Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Collection Management in Two Vermont Academics
May 25, 2010Vermont Library Conference
Laura [email protected]
Associate Director for Collection ServicesSaint Michael’s College
Faculty LibrarianVermont Technical College
Reality is what you make it
Math may be the language of the Devil,
but statistics prove that reality really is what you make it.
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Sou
thern
VT
Ch
am
pla
in N
orw
ich
Gre
en
Mou
nta
in
St. Jo
sep
h
NE C
ulin
ary
God
dard
Sain
t Mic
hael’s
Un
iv o
f V
erm
on
t
Lyn
don
Sta
te
Castle
ton
Sain
t M
ich
ael’s
Joh
nson
Ste
rling
Ben
nin
gto
n
Mid
dle
bu
ry
Verm
on
t Law
Circulation per Student at Vermont Colleges
National Center for Education Statistics http://nces.edu.gov (retrieved 3/18/2010)
How Does Usage Drive Content Decisions?
• Book purchasing based on Circulation stats
• Collection analysis
• Retain subscriptions based on cost-per-article
• Anticipate “expected use”
The Pittsburgh Study of Library Use
Acquisitions of books:
40% did not circulate in 7 years.
When a book does not circulate within the first 6 years of ownership,
it has less than 1 chance in 50 of ever being borrowed.
--Kent, A. 1978
At Saint Michael’s
the percentage of books that have never circulated:
41%
Books acquired in 2004 includes gifts and purchases
Saint Michael’s purchased monographs
Percentage of books that have never circulated:
29%
acquired in 2004
The Subjects with the Most “0 Circs”
Acquired in 2004 Pub date 2000-2005
The Subjects with the Least “0” Circs
Acquired 2004 Pub date 2000-2005
So?
• Revise gift book criteria.
• Subject allocations: circulation!
• For low circ subjects:eliminate “just in case” implement “on-demand” purchasing
• Weed on!
Monograph allocations in subject areas:
based on circulation & book price
Book prices from ybp.com: univ. & trade press averages
Collection Analysis of Circulating Monographs
• Shows high and low use areas
• Targeted collection development
• Are subject holdings adequate to meet user needs?
Project modeled after University of Colorado – Boulder:http://www.cal-webs.org/handouts04/CollectionAnalysis.ppt
Greatest Number of Circulation Transactions
Per item by Subject
Circulating books – 2 year period
Least number of transactions per item by subject
Areas with holdings above 500 itemsCirculations for a two year period: FY08 & FY09
Scenario 1
– holdings are old / not relevant: weed / update
– refer to interlibrary loan borrowing
Scenario 2
– Subject is more “journals intensive”– not a research-intensive subject
Interpretation of a low use area
Do current books circulate more?
New books: .50 circulations per title
Compared to .11 times a year for all books
FY09newly acquired
current copyright (2008 &2009)Durick Library
A transformation…
“from a one-time ad hoc project to a sustainable, on-going process
of evidence-based review.”
Emily Stambaugh (2005)
Cost per use
Using Data to Fill the Gaps
EBSCOhost title usage report
abstract “requests”
EBSCOhost title usage report – Philosopher’s Index
Top EBSCOabstract requests
I'm no fan of reality...
References
Canepi, K. (2007). Fund allocation formula analysis: determining elements for best practices in libraries. Library Collections, Acquisitions, & Technical Services 31, no. 1.
Franklin, B. (2005). Managing the electronic collection with cost per use data. IFLA Journal 31, no.3.
Kaay, A. & Zimmerman, P. (2008). The Development and application of a unique percentage-based allocations formula at the University of Windsor. Library Collections, Acquisitions, & Technical Services 32.
Kent, A., et al. (1978). A Cost-Benefit Model of Some Critical Library Operations in Terms of Use of Materials, Final Report, Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh.
Knieval, Jennifer, Heather Wicht and Lynn Silipigni Conway. (2004). Collection Analysis with Circulation Data: what Usage Can Tell Us about Weeding and Collection Development. Boulder, CO: University of Colorado. <http://www.cal-webs.org/handouts04/CollectionAnalysis.ppt>.
Ochola, J.N. (2002). Use of circulation statistics and interlibrary loan data in collection management.
Collection Management 27, no. 1.
Payne, John. Director of Library and Information Services. Colchester, VT: Saint Michael’s College. Provided advice and expertise on formulas and data samples.
Stambaugh, E. (2005). Analytical skills for collection development and journal management. Against the Grain, Nov. 2005.
Collection Management in Two Vermont Academics
May 25, 2010Vermont Library Conference
Laura [email protected]
Associate Director for Collection ServicesSaint Michael’s College
http://www.smcvt.edu/library/about/staff/profiles/crain.asp
Faculty LibrarianVermont Technical College
Reality is what you make it
