Collection Assessment Project Research Articles

Assessment of the Library Collection of the Central Luzon State University Library: Basis of the Collection Development Program

Objective – The collection assessment project of the University Library is significant in determining whether the quantity of the collection meets the regulatory standard of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for academic libraries. This study specifically sought to find the level of library collection compliance in terms of major subject courses, to determine the curricular programs that are compliant with the standard or have a high rate of compliance, and to identify the curricular programs that should be prioritized in acquiring additional book titles. Methods – The assessment was conducted using an action research model of iterative reflection and improvement. It follows the four steps for carrying out the research: plan, act, observe, and reflect, as proposed by Davidoff and Van den Berg (1990). Furthermore, we employed CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 22, Series of 2021, Section 4 (b.4-5) to analyze the collection's compliance based on its quantity. The data was presented using a table and percentage. Results – There are 32 undergraduate curricular programs offered at Central Luzon State University, which include 1,055 major subject courses. More than half of major subject courses (57.3%) on various curricular programs are non-compliant with CHED criteria, including 17.63% of major subject courses with zero titles copyrighted within the last five years. Findings also reveal that only 6 (18.75%) of the total programs were able to reach above 70% compliance with CHED standards, and there are 23 curricular programs with title gaps of 50% or higher that need to be prioritized in the acquisition of book titles. Conclusion – The library collection assessment technique is crucial for identifying gaps in the collection and determining areas where additional resources may be required. As the findings indicate that more than half of the major subject courses do not meet the requirements set by CHED, the librarians have been investigating ways to acquire additional academic sources to fill this gap. However, their current efforts are not yet enough to meet the requirements. A long-term plan for gradually building up the collection has been devised.

A Place to Speak and Be Heard: Building a Collection to Support the Use of Indigenous Languages in Canada’s Parliament

The authors describe a collection assessment project that focused on Indigenous language learning and reference material. The project, completed at the Library of Parliament, was motivated by Parliamentary committee reports addressing the use of Indigenous languages in Canada’s Senate and House of Commons. The authors created an original bibliography representing all Indigenous language families in Canada and compared it to the library’s holdings, which were also analyzed separately. Project outputs included a rejuvenated collection of Indigenous language reference and learning material; and a subject guide used to promote newly-acquired holdings and to facilitate access to online resources.

Leveraging Survey Results in Support of a Library Renovation: A Case Study

The Health Sciences Library (HSL) at Stony Brook University along with the School of Medicine were motivated to make improvements in seating and hours based on survey results from an LCME self-study. Preparation for the site visit from the Liaison Committee for Medical Education helped to garner resources and support for this initiative. To meet the evolving needs of the HSL patrons, librarians completed an overdue collection assessment project which allowed for 142 new seats, including newly designed spaces and furnishings. Ongoing assessment of the redesigned space will be conducted to evaluate success and areas for continued improvement.

Project Feedback Loops: Visualizing Collection Evaluation Decisions

ABSTRACTIn 2016, a collection assessment project evaluated print serials and book collections at Johns Hopkins University in preparation for an upcoming renovation of the Eisenhower Library. Project metrics provided librarians with both goals and measures of success that varied by humanities, social sciences, and science and engineering—such as estimated number of volumes, decision type, and the percentage of serials staying or moving out of the building. A feedback loop with data visualizations helped reduce anxiety and improve communication across library departments by illustrating volume estimates, linear feet, and shelf height by decision type. Key takeaways include lessons learned about necessary data proficiency for academic librarians and the need for better data from our library software and applications to facilitate future collection evaluation projects for weeding off-site serials.

Analyzing faculty citations for effective collection management decisions

The article provides details of a faculty citation analysis study conducted at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The citation analysis analyzed faculty citations for publications published from 2002 to 2010. The citation analysis was used for a collection assessment project and continues to be used, along with other data to help assist with collection management decisions.

Assessing Library Collection: A Case Study at University of Peradeniya

In Feb, 2008 management of the Main Library, University of Peradeniya (UP) decided to carry out a collection assessment project to gain information on its collection at subject level. Particularly in a university library, collection assessment is necessary to evaluate whether the collection is able to support the institution's curriculums and fulfill the teaching, learning and research needs of the staff and students of the university. The results of the assessment could be used to compile a collection development policy in the library and identify the strengths and weaknesses of the collection. In this study physical stock counting method which comes under the collection –centered approach was chosen to evaluate the monograph portion according to subjects. The paper describes the process, methods used and results obtained from the assessment. Finally it briefs some suggestions to be used in future collection assessment projects to gain comprehensive information on the collection.Key words: Collection Assessment, Collection Evaluation, Collection Development, Collection ManagementJournal of the University Librarians Association of Sri Lanka, Vol.13 (Special Issue). 2009 115-130

Using Link Resolver Reports for Collection Management

In 2007–2008, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Libraries conducted a large collection assessment project. The Collection Assessment Committee identified several possible ways to conduct the review, one of which was using reports from the link resolver SFX. The committee used several link resolver reports in conjunction with statistics from the Libraries' document delivery department to identify trends in journal usage among disciplines. The link resolver reports can help identify new journals for purchase and are useful for providing information on user behavior.

Using Link Resolver Reports for Collection Management

In 2007–2008, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Libraries conducted a large collection assessment project. The Collection Assessment Committee identified several possible ways to conduct the review, one of which was using reports from the link resolver SFX. The committee used several link resolver reports in conjunction with statistics from the Libraries' document delivery department to identify trends in journal usage among disciplines. The link resolver reports can help identify new journals for purchase and are useful for providing information on user behavior.

The Florida Community College Statewide Collection Assessment Project: Outcomes and Impact

A collection assessment project was conducted in 1998 of the twenty-eight community college library/Library Resource Center (LRC) collections in Florida.1 The evaluative materials provided to each of the institutions produced a number of outcomes. To assess the project’s impact, a survey was conducted in fall 2000. The impact study found that, in the opinion of library administrators, the Florida Community College Collection Assessment study had influenced the appropriation of additional funds, informed librarians’ collection development decisions, and affected the weeding of collections through the presentation of institution-specific collection assessment reports that were provided for each library. The major finding of the impact study was that the additional funding for community college library acquisitions, passed by the Florida legislature in 1999, was not wholly successful in the revamping of outdated book collections because many of the Florida community college libraries received only part or none of the funding. The utilization of the project data, the findings of the impact study, and other follow-up to the project are reported in this article.

The Effects of High Median Age on Currency of Resources in Community College Library Collections

In 1998, a comprehensive study was conducted of the monograph collections of the twenty-eight public community colleges in Florida. This article reports the findings of that study with respect to median age and currency of resources. The rationale for the interpretation of the findings in the Florida Community College Collection Assessment Project is congruent with the philosophy that college collections should emphasize the instructional and curricular needs of students and, therefore, that the collections should emphasize current resources rather than retrospective depth. The findings on median age from the Florida Community College study serve as an example for the discussion of the implications of median age on currency of resources in college library monographic collections, especially in the professional, scientific, and technical fields. The major recommendation is a Continual Update Collection Management Model for college collections.

Collection assessment at the Ganser Library: a case study

Describes a political science collection assessment project accomplished at the Ganser Library of Millersville University, Millersville, Pennsylvania. The assessment approach was holistic. Traditional list checking was combined with online checking of the circulation records of core titles, thus presenting a profile of student behavior and circulation statistics of core titles published during 1920‐1988. Emphasizes the advantages of assessment using the online catalog and circulation module, although the circulation picture was disappointing. Claims libraries cannot afford to be just warehouses. Librarians have to work aggressively with faculty to get the core titles used by students with current journal literature, thus advocating the American Library Association’s information literacy goal to prepare students for the twenty‐first century.

Interview with Janet Majilton, Collection Development Officer, Memphis Shelby County Public Library & Information Center

Presents: Janet Majilton’s responses to questions covering her role and responsibilities as collection development officer; the County Public Library and Information Center’s relationship with branch libraries in respect of collection evelopment policies: retrospective purchasing; collections unique to the County Public Library; community responsiveness; the impact of new technology and the library’s collection assessment project.

The Pacific Northwest Collection Assessment Project

No abstract available for this article.

The RLG French Literature Collection Assessment Project

No abstract available for this article.