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ROBERT CROWN LAW LIBRARY                              REVISED 02/05/02

 

COLLECTION RETENTION POLICY

 

 

General Policy

 

The Robert Crown Law Library is an academic research library, which supports current legal enquiry as well as historical legal research.  Significant legal materials, including primary sources, are generally retained indefinitely.  But older or little used materials may be retained in alternative formats to save space, and multiple copies may be reduced in number.  Non-legal materials, or marginally law-related materials, are retained if they have continuing research value to the Law School.  However, the Law Library will generally rely on Stanford University Libraries for access to older non-legal materials. 

 

The following policy provides more specific guidelines for the retention of particular categories of materials.  In cases where the retention of materials is discretionary (marked *), and if space is available, the retention period may be extended further.  But in such cases the retained materials should not generally receive further bibliographic attention, such as binding, barcoding, or reclassification.

 

 

Administrative Regulations   see   Codes

 

Advance Sheets

        - Retain until replaced by bound volumes or later cumulation

 

Agency Decisions   see   Reporters

 

ALI-ABA   see   Continuing Legal Education

 

Almanacs   see   Reference Books

                                                       

American Law Institute   see   Restatements

 

Archives

        - Retain SLS or other legal archival materials indefinitely

        - Rely on SUL and Hoover Archives to retain general SU materials

 

Atlases

        - Retain current edition only, except

        - Retain all editions of The Times Atlas of the World

 

Audio-Visual Materials

        - Retain legal AV materials as long as they are physically useable and

                have research value, but

        - Assess legal AV materials for retention value after 10 years*

        - Assess non-legal AV materials for retention value after 5 years*

 

Biography

        - Retain one copy of legal biography indefinitely

        - Retain one copy of major American political biography indefinitely

        - Retain one copy of other biographies for 10 years*

        - Rely upon SUL for access to earlier biographies

 

Briefs   see   Court Records

 

Bulletins   see   Law School Bulletins

 

California

        - Retain at least one edition of all California legal materials indefinitely

        - Retain only current edition of California non-legal materials*

        - Rely upon SUL for earlier editions of California non-legal materials

        - Exception: retain California statistical sources indefinitely

 

Casebooks

        - Retain multiple copies of current edition

        - Retain only one copy of all previous editions and supplements, plus

- Retain two additional copies of all editions by current SLS faculty

                (retain one copy in faculty collection)

 

Catalogs   see   Law School Bulletins

 

Citators

        - Retain only latest cumulative edition or supplement

        - Rely upon electronic citators for little used jurisdictions*

        - Exception: retain all Shepard’s statute citator bound volumes

 

Code of Federal Regulations

        - Retain current edition and one copy of all previous editions in paper

        - If shelving space is limited:                                                       

                - Replace earlier editions with microform copies*

 

Codes - Statutory or Regulatory

        - Retain current and superseded volumes indefinitely

        - This includes official and unofficial editions

        - May be retained in microform for lesser used jurisdictions*

        - Supplements are not retained if superseded by a later cumulation

 

Committee Prints

        - Retain current Congress and all previous Congresses in paper

        - If shelving space is limited:       

                - Replace earlier editions with microform copies,* or

                - Remove earlier editions to remote storage*

        - Exception: retain legislative histories indefinitely

 

Condition - Defective

        - Assess materials in defective condition for repair, replacement, or discard

        - Replacement may be in an alternative format

        - Exception: rare books may be retained in any condition

 

Congressional Record

        - Retain current Congress and 4 previous Congresses in paper

        - If shelving space is limited:       

                - Replace earlier editions with microform copies,* or

                - Remove earlier editions to remote storage*

 

Continuing Legal Education Materials

        - ALI-ABA

                - Retain current edition and one copy of all previous editions

        - California CLE Materials

                - Retain current edition and one copy of all previous editions

        - Practising Law Institute:

                - Series: Retain indefinitely

                - Monographs: Retain current edition and two previous editions*

        - Other CLE Materials

                - Retain one copy for 5 years*

 

Court Records and Briefs

        - Generally retain in microform only*

 

Court Reporters   see   Reporters

 

Court Rules

        - Retain current edition and one copy of all previous editions

 

Cumulative Editions

        - Do not retain issues, parts, or supplements combined into a later cumulative edition

 

Decisions   see   Reporters

 

Digests

        - Retain current edition and one copy of all previous editions

 

Dictionaries

          - Legal

                   - Retain current edition and one copy of all previous editions

        - Non-Legal

                - Retain current edition only

                - Exception: Retain one copy of earlier unabridged editions, including OED

 

Directories

        - Legal

                - Retain current edition and one copy of all previous editions

        - Non-Legal

                - Retain latest edition only, except:

                - Serials Directory: Retain latest in Tech Services, prior edition in Reference

                - Ulrich’s: Retain latest in Tech Services, prior edition in Reference

 

Encyclopedias

        - Retain one copy of all earlier editions of legal encyclopedias

        - Rely upon SUL for earlier editions of non-legal encyclopedias*

        - Exceptions:

                - E Britannica: Retain all editions

                - E of Associations and E of International Organizations:

                        - Retain latest edition in Reference, prior edition in Tech Services,

                                and all earlier editions in basement

 

Federal Register

        - Retain minimum of 10 years in paper

        - Rely upon microfiche for earlier years*

 

Fiction

        - Retain 1 copy of legal fiction indefinitely

                (may include fiction about legal topics, or fiction by lawyers)

        - Retain non-legal fiction for 5 years*

        - Rely upon SUL for access to earlier fiction

 

Formbooks

        - Retain current edition only

 

Gazettes   see   Government Gazettes

Government Documents

        - Code of Federal Regulations (see above)

        - Committee Prints (see above)

        - Congressional Record (see above)

        - Federal Register (see above)

        - Hearings (see below)

        - Non-law-related Documents

                - Rely extensively upon Stanford University Libraries*

                - Discard in accordance with GPO policy

 

Government Gazettes

        - Retain for 10 years in paper

        - If shelving space is limited:

                - Replace earlier editions with microform copies* or

                - Remove earlier editions to remote storage*

 

Hearings

        - Retain current Congress and all previous Congresses in paper

        - If shelving space is limited:       

                - Replace earlier editions with microform copies,* or

                - Remove earlier editions to remote storage*

        - Exception: retain Judiciary Committee hearings in paper onsite indefinitely

 

Historical Materials   see   Archives

        (includes SU and SLS historical materials)

 

Hornbooks   see   Treatises - Legal

 

Journals   see   Periodicals

 

Law Reform Commissions

        - Retain all publications indefinitely

 

Law School Bulletins

        - Establish separate retention policy for each school (see schedule attached)

        - Microform copies are retained indefinitely

 

Laws   see   Codes; Session Laws; Slip Laws

 

Looseleaf Services

        (excludes looseleaf editions of treatises)

        - Assess all superseded looseleaf services for retention value

        - Bind superseded volumes selected for indefinite retention

        - Discard other superseded volumes after 5 years*

 

Microforms

        (may include microfilm, microfiche, microcards)

        - Retain legal microforms indefinitely

        - Assess non-legal microforms for retention value after 5 years*

        - Rely upon SUL for access to earlier non-legal microforms

 

Monographs   see   Treatises

 

Newsletters

        - Retain legal newsletters for 5 years*

        - Retain non-legal newsletters for 5 years*

 

Newspapers

        - Establish separate retention policy for each title (see schedule attached)

        - Paper copies are generally retained for a maximum of 1 year

        - After 1 year only microform copies are retained

        - Exception: legal newspapers are retained in paper for 2 years

        - Exception: American Lawyer is retained in paper indefinitely

 

Nutshells   see   Outlines

 

Offprints

        - Library does not add or retain article offprints

        - The term includes articles printed from electronic publications

 

Opinions   see   Reporters

        (includes Attorney General Opinions; Judicial Opinions)

 

Outlines, Nutshells, etc

        - Includes Gilbert’s, Nolo

        - Retain all copies of current editions

        - Retain only one copy of the previous edition

 

Periodicals - Legal

        - Retain indefinitely, but

        - Retain only one copy of all periodicals older than 5 years

        - Exceptions:

                - Retain multiple copies of periodicals published by SLS

                - Retain multiple copies of significant periodicals having anticipated heavy use

                - Retain Packer Room periodicals for 10 years*

 

Periodicals - Non-Legal

        - Assess each title for retention value*

        - Retain Vrooman Room periodicals for one year (if published monthly)

        - Retain Vrooman Room periodicals for six months (if published weekly)

        - Exception: for classified VR periodicals, assess each title for retention value*

 

Periodicals - Discontinued

        - Generally retain discontinued legal periodicals indefinitely, but

        - Rely upon SUL for discontinued non-legal periodicals (if held by SUL)

 

Periodicals - Incomplete

        - Assess each title for retention value

 

Pocket Parts   see   Supplements

 

Popular Works

        - Retain for 5 years*

 

Practising Law Institute   see   Continuing Legal Education

 

Rare Books

        - Retain indefinitely

 

Reference Books   see also   Atlases, Dictionaries, Directories, Encyclopedias, Statistics

        - Legal

                - Retain current edition and one copy of all previous editions, except:

                - Legal Newsletters/Looseleafs in Print:

                        - Retain latest edition in Reference, prior edition in Tech Services

          - Non-Legal

                - Retain current edition only

                - Rely upon SUL for earlier editions

                - Exceptions:

                        - English Thesauri: Retain one copy of all previous editions

                        - Statesman’s Yearbook: Retain one copy of all previous editions

                        - Statistics: Retain one copy of all previous editions

                        - World Almanac: Retain one copy of all previous editions

 

Reporters

        (includes agency decisions, attorney-general opinions, judicial opinions)

        - Retain indefinitely

        - May be retained in microform for lesser used jurisdictions*

 

 

Restatements

        - Retain at least two copies of current edition and latest drafts

        - Retain two copies of all earlier editions and drafts

 

 

Session Laws

        - Retain indefinitely

        - May be retained in microform for lesser used jurisdictions*

 

Shepards   see   Citators

 

Slip Laws

        - Retain until replaced by bound volumes

 

Statistics

        - Legal and Non-Legal: Retain one copy of all previous editions

        - City & County Data Book: Retain one copy of all previous editions

 

Statutes   see   Codes, Session Laws, Slip Laws

 

Study Aids   see   Outlines, Nutshells, etc

 

Superseded Materials

        - Policy varies - see under specific type of material eg Looseleaf Services

 

Supplements

        - Retain until replaced by bound volumes or later cumulative supplements

        - Exception: retain one copy of casebook supplements indefinitely

 

Textbooks   see   Treatises

 

Treatises - Legal

        (may include multi-volume sets; looseleaf editions; textbooks; supplementation)

        - Retain current edition and one copy of all previous editions, plus

- Retain one additional copy of every edition by current SLS faculty

                (retain in faculty collection)

 

Treatises - Non-Legal

        - Assess all non-legal treatises more than 10 years old for retention value*

        - Generally rely upon SUL for access to non-legal treatises more than 10 years old

 

Trials

        - Retain one copy of each edition indefinitely

Uniform Laws

        - Retain current edition

        - Retain only one copy of all previous editions

 

Working Papers

        - The Library does not add or retain working papers or articles in draft form.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Retention.001 02/05/2002

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LAW SCHOOL BULLETINS

 

 

1.  Bulletins catalogued, bound, and retained indefinitely

 

California - Berkeley

        California - Davis

        California - UCLA

        Chicago

        Columbia

        Cornell

        Harvard

        Michigan

        Pennsylvania

        Southern California

        Stanford

        Virginia

        Wisconsin

        Yale

 

2.  Bulletins retained for current year only

 

        Brigham Young

        Fordham

        Golden Gate

        Harvard: JFK School Govt

        Hastings

        Hawaii

        Loyola LA

        McGeorge

        NYU

        Pepperdine

        San Diego

        Whittier

 

3.  All other law school bulletins

 

        Retain microform copies only

 

 

 

02/05/2002

 

NEWSPAPERS

 

 

Art Newspaper                    Classified; retained indefinitely after routing

Business Journal (San Jose)          Latest 3 issues in Vrooman; latest year in Basement

Christian Science Monitor              Latest week in Vrooman; latest year in Basement

 

Financial Times                   Latest 3 issues in Vrooman; latest year in Basement

Independent (incl Sunday ed)        Latest 3 issues in Vrooman; latest year in Basement

Investor’s Business Daily              Current week in Vrooman; latest year in Basement

 

Los Angeles Times                      Current week in Vrooman; latest year in Basement

Mail & Guardian                  Latest 3 weeks in Vrooman; latest year in Basement

Manchester Guardian Weekly Latest 2 issues in Faculty Lounge; next 3 issues in

                                                Vrooman; latest year in Basement

 

Navajo Times                             Latest 2 weeks in Vrooman; latest year in Basement

New York Times                  c.1: Current week in Vrooman; latest year in Basement

                                        c.2: Latest week in atlas stand

Palo Alto Daily News            Latest issue in atlas stand; latest year in Basement

 

Palo Alto Weekly                 Latest 3 issues in Vrooman; latest year in Basement

San Francisco Chronicle (2 copies) Current week in atlas stand

San Francisco Examiner                Current week in atlas stand

 

San Jose Mercury News        Current week in atlas stand

San Jose Post Record                   Latest 2 years in Basement

Stanford Daily                     Latest year in Vrooman

 

Stanford Report                   Latest 6 months at Circulation; all earlier issues retained

Times (London)                   Latest 3 issues in Vrooman; latest year in Basement

USA Today                         Current week in Vrooman

 

Village Voice                              Latest 6 months in Vrooman

Wall Street Journal                      Current week in Vrooman; latest year in Basement

 

 

 

 

02/05/2002