Making a Collection Count: A Holistic Approach to Library Collection Management

by Holly Hibner, Mary Kelly

Overview

Making a Collection Count connects the various pieces of library collection management, such as selection, cataloguing, shelving, circulation and weeding, and teaches readers how to gather and analyze data from each point in a collection’s life cycle. Relationships between collections and other library services, such as reference, programming, and technology, are also explored. The result is a quality collection that is clean, current, relevant, and useful, and which connects and highlights various library services.

• Offers practical applications for collection librarians and managers who are practitioners in the field. It is more than just a theoretical discussion of collection quality and collection management because useful, realistic advice is offered
• This is not a book about collection development. It is unique in that the focus is on collection quality: making the most of a library collection budget, performing physical inventory, and gathering/using data and statistics about collections
• Broad, international appeal to various library types: public, academic, school, and special

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781780630397
Publisher:	Elsevier Science
Publication date:	09/01/2010
Series:	Chandos Information Professional Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	190
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Holly Hibner received an MLIS from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan in 1999. She is the Adult Services Coordinator at the Plymouth District Library in Plymouth, Michigan.

Mary Kelly received an MLIS from Wayne State University in 2002, and also has an MBA from Wayne State. Mary is an Adult Services Librarian at the Plymouth District Library.

Table of Contents

List of figures ix

About the authors xi

Acknowledgements xiii

Introduction xv

1 Life cycle of a collection 1

Collection management policies 2

Selection: staff collaboration 4

Purchasing / Acquisitions 7

Processing 8

Shelving 10

Use 13

Check-in 14

Weeding 15

Conclusion 17

Works cited 17

2 Understanding your workflow 19

Selection 20

Purchasing / Acquisitions 27

Processing 32

Shelving 35

Circulation 37

Weeding 40

Workflow analysis improves efficiency 43

The critical questions 44

3 Collection audit and using statistics 47

Auditing the library collection 47

Statistics 50

4 Physical Inventory 57

Making physical inventory a regular practice 59

Developing a plan 60

Shelf list 62

What you will discover 64

ILS features for inventory 68

Why should staff spend time on physical inventory? 69

Works cited 75

5 Creating collection objectives and benchmarks 77

Vision statements and mission statements 77

Collection management policies 80

Collection objectives 82

Creating benchmarks 85

Holistic benchmarking: overall collection performance 91

Works cited 94

6 Collection organization 95

Physical space 95

Classification systems 99

Ergonomics 102

Signage 104

Displays 108

Conclusion 110

Works cited 110

7 Making the most of a library collection budget 113

Vendors 113

Alternate funding sources 117

Formats 122

Sharing 122

Collection philosophy 123

Works cited 125

8 Everything is connected 127

Holistic library service 127

How staff impact collections in a holistic library 128

How staff impact the facility 133

How staff impact technology 135

Connections to other library services 137

Evaluating library services holistically 141

Conclusion 143

Works cited 143

Appendices

A Public library collection management policy 145

B Strategic content negotiation for the small library 165

Index 171

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

A look at library collection management, connecting collection management activities and departments, and instructs on how to gather and analyze data from each point in a collection’s lifecycle

Editorial Reviews

"...an interesting and unique approach to collection management for public, academic, school, and special libraries by using a holistic approach...Overall, Making a Collection Count: A holistic approach to library collection management is a great resource. With easy-to-follow tables, color illustrations, a sample form (Appendix A), a sample academic library collection management policy (Appendix B), and an index, this book is ideal for anyone interested in or just starting collection management. This book can serve as a refresher for those currently working in collection management or beneficial for those seeking guidance to view or address their collection management differently." —Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship

From the Publisher