Library

New arrivals

The library of CRRC-Azerbaijan has been open and working since October 2003. The library provides with access to the collection of Azerbaijani, English and Russian language printed materials in social sciences: textbooks, references materials, periodical publications.

The library is open every day and serves users from any institution working/researching in the field of social sciences.

Click here to enter the electronic catalog of CRRC Library holdings.

The use of library materials and general rules

The users of the CRRC Libraries will complete a registration form to be kept and monitored by the librarian.

Print materials are available on the open shelves and can only be used in the library. The users are strongly recommended not to shelve used materials themselves but leave them at the tables. Search through the electronic resources are conducted by the librarian or by the users themselves though instruction/assistance is provided.

Surveys will be conducted twice a year at each library to receive the feedback from the library users regarding the resources and services available at the centers and establish better and dynamic service.

The users of the library can copy up to 10 pages a day of any print material in the libraries free of charge.

Food and beverages are not permitted in the library.

Collection development policy

The collection development policy of the Caucasus Research Resource Center (CRRC) libraries includes decisions concerning the appropriate titles and subject areas of materials purchased for each library and types of material appropriate for the collections. The collection development policy also sets out goals for storage, weeding and the preservation of library materials.

1. Objectives

The primary role of the libraries is to serve researchers in the field of social sciences from academic, non-governmental organizations, private and public sectors. The libraries offer access to the current fundamental literature, data bases, provides orientation training in order to introduce available printed and online resources and friendly atmosphere for study and research.

2. Collection development guide

The Centers are mandated to purchase high quality print and electronic resources. The electronic resources may be accessed remotely as well as locally. The libraries will subscribe to the full e-journal texts in the field that have long-term value for the Center's users. The CRRC Web page will maintain links to free relevant resources as well as online CRRC catalogues.

The print items are available on open shelves in the libraries. The printed materials will include reference collection, monographs and serial publications.

3. Selection criteria

In coordination with the Center directors and with the Center Advisory Council, the librarians are responsible for the selection of library materials of the Centers. The importance and relevance of resources discipline, scope, comprehensiveness, accuracy and geography are essential. Possible overlap of the resources with other items in the collections (print or electronic) should be taken into consideration. The requests of the library users/researchers are also very important during acquisition is taken into consideration.

General criteria for evaluating all prospective purchases within the priorities of the libraries are the following:

• significance of the subject matter
• authority
• accuracy of the information and data
• potential use
• authoritativeness of the publisher
• importance of the title in significant bibliographies, recognized reviewing media
• purchase price
• continuation costs
• format of the publication
• physical quality (e.g., binding, paper, print)
• duplication
• available space
• technical processing and maintenance costs
• longevity of the format

4. Subject

Relevance to the particular fields of science: sociology, economics, public policy and demography.

5. Language

Materials of the collection are mainly in local languages: Azerbaijani, English and Russian. Materials in other languages are acquired selectively.

6. Date of publications

Emphasis should be made on the current materials. Although primary emphasis is on recently published materials, retrospectives are acquired if necessary.

7. Geography of publications

The emphasis of the geographic location of publication is made on the US, Western and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia.

8. Revisions

All currently published supplementation for an item will be purchased Decision on not to supplement a specific title maybe made based on its cost, duplication, use and quality of the supplements.

9. Format

In order to determine the appropriate format for selection the following criteria are to be used:

• currency
• author 
• ease of access
• longevity of format
• storage consideration

10. Gifts/Donations

Donations are encouraged. The librarian should assess the value and number of the items received as gifts and should coordinate with the Center director to record the donor and the amount donated. Gifts will be evaluated according to the same criteria as applied to the purchase of new items. Individuals or organizations that wish to donate items to CRRC should send a list of titles, or at least a detailed description of the items, to the librarian before making their donation. If on the basis of this list or description the materials seem to be of possible interest or meet the mandate of CRRC's library, arrangements for bringing the material to the library will be made.

11. Weeding policy

Decisions to discard specific items, such as decisions to acquire new titles for the collection, are made within the context of the total collection policy, so that the integrity of the total collection is not impaired but in fact may be enhanced.

The criteria applied to weeding of materials are:

• outdated materials
• superseded editions
• duplicate copies
• materials out of scope of the collection
• damaged items
• incomplete serial publications.

Materials identified to be discarded are either made available to other interested libraries or used for exchange with other institutions. In some instances, if materials are extremely deteriorated or even useless to the point that even the disposal through any of the above-mentioned channels is not possible, then these materials may simply be discarded.

L. Preservation

The responsibility to build research collections carries with it the obligation to ensure that these collections are permanently accessible. CRRC is committed to the preservation of its collection. Preservation is the action taken: to prevent, stop, or delay deterioration of all library materials in all media; to prevent the theft or loss of library materials; where possible to improve the condition of materials; and, as necessary and appropriate, to change the format in order to preserve their intellectual content. This is accomplished through careful handling and housing; through the use of security systems designed to eliminate mutilation and theft; through the refreshment (do you mean renewal?) and migration (I don't think this is the appropriate term) of electronic files; and through the repair or replacement of damaged materials. If the repair of these materials is impossible or expensive, and if the content of the materials is to be preserved, it should be reformatted into another resource media.

CRRC, as a research resource center, selects most materials for permanent value. Some materials, however, may not be a permanent part of the collection because they are only of short-term interest to scholars. Decisions related to preservation must always be made within the context of the overall collection policy, by balancing the constraints of cost, the historical, aesthetic and scholarly value, and the user's accessibility.

Resource selection mechanism and processing

Librarians will review all promotional literature, publisher's lists and other sources. They will also take into consideration any suggestions or recommendations made from members of the CRRC Advisory Council (established at each center) as well as from library users. CRRC Librarians and Directors will make final decisions on the purchase of publications that correspond to the criteria of selection.

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