The Library has received and maintains a small collection of rare and/or valuable materials. Included in this collection are: limited editions, first editions, books signed by the author, some personal documents and memorabilia from various exhibits. Specifically included in this collection are materials from the estates of Mr. Christopher Buckley, Jr. and Admiral R.A. Spruance as well as memorabilia related to the Yangtze River Patrol. Currently the primary emphasis is naval history although the collection also contains fine quality volumes of American and English Literature. Purchase and/or addition of these kinds of materials will be done on a case-by-case basis.

Intelligence Collection

Through a 1995 agreement with the School’s Senior Intelligence Officer and with support from the Office of Naval Intelligence, as part of the agreement, the Library agreed to maintain the majority of this material as a separate non-circulating collection of intelligence materials. The monies received from the Senior Intelligence Officer are used to purchase a second copy of intelligence related materials for addition to this collection. When possible, hard cover copies rather than soft cover copies are to be purchased for this collection. The Intelligence Subject Specialist will also seek to locate and secure 2 copies [one each for the INTELL and general collections] of related government documents or other free materials.

Buckley Collection

The Library contains a substantial collection of materials donated to the Department of the Navy by a former local resident, Mr. Christopher Buckley, Jr. As part of the condition of acceptance, the Library agreed to maintain the majority of this material as a separate collection. The main focus of this collection is naval and maritime history and it includes both fiction and non-fiction. As books relevant to this collection are received/purchased by the Library, they will be added to this collection.

Government Documents

In 1963, at the request of the Secretary of the Navy, the Library was designated as a Federal Depository Library. As such, the Library is required to maintain and provide free public access to the materials received via this program. The majority of the materials selected by the Library are in direct support of the School’s mission and curriculum. However, as the only depository on the Monterey Peninsula, the Library also selects, albeit to a lesser extend, relevant materials in support of the basic needs of the community at large.

NPS Theses and Technical Collection

The Library is the official repository and archive for NPS theses and technical reports. The Library receives, catalogs and houses two [2] copies of all NPS theses and/or technical report through the SECRET level. The Library also received and maintains copies of some theses written by naval officers in degree programs [i.e. civil engineering] at civilian institutions which are monitored under the auspices of the NPS Civilian Institutions Program. The Library will maintain an archival copy of all NPS theses in whatever format is deemed most permanent and appropriate.

Maps

The map collection contains topographic, navigation, aeronautical and political maps in both print and digital formats. Some items are received via the Federal Depository program and others are requested from the National Geospatial- intelligence Agency (NGA formerly NIMA). Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) maps are received through the Federal Depository program. Collection priority is given to those maps, either paper or digital, which are in direct support of the School’s mission.

Classified Collection

The classified collection contains materials ranging from Limited Distribution through SECRET. These materials are maintained in the Library’s Restricted Resources and Services (RRS) area and this area maintains strict adherence to DOD and DON security practices. The materials selected and maintained in this area are published or produced by agencies such as: NPS theses and technical reports, Naval Weapons Publications (NWPs), Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), Center for Naval Analyses and more. Only those materials which directly support current mission or research needs are to be maintained.

Conservation, Preservation and Restoration

The preservation of our materials for the continued use by our primary user community and secondarily by the local scholarly community and the Department of Defense at large is important. To ensure preservation of the collection at the appropriate level, staff needs to have adequate training and materials to see that damaged books can be properly repaired or restored depending on their value. Some volumes may need only basic repair or may require binding, others may need to be placed in archival quality boxes and some may need to be sent out for professional conservation and preservation procedures. The Library will monitor developments in the archiving of digital materials and provide appropriate means of preservation and access to these digital files.

Binding

Binding helps to preserve the physical condition of a print collection. Periodicals are to be bound commercially except for incomplete volumes with are bound in-house. Books are to be rebound as needed. One copy of each NPS thesis is also to be bound.

Periodicals and Journals

The Dudley Knox Library strives to provide access to the widest possible range of journals relevant to the academic and research programs of the School. Due to the high cost of some journal subscriptions and the Library’s budget considerations, the DKL will not be able to subscribe to all the relevant journals. The Library will, however, when feasible and economical, participate in consortium purchases of journals from major publishers. Through these arrangements, the NPS community will benefit by gaining access to journals included in these consortia licenses which are outside our normal holdings.

Increasingly, Library users prefer to rely on electronic access to and delivery of journal articles. Electronic availability of journals and articles is taken into account when evaluating subscriptions for addition or cancellation. Other important factors taken into account are: usage, the intensity of departmental interest, cost, publisher and reputation, contents indexing, uniqueness in the field and interest to Library staff. Extensive consultation with Library users (especially NPS faculty) will take place before journal order or cancellation decisions are made.

Regular reviews will be conducted to determine the continued usefulness of individual titles based on the changes in current research areas and curriculums. These formal reviews will be conducted with input from faculty and Subject Specialists.

The Subject Specialists will also seek to determine if gratis subscriptions are available to support research areas. In addition, they will look for appropriate free Web-based journals to be added to BOSUN and the Library’s Electronic Journals page.

Policy on Missing, Damaged and/or Replacement of Library Materials

The merits of the material for rebinding, preservation or replacement will be made by the Subject Specialist or the Collection Development Coordinator.

Lost items or items in poor physical condition will be replaced (if available in print) after consideration of the following factors:

• Was the item frequently used (particularly in the past 5 years)?
• Is the item’s content of continuing value? The intellectual worth of an item will be determined by consulting reviews and/or major subject bibliographies as well as faculty with subject expertise.