Collection Development Practices Research Articles

Uncovering Whiteness in Academic Library Collections: a Study of Author Identities in Journalism Monographs

Academic library collections have traditionally prioritized and valued white voices, resulting in a lack of representation of authors who have marginalized racial, ethnic, and gender identities. Diversity audits can make the whiteness of collections visible and inform collection development practices that prioritize the work of marginalized scholars to make libraries more inclusive spaces for patrons, workers, students, and scholars. In a diversity audit of author racial, ethnic, and gender identities in an academic library’s journalism monograph collection, the results show that the collection overwhelmingly reflects authors who are white men. Collection development librarians can increase the diversity of authors in their collections by creating a protocol for identifying, purchasing, and marketing works by marginalized authors.

Print Book and e-Book Collections in Academic Libraries in Malawi

Arrival of e-books on the scene has had a significant effect on the collection development activities of many academic libraries. Whilst some libraries have made the radical decision to ditch print books in favor of e-books, others are cautiously navigating the new terrain by acquiring both. The current study used the survey research design to study the collection development trends of print books and e-books in academic libraries in Malawi. The study found that academic libraries in Malawi are acquiring both print books and e-books. The trend has resulted from collection development decisions, practices, and budgetary constraints.

An Exploration of Journals Requested by Health Sciences Libraries Through DOCLINE Interlibrary Loan During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19 challenged information exchange globally, including interlibrary loan (ILL). This project explored DOCLINE ILL borrowing data from 15 academic, hospital, and association health sciences libraries before and during the pandemic to understand gaps in ILL coverage. We reviewed aggregate filled and unfilled borrowing data from March to August in 2019 and 2020. We compared these time periods to each other and to system-wide fill rates. We normalized journal titles, added journal price and language, calculated descriptive statistics and odds ratios, and conducted 2-proportion z-tests of differences. In our sample of 14,891 requests, the odds of requests being unfilled were 2.7 times higher in 2020 than in 2019. While the proportion of non-English language content requested did not change, a significantly higher proportion went unfilled in 2020. The rate of unfilled requests for older items also rose significantly between 2019 and 2020. Our findings support the conclusion that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly influenced ILL article request fulfillment in health sciences libraries. Libraries should consider collection development strategies to increase the accessibility of articles held only in print, and those with specialized print collections may want to prioritize digitization of older materials. Future research on the availability, utility, and expense of the materials more likely to remain unfilled should inform publisher backfile prioritization as well as consortial and individual library collection development practices.

One Size Does Not Fit All: Common Practices for Standards Collections and Management

There are numerous studies in the engineering literature about standards, though practical information on standards collection management in libraries is somewhat limited. This study builds upon previous studies but with both a broader scope and more granularity. The purpose is to fill gaps and add to the existing literature on standards collections and use. The workflow for collection development and management practices for standards, like other special resources, are according to each institution's preferences, clientele, campus culture, budget, and needs. To deepen the understanding of standards management in libraries, this study uses a larger sample size than previous studies found in the literature, through a survey of 336 academic libraries in the United States at institutions offering four or more Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredited engineering programs. The survey includes questions in areas that have not been studied before, such as institutional size, the highest degree offered, collecting intensity, and demand levels. Findings confirm some results of previous studies, but also show some new and unexpected findings.

Collection Development Policies and Practices: A Survey of Public Libraries in Punjab, Pakistan

The status of collection development in public libraries depicts the poor condition in the following four aspects: books, periodicals, rare material and digital information resources. The library staff mostly used the traditional sources as a tool for collection development i.e. Suggestion box Catalogues, Bibliographies, Book sellers/ publishers lists, Reviews of books and Journals. The existing collection development policies were not comprehensive, did not cover necessary aspects concerning to collection development. The public libraries were facing many obstacles and challenges in proceeding collection development process i.e. shortage of staff, insufficient financial resources, lack of training opportunities for library staff to update their professional skills, non-provision of internet connection and digital equipment to use the latest information communication technology, lack of funds for libraries collection development, Indifferent and neglecting attitude of the higher authorities towards libraries were burning issues and challenges to maintain the international standards of collection development within the public libraries of Punjab, Pakistan.

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.

Women of Colour and Black Women Leaders are Underrepresented in Architectural Firms Featured in Key Trade Publications

A Review of: Mathews, E. (2021). Representational belonging in collections: A comparative study of leading trade publications in architecture. Library Resources & Technical Services, 65(3). https://journals.ala.org/index.php/lrts/article/view/7486 Abstract Objective – To measure how well women are reflected, specifically women of colour, in architectural trade publications. Design – Quantitative diversity audit. Setting – Architecture field. Subjects – Architectural firms whose work appeared in four trade publications (Architectural Record, Architectural Review, l’Architecture d’Aujourd’hui, and Detail) in 2019. Methods – A diversity audit was selected to analyze the representation of various subsets of women within the architecture core collections. The Avery index was used to identify architectural firms featured in four trade publications. The quantitative study collected demographic data from 354 firms, featuring 726 women. Within these firms, the author sought to identify women leaders and how many of those were women of colour. The author then used four guiding questions to analyze the journals: (1) individual journals’ coverage; (2) size of the firm; (3) type of firm, and (4) firms which issued a statement in support of the Black Lives Matter Movement and the likelihood of a woman of colour being in a leadership role. Main Results – The key results for the studies guiding questions were: (1) the overall average of women leaders in the firms covered in the journals was 24% and for women of colour 6%. Architectural Record featured the highest proportion of firms with women in leadership roles (28%) and those with women of colour as leaders (9%); (2) women leadership was higher in smaller firms (large 24%; medium 20%; small 31%) as was women of colour in leadership (large 3%; medium 6%; small 9%); (3) insufficient data was found for meaningful analysis of the representation of women according to specialization within the architectural field; and (4) the firms that issued clear BLM statements were highest in the US (15%) overall. Architectural Record, a US publication, featured the highest percentage of firms that made clear BLM statements (27%). Conclusion – The study concluded that there was an underrepresentation of women, women of colour, and Black women in architectural trade publications. The author’s position is that collection development practices should adequately reflect the library users they serve with acquisition actions that increase a more equitable representation. The author stated that the practical implications for this study fall under the rubric of remediation in the following areas: (1) balance inequities in architectural programs by increasing enrollment of women; (2) identify collections which lack inclusivity, balance them with curated electronic resources; and (3) collection policies should reflect readership and encourage a sense of professional belonging. In future studies, the author acknowledges that a qualitative study based on responses from architects would complement the current study.

Acquiring Artists’ Books at Art Book Fairs: Dynamic Collection Development Practices

Strategies for acquisitions in art and special collections libraries require multiple modes and methods. Over the past decade, art book fairs have emerged as an exciting and worthwhile venue for collecting artists’ books and other special collections materials such as zines, posters, and ephemera. Art book fairs occur internationally, and the attendance of librarians at these events continues to rise with the overall popularity of the fairs. Despite this growth, there is a lack of professional literature in the field that documents and examines how and why art librarians utilize art book fairs for collection development, especially for acquiring artists’ books. In response, the author distributed an online survey in the fall of 2020 and conducted a literature review to further this research. This article considers the inception of art book fairs and presents the findings of the online survey and literature review. To conclude, the author reflects on the useful qualities of art book fairs for collection development and community building.

Dispersion of ICT-related subject terms in information and knowledge management publications: A Bradford analysis

The application of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in information and knowledge management (IKM) has attracted the attention of library and information Science (LIS) scholars in the recent past. The multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary nature of ICTs means that the ICT literature is published in several fields of knowledge. Although Bradford’s law of dispersion is commonly used to determine the core journals in a given field or discipline or topic of study, this study attempts to use the principles of the law to determine the core concepts of ICTs within the information and knowledge management literature. Data was obtained from EBSCO Discovery’s Library, Information Science and Technology s (LISTA) and the Library and Information Science Source (LISS) databases using a variety of keywords as search terms. The procedures of conducting a Bradford analysis were followed to determine the core subject terms in ICTs as reflected in the IKM group of articles published between 1998 and 2017. The results indicate that the application of ICTs in IKM largely occurs in the fields medicine, business and commerce, education and training (higher education and training), decision sciences, and industrial management. It was also noted that the core subjects varied from one study period to another; technology-associated subject terms were largely visible; and the dispersion of subject terms fits the Bradford’s dispersion. We however noted that the dispersion of articles according to Bradford’s zones is not accurately representative of the principles of the Law. The study has implications for collection development, searching and retrieval practices, and the application of Bradford’s law beyond the analysis of core journals or publications in not only IKM but also in the field of library and information science.

Scotland's public libraries are nothing but practical when it comes to deselection

This paper is based on results from qualitative research into Scotland’s public libraries collection development practices and the thoughts of library staff in regards to deselection (referred to in this paper as weeding). An open-text online survey promoted through professional newsletters, word of month, and social media, solicited rich, personal input from practicing library staff on the role, practice, and future of deselection in public libraries. From 36 responses, three main themes were developed: public perception, the role of governance, and continunity concerns. With pressure to provide the latest technology and published works for users, all in safe, usable spaces, Scotland’s libraries are weeding to remain relevant and responsive. Governance structures controlled policy and implementation of weeding practices, with respondents from Scottish public libraries overwhelming weeding via stock exchanges or with assistance from library headquarter teams/professional staff. The larger concern for collection development staff was having the budget, time and staff to make weeding a continuous, efficient process.

Toward Engaged Scholarship: Knowledge Inclusivity and Collaborative Collection Development between Academic Libraries and Archives and Local Public Communities

In Open and Equitable Scholarly Communications , ACRL calls for more diverse and inclusive collection development (CD) by academic libraries and archives. Meanwhile, higher education is increasingly committing to community-engaged scholarship. This study investigated the extent to which academic libraries and archives are collecting, curating, and/or preserving knowledge produced by their local public communities. Researchers administered an electronic survey to relevant listservs and conducted follow-up interviews to develop a case study of one library’s efforts. Ninety of the initial 118 survey respondents (76%) indicated that their academic library intentionally collects, curates, and/or preserves materials created or owned by the local public community, with a majority working with minority or underrepresented populations in their communities. Respondents also reported working with unpublished archival material more than twice as often as nonarchival/circulating material, reflecting academia’s movement toward greater inclusion of traditionally excluded voices in the scholarly record. Additional research is needed for a host of issues raised by this work, in particular the relationship between university-community collection development and student learning. Library leaders can promote university-community engagement and knowledge diversity by incorporating local community knowledge into their collection development commitments and practices and tying this work to the parent institution’s strategic plan.

Implementing Antiracism in Technical Services

It is a sad reality that racist bias is inherent in cataloging standards and collection development practices. Whether racism in cataloging and collection development practices is intentional or not, Technical Service librarians can be intentional about combatting it. This article presents three antiracist projects implemented to address racism in collection development and classification. Leslie Engelson discusses the results of an effort initiated by the music faculty to determine the representation of BIPOC in the music score collection at Waterfield Library. Brinna Michael demonstrates how racist language is represented in the Library of Congress Classification schedule and her efforts at Pitts Theology Library to update call numbers. Finally, Caitlin Soma details a diversity audit of the books assigned on course reserve at Candler School of Theology to identify potential collection gaps and to encourage faculty to develop curricula that include more diverse voices.

The Politics of Being an Archival Donor

Traditional archival praxis oftentimes depicts the archival donor as an observer and recipient of services or benefits. One that can either comply with the rules and expectations set forth by the archivist and archival institution when donating their materials or walk away from the process and opportunity. Despite the historic role of donor contributions in the form of archival donations, donors and their needs remain overlooked in much of the archival literature. Instead, current archival paradigms tend to focus more on the archival materials more so than the people behind them. But what if donors and archivists could reimagine their relationship and the ethical obligations associated with this bond?
 This article applies Michelle Caswell and Marika Cifor’s archival theory of radical empathy combined with the theoretical framework of political consciousness as set forth by Black feminism. Using these frameworks, the research study uses a mixed method approach that includes a literature review of relationships in the archival field and a qualitative conventional content analysis of collected interview data from the donor case study of living music artist donors. As archivists seek to improve collection development and acquisition practices more attention must be placed on the care, affirmation, and wellbeing of the archival donor. Through collaboration with donors, archivists can strengthen archival practices by centering people and not just the things. By combining an ethics of care which introduces “a web of mutual affective responsibility” alongside the construction of a donor political consciousness, this article shows how donor participation contributes and strengthen archival practices that center people and not just things. The article and findings offer a distinct pathway to better understand the challenges, limitations, and possibilities of donor relationships and the benefits of donors recognizing the importance of active participation and understanding of their role in the archival process.
 Pre-print first published online 02/26/2021

“How Do You Do That?”

The conversation group session was grounded in research conducted in December 2019 and January 2020 which investigated collection development trends of theological and religious studies librarians responsible for purchasing materials for their libraries located in the United States and Canada. After briefly introducing the details of how the research was conducted and key findings, the presenters facilitated guided discussion among attendees. Prior to the conference session, the presenters pre-populated a Padlet (an online, editable platform) with questions to which small groups of conference attendees could respond. These questions centered on collection development practices and the platform created a space for attendee responses to “live” in perpetuity, functioning also as a snapshot of the collection development trends that conference attendees embody.

A Comparative Case Study on Process Optimization and the Modern Law Library’s Involvement in Achieving Efficiency at the Law School in Times of Change

Law firms have been utilizing process optimization tools, such as Lean Six Sigma, to improve internal processes and build efficiencies. Successful outcomes require leadership teams that believe that process improvement is more than just a tool kit to solve problems or a collection of methodologies and processes. Through collection development practices, continuous learning opportunities, and the use of cross-functional teams, the modern law library has effectively demonstrated its ability to meet the dynamic needs of the law school community. Similarly, law librarians find themselves uniquely positioned to collaborate with law school administration on continual process improvement strategies in times of change. This article will provide a foundation on process optimization methodologies, such as Lean Six Sigma, Agile, and Legal Lean, as well as the application of those tools and techniques in various fields. Finally, the article asserts that law schools should adopt process optimization techniques and leverage their law libraries to improve business processes and operations at their respective institutions.

“They’re So Stinkin’ Popular, How Could You Say No?” Graphic Novel Collection Development and School Librarian Self-Censorship

Graphic novels are one of the most popular formats of literature that circulate in school libraries today; however, the high demand for these books may leave librarians scrambling to purchase new graphic novels to fulfill the needs of their patrons. The researchers interviewed 20 school librarians working in elementary and middle schools in the southeastern United States to better understand their collection development practices with regard to graphic novels. They found that the librarians’ collection development practices and familiarity with regard to graphic novels differed from that of traditional novels and that the participants often engaged in self-censorship in the selection and maintenance of their graphic novel collections. Reasons for engaging in self-censorship are discussed, as well as additional censorship-related issues.

Collection Development Guiding Tools in Academic Libraries in Tanzania

ABSTRACT This study aimed at assessing the application of guiding tools in collection development practices of academic libraries in Tanzania. Data for this study were collected through structured and standardized questionnaires administered to 44 librarians. Face-to-face interview was also conducted with four Library Directors who were purposely selected. The Statistical Package and Service Solution – Version 23 was used to analyze the obtained information. The study revealed that 70.5% of the surveyed academic libraries performed collection development processes without a comprehensive collection development policy. The study recommends on more efforts to develop a comprehensive collection development policy to ensure effective practices.

An assessment of e-book collection development practices among Romance language librarians

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the collection development practices regarding e-books among librarians who manage French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish (Romance) materials. The authors aim to describe factors that influence acquisition of e-books for Romance language collections to confirm librarians’ perception that humanities researchers prefer print and library administrators’ attitudes toward e-books. Design/methodology/approach This study collected data using a mixed-method approach of a survey and focus groups. Findings This study confirms that user preference is the primary consideration of Romance librarians in selecting e-books. Contrary to librarians’ perceptions, this study found that humanities faculty and students are not averse to using e-books for specific purposes such as searching, targeted reading and course materials. While restrictions on lending e-books are a concern, Romance librarians are focused primarily on serving the needs of their core constituencies. Research limitations/implications The practice of adding call numbers to individual e-books varies among institutions. Individual e-book titles in large packages do not necessarily get added to the catalog, thus making it very difficult to compare e-book collections between institutions. Originality/value This study endeavors to unify the anecdotal narratives and factors that influence the acquisition of e-books by Romance librarians.

“We Could Do Better”: Librarian Engagement in LGBTQ Collection Development in Small and Rural Public Libraries in the Southern U.S

ABSTRACT Although the LGBTQ community, from all appearances, maintains a strong connection to libraries as safe spaces, it is unclear whether the libraries themselves are providing relevant resources and services to the community. In addition, LIS research on LGBTQ patrons has centered on collection development how-tos and high level, broad suggestions without evaluating the actual state of the libraries’ resources and services to these patrons. In this analysis, I found that what primarily affected what the libraries had on their shelves was an actively engaged librarian dedicated to proper collection development practices. Future research will be needed to better determine motivations and best practices for the larger group.

Managing Open Content Resources from Discovery to Delivery

ABSTRACT Presenting Open Access (OA) resources alongside licensed content provides many benefits to librarians, vendors, publishers, and library patrons. However, the tools and collection development practices designed to work with traditionally acquired materials often pose challenges for freely available resources. This paper will address managing open content library collections, and offer an assessment of current delivery models and opportunities for upgrading delivery in the future, including: How to integrate open content into collection development strategies; How to improve the data around open content; How MARC record changes will impact the way users find and access open content; and How library service providers are improving the OA user experience. This paper conveys valuable, up-to-date knowledge of today’s OA landscape, and outlines best practices for integrating OA content into library collection development strategies. Related needs, like configuring metadata to maximize visibility of OA content and partnering with publishers and library service providers, are also addressed.