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Overview of the Collection
The Library’s collection includes approximately 1.2 million print monographs, 2.8 million e-books, and over 277,000 e-journals in a wide range of subjects and disciplines. In addition, the Library has substantial collections of government documents and other resources, archives, rare books and special collections, maps, data, printed journals, theses, multimedia resources (audio, DVD, streaming video), musical scores, as well as licensed access to over 300 full-text and indexing databases in a broad range of subjects.
Results from user surveys show that the Library performs well in providing off-campus access to resources and services, and that these resources help people to be successful at university.
The Library is dedicated to regular assessment of its resources and services. Staff use an assortment of qualitative and quantitative techniques to evaluate collections and services in order to make sound decisions within budget parameters.
More on our Collection
Suggesting a Resource for the Library
Use our purchase suggestion form to recommend books, media, and other resources that support teaching and research and Carleton.
Purchasing Standards
Use our purchase suggestion form to request standards to support your coursework or student projects.
Collection Development Policy
What we collect and why: the principles, parameters, and practices that guide selection, format preferences, and decision‑making across disciplines.
Collaborative Collections
How consortial partnerships expand access, reduce duplication, and shape our acquisitions strategy.
Collections Budget Overview
How we make purchasing decisions to maximize the value of our collections budget, balancing costs, usage data, and community needs.
Collection Maintenance
How we care for the physical collection including repair, replacement, binding, and relocation of materials to storage.
Collection Usage
How we use statistics, request patterns, and local analytics to inform renewals, cancellations, and new investments.
Gifts-in-kind Policy
How the Library decides which donated books and materials to accept, and where to reach out if you’re thinking about making a donation.
Electronic Resources Acceptable Use Policy
Who can access licensed e-resources and how they can be used, including restrictions on uploading content to third-party platforms or generative AI tools.
AI features in Collections
How we’re introducing and evaluating AI capabilities in the resources we license.
Problematic Language in Omni: Advisory Statement
What to expect when legacy or externally supplied metadata includes harmful or outdated terms, what we’re doing about it, and how to report issues.
Challenged Materials in the Library
Our policy on how challenges to materials in the collection are reviewed and addressed, and how to report concerns.
