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Introduction

Purpose

The Collection Development Policy establishes the framework for development, maintenance, and reconsideration of library collections at Montana State University Billings. The collections support the mission, vision, and values of the Library and the University. This policy informs the Library's various publics (including university students, faculty, staff, and members of the community at large) about the rationale for making selection decisions, providing a system of accountability for the institution.

Mission

The Library supports the University's efforts toward meaningful education, enabling learners from diverse backgrounds to achieve intellectual, cultural, and social enrichment. The library encourages and supports intellectual inquiry from the campus community and beyond.

Vision

The Montana State University Billings Library is a partner in creating a dynamic community of learners and information-literate global citizens.

Values

The Library honors the Core Values of Montana State University Billings. In keeping with its departmental mission, the Library also holds as values:

• Intellectual Freedom: We believe that the ability of readers to choose freely from a variety of offerings is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture.
• Privacy: We assert that all people, regardless of origin, age, background, or views, possess a right to privacy and confidentiality in their library use.

Intellectual Freedom and Copyright

The ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ Library recognizes its role in contributing to the vibrant intellectual life of the university. As such, it seeks to provide access to a wide variety of resources on many topics, realizing the importance of providing materials that address a plurality of viewpoints on a given issue, even if those materials are controversial. In support of these objectives, the Library reaffirms the principles of intellectual freedom, access to information, and free speech inherent in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and Article II, Section 7 of the Montana Constitution.

The Library complies with all of the provisions of  (Title 17, U.S. Code). The Library supports the Fair Use section of the Copyright Law (17 U.S.C. 107) which permits and protects citizens' rights to reproduce copyrighted works for the purposes of teaching, scholarship, and research. The Library’s access to licensed electronic resources reflects its commitment to intellectual freedom and access to information, while recognizing that authorized use, sharing, and reuse are governed by copyright law, fair use, and applicable license agreements.

• eResources Conditions of Use

Scope of Collection

General Description of ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ Programs

MSU Billings is an urban, comprehensive, state university comprised of five colleges. The university offers numerous degrees, from one-year certificate and two-year degree programs at City College to graduate programs. Many programs are offered partially or entirely online. The Library's resources reflect the education and research of the University. The Library has a representative on the General Education Committee to keep abreast of changes in the curriculum.

• College of Health Professions and Science: Degrees and Programs
• College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences: Degrees and Programs
• College of Business: Degrees and Programs
• College of Education: Degrees and Programs
• City College: Degrees and Programs

Target Audiences: Patron Needs and Services

The University is located in Billings, Montana, population 120,000, which is the Yellowstone County seat, the largest city in the state, and a regional trade and healthcare hub. The Library's primary service community is ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ students, faculty, and staff (numbers are approximate):

Students: 2,676 FTE (4,145 headcount)

Needs and Services: Students at MSU Billings include full-time and part-time learners, dual-enrollment students, and students enrolled in face-to-face, hybrid, and online coursework.

Students have wide-ranging needs. As revealed in surveys, students value electronic access to library resources, reference assistance, technology access, meeting space, and basic study areas. Students utilize printing services and Interlibrary Loan (ILL) services.

Faculty: 228 Full & Part Time (105 tenured/tenure-track)

Needs and Services: Faculty—defined broadly—include tenured, tenure-track, and non-tenure-track faculty and lecturers from both campuses, as well as dual enrollment instructors and faculty emeriti. Faculty value 24/7 electronic access to information very highly and collaborate with the Library to expand electronic resources. They value Interlibrary Loan and are heavy users of this service. Faculty utilize research services and librarian consultation.

Staff: 273

Needs and Services: ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ staff—including classified staff, professional staff, administrators, and short-term workers—use the library and take classes (from MSU Billings as well as other institutions). Staff members use the library for recreational reading, research, and media checkout.

Community: Approximately 185,000

Needs and Services: Community patrons are residents of Yellowstone County and the surrounding counties who are not actively affiliated with MSU Billings. As an urban university whose mission includes outreach, and with the Library's designation as a Selective Federal Depository Library, the Library welcomes visitors from the general community, and provides the same prompt, careful service as it does for its primary service populations. Community patrons utilize free internet access and reference services. The Library offers a Courtesy Borrower Card for community members. Generally, school groups will check out materials under a teacher's card.

Patrons under 18: The ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ Library does not supervise or regulate what users under 18 choose to access. Parents/guardians of community borrowers under 18 years of age agree to be responsible for their children’s borrowing activities and acknowledge that the  prohibits ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ staff from disclosing any information about a patron’s library account or borrowing activities, regardless of the patron’s age, except for the purpose of recovering fees or charges.

Responsibilities

Every effort is made to make collection development an inclusive process. Faculty members, who are considered experts in their own disciplines, are regularly invited to make recommendations for new acquisitions and for assessment of the quality of the collection. 

Librarians share in the responsibility for building the collection by:

• Reviewing potential acquisitions for print, electronic, and other formats
• Establishing and maintaining liaisons with academic departments and regularly updating faculty members on new resources and acquisitions of interest
• Soliciting requests from faculty, staff, and students for new purchases and subscriptions
• Recommending modifications to the Library's approval plan
• Participating in collection evaluation, de-acquisition, and quality assessment projects

The librarians and other library staff members all contribute to the development of the Library's approval plan, which guides the acquisition of general print materials and on-demand ebooks. All library staff are invited to participate in the Collection Development Committee, where approval plan notices, recommendations from students/faculty/staff, and current collection-related projects are discussed. The Electronic Resources Librarian oversees collection development for databases and other digital resources. The Acquisitions, Cataloging, & Government Documents Technician is the main liaison with the book vendor.

Ultimately, responsibility for the Library collection, including selection, acquisition, and deselection, rests with the Library Director. 

General Selection Criteria

As general principles, the ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ Library will select materials and resources that:

• Support current instructional programs offered at MSU Billings.
• Support emerging academic programs.
• Support the research needs of ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ students, faculty, and staff.
• Document the history of MSU Billings and local communities.
• Contribute to a breath of pluralistic, research-based viewpoints on current issues.
• For non-English language materials, support foreign-language instruction and the needs of international students. (English-language materials are otherwise strongly preferred.)
• Contain current information, rather than retrospective information.
• Relate to program disciplines at a general level, because of the primarily undergraduate focus of the University’s academic offerings.
• For fiction and poetry, have serious artistic and/or literary value.
• Support recreational reading and literary appreciation.
• Align with item requests from faculty, staff, and students.

In making decisions regarding material selection, Library staff will consider:

• Existing coverage in the subject area
• Material costs in relation to need, anticipated use, and budgetary availability
• Literary awards
• Reviews from recognized professional publications
• The credibility of the author, editor, producer, or vendor
• Licensing terms and considerations
• The general principles outlined elsewhere in this document

Budget Allocation

The Library's budget comes from the state legislature's appropriation to the university. In alignment with university budget policy, these funds are administered to support core library operations and services. In addition to these operating funds, the student Library Fee provides further support for collections. 

Library endowments, managed by the ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ Foundation, consist of contributions from generous donors. Endowed funds’ uses are limited to:

• Programming and outreach
• Professional development
• Special projects
• Resources

While the Collection Development Committee makes recommendations for purchases, the Library Director holds final responsibility for budgetary decisions.

Format Statement

The following principles guide decisions related to questions of format. Generally, the format will be selected that provides the widest access to the greatest number of Library patrons.

• Books. The Library selects a mix of print and electronic books. Ebooks are generally preferred when materials are available via existing ebook packages, the library's demand-driven acquisition profile, or single-title purchases. Print books are generally preferred for award winners, titles with local relevance, and titles for which an ebook version is unavailable or not cost-effective.
• Databases. Generally, full-text coverage is preferred over simple indexing. Compared to print formats, electronic databases often provide improved access and discoverability for specialized program-specific materials, such as automotive repair manuals, accounting standards, and testing measures; and for reference materials, such as encyclopedias and dictionaries.
• Periodicals. Electronic formats are preferred for journals and other periodicals. Print periodicals are added or retained selectively when electronic formats are unavailable, or do not provide adequate coverage of date ranges. Library staff review print journal subscriptions annually, considering usage (checkout, in-house, and ILL) and electronic availability.
• Media. Electronic formats, such as streaming video, are preferred for media. Physical video may be purchased when streaming access is unavailable or unsuitable for classroom needs.
• Microform. The Library no longer collects new materials in microfilm or microfiche formats. Existing materials are retained when journals, newspapers, and/or government documents are not readily available to library patrons electronically. 
• Audiobooks. Audiobooks are typically provided through electronic services. The Library no longer purchases audiobooks in physical formats.
• Musical Scores. The Library does not currently purchase musical scores. The Music Department maintains its own internal collection independent of the Library.

Collection Description – Physical Collections

The Library is located in a three-story building at the heart of the University Campus, and houses around 170,000 items. The book collection, with sections found on each of the three levels, totals around 110,000 items. The Library’s collections are primarily organized by . A secondary library branch is located in the Technology Building on the City College campus.

The overall age of the collection varies. Some materials located in Special Collections have been part of the collection since the institution's founding in 1927. New materials are added to the collection each week as Approval Plan selections and other purchases are processed.

The Library utilizes the services of a book vendor (currently GOBI Library Solutions from EBSCO), which sends approval notices for review on a weekly basis. Library staff members develop a profile with the vendor, based on Library of Congress (LC) classification, and centered on current and emerging academic programs. They further designate LC areas where curricular offerings are strong and request that related notices be sent for review. The Library also makes purchases from other vendors as needed.

First Floor

• Book Collection: LC Classification areas A through N. Approximately 60,000 items.

Second Floor

• Children/Young Adult Collection: Approximately 7,000 items.
• Government Documents: Approximately 22,000 legacy items in print and microfilm. This collection is transitioning to online-only.
• Graphic Novels & Manga: Approximately 600 items.
• Microform: Collections and reader.
• Newspapers: 2 print subscriptions.
• Special Collections: Includes Reading Room and a secure, climate-controlled vault.

Third Floor

• Book Collection: LC Classification areas P through Z. Approximately 40,000 items.
• Media Collection: Educational and general DVDs. Approximately 2,600 items.
• Oversize: LC Classification areas A through Z. Approximately 200 items.
• Periodicals Collection: Arranged alphabetically by periodical title. 22 current print subscriptions and a total of 460 titles in the print collection.

City College

• Book Collection: Rotating displays of items from the University Campus Library.

Collection Description – Electronic Resources

The Library licenses and provides access to a wide range of electronic resources, both individually and through consortial agreements, including databases, journal packages, ebook collections, streaming video, and other online research materials. Electronic resources are typically acquired at the database, package, or collection level rather than managed item by item within a subscribed resource. Authorized users are provided access on campus and remotely through Library-supported systems.

Selection Priorities, Goals, Organization, and Access

The Library develops collections to support the instructional, research, and service missions of the institution. For primary subjects, the Library collects at a level adequate to support the course work of advanced undergraduate programs, master's degree programs, and sustained independent study. This collection includes a wide range of primary and secondary resources, basic and retrospective collections of the works of important writers, selections from secondary writers, representative journals, and reference tools. For disciplines supporting graduate-level or intensive research activity, the Library may collect more comprehensively.

Collections are organized and made discoverable through the Library’s systems and tools, including the integrated library system, discovery platform, finding aids, and locally developed indexes. The Library participates in the TRAILS Consortium, providing access to a shared catalog of 24 academic, college, and tribal libraries across Montana. Holdings are regularly contributed to the shared catalog and to OCLC WorldCat to enhance resource discovery and resource sharing.

Accessibility

The ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ Library is committed to providing equitable access to collections, services, and spaces. When developing collections, the Library seeks to minimize barriers to access, accommodate the needs of users with disabilities, and provide for flexibility of use.

The Library makes every effort to gather information and prioritize the acquisitions of web accessible electronic resources, except in cases where a product or service would be fundamentally altered. We are committed to providing web-accessible resources to individuals with disabilities, including compliance with current ADA standards (WCAG 2.1 Level AA). In cooperation with Disability Support Services, the Library provides assistive technology, which includes hardware and software options.

Literary Awards

The Library actively collects the winners of certain literary awards in support of the General Selection Criteria. A listing of the award books the Library collects is available on the .

Artificial Intelligence and AI Tools

The Library makes reasonable efforts to not purchase, acquire, or accept donations of materials that are primarily generated, authored, narrated, or written by artificial intelligence (AI). It is possible that AI-generated content will be inadvertently added to the library’s collections. For example, the library often subscribes to large packages of materials, upwards of thousands of electronic books and journals, streaming videos, etc. The Library cannot review each item in these collections for AI-generated content.

However, the library recognizes that AI generated materials might be requested by our patrons for teaching, learning, or research. Such requests for AI generated items will be evaluated for addition to the collection using the Selection Priorities, Goals, Organization, and Access outlined in this policy.

 Increasingly, publishers and vendors incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) features into electronic resources subscribed to by the Library. These include tools such as AI-generated summaries, natural-language search, chat-based interfaces, recommendations, and other automated research aids. In some cases, the Library may be able to opt in to or disable these features; in other cases, they may be enabled by the publisher or vendor as part of the platform. AI tools are evolving rapidly and raise questions related to accuracy, bias, privacy, accessibility, licensing, and appropriate use. The Library will make reasonable efforts to review AI-enabled features and to inform users when subscribed resources include them.

Textbooks

The Library does not purchase traditional textbooks, defined as:

• Written specifically for students in an area of study
• Designed to be used by students at different levels of study (e.g., introductory)
• Including study aids at the end of chapters (e.g. discussion questions, problems)
• Typically updated regularly with new editions

Not all required course materials fit the standard definition of a traditional textbook (for example, assigned works of fiction, poetry, or history). Titles may be in the collection because they meet the criteria of the Library’s general collection development policy or are part of a broader package of titles, not because they are assigned for a particular course.

Course-Specific Electronic Resources

Instructional platforms and other specialized electronic resources are evaluated in alignment with the Library’s textbook policy. The Library does not license platforms or products that function primarily as required course materials for a specific class, particularly when they replicate or replace traditional textbooks, are restricted to individual course use, or require ongoing student-specific access.

Cooperative Purchasing with Other Units & Institutions

The ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ Library purchases items jointly with other institutions, as appropriate. Because vendors offer a wide variety of pricing options, joint purchases may result in lower costs, greater efficiencies, increased negotiating leverage, and more favorable licensing and access terms. Primary cooperative purchasing partners include the , other Montana State University affiliate libraries, the Montana State Library, and Lyrasis. The role of purchasing partners and consortia is strictly cooperative, with these entities having no oversight or say about decisions regarding the ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ Library’s operations, collections, personnel, budget, and policies.

Interlibrary Loan

Patron access to library resources is greatly extended through Interlibrary Loan (ILL). ILL participates in regional and national consortia that foster ready exchange of library materials. This allows the Library to provide print and electronic materials which would not normally be purchased.

The Interlibrary Loan Technician will inform the Collection Development Committee about items that are frequently requested by ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ Library patrons. These materials may be selected for purchase if they would support a wide range of Library patrons.

Gifts / Donations

The Library accepts unconditional donations of items such as academic/informational books, popular reading materials, and children’s books. Please contact the Library before bringing donations.

The Library does not accept:

• Textbooks (books primarily intended for structured coursework)
• Periodicals (journals, magazines, or newspapers)
• Large batches of items (more than 5 boxes)

Decisions to add donations to the collection will be based on:

1. The General Selection Criteria listed above
2. Physical condition

The Library may refuse donations at the discretion of staff. The Library reserves the right to distribute, recycle, or discard items. Items added to the permanent collection will be subject to standard evaluation/maintenance processes.

If requested, the Library will provide a Letter of Acknowledgment to donors indicating the number of items donated. Fixing the specific value of donated materials for tax purposes is the responsibility of the donor.

Interested in making a monetary donation to the library?

Thank you for considering a gift to the Montana State University Billings Library. Our collections continue to be enriched through generous gifts of funds that we have received over the years. Please contact Krista Montague, President & CEO of ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ Foundation & Alumni, at (406) 657-1622.

Collection Evaluation and Maintenance

Collection Evaluation

The Library regularly engages in collection evaluation to maintain a well-balanced, up-to-date collection. These general principles guide the evaluation process:

• The primary consideration in retention decisions is the support for current and future MSU Billings academic programs.
• Every effort is made to include current subject-area faculty members in the process. Faculty feedback is considered as part of evidence-informed collection assessment.
• Collection levels must align with responsible stewardship of available funding, space, and staff time.

Ultimately, responsibility for evaluation decisions lies with the Library Director.

Collection Evaluation Strategies

The Library employs a range of quantitative and qualitative assessment methods to evaluate its collections. Evaluation methods include:

• Analysis of usage data, including trends over time.
• Review of content scope and coverage, including duplication, uniqueness, and availability of alternative or open-access content.
• Assessment of cost in relation to use and overall value.
• Assessment of the age, currency, and condition of collections in specific subject areas, as appropriate to format and discipline.
• Comparison of subject area collections with national standards, accreditation requirements, benchmark institutions, and core title lists.
• Monitoring of curricular developments, including new academic programs or changes in instructional needs.
• Evaluation of discoverability, including metadata quality and integration with library discovery systems.
• Collection of user feedback through surveys and other assessment tools, including input from students, faculty, and/or staff regarding resource use and satisfaction.

Multiple Copies

In general, the Library avoids retaining multiple print copies of resources. Exceptions include works appropriate for more than one location (e.g. Special Collections and general circulation), different versions of works, or high-use items.

Deselection – Print Collections

Deselection of library materials is essential for maintaining a relevant and useful academic library collection. Because of the ever-growing body of information, space constraints, and the constantly changing focus of the research and teaching at MSU Billings, the collections are regularly evaluated for appropriateness and condition.

Consideration is given to:

• The age of the collection
• Circulation and usage statistics
• Physical condition of materials (as appropriate)
• Accuracy, currency, and reliability of content (except where retained for historical significance)
• Alignment with the current and emerging curricular and research needs
• Availability at other TRAILS libraries

Librarians share lists of potential removals with faculty in assigned colleges/departments. The Library disposes of surplus physical resources through a variety of mechanisms including donating to other libraries, online reselling, auction, charitable donation, recycling, etc. Dispositions are subject to the ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ Fixed Asset Guide.

Deselection – Electronic Resources

Electronic resources have addition considerations in the deselection process. Deselection of electronic resources may include non-renewal of licensed access, changes in package or title availability, or withdrawal of access. In some cases, portions of content may remain accessible following cancellation in accordance with license terms.

Consideration is given to:

• Changes in product pricing, licensing terms, and overall impact on the library’s budget
• Usage statistics in relation to cost, including cost per use and trends over time
• Scope and coverage, including overlap or duplication with other subscribed or open-access resources, and availability of equivalent alternatives
• Accuracy, currency, and reliability of content (except where retained for historical significance)
• Access, discoverability, and usability, including effectiveness of the user interface, authentication processes, and integration with library systems
• Accessibility, including extent to which the resource meets current standards
• Vendor changes to content coverage, functionality (including AI-enabled tools), performance, or terms of service
• Privacy, including the collection, use, or retention of user data, particularly in platforms incorporating personalization, analytics, or AI-enabled functionality
• Alignment with the current and emerging curricular and research needs, including whether a resource supports multiple academic programs
• If a resource is identified by the Electronic Resources Librarian for possible non-renewal, input will be sought from faculty who would be impacted, as well as their liaison librarian. Additional stakeholder input may be considered.

The final determination for all deselection decisions lies with the Library Director.

Reconsideration of Resources

Resources in the ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ Library, whether physical or digital, may be brought up for reconsideration by students, faculty, and staff of MSU Billings. Any persons wishing to submit a resource for reconsideration in the ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ Library will be asked to complete a Reconsideration of Library Resources form, following the Reconsideration Procedure detailed below. This form must be physically obtained from the Library Director. The Library Director may confer with other Librarians or with university administration. The Library Director retains final decision authority regarding the retention or removal of reported materials.

A reconsideration submission in the ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ Library must identify the reason for the reconsideration and how the identified material fails to comply with the Library’s selection and collection development policies, including the commitment to intellectual freedom. When presenting an item for reconsideration, the patron may ask the library to take one of two actions: (1) removal of an item, or (2) the addition of a source to balance the collection by providing alternative views. The Library may agree to take either action or no action at all. Materials under reconsideration will remain available to Library patrons during the duration of the reconsideration period.

Materials in the library are selected to support the instructional and research needs of the university community, as detailed in the Collection Development Policy. Please refer to the Intellectual Freedom and Copyright portion of the policy for further information. Appearance of any resource does not mean that the Library advocates or endorses the ideas found in that resource. It is the responsibility of the Library to ensure that different points of view are represented in the collection. A challenge is defined as an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others.

Reconsideration Procedure

A completed Reconsideration of Library Resources form will be submitted to the Library Director; the Director will acknowledge receipt of the form via letter. The request will then be reviewed by a Reconsideration Committee composed of a selected group of librarians, faculty in the related department, and the lead subject librarian of the resource. The recommendation(s) of the Committee will be sent to the Library Director, who will make the final decision. The person submitting the Reconsideration of Library Resources form will be notified in writing by the Library Director of that decision and any action to be taken. The entire process may take anywhere from two to four weeks. If the person submitting the reconsidered resource wishes to appeal the Library Director’s decision, they must contact the Office of the Provost.

Items that have completed the Reconsideration Procedure may not be requested for reconsideration again for five (5) years.

Specific Policies for Discrete Collections

In selecting and maintaining each of these collections, the following criteria will be considered in addition to the Library’s general selection and evaluation criteria.

Graphic Novels & Manga

This browsable collection is intended to provide recreational reading for college students and faculty/staff, and to support instruction in areas such as Education, English, and Communications. Acquisitions are funded through ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ Foundation endowments and AS¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§.

The collection scope does not include:

• Full runs of long series, unless justified by high usage
• Comic strip compilations (e.g. Garfield, Calvin & Hobbes)
• Single issues of comics
• Juvenile materials, which are shelved in the Children/Young Adult Collection

The ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ Library has been a selective member of the Federal Depository Library Program since 1958. The ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ Library has been a digital-first depository since 2022 and retains only a highly selective collection of print materials.

The mission of the Government Documents collection is to serve the following groups:

• Students, faculty, and staff of MSU Billings
• Citizens of Billings, Montana
• Citizens of Yellowstone County, Montana
• Citizens of Eastern Montana

The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) conducts a Biennial Survey of Depository Libraries and the ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ Library passed its most recent assessment in September of 2025.

Computer Access. Public access terminals on the Library’s 2^nd floor provide electronic government information access to Government Documents service populations. Printing for government materials/forms is available upon request.

Maps. The Library has a legacy collection of USGS maps for Montana and adjacent states: North and South Dakota, Wyoming, and Idaho.

The Library offers print course reserves as a service to faculty. Reserve items are made available to students for same-day, in-library use. Faculty may provide personally owned items for reserve, or they may request reserve items from the permanent collection. Items are placed on reserve through the end of each semester.

When appropriate, instructors are encouraged to upload electronic and scanned copyrighted documents to their online course shells in the Learning Management System. Library staff answer questions regarding reserves and work in collaboration with the university’s Center for Teaching & Learning to assist faculty with electronic reserves.

Per Section 107 of the US Code Title 17, the following guidelines apply when considering whether reserve materials constitute fair use:

1. the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
2. the nature of the copyrighted work;
3. the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
4. the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

The Special Collections department collects, organizes, describes, and preserves strategic records that are of historical value for the purpose of maintaining the history of the University. It selects and accessions materials about the local history of the people and places in and around Billings, including Eastern Montana, in support of the research needs of MSU Billings students, faculty, and staff.

Test Collection

The ¾ÅÒ»Â鶹ÖÆƬ³§ Library maintains a small collection of kits and manuals for psychological and educational tests. New materials are selectively purchased upon faculty request to support curricular needs. The Library does not purchase tests kits when equivalent materials are accessible electronically, and the Library encourages university departments to purchase their own testing materials when practical.

Storage and use of Test Collection materials is guided by the APA's .

Policy Review

This collection development policy will be reviewed every other year. The next review will occur in 2028.

This revision was approved by the Library Director, Eileen Wright, in July 2026.