Collection Development Challenges Research Articles

Challenges of collection development in university libraries: The case of Benue State University Library and Information Services, Makurdi, Nigeria

Challenges of collection development in university libraries: The case of Benue State University Library and Information Services, Makurdi, Nigeria

Collection development policy: A panacea for collection development challenges in university libraries in Africa

Collection development is faced with various challenges such as decreasing budget allocation, increasing cost of materials, increasing demand for information, the complexity of electronic resources, and legal issues arising from copyright and censorship. To meet these challenges, university libraries in developed countries have adopted different strategies such as using a written collection development policy (CDP) to guide their collection development activities. However, university libraries in Africa are lagging in this regard. It is either they have not formulated the policy or used it to guide their collection development activities. Therefore, this study argues that a written CDP, if well prepared and used, can address collection development challenges facing university libraries in Africa and provide standard collections necessary for teaching and research activities of the university communities. Specifically, the paper discusses major collection development challenges facing university libraries in Africa and establishes ways in which a written CDP could be used to overcome them. Methodologically, the paper is based on a review of related literature. The paper contains a literature review of papers discussing the major collection development challenges facing university libraries in Africa and ways a written CDP could be used to overcome them.

TANTANGAN PENGEMBANGAN KOLEKSI PADA PERPUSTAKAAN UNIVERSITAS

This article discusses the challenges faced by university libraries in collection development activities using a comparison of case studies at the New York University (NYU) Art Library and the Pakistan University Library. The purpose of this comparison is to find out what challenges are faced by each of these libraries in developing library collections. The method used is by conducting a study of literature in the type of journal articles and books as well as other reading materials that contain material related to the challenges faced by university libraries in developing collections, especially regarding the challenges of digitization. The results obtained at the New York University Art Library contained several challenges in collection development, namely collaboration challenges, collection development practice challenges, general collection guidelines, and cross-departmental collaboration. While the results obtained at the University of Pakistan library regarding the challenges of collection development are management challenges, cooperative collection development challenges, weeding, collection cancellation and obsolescence.

Assessing academic librarians’ awareness on the importance and knowledge of collection development policy in Nigeria

Despite the importance of collection development policy (CDP) in developing library collection, little has been written about the awareness and knowledge of those who are responsible for formulating, maintaining, and updating this policy, especially in Nigeria where collection development challenges seem to be rampant. Therefore, this study assesses Nigerian academic librarians’ awareness on the importance and knowledge of CDP and also determines whether academic librarians’ educational level and working experience influence their awareness on the importance and knowledge of CDP. The study employed a quantitative methodology using a survey research design. One hundred and thirty-six (I36) academic librarians were recruited from three selected academic libraries in the Northwestern zone of Nigeria using a random sampling method. A survey questionnaire developed based on the IFLA (2001) guideline for collection development policy was used to collect the data. Descriptive and Spearman correlational analyses were used to analyze the data. The findings of the study revealed that academic librarians had a high level of awareness on the importance and knowledge of CDP. The findings also revealed that academic librarians’ educational level influenced their awareness on the importance (p = .000) and knowledge of CDP (p = .009). However, academic librarians’ working experience did not influence their awareness on the importance (p = .100) and knowledge of CDP (p = .307). This study has contributed to the management of academic libraries by providing useful information on the importance and knowledge of CDP among academic librarians in Nigeria. The study suggests that various educational programs are necessary to continue to improve the awareness on the importance and knowledge of CDP among library professionals in Nigeria.

Collection Development Challenges in Slavic & East European Libraries: A Literature Review

Collection Development Challenges in Slavic & East European Libraries: A Literature Review

<em>Be-tzelem Elohim</em> — In the Image of God: Identifying Essential Jewish LGBTQ Books for Jewish Libraries

The authors take as a given that all libraries should include books on Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) issues. This article discusses the challenges of collection development in this area and the factors that necessitate LGBTQ Jewish materials' inclusion in Jewish academic, school, synagogue, and community libraries. The article makes recommendations for a range of Jewish libraries on what essential books and movies on this topic are.

Collection development policy: How its absence has affected collection development practices at Mzuzu University Library

The aim of this study is to determine how the absence of a collection development policy is affecting collection development practices at Mzuzu University Library. This research is a case study that makes use of a sequential mixed design which means that data was collected in a number of stages. The researchers personally collected data from the field using a semi-structured questionnaire, tape recorder, and coding schedules. The main data collection procedure was a focus-group discussion involving senior library members of staff. Researchers also carried out physical inspection and analysis of books from the Acquisitions Department, and Reading Area. Qualitative data collected was analysed thematically, whilst quantitative data was analysed using MS Excel. The study found out that the absence of a collection development policy has greatly affected collection development practices at Mzuzu University Library. Most of the core collection development practices such as selection, acquisition, weeding and preservation were haphazardly done as there were no clearly documented guidelines to guide the various individuals that were involved in the implementation of these collection development tasks to ensure consistency. The findings of this study are significant because they could be a catalyst for the development of collection development policy at Mzuzu University Library, which might in the long run provide solutions to collection development challenges which the institution currently faces.

Collection development practices in private university libraries in Malawi

Purpose – The aim of this research was to study collection development practices in some selected private university libraries in Malawi with special focus on University of Livingstonia and Adventist University Libraries. Design/methodology/approach – This research employed a case study approach that made use of both quantitative and qualitative methods. Data were collected using interview guides and coding schedules. Interviews were conducted with university librarians of the two institutions. Self-administered questionnaires were administered to the Finance Officers and University Librarians of the institutions covered by the study to collect financial statistics and data relating to collection development. Qualitative data were analysed thematically while quantitative data were analysed using Ms Excel. Findings – Findings of the study indicated that private university libraries in this study are funded mainly by parent institutions. Funding is not adequate as is the case with public university libraries in the country. This had adversely affected collection development practices that include purchase of materials and staff training. The two institutions, however, differed in terms of the other collection development activities they undertook, and magnitude of the challenges they faced, something that was attributed to slight difference in terms of funding they got from parent institutions. Practical implications – The study sheds light on the collection development practices of University of Livingstonia Library and Adventist University Library, and challenges facing them. Some of these findings mirror those of other libraries not only in this sector, but also public university libraries in the country. Suggestions on how the collection development challenges facing the two libraries could be tackled have been made. It is hoped that the suggestions made could benefit other libraries who find themselves in a similar situation, if implemented. The study findings could also inform future researchers venturing in the same field. Originality/value – Very little is known about the collection development practices of private university libraries not only in Malawi but the world at large owing to lack of significant research undertaken on the topic. This study is, therefore, significant because its findings fill up the existing knowledge gap. If acted on, recommendations made could also help solve some of the challenges that are being faced.

Interdisciplinarity on campus: how the publishing world is responding

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to explore how the publishing world is responding to library collection development challenges posed by the growth of interdisciplinary studies programs.Design/methodology/approachThe first step in this study was a survey of the websites of selected ARL and all Oberlin Group university and college websites to determine those institutions that have a clearly identified Interdisciplinary program or majors. The authors then investigated the status of interdisciplinary collection development practices at these institutions. Finally the websites of reviewers, publishers, and vendors were surveyed to explore what tools are available to help librarians identify new interdisciplinary monographs.FindingsRather than supplying formal interdisciplinary collection development support, most librarians rely on external resources to help identify interdisciplinary materials. As technology evolves publisher/vendor websites can provide librarians with the tools needed to conduct in‐depth searches of their catalogs, thus aiding in the identification of interdisciplinary monographs for purchase.Originality/valueBuilding on previous scholarship about the growth of interdisciplinary studies and libraries, this paper extends the research by examining the tools available to help librarians bridge the gap created by new disciplinary formations and offers suggestions for publishers to enhance interdisciplinary selection.

Marmot and Prospector—A Statistical Review

Public and academic libraries of the Marmot Library Network in western Colorado joined the Prospector regional union catalog hosted by the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries. Growth in patron-initiated resource sharing between Colorado Front Range/Wyoming and Western Slope libraries is analyzed in terms of circulation counts, lend/borrow ratios, load balancing issues, and collection development challenges.

Collection Development Challenges for the 21st Century Academic Librarian

In the down-sized academic library of the twenty-first century, many librarians with little or no formal collection development training or experience are being entrusted with large departmental budgets, occasionally without the collaboration of a department liaison. How do new librarians, or librarians new to a discipline, deal with this challenge? This article attempts to provide both tools and suggestions to help librarians make the best collection decisions and to build relationships with their department(s). The subject focus is psychology and includes links to sample online collection development policies for psychology as well as print sources for psychology and other disciplines.

Collection Development: Is the Isolated University Library a Special Case?

ABSTRACTThe particular collection development challenges faced by the geographically isolated university library are examined, partly on the basis of information collected during visits to James Cook University, Central Queensland University, Northern Territory University, and the University of the South Pacific. Isolated universities do face special difficulties (and have some special opportunities) but their distinctive collection development circumstances may owe as much to corollaries of isolation, such as relative newness, small size, and comparatively limited funding, as they do to the fact of geographical isolation per se.