Collection Management Strategies in a Digital

Environment

Cecily JohnsCMI Project

Director

August 2001

Collection Management Strategies in a Digital Environment (CMI)

A two year grant project, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Awarded January 2001 A copy of the project proposal can

be found at http:www.slp.ucop.edu/initiatives/

CMI_Proposal.htm

What the Project will Involve Removing from campus libraries selected

print journals for which electronic access is provided, and relocating those journals to storage.

Gathering objective data, including cost and usage data for both print and electronic versions of selected journals.

Studying user attitudes and preferences when the primary use of journals is via access to electronic versions.

Events in 2000 that Initiated the CMI Planning Process

Systemwide Library and Scholarly InformationAdvisory Committee (SLASIAC), Resolution A• Available at SLASIAC Web site at: http://www.slp.ucop.edu/consultation/slasiac/

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation expressedinterest in supporting experiments like those described in Resolution A and making the resultsavailable to a broad audience.

Why UC was Well Positioned to Submit a Proposal to the Mellon Foundation Collaborative environment among the UC

libraries

Overtaxed UC capital program. That is, limited opportunities to realize the addition of new library buildings due to:• Competing proposals for classroom/faculty

office space.• Seismic upgrades needed.• Deteriorating campus infrastructure.

Why UC was Well Positioned to Submit a Proposal to the Mellon Foundation

60,000 new student enrollments expected over the next 10 years.

Ability to leverage the California Digital Library collections:• Over 5,500 electronic journals• Over 155 reference databases• Numerous monograph collections

Availability of two remote storage facilities where “seldom used” library collections can be stored.

Three Overlapping Project Phases Phase 1: Consultation and preparation, staff

training, processing of materials – Months 1-6. Phase 2: Relocation of selected print journals

to remote storage and gathering data on usage, costs, and user attitudes and behavior – Months 7-18.

Phase 3: Evaluation of institutional strategies, policies, and programs for archiving and management of collections – Months 13-24.

Two Ways that a Campus Library can Participate Experimental group:

These libraries will participate by removing selected journals for which electronic access is available from campus to remote storage and assisting in data collection.

Control group:These libraries will participate by maintaining print journals for which electronic access is available on their shelves and gathering usage data provided through reshelving counts.

Criteria for Journal Selection Sufficient data must be provided by the

electronic publisher to measure use by title and by campus.

Sample of journal titles should include a variety of disciplines and content characteristics, including:• Graphics• Language• Article length• Use characteristics

Journal Selection Sample of journal titles should include both:

• titles for which current issues are available in both print and digital form

• titles for which the digital form is available only retrospectively (e.g., JSTOR titles).

Sample of journal titles will include multiple publishers and/or suppliers of electronic journals.

CMI Advisory Structure Steering Committee:

• chaired by PI• members to include faculty, UL’s• provide general oversight • liaison with ULs and SLASIAC

Research Advisory Committee:• chaired by Co-PI• develop research agenda and approach

CMI Advisory Structure Operations Advisory Committee:

• chaired by Project Director• members to include representatives

from each campus, RLF’s• advise on operational plans • liaison with SOPAG, and CDC