Developing Outstanding Core Collection

1. Seminar-Workshop on Essential Library: Creating and Sustaining a Leading Edge Villa Escudero, San Pablo City, Laguna October 25-27, 2004 Sponsored by: Philippine Association of Academic and Research Libraries (PAARL) Developing Outstanding CoreCollection Dr. Marilou P. Tadlip Director of Libraries University of San Carlos

2. Content Outline • Introduction • From Development to Management of Library Collections • Collection Management • Collection Evaluation • Suggested Ways of Developing Bibliographic Competence in a Subject Area • Conclusion

3. I. Introduction Collection Development aims to meet the information need of customers but constraints of: • Budget • Diversity of customers information needs • Vast amount of available information Must be hurdled so that an outstanding core collection is built.

4. II. From Development to Management of Library Collections Paul Mosher, then head of collection development at Stanford University and one o the leaders in this new field, challenged librarians to move away from traditional “collection development” perspective, which emphasized only acquisitions, selection and collection building toward a new vision of “collection management”, which encompassed a much broader range of policy, planning, analysis and cooperative activities.

5. III. Collection Management Collection Management includes the theory and practice of collection policy development, collection analysis, collection use and user studies • Assessment, in which the collection is described according to the different subjects and formats of the materials • Evaluation, in which the collections appropriateness for the customers is judged

6. Environmental Scan for collection Development: Critical Issues • Access vs Ownership debate • Restricted Materials Budget • Changing Management Strategies to Maximize Budgets • Impact of Information Technology

7. Shifts in Collection Resources • Availability of a wealth of information resources • Cooperative collection development and resource sharing takes on new meaning • Development of Internet tools, World Wide Web Access and Online Multimedia capabilities enables access to collections regardless of format or location Approaches to managing information (refer to the diagram in the next slide)

8. Approaches to Managing Information CLASSICAL Print-based Comprehensive Library of Record MODERNIZED Print Just-in-time Collecting Resource Sharing Enhancement Expanded Access & Delivery Options Articles on Demand EMERGENT Network Data Interactive Research Communication Information as it Emerges

9. IV. How Collections are Measured Evaluation and assessment techniques fall into two broad categories: • Collection-centered (counting holdings an checking lists to determine the collection’s scope and depth • Client-centered (conducting user surveys and gathering information on how clients use the collection)

10. An effective assessment uses both types of techniques to gather two types of data • Quantitative (including numbers, age and/or use of statistics) Example: Number of titles: A manual or automated shelf list count , a physical count or estimate of titles from the shelves, a count of acquisitions and expenditures, the percent of each subject’s yearly growth, the percent of acquisitions compared to published titles

11. An effective assessment uses both types of techniques to gather two types of data • Qualitative (such as observations) Example: Percent of standard titles or items: Calculated by consulting “best” lists Individual or group evaluation: Shelf scanning by the librarian, observation by an outside expert or observation by a committee

12. Assessment Techniques • Examination of shelf list data • Direct examination of the collection • List checking • Evaluation by an outside expert or a specialist on the library staff • Citation Analysis

13. Bibliographer or Research Manager The current trend in large universities: • Changing scenario has broadened the roles of the collection specialist • Areas of specialty are now broader than just specific programs or departments • New specialist of resources must have the ability to work with interdisciplinary programs and resources

14. Bibliographer or Research Manager • Some new tasks are • Collection development, evaluation, selection and management of resources; local, networked and remote • Development of strategies and software for subject/discipline network access • Decision making regarding resource sharing • Providing specialized research assistance to users; networked or local

15. Bibliographer or Research Manager • Assisting users in the use of databases and electronic resources • Development of a resource map to guide selection and evaluation of resource Resource Map is an information map on a web page to guide users to vast sources including a hot link to the resource specialist

16. Assessment Framework: The Conspectus Approach Collection Codes CL - Current Collection AC - Acquisition Commitment GL - Collection Goal PC - Preservation Goal

17. Ratings 0 - Out of Scope • - Minimal Level (a subject area which is our scope for the library’s collections, and in which few selections are made beyond very basic reference tools) • - Basic Information Level (a highly selective collection which serves to introduce and define the subject and to indicate the varieties of information available elsewhere. It includes major dictionaries and encyclopedias, selected editions of important works, historical surveys, important bibliographies and a few major periodicals in the field)

18. Ratings • - Study or Instructional Support Level (a collection which is adequate to support undergraduate or graduate course work, or sustained independent study; that is, which is adequate to maintain knowledge of a subject required for limited or generalized purposes, of less than research intensity). • - Research Level (a collection which include the major source materials required for dissertations and independent research, including materials containing research reporting, new findings, scientific experimental results, and other information useful to researchers).

19. Ratings • - Comprehensive Level ( a collection in which a library endeavors, so far as is reasonably possible, to include all significant works of recorded knowledge (publication, manuscripts, other forms) in all applicable language, for a necessarily defined and limited field. This level of collection intensity is that which maintains a “special collection”, the aim if not the achievement is exhaustiveness) The ratings do not judge the collection as “good” or “bad”. The collection is evaluated by comparing the levels of current collection (CL) and acquisitions commitment (AC) to the collection goal (GL) and preservation commitment (PC)

20. Customer Needs Assessment Results of a needs assessment study can be used to determine • How extensively the collection is being used and to identify gaps • Who uses the library and ways to reach non-users • How successful library services are and how they can be improved to reflect the customers needs • Whether staffing patterns and library hours are adequate

21. V. Suggested Ways of Developing Bibliographic Competence in a Subject Area • Prepare a topical outline of the subject content. Use general encyclopedia divisions to obtain an overview of the subject • Consult a principal subject encyclopedia • Locate and examine all literature guides. Begin with the library’s manual or electronic catalog. In examining literature guides, look at the table of contents and index for key concepts of the subject • Make a similar study of the books and monographs devoted to a special aspect of the field • Prepare a list of basic textbooks and other general works devoted to the whole field

22. V. Suggested Ways of Developing Bibliographic Competence in a Subject Area • Pay attention to producers of materials like associations, museums, universities, libraries • An association brings together key men with their own special talents • An association library or university press puts out accessions lists and bibliographies which are often the best selection tools. Example: Women in Literary Arts (WILA), BATHALAD, Lubas sa Dagang Bisaya (LUDABI), Putting Dagang, Historical Association of Cebu (HACE), Cebu Historical Society

23. V. Suggested Ways of Developing Bibliographic Competence in a Subject Area • Become familiar with periodical and serial publications • Make a thorough study of reference books in the subject area • Learn the trends of reference in the subject by looking at annual reviews and annual reports • Be familiar with kinds of data, materials and methodology in the discipline • Keep up with the latest research of the subject area, through abstracts of dissertations

24. Conclusion • Up to now, many good librarians will confirm that the measure of a good library is the collection • For several reasons, including diminishing budgets, size may no longer be the single most dependable gauge of library • As a result of IT, information gateways other than print sources have made possible access to a vast array of digitized information packages, thus expanding a library’s reach of resources • The libraries of the future will be distinguished not by size an quality of collections along but by their • Ability to provide network access to resources and • Agility in providing wide access to remote resources

25. Thank you for active listening