Development 

Updated November 2022

Purposes and Goals of the Policy

The purpose of this Collection Development Policy (“Policy”) is to provide principles and guidelinesfor UAB Libraries to follow when selecting, acquiring, and evaluating librarymaterials in print and non-print formats.The primary goal of the UAB Libraries’ collection development and management efforts is to meet the curricular, research, and scholarly needs of UAB students, faculty, and staff.

There are more specific collection development policiesfor the Reynolds-Finley Historical Library, the University Archives, and the Alabama Museum of the Health Sciences. Liaison librarians may also establishindividual discipline or department collection development policies that provide more detailed and nuanced accounts of collection development practices. 

Values

UAB Libraries, as a leader among Alabama academic and medical libraries and archives, are committed to the values of diversity, equitable access to information, excellence in service, community collaboration, academic integrity, materials stewardship, and respect for all users. 

General Selection Guidelines

General selection criteria

General selection criteria may include, but are not limited to, the following considerations:relevance to the UAB curriculum andusefulness to the University audience; timeliness of content and suitability of content to the available format(s); strength of holdings onthe same or similar subject; price and relative cost of material in relation to collections budget; holdings of other libraries in appropriate resource-sharing networks; and frequency of document delivery, interlibrary loan, or similar requests onsame or similar subject. 

Format

The UAB Libraries acquire content in the most appropriate format, taking into consideration the available budget, the effectiveness of the format type,and the format most useful for library users.There is no explicit preference for print over digital material, although certain types of materials (e.g.reference materials)and disciplines tend to lend themselves better to the digital environment.

Hardback vs. Paperback

When a title is available in both hardback and paperback format, the hardback format is generally preferred. However, if the price difference between the two formats is significant, the selection of the paperback may be warranted. 

Language

Preference is given in all selections to English editions or to those works translated into English.  Exceptions include, but are not limited to, works intended for the world language and culture programs. Refer to the subject collection policies for information pertaining to language coverage for each discipline.

Duplication

In general, multiple print copies of materials are not added to the collection, whether through purchase or by gift, unless the item is heavily used, has a special value to the UAB community, or multiple copies are required to meet curricular needs. E-book content should not duplicate print holdingsalthough print and electronic versions of the same title may be acquired to meet demand or patron preference at the discretion of Liaison Librarians. Exceptions to this general rule must be clearly stated when orders for duplicate materials are placed. 

Textbooks

With the exception of materials for the Juvenile Textbook Collection, the acquisition of textbooks is strongly discouraged.  Purchases of textbooks may be allowed at the specific request of an instructor or when the work itself is of a seminal, historical, or other significant nature.  

Serials / journals

Electronic journals are preferred over print journals.Backfiles for existing print journals are encouraged to provide better access to content.

Replacement

Lost or damaged items will be replaced if they are considered appropriate to the library collection and replacement is allowed by the budget. Replacement decisions are made by Liaison Librarians. 

Collection Evaluation and Deselection

Criteria for deselection (weeding) of print or other non-electronic materials are generally the same as those used in selection: physical condition and age of the item, obsolescence of information (in general or as it relates to current curricular and research needs),circulation and reshelving counts, number of copies in the collection, coverage by other material in the collection, availability from other libraries, and other relevant factors. Deselection decisions are made at the discretion of Liaison Librarians.

Preservation

Preservation of library material may be necessary when the physical integrity of the item has been compromised or the content is important to the mission of the UAB Libraries or the University. When a damaged item cannot be repaired, liaison librarians are notified and should determine whether the item should be discarded and/or replaced, returned to the shelf in its current condition, or transferred to the limited circulation collection. 

Donations / gifts

Gifts of materials that significantly enhance the strength of the libraries’ collections and support the instructional and research programs of the University of Alabama at Birmingham are welcome. Unsolicited gifts are typically not accepted, and the UAB Librariesreserve the right to dispose of unsolicited gifts in any manner deemed appropriate. The Reynolds-Finley Historical Library, the Alabama Museum of the Health Sciences, and the UAB Archives maintain separate gift policies and procedures based on the nature of their collections. 

Faculty works

The Librarywill purchasemonographswritten, edited, compiled, translated, or illustrated by UAB faculty subject to review by Liaison Librarians and availability of funds.

Donation Boxes

Updated April 2025

Requests to sponsor donation boxes in UAB Libraries will be considered from registered student and staff organizations in good standing.

Organizations/departments must request donation or collection box space at least one (1) week in advance of the proposed display date. To make a request, please use this link to our reservation form.

The collection must be for non-profit charitable (501c3) organizations only.

Space considerations allow for only one (1) donation box per organization at a time; when possible, a total of two (2) boxes may be on display.

The patron making the request is solely responsible for providing, maintaining, and emptying the donation box.

The donation box must be appropriate and professional in appearance; it must be decorated to not look like a cardboard box. Box size should be no larger than 3’ x 3’ x 3’ and commensurate with the items to be collected. 

Boxes must be clearly labeled (typed, not handwritten) with information regarding:

• Items being collected
• Sponsoring department/unit/organization
• Benefitting organization
• Contact information for sponsor
• Dates of donation drive

UAB Libraries cannot be responsible for securing the items since they are left in a public area without supervision. The period of time for the donation box to be left in the lobby is two (2) weeks.

For additional information please contact the Associate Dean, Public Services at 205-934-1280.

Internet and Computer Use

The UAB Libraries’ primary mission is to serve students, staff and faculty of UAB who come into the libraries or access resources remotely. The primary purpose of the computer workstations is for Library-related research.

It is important to note however that the UAB Libraries remain committed to serving the research needs of visitors (non-UAB affiliated users) by providing limited on-site access to electronic databases and journals.

Access to computers is available to:

• Faculty, staff, and students from other colleges and universities with current college or university-issued photo IDs or proof of enrollment. If ID does not show an expiration date, guests will be required to verify enrollment or employment status online;
• UAB National Alumni Society members with current membership cards;
• Individuals granted courtesy cards.

Visitor workstation access is subject to availability and must be limited to research purposes. Visitors must comply with all aspects of the UAB Acceptable Computer Use Policy.

Examples of inappropriate use include, but are not limited to, the following:

• violation of computer system integrity;
• unauthorized tampering with computer hardware or software;
• violation of software license agreements and copyright laws;
• violation of another user's privacy;
• use of sounds or visuals that might be disruptive to others.

Illegal acts involving Library computing resources may also be subject to prosecution by local, state, or federal authorities.

Noise

Purpose

To provide general guidelines for controlling noise within public areas of UAB Libraries’ facilities in order to create an educational environment conducive to study and research.

Guidelines

Library users and employees should respect others' rights and refrain from making excessive noise while in UAB Libraries’ facilities.

Quiet conversation is permitted on the first floor of both libraries. Other floors are designated as quiet floors.

Group study is permitted in first-floor study rooms, at first-floor tables, and at computer stations, as long as the group does not disturb others. Please close study room doors as these rooms are not soundproof; reasonably quiet voices are encouraged.

Please set cell phones to “vibrate” or “silent” when entering UAB Libraries’ facilities. All phone conversations are to take place outside or in the lobby. Patrons should be considerate of others and keep voices to a reasonable level.

With a valid student ONE Card, headphones may be borrowed for check out for in-library use at each HUB Desk. Headphones should be used at all times when operating any kind of media within which audio is necessary. Volume should be set so as not to disturb others. Students who have headphone volumes loud enough to disturb other students and employees will be asked to lower the volume. 

Non-Compliance

When necessary, library staff will remind library users of the noise policy and will enforce the noise control/disturbance procedure as they deem necessary. Library users being disturbed by noise are encouraged to ask library staff to intervene. All noise complaints will be handled by library staff in a fair, timely, and equitable manner.

Library patrons who do not comply with the noise policy will be asked to leave the quiet study area or, in some cases, may be asked to leave the building for a period of time determined by UAB Libraries staff. If deemed necessary, UAB Police will be called to handle the situation.

UAB’s Standards of Student Conduct are expected to be adhered to while in the library.

Students who fail repeatedly to abide by UAB Libraries policies may be referred to the Office of Community Standards & Student Accountability.

Scooters and Skateboards

The use of scooters, skateboards and similar wheeled devices is prohibited both in the Libraries, as well as the ramps outside the buildings. Bike racks are available for locking up personal equipment.

For more information about the use of wheeled devices on the UAB campus, see the Bicycle and Other Wheel Mobility Devices Policy in the UAB Policies and Procedures Library.

Unattended Children

UAB Libraries provides an environment for research and scholarship in support of the academic programs of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. This environment is not intended to support or supervise unattended or unsupervised minors.

Minors under the age of 16 must be accompanied and supervised by a parent, guardian, or other responsible adult. These adults are responsible for the conduct of these minors while on Library premises and must provide them with reasonable supervision.

Should an unattended or unsupervised child be discovered, the staff will try to locate or contact the parent, guardian, or other responsible adult. If unable to be located, a staff member may contact the UAB Police Department to report the situation and/or seek assistance.