Methods of Selection and Acquisition of European French Monographs in an Academic Law Library

This article examines methods of selection and acquisition for European (as opposed to Canadian) French-language print monographs for a research-level law library collection in North America based on the study of the practices and techniques locally developed in the Nahum Gelber Law Library, McGill University. These techniques represent a combination of non–approval plan–based methods: blanket order, standing orders, online slip service in WorldCat, use of other libraries’ acquisition lists, and firm orders. The methods described in this article are not exclusive to the selection in the subject area of law and could be applied in other academic disciplines.     

E-Preferred Approval Plan at a Large Academic Library: Assessment and Collection Development Implications

Academic libraries acquiring e-books through approval plans and other acquisition methods might question whether their collections are properly balanced between e-books and print books since patron needs vary across subject areas. This study examines seven years of monograph purchases at Texas A&M University Libraries (TAMU) through the approval plan vendor. Acquisition and use data are analyzed across subject areas. Study results inform how to balance print and e-collections to effectively support academic programs. TAMU purchased 78% of the monographs in print despite adopting an e-preferred approval plan, though most subject areas had higher e-book use compared to print.     

Rethinking Collection Management Plans: Shaping Collective Collections for the 21st Century

The emergence of shared print repositories has created new opportunities for libraries to provide cost-effective stewardship through collaborative collection management. This opportunity also presents challenges, as libraries must reenvision collection management in the context of local, regional, and national priorities. In previous decades, collection management plans were used to communicate an institution's strategies for managing local collections. As libraries prepare to participate in cooperative agreements, formal collection management plans and policies can and should be used once again as a practical framework for decision making. The authors offer practical advice on developing a collection management plan in a collaborative context.     

高校人文社科外文印刷版期刊馆藏状况分析：1996-2008

本文通过对《全国高校图书馆进口报刊预订联合目录》（1996-2008）历年期刊目录数据的分析,从文献的地区布局、学科分布以及核心期刊订购情况等方面,描述我国高校人文社科外文印刷版期刊十余年来馆藏发展的总体情况。     

Read in or check out: A four-year analysis of circulation and in-house use of print books

As libraries offer more multi-dimensional study areas and online resources, it is important to understand how print books are being used. The reported decline in print book circulation has largely been based on books checked out of the library without recording in-house use (books used in the library but not checked out). Including in-house use gives a more accurate representation of book circulation, helping to demonstrate the value of the physical library and print collections, and informing collection development. To better understand how our print collections are being used, we analyze holdings, checkout data, and in-house use data by subject, as well as circulation in regard to patron group, library gate count and student enrollment. Our findings show declining use of all print collections with the steepest decline in reference books. The majority of books used in house were not checked out, affirming the need to include in-house use data to provide an accurate picture of print book use and inform collection development. We use our findings to inform the redesign of our reference collection and suggest ways to integrate print and digital formats and promote the value of books and reading.     

Preservation activities and needs in U.S. biomedical libraries: a status report

A national sample of health sciences and other types of libraries having significant holdings of biomedical literature was studied to determine the status of library preservation programs. Findings pertaining to 134 basic health sciences libraries and to ninety-seven resource libraries in the Regional Medical Library Program network are reported and discussed. Basic health sciences libraries participating in the study were primarily hospital libraries; resource libraries were primarily academic health sciences center libraries. Findings include information on topics perceived to be of greatest need for staff training and for informational or educational materials; on levels of preservation activity, staffing, and funding; and on capabilities for participating in a national cooperative preservation program. Efforts to identify general and special biomedical collections of potential importance to a national preservation program met with limited success.     

Making the Common Uncommon?

Abstract

Many libraries have entered into cooperative or consor-tial agreements to reap the cost benefits of electronic purchases, to share a library system vendor, or to divide collection-building responsibilities. However, among such cooperating libraries the formal coordination of approval plan profiles has seldom been attempted. Many questions need to be answered before a group of libraries could enter into a cooperative approval plan. Would the political and administrative costs of designing and maintaining a cooperative profile be sufficiently offset by a broadened overall collection among cooperating libraries? To what degree do libraries acting independently achieve the same approval plan results that a formal coordination of profiles would generate?

The Triangle Research Libraries Network (Duke University, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) is comprised of four geographically-close institutions that have been building cooperative collections for more than 50 years. Some of their agreements have been quite formal and others have been quite informal.

This study looks at the degree of approval plan overlap among TRLN libraries; at circulation data for these overlapping titles; and at lists of titles not acquired within the consortium. The results may inform the question of whether separate, uncoordinated approval plans already meet the need of the TRLN consortium, or if consortial approval plan cooperation might benefit the group.

An examination of monographs in four selected Library of Congress classes supplied to the TRLN libraries by Yankee Book Peddler over a six month period in 1997 provided data to examine issues surrounding a consortial approval plan. The degree of overlap among the four institutions was defined, and circulation statistics showed whether books acquired by multiple libraries had a high level of use. A list of YBP titles not acquired by any of the libraries during the same timeperiod wasalso analyzed, to examine whether formal cooperation might have usefully broadenedtheoverallcollection.     

Videodisc technology trends in academic health sciences libraries

This paper describes a national survey designed to determine trends in videodisc use, development, and production in academic health sciences libraries throughout North America. In the winter of 1989, 131 four-page survey instruments went to library directors in academic health sciences institutions. Of these, 63 (48%) survey forms were completed and returned. Survey results indicated a wide range of videodisc technology use and development and a growing production of both Level I and Level III videodiscs within academic health sciences libraries. Videodisc technology delivery for student use was centralized within many medical libraries, although videodisc development was not centralized within academic health sciences centers. Most libraries (67%) have purchased videodisc technology and over one fourth (28%) are repurposing a videodisc within their institution. Over one fourth (25%) of respondents have already begun to develop their own videodisc software, and almost one fourth (24%) of respondents have a Level III videodisc in production. Clearly the use and development of videodisc technology for biomedical instruction is expanding within academic health sciences libraries.     

The impact of economic issues on Nigerian health sciences libraries

Economic issues are among the most important factors affecting health sciences libraries in Nigeria. These issues are influenced by the political, cultural, geographic, and demographic characteristics of the country. Significant economic issues are the dependence of the national economy on a single commodity, large foreign debt and spiraling inflation, stringent foreign exchange control measures, and inadequate realization by authorities of the role and importance of health sciences libraries. With shrinking budgets, resources, and staff, health sciences libraries can neither grow nor afford library automation. Health sciences librarians must take initiatives for cooperative activities to increase and make the most of resources, pursue nontraditional methods of fund-raising, educate authorities about the role and importance of libraries, and develop and implement a plan for the development and growth of health sciences libraries in the country.     

Approval vendor selection—what’s best practice?

With the wide variety of vendor services available, discount or other traditional factors may no longer play a predominant role in determining an academic library’s vendor selection. A questionnaire was sent to 291 academic librarians to survey their vendor selection criteria and methods. Using preliminary results from the survey, this paper examines the mix of vendors’ traditional services vs. new services that now enter into the selection decision. Further, it considers differences in practice based upon library budget size. These initial results indicate that the traditional areas of corporate reputation, approval plan management, and acquisitions services consistently receive the highest ratings of importance. The areas covering outsourcing and electronic data transmission are rated higher by those libraries using these services. As more libraries seek these services from their approval vendors, the services will likely increase in importance in librarians’ decision-making processes.     

Nice vs. Necessary: Reference Collections in ARL Member Libraries

This study assesses the reference collection management practices and strategies used in the reference departments of academic members of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL). Librarians who participate in the management of the humanities and social science reference collections within ARL member libraries responded to an online survey about collection development policies, acquisition processes, collection use, weeding, and marketing of their reference collections. The results of this survey suggest that a large percentage of academic ARL member libraries are weeding their collections regularly, measuring use of the print and electronic reference collection, and moving decidedly toward electronic reference materials.     

A Review of: “Going Beyond Google: The Invisible Web in Learning and Teaching. Devine,Jane and Egger-Sider,Francine.”

As technology rapidly changes, libraries remain go-to points for education and technology skill development. In academic health sciences libraries, trends suggest librarians provide more training on technology topics than ever before. While education and training have always been roles for librarians, providing technology training on new mobile devices and emerging systems requires class creation and training capabilities that are new to many librarians. To appeal to their users, many health sciences librarians are interested in developing technology-based classes. This column explores the question: what skills are necessary for developing and teaching technology in an academic health sciences library setting?     

Quality markers and use of electronic journals in an academic health sciences library.

OBJECTIVES: Patterns of use of electronic versions of journals supplied by an academic health sciences library were examined to determine whether they differed from patterns of use among corresponding print titles and to relate the applicability of print collection development practices to an electronic environment. METHODS: Use data supplied by three major vendors of electronic journals were compared to reshelving data for corresponding print titles, impact factors, and presence on Brandon/Hill Lists. RESULTS: In collections where one-click access from a database record to the full text of articles was possible, electronic use correlated with print use across journal pairs. In both versions, Brandon/Hill titles were used more frequently than non-Brandon/Hill titles, use had modest correlations with journals' impact factors, and clinical use appeared to be higher than research use. Titles that had not been selected for the library's print collections, but which were bundled into publishers' packages, received little use compared to electronic titles also selected in print. CONCLUSIONS: Collection development practices based on quality and user needs can be applied with confidence to the electronic environment. Facilitating direct connections between citation databases and the corresponding journal articles regardless of platform or publisher will support scholarship and quality health care.     

Providing health information to the general public: a survey of current practices in academic health sciences libraries

A questionnaire was mailed to 148 publicly and privately supported academic health sciences libraries affiliated with Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC-accredited medical schools in the United States and Canada to determine level of access and services provided to the general public. For purposes of this study, "general public" was defined as nonaffiliated students or health care professionals, attorneys and other nonhealth-related professionals, patients from affiliated or other hospitals or clinics, and general consumers. One hundred five (71%) libraries responded. Results showed 98% of publicly supported libraries and 88% of privately supported libraries provided access to some or all of the general public. Publicly supported libraries saw greater numbers of public patrons, often provided more services, and were more likely to circulate materials from their collections than were privately supported libraries. A significant number of academic health sciences libraries housed a collection of consumer-oriented materials and many provided some level of document delivery service, usually for a fee. Most allowed the public to use some or all library computers. Results of this study indicated that academic health sciences libraries played a significant role in serving the information-seeking public and suggested a need to develop written policies or guidelines covering the services that will be provided to minimize the impact of this service on primary clientele.     

Collection Assessment of Monograph Purchases at the University of Nevada,Las Vegas Libraries

The purpose of this article is to describe an assessment project of the monograph collection at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Lied Library. The circulation statistics and in-house use of all monographs for the nine colleges at UNLV were assessed analyzing the last five years of data. The analysis included an assessment of the circulation statistics and in-house use of books purchased on an approval plan compared with books purchased by individual liaison librarians. The findings illustrated the fact that overall use of the monograph collection has declined over the past five years. The findings also showed that books purchased on an approval plan had slightly higher use than the books purchased by individual liaisons. The study shows that academic libraries need to monitor usage of the monograph collection to be certain that money is spent in the most efficient manner and that usage data can be helpful if there is a need to reduce budget allocations for monographs or if a reallocation of funds for monographs is necessary.     

美国大学图书馆合作书库PASCAL建设研究

自上个世纪末开始,美国部分高校图书馆在校外联合建设合作书库,有效地缓解了馆藏资源的膨胀与书库面积不断萎缩的矛盾。该文主要介绍了美国大学图书馆合作书库PASCAL的建设与发展,讨论了PASCAL合作书库产生的背景、选书的程序、财产的归属、图书借阅的流程等问题。图书馆间建立具有一定规模的合作书库,对我国的图书馆建设也具有一定的参考意义。     

Testing Lesniaski's Revised Brief Test

In 2004, Lesniaski revised White's Brief Test methodology for smaller academic libraries that lack sufficient subject specialist librarians to perform the brief tests as originally proposed by White. As a part of regular collection development, Cowles Library implemented Lesniaski's Brief Tests on the print monograph collection. While primarily a review of Lesniaski's methodology, this article also discusses how the Brief Tests were used for improved collection evaluation and maintenance.     

Collection Assessment and Development Using B/NA Approcal Plan Referral Slips

Approval plans have created advantages in acquisition options for libraries. One specific option is the use of vendor approval plan services in retrospective collection development and in collection analysis. Blackwell North America, Inc. (B/NA) and Auburn University Libraries (AUL) have used approval slips in working together on retrospective collection development projects and have found that 21% of these slips produced orders. This process has allowed Auburn University Libraries to strengthen existing collections, support subject areas representing new curriculum, and has provided a means of collection assessment and evaluation in subject areas.