User-Centered Collection Development: Engaging Users in the Selection and Acquisition of Information Resources
Developing Library and Information Center Collections 2005
Libraries and information centers are essential institutions for supporting research and education in various fields and disciplines. They provide access to a wide range of information resources, such as books, journals, databases, multimedia, archives, manuscripts, and more. However, developing and maintaining high-quality collections that meet the needs and expectations of users is not an easy task. It requires careful planning, coordination, collaboration, evaluation, and continuous improvement. In this article, we will explore the concept of library and information center collections, their importance for research and education, the main challenges and trends in collection development in 2005, and the best practices for developing effective collection development policies, procedures, methods, tools, evaluation, and assessment.
developing library and information center collections 2005
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Introduction
What are library and information center collections?
Library and information center collections are the sets of information resources that are selected, acquired, organized, preserved, and made available by libraries and information centers for their users. They can include various types of materials, such as print or electronic books, journals, magazines, newspapers, databases, multimedia files (e.g., audiovisuals), archives (e.g., historical documents), manuscripts (e.g., personal papers), maps (e.g., geographical data), etc. They can also cover different formats (e.g., physical or digital), languages (e.g., local or foreign), subjects (e.g., general or specialized), levels (e.g., basic or advanced), etc.
Why are they important for research and education?
Library and information center collections are important for research and education because they:
Provide access to authoritative, reliable, current, relevant, diverse, and comprehensive information resources that support the creation, dissemination, application, and preservation of knowledge.
Facilitate the discovery, exploration, analysis, synthesis, and communication of information by users with different backgrounds, interests, skills, and goals.
Enhance the quality, productivity, innovation, and impact of research and education by fostering critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and lifelong learning.
Reflect the mission, vision, values, and goals of libraries and information centers and their parent organizations (e.g., universities, schools, museums, etc.).
Represent the cultural, social, historical, and intellectual diversity and heritage of communities and societies.
What are the main challenges and trends in collection development in 2005?
Collection development is the process of planning, selecting, acquiring, evaluating, and deselecting information resources for library and information center collections. It is influenced by various factors, such as user needs and preferences, budget constraints, space limitations, technological changes, legal issues, ethical principles, professional standards, and organizational policies. Some of the main challenges and trends in collection development in 2005 are:
The increasing demand for digital and electronic resources, such as e-books, e-journals, e-databases, e-learning materials, etc., which offer advantages such as accessibility, interactivity, searchability, customization, and preservation, but also pose challenges such as cost, licensing, format compatibility, quality control, security, and preservation.
The growing need for collaborative and cooperative collection development among libraries and information centers of different types, sizes, locations, and sectors, which can enhance the sharing, diversity, and coverage of collections, but also require coordination, communication, negotiation, and trust among partners.
The rising importance of user-centered collection development, which involves engaging users in the collection development process, such as soliciting feedback, conducting surveys, analyzing usage statistics, providing suggestions, etc., which can improve the relevance, satisfaction, and loyalty of users, but also require resources, skills, and tools to collect, analyze, and act on user data.
The emerging role of collection development as a strategic function of libraries and information centers, which requires aligning collection development goals and activities with the mission, vision, values, and goals of libraries and information centers and their parent organizations, as well as demonstrating the value and impact of collections on research and education outcomes.
Collection Development Policies and Procedures
What are collection development policies and procedures?
Collection development policies and procedures are the written documents that guide the collection development process. They define the scope, objectives, criteria, responsibilities, and procedures for selecting, acquiring, evaluating, and deselecting information resources for library and information center collections. They also address issues such as budget allocation, resource sharing, collection maintenance, preservation, access, intellectual freedom, censorship, diversity, etc. They are usually developed by librarians and information professionals in consultation with stakeholders such as users, faculty members, administrators, etc.
How do they guide the selection, acquisition, evaluation, and deselection of materials?
Collection development policies and procedures guide the selection, acquisition, evaluation, and deselection of materials by:
Establishing the purpose, scope, and goals of collections and how they support the research and education needs of users.
Identifying the target audience, subject areas, formats, languages, levels, etc. of collections and how they reflect the diversity and interests of users.
Setting the criteria and standards for selecting and acquiring materials, such as relevance, quality, currency, availability, cost, etc.
Outlining the methods and tools for selecting and acquiring materials, such as reviews, recommendations, catalogs, vendors, etc.
Assigning the roles and responsibilities for selecting and acquiring materials to librarians and information professionals and other stakeholders.
Determining the budget allocation for selecting and acquiring materials based on priorities, needs, resources, etc.
Defining the procedures for evaluating materials based on their use (e.g., circulation statistics), value (e.g., citation analysis), condition (e.g., physical inspection), etc.
Specifying the criteria and methods for deselecting materials that are outdated (e.g., superseded editions), damaged (e.g., torn pages), duplicated (e.g., multiple copies), irrelevant (e.g., outside the scope), etc.
Describing the procedures for disposing of deselected materials (e.g., donation to other libraries or organizations) or transferring them to other locations (e.g., storage facilities).
What are some examples of collection development policies and procedures from different types of libraries and information centers?
Some examples of collection development policies and procedures from different types of libraries and information centers are:
TypeExample
Academic libraryUniversity of Texas Libraries Collection Development Policy
School librarySpringfield Public Schools Library Collection Development Policy
Public librarySeattle Public Library Collection Development Policy
Special libraryNational Library of Medicine Collection Development Policy
Information centerWorld Health Organization Library Collection Development Policy
Collection Development Methods and Tools
What are collection development methods and tools?
Collection development methods and tools are the techniques and resources that help librarians and information professionals to identify, locate, access, and acquire relevant information resources for library and information center collections. They can include various sources and formats of information, such as print or electronic catalogs, bibliographies, indexes, abstracts, reviews, databases, websites, etc. They can also involve different strategies and approaches, such as demand-driven acquisition (DDA), evidence-based acquisition (EBA), patron-driven acquisition (PDA), approval plans, standing orders, consortial purchasing, etc.
How do they help librarians and information professionals to identify, locate, access, and acquire relevant materials?
Collection development methods and tools help librarians and information professionals to identify, locate, access, and acquire relevant materials by:
Providing comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date information about the availability, features, quality, and cost of materials from various publishers, vendors, suppliers, etc.
Enabling efficient, effective, and convenient searching, browsing, filtering, sorting, and comparing of materials based on various criteria, such as subject, format, language, level, etc.
Facilitating easy, fast, and secure ordering, delivery, and payment of materials through online platforms, electronic invoicing, digital downloads, etc.
Allowing flexible, customizable, and user-friendly options for selecting and acquiring materials based on user needs and preferences, such as DDA, EBA, PDA, approval plans, standing orders, etc.
Enhancing the collaboration and cooperation among librarians and information professionals and other stakeholders such as users, faculty members, administrators, etc., by enabling feedback, recommendations, suggestions, etc.
Reducing the cost and increasing the value of collections by leveraging economies of scale, negotiating discounts, sharing resources, etc.
What are some examples of collection development methods and tools from different sources and formats?
Some examples of collection development methods and tools from different sources and formats are:
Source/FormatExample
Print catalogYBP Library Services Catalog
Electronic catalogWorldCat
BibliographyBusiness Reference Services Bibliographies
IndexScopus
AbstractProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global
ReviewChoice Reviews
DatabaseEBSCO Research Databases
WebsiteDirectory of Open Access Books (DOAB)
Demand-driven acquisition (DDA)JSTOR Demand-Driven Acquisition
Evidence-based acquisition (EBA)Cambridge University Press Evidence-Based Acquisition
Patron-driven acquisition (PDA)Elsevier Patron-Driven Acquisition
Approval planCoutts Information Services Approval Plans
Standing orderAmerican Library Association Standing Orders
Consortial purchasingLYRASIS Collections
Collection Development Evaluation and Assessment
What are collection development evaluation and assessment?
Collection development evaluation and assessment are the processes of measuring the quality, quantity, diversity, and impact of library and information center collections. They involve collecting, analyzing, and reporting data and information about the collections, such as their size, scope, coverage, currency, usage, value, condition, etc. They also involve comparing the collections with benchmarks, standards, best practices, user needs, expectations, etc. They are usually conducted by librarians and information professionals in collaboration with stakeholders such as users, faculty members, administrators, etc.
How do they measure the quality, quantity, diversity, and impact of collections?
Collection development evaluation and assessment measure the quality, quantity, diversity, and impact of collections by:
Using quantitative methods and tools, such as statistics, metrics, indicators, etc., to measure the size, scope, coverage, currency, usage, value, condition, etc. of collections.
Using qualitative methods and tools, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, etc., to measure the relevance, satisfaction, loyalty, perception, opinion, etc. of users and other stakeholders about the collections.
Using mixed methods and tools, such as case studies, experiments, action research, etc., to measure the outcomes, impact, effectiveness, efficiency, etc. of collections on research and education.
Using comparative methods and tools, such as benchmarks, standards, best practices, peer reviews, etc., to measure the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, etc. of collections in relation to other collections or criteria.
What are some examples of collection development evaluation and assessment methods and tools from different perspectives and criteria?
Some examples of collection development evaluation and assessment methods and tools from different perspectives and criteria are:
Perspective/CriterionExample
Size/Scope/CoverageOCLC WorldCat Collection Analysis Service
Currency/ObsolescencecollectionHQ Collection Management Solution
Usage/CirculationSpringshare LibInsight Platform
Value/Cost/BenefitCenter for Research Libraries Cost-Benefit Analysis Model
Condition/PreservationNortheast Document Conservation Center Preservation Leaflets
Relevance/Satisfaction/LoyaltyAssociation of Research Libraries LibQUAL+ Survey
/academic/library-survey-questions/">SurveyMonkey Library Survey Questions
Outcomes/Impact/Effectiveness/EfficiencyPublic Library Association Project Outcome
Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities/ThreatsInternational Federation of Library Associations and Institutions SWOT Analysis
Conclusion
Summary of the main points
In this article, we have discussed the concept of library and information center collections, their importance for research and education, the main challenges and trends in collection development in 2005, and the best practices for developing effective collection development policies, procedures, methods, tools, evaluation, and assessment. We have learned that:
Library and information center collections are the sets of information resources that are selected, acquired, organized, preserved, and made available by libraries and information centers for their users.
They are important for research and education because they provide access to authoritative, reliable, current, relevant, diverse, and comprehensive information resources that support the creation, dissemination, application, and preservation of knowledge.
They are influenced by various factors, such as user needs and preferences, budget constraints, space limitations, technological changes, legal issues, ethical principles, professional standards, and organizational policies.
They require careful planning, coordination, collaboration, evaluation, and continuous improvement.
They involve the processes of collection development policies and procedures (which guide the selection, acquisition, evaluation, and deselection of materials), collection development methods and tools (which help librarians and information professionals to identify, locate, access, and acquire relevant materials), and collection development evaluation and assessment (which measure the quality, quantity, diversity, and impact of collections).
Recommendations for future research and practice
Based on the discussion in this article, we can make some recommendations for future research and practice in the field of collection development. Some of them are:
To conduct more studies on the impact of digital and electronic resources on collection development practices and outcomes.
To explore more opportunities for collaborative and cooperative collection development among libraries and information centers of different types, sizes, locations, and sectors.
To develop more user-centered collection development approaches that involve users in the collection development process.
To align collection development goals and activities with the mission, vision, values, and goals of libraries and information centers and their parent organizations.
To demonstrate the value and impact of collections on research and education outcomes.
To use a variety of methods and tools for collection development evaluation and assessment from different perspectives and criteria.
To update collection development policies and procedures regularly to reflect the changing needs and expectations of users and stakeholders.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about collection development:
What is the difference between collection development and collection management?
Collection development is the process of planning, selecting, acquiring, evaluating, and deselecting information resources f