collection assessment resources

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This article was downloaded by: [Massachusetts Institute of Technology] On: 04 November 2014, At: 11:25 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Technical Services Quarterly Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wtsq20 Collection Assessment Resources http:// www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alcts/ resources/collect/collmgt/collasmt.cfm Jianrong Wang a a Richard Stockton College of New Jersey , Galloway , NJ Published online: 20 Mar 2012. To cite this article: Jianrong Wang (2012) Collection Assessment Resources http://www.ala.org/ ala/mgrps/divs/alcts/resources/collect/collmgt/collasmt.cfm , Technical Services Quarterly, 29:2, 162-163, DOI: 10.1080/07317131.2012.650967 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07317131.2012.650967 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms- and-conditions

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Page 1: Collection Assessment Resources

This article was downloaded by: [Massachusetts Institute of Technology]On: 04 November 2014, At: 11:25Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registeredoffice: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

Technical Services QuarterlyPublication details, including instructions for authors andsubscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wtsq20

Collection Assessment Resources http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alcts/resources/collect/collmgt/collasmt.cfmJianrong Wang aa Richard Stockton College of New Jersey , Galloway , NJPublished online: 20 Mar 2012.

To cite this article: Jianrong Wang (2012) Collection Assessment Resources http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alcts/resources/collect/collmgt/collasmt.cfm , Technical Services Quarterly, 29:2,162-163, DOI: 10.1080/07317131.2012.650967

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07317131.2012.650967

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the“Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis,our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as tothe accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinionsand views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors,and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Contentshould not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sourcesof information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims,proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever orhowsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arisingout of the use of the Content.

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Anysubstantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing,systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms &Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions

Page 2: Collection Assessment Resources

162 Tech Services on the Web

COLLECTION ASSESSMENT RESOURCES

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alcts/resources/collect/

collmgt/collasmt.cfm

Assessment of library services has become increasingly important, and col-lection development is no exception. With materials budgets getting slimmerevery year, managing collection development effectively can be a challenge.Collection assessment helps measure the success of a service, identifiesneeds, and develops strategies to improve the service. The Collection Man-agement Section (CMS), part of the ALCTS of ALA recognized the need forinformation on this topic early on, and formed the Collection AssessmentCommittee in 1991, although under a different name. In order to promoteassessment, the Collection Assessment Committee has provided practicalresources on its webpage.

The webpage consists of a bibliography selected by Hilary Wagnerand Joshua Barton and is comprised of four parts: Working with Faculty,Professional Resources, Public Libraries, and Collection Development Poli-cies. Citations include journal articles, conference proceedings, and websites.Except for journal articles, all resources are a click away from the page. Thefollowing are some highlights of assessment manuals, methodology, andcollection development policies.

Manuals

Information regarding assessment goals and procedures can be found inthe bibliography. The manuals by Hillsborough Community College entitled‘‘Library Collection Assessment Statement and Plan’’ (2006) at http://content.hccfl.edu/library/pdfs/CollectionAssessmentPlan.pdf and Network of Al-abama Academic Libraries (NAAL, 2004) at http://www.ache.state.al.us/NAAL/Collection%20Assessment%20Manual.pdf are particularly informative.

Methodology

Northwestern University Library’s Data & Methods Bank at http://www.library.northwestern.edu/about/library-administration/departments-offices/e-resources-collection-analysis/about/databank-11 is a place for one-stop shopping to get statistics and methods about doing assessment. Thereis a wealth of data and the site provides tools for evaluating different typesof materials. Additionally, projections on material cost are also useful.

Collection Development Policies

This section of the webpage provides citations on collection developmentpolicies, ranging from general policies to materials selection and access,policy statement, and policy writing. Worth mentioning is the website of

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Tech Services on the Web 163

Alternative Basic Library Education (ABLE) found under the Idaho Commis-sion for Libraries at http://libraries.idaho.gov/page/able. This free, onlinelearning program presents basic knowledge and skills for non-librarian staffmembers. The ‘‘Collection Development Sequence’’ offers information oncollection policy writing as well as collection assessment.

With the above mentioned resources, collection development librariansand staff can use the knowledge to develop a culture of assessment, which, inturn, should improve the service and further enrich the literature on the topic.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Jianrong Wang

Richard Stockton College of New Jersey

Galloway, NJ

DIGITAL LIBRARY BROWN BAG SERIES

http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/education/brownbags/

Getting information on digital libraries, repositories, and all things digital canprove difficult. The number of resources seems to grow at an exponentialrate, making the task of assessing their quality a daunting affair. This is es-pecially true for online resources whose content might be too vague, gearedsolely toward programmers, or simply outdated. To help stay informed andlearn about digital libraries, several institutions have created brown bags se-ries, such as the Digital Brown Bag Series from Indiana University. Typically,these series take place in person, when employees come together to listen toa topic while eating lunch. They provide an opportunity to discover currentand relevant information on a particular topic. This is especially helpful inthe fast-changing field of digital libraries, repositories, and digital services.However, not all brown bags are created equal. More to the point, not allinstitutions have brown bags. This is where the Digital Library Brown BagSeries attempts to fill this need.

Since 2003, the Digital Library Program (DLP) and the School of Libraryand Information Science at Indiana have held the Digital Brown Bag duringWednesday’s lunch hour. In-person attendees benefit from an hour longpresentation on all things digital. Unlike many typical brown bags, DLP andthe Indiana School of Library and Information Science’s innovation has beento offer simultaneous Web access, as well as an archive of the presentations.As a result, the Digital Brown Bag Series is a source of current informationand a reference resource for those who want to learn about or refine theirskills on digital libraries.

The topics of the Digital Brown Bag Series tend to have an underlyingtheme pertaining to Indiana University Libraries’ services. A quick glance atcurrent and archived presentations shows that these brown bags encompassthe major themes in digital librarianship: metadata, preservation, technolo-gies, user needs, partnerships, and design. Because the digital brown bags

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