Book Review: Guide to Implementing & Managing Patron-Driven Acquisitions

Abstract

Guide to Implementing & Managing Patron-Driven Acquisitions. By Suzanne M. Ward. Chicago: Association for Library Collections & Technical Services, 2012. 77 p. $35 softcover (ISBN: 978-0-8389-8608-0). ALCTS Acquisitions Guides. Whether your library is starting to think about piloting a patron-driven acquisitions (PDA) program or is in the midst of a pilot or permanent program, you will profit from studying Suzanne Wards no-nonsense, comprehensive guide. This slender volume distills the information, both contextual and pragmatic, you will need in order to plan for, institute, assess, and manage print- and e-book-based programs. Academic libraries are in the spotlight throughout, but many of the principles will apply to other types of libraries, too. Ward is well qualified to author a practical guide to managing programs, as she helped edit Patron-Driven Acquisitions: Current Successes and Future Directions, while also contributing to the books introduction, literature review, and conclusion. (1) One other book-length treatment of the subject exists: Patron-Driven Acquisitions: History and Best Practices, edited by David Swords, a vice president at e-book aggregator EBL. (2) For an exhaustive study of PDA, the reader should consult these publications. In contrast, the present guide, in accordance with the scope of ALCTS Acquisitions Guides, is intended to offer a concise review of the history and literature of and a step-by-step approach to the topic. The book focuses on two basic types of programs: a print-based interlibrary loan (ILL) buy-not-borrow program, and an e-book program. Starting a Program describes clearly and simply all the steps to take, the questions to answer, and the issues to consider when setting up an ILL-based program. Methodical sections on administering the program follow. They include not only the bigger-picture topics such as assessment, getting input from users, helping librarian selectors understand and buy into the program, managing cross-unit cooperation, and budgeting, but also more quotidian topics such as deciding who makes purchase decisions, who places orders, and at what point books are to be cataloged. PDA and E-books begins with an overview of the four most common types of e-book programs, and then offers a full guide for setting one up. Libraries with approval and slip plans will especially appreciate the paragraphs on the relationship between an e-book program and an established print book approval plan; likewise, ILL librarians will welcome the segment on how a program affects their work. This chapter--the longest of the book--is even more thorough than the one for the ILL-based plan, for it also provides three detailed sidebar summaries of factors to consider: selecting an e-book aggregator, evaluating an e-book pilot project, and managing ongoing assessment of the program. …