(Adopted: March 1992)

Scope and assumptions

In order to ensure a breadth and depth of collaborative ownership commensurate with the requirement for expeditious access to information presented in journal format, WRLC members agree to maintain designated titles, regardless of multiple copy holdings, under "protected status." Journal titles are granted "protected status" at the recommendation of the Collection Development Advisory Committee and with the approval of the WRLC Library Directors.

By granting "protected status" to a title, the Collection Development Advisory Committee seeks to identify and retain at least one copy of the title so designated.

Policy and procedures

1. When identifying a candidate title and evaluating its appropriateness for "protected status," the Collection Development Advisory Committee considers the following criteria:
   1. Relevance of journal content and academic level to the teaching and research mission of WRLC institutions.
   2. Current subscription cost and recent price increase history.
   3. Extent of intellectual access provided through online indexes shared by WRLC members.
   4. Frequency of actual or potential use, as indicated by member requests and/or citations in the scholarly literature.
   5. Single or last remaining copy held within WRLC.
2. "Protected status" is granted for five years.
3. "Protected status" titles are reviewed by the Collection Development Advisory Committee on a five-year cycle.
4. WRLC members agree to request the approval of the Collection Development Advisory Committee before canceling a "protected status" title.
5. The Collection Development Advisory Committee, in reviewing the cancellation request, may recommend continuing member responsibility for the subscription, based on the number of copies remaining among WRLC members as well as the following criteria for individual institutions:
   1. Primary collection development subject responsibility within WRLC (once designated).
   2. Curricular direction and programmatic strengths of the members institution (including accreditation and professional licensing requirements, as well as the highest degree offered).
   3. Faculty research of national or international note.
   4. Historical and continuing subject strength of the collection.
   5. Completeness of holdings for the title under consideration.
   6. Fiscal feasibility of maintaining subscription.
6. In the event a journal title warrants "protected status," but cannot be maintained by the last holding library, the Collection Development Advisory Committee may recommend that WRLC cooperatively purchase the title, based on the availability of funds.
7. The duration of the "protected status" designation will be recorded in the DT/CAN fixed field of the MARC holdings record attached to the first copy statement of the title, if there is more than one copy. Each library owning the protected title will enter the year and month five years from the date it was protected.