Collection Management at an Educational Law Library:

Alicia Houston & Erich Kessler | LI855XR Collection Management & Development| Emporia State University

OverviewEducational Law Libraries have the unique task of providing information resources to students, professors, practicing attorneys, and community members. As a result, we investigated procedures for the selection and management of collection materials including books, serials, electronic and other non-book formats at the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law’s Leon E. Bloch Law Library (Library). We also reviewed how the Library distinguishes between selection and censorship along with possible ethical dilemmas tied with selection of information resources.

Establishment of Selection Procedure

To ensure proper procedures for the selection and management for the collection, the Library has completed the following actions (University of Missouri-School of Law Leon E. Bloch Law Library [Library], 2013):

Overview of Standings within MOBIUS

Selection of Information Resources

Use of Electronic FormatsThe Library is gravitating toward electronic resources. When making a decision between print and electronic, the Library considers the perspective of the user: • Would a user be more likely to use the item on their

desktop, laptop or notebook? • Would the user want or need to actually hold and peruse

the item in hard copy?Generally, most Library users embrace and prefer the electronic format. As a result, it’s “a non-question” (L. MacLachlan, personal communication, October 11, 2013).

Ethical Issues in SelectionThe Library’s mission is to stimulate “intellectual curiosity and scholarship”. As a result, the acquisition of books and information resources reflect this mission as it pertains to legal studies and legal systems (Library, 2013). • Resources available at the Library may seem

ethically questionable in other settings, such as “The Best Way to Rob a Bank is to Buy One” (L. MacLachlan, personal communication, October 11, 2013).

Conclusion• Collection development procedures allows to strengthen

portions of collection and better serve UMKC law students and law libraries that are part of MOBIUS.

• Focusing on areas of law assists with budgeting.• Process upholds the Library’s mission to stimulate

scholarly discussion and ideas.

Works CitedBlack, W. (2005). The best way to rob a bank is to own one: How corporate executives and politicians looted the

savings and loan industry. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press. CEJISS (2008). Meeting. {Online image]. Retrieved from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Meeting.jpgLindenmuth, J. (2012). Standard Federal Tax Reporter. [Online image]. Retrieved from

http://www.flickr.com/photos/j3net/7048668831Luxomedia (2008). Paperwork. {Online Image}. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/videolux/2389320345MOBIUS (2013). MOBIUS logo. [Online image]. Retrieved from http://searchmobius.orgUniversity of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law-Leon E. Bloch Law Library (2013). Collection development policy. University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law-Leon E. Bloch Law Library (2006). Collection development policy.

Retrieved from http://www1.law.umkc.edu/library/CollectionDevelopmentPolicy.pdfUniversity of Missouri-Kansas City Strategic Marketing & Communications (2013). University logos. Retrieved from

http://www.umkc.edu/mcom/resources/university-logos.cfm

How the Leon E. Bloch Law Library at UMKC Selects Resources and Manages its Collection

Survey and analysis of

current collection

Step 1

Cross checked collection

analysis with Missouri

Bibliographic Information User System

Step 2

Established a vision for the

collection

Step 3

Created a seven year

program for collection

development

Step 4

Desired Impact of Selection Procedure• Improve Library’s collection in comparison to other law

libraries tied into MOBIUS.• Increase the number of titles at the Library offered per

student to be on par with other law libraries in MOBIUS.• Improved the collection’s tax law information resources

and addressed deficiencies in foreign, comparative and international law (Library, 2013).

The following chart provides a comparison of the Library with other law libraries within MOBIUS.

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 20060

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

50,84062,423 66,061 69,204 69,242 71,809

102,305

173,219 175,828 177,735 179,736 184,252 191,121 196,797

219,398 228,001

259,548

285,428 293,496 298,349 302,777

122,307 127,376 134,487 139,624 144,016 148,270 152,428

Library University of Missouri-Columbia St. Louis University Washington University

Making of Modern Law Databases added to collection

Ensuring Selection without CensorshipWhile not directly addressed in the Library’s policy, “the incompatibility of censorship and collection development permeates the document” (L. MacLachlan, personal communication, October 11, 2013). With budget issues, the Library strives to keep in mind:• Specific areas of emphasis.• Selection of information resources supporting serious

scholarship (sources with academic citation).• Titles that support active study and scholarship.

To create areas of strengths within the Library’s collection and also meet the needs of most UMKC law students, the Library focuses on information resources in the following areas of law (Library, 2013):• Tax• International • Foreign• Comparative

• Litigation/Advocacy• Entrepreneurism• Urban/Land Use• Family Law

Figure 1. Library, 2013

Images 1 & 2. UMKC Academic Level Logos, 2013.

Image 3. Luxomedia, 2008. Image 4. SearchMOBIUS.org, 2013. Image 5. CEJSSS, 2008. Image 6. J. Lindenmuth, 2012.

Image 7. Black, 2013