Yesterday morning I spent some time with the Faculty Liaison Librarian (Arts, Law and Social Sciences) to discuss the library's Collection Management Policy and stock edit procedures. The session began with an overview of the library's budget and the various considerations involved in selecting and managing stock. This was really a recap of the main points covered in the previous ordering session.
We did, however, also discuss the financial implications of subscribing to journals, electronic databases and standing orders. As the FLL (ALSS) explained, the need for such subscriptions has to be assessed particularly carefully because they tend to be very expensive. As the decision to proceed has to be made before the final budget has been set, this sometimes means that in the first year, new subscriptions are paid for out of the general book budget. Annual price increases of 6% - 8% and VAT on online resources also mean that the ongoing cost of new subscriptions can often only be met through the cancellation of existing ones. These often difficult decisions are therefore made in consultation with the relevant academic staff although the final decision rests with the library.
Given the existing pressures on the library's budget, I took the opportunity to ask the FLL (ALSS) what further impact she thought the Vice Chancellor's current focus on increasing research would have. Like the SL (S&T) she also thought that this was difficult to predict but suggested that, realistically, the library could only support increased research activity if additional funding were made available. She also explained that any partnerships with business and industry are likely to be hampered by our current user licences which permit only current university staff and students to use our digital resources for private study or research for non-commercial purposes. It will therefore be interesting to see what the actual effect will be.
Unfortunately, money is not the only constraint when it comes to collection development. Space is also limited which means that the library must aim to achieve zero growth, i.e. to withdraw as many items as are added each year. A regular review of the library's stock is, however, also necessary to ensure that the overall quality of the collection is maintained and that it remains relevant, current and in good physical condition. To some degree this is a continuous process as the Subject Librarians withdraw old editions as new ones arrive, remove or replace copies that are in poor condition, etc. However, each year the library also undertakes a major stock review to identify items to be withdrawn. Although a target is given for the minimum number of items that should be removed, the aim is to exceed this target to allow space for future growth.
The FLL explained that in the past this procedure has been based on Stanley Slote's method of identifying items for de-selection. Slote used the amount of time items remain on the shelf without being issued, and therefore presumably unused, to identify which should be considered for withdrawal. However, in 2006 the library was refurbished which necessitated a more extensive and pragmatic review. Based on the resulting shelf space available, it was decided that all items which had not been issued since 1 April 2002 would be included. Since then this cut-off date has moved forward each year which means that in 2008 any items that haven't been issued since 1 April 2004 will be included in the list of items to be considered.
This initial list is produced using the library's management system, Aleph. Any items which have appeared on previous lists are also highlighted. From this, further lists are produced in Excel which are tailored to specific academic interests and circulated to the appropriate academic staff. They are then asked to review the lists and indicate items for possible withdrawal or retention. In some cases the list will be reviewed by the library staff first and forwarded with their proposals. This consultation exercise usually takes place during exam time when the academic staff are not busy teaching or marking.
The reviewed lists are then returned to the subject staff who produce a final list of items to be withdrawn. Although some items may have appeared on previous lists or been identified by academic staff for withdrawal, the decision may be made to keep them. This may be because they are particularly large and only likely to be used in the library, or are key works that add breadth and depth to the collection. These final lists are then passed to the Customer Services Team to be split into search lists of items, ordered by the Dewey number, to be removed by the Library Assistants and then withdrawn from the system. This year I have been given a lead role in producing these lists after assisting another Library Assistant in this process last year.
Although at our site the stock review is undertaken during the quiet summer months, at our other main site it is conducted throughout the year focusing on particular areas of the collection. In the past, this did not pose a problem as there was an ALL for each subject area at each site to oversee the process locally. However, the recent library restructure means that this is now the responsibility of just one Faculty Liaison Librarian based at either site. It will therefore be interesting to see what effect this new cross-campus structure will have on this and future stock reviews.
Once the stock edit is complete, a statistical report is produced using Aleph to analyse the overall impact on stock levels. This includes a breakdown of the number of items reviewed and the number of items actually withdrawn within each collection subdivided by the main Dewey classes. This report is then presented to the Collections Working Group.
The FLL (ALSS) ended the session by explaining the role of the Collections Working Group. It is chaired by the University Librarian and is attended by the Assistant Director of Library Services (Central Services) ( formerly the Electronic Services & Systems Team)), a FLL or SL representing each of the faculties, the Bibliographic Services Manager (formerly Acquisitions), along with representatives from the Customer Services Management Team and our two smaller Health libraries. The Collections Working Group is responsible for reviewing the Collection Management Policy at regular intervals as well as monitoring the performance of our main suppliers. It also considers special deals and packages that are on offer from other suppliers and through JISC to ensure that our resources continue to represent good value for money. The group is also responsible for promoting our resources to our users by choosing the Database of the Month, for example, and advertising it via the library website.
This session was requested, in conjunction with the slots on cataloguing and ordering, as I wanted to see the life cycle of a book from acquisition through to deselection. Although there was some overlap between the three sessions, together they gave me a clearer understanding and deeper appreciation of the varied and often difficult decision-making processes which underlie our Collection Management Policy.
Showing posts with label collection_management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label collection_management. Show all posts
Friday, 2 May 2008
Tuesday, 15 April 2008
Extended Shadowing Programme: Session Ten - Ordering
This morning I spent some time with the Subject Librarian (Science & Technology) talking about the various factors involved when ordering stock items for the library. I asked for this session to be included in my shadowing programme as I had often wondered how the librarians decide which titles to purchase, how many copies to buy and which format to buy them in (e.g. physical book or e-book).
Budgets
The SL (S&T) started the session by explaining how the budget for each subject area is determined. The overall budget for library stock is divided between the Faculty Liaison Librarians (previously Academic Liaison Librarians) based partly on student numbers and partly on subject knowledge and previous experience. The FLL then deducts an amount for set expenditure such as journal subscriptions, electronic resources and standing orders. The remainder is then split between the various subject areas, again based on both student numbers and previous experience.
To ensure that the whole budget is spent by the end of the financial year, monthly spending targets are set by the Acquisitions Team. Although these provide a useful guide, it is not always practical to order books evenly throughout the year. For instance, the Subject Librarians have to ensure enough money is left towards the end of the academic year when bulk requests are placed for key texts in readiness for the start of the following year.
Sources of orders
The library's Collection Management Policy states that the library's main aim is "to provide a wide range of resources, but with current needs and access to core materials and texts taking priority". The majority of orders are therefore placed for copies of key and essential texts as listed in the individual Module Definition Forms/Module Guides. Gaining access to these reading lists is not, however, always straightforward. In the past these have been requested from the appropriate academic staff but other pressures on their time mean that this is not always their top priority. The SL (S&T) has therefore found that it is often more effective to request reading lists from the relevant administrative staff in each department instead.
Once the reading lists are received they have to be checked as sometimes they include out of print titles or older editions. Sometimes they also include weekly reading lists which do not specify which texts are key, essential or for background reading. This not only makes it difficult for the librarians to know how many copies to order, but it also makes it difficult for the students to determine which are the most important materials to read. In these situations, the librarians have to liaise with the departments to try and source alternatives. This obviously calls for some diplomacy and underlines the importance of building effective working relationships with the appropriate academic and administrative staff.
Although the Collection Development Policy gives clear guidance on the number of key, essential and background reading texts that should be purchased, additional copies can be ordered where demand is especially high. A report is regularly generated by our library management system, Aleph, to highlight such items, i.e. where reservations have been placed but not fulfilled. Orders are also generated by a lost item report which lists items that have been overdue or missing for a specific length of time. These are not, however, necessarily replaced like for like. For instance, where an item is out of print the preference is to replace it with a more recent title which covers similar material. Out of print items are however purchased where important information is not included in alternative titles. Similarly, new editions are ordered to replace the old unless they contain valuable material which is omitted from the latest edition.
Requests and suggestions for new items are welcomed from students and staff. These can be written in the suggestions book held at the Enquiry Desk or submitted using the online recommendations form available via the library website. Academic staff will usually send their requests direct to the appropriate Subject Librarian. These items are normally purchased unless the cost is prohibitive. Student's suggestions are considered on an individual basis within the context of the Collection Development Policy. As the Vice Chancellor has recently placed an emphasis on increasing research activity within our university I was curious to know whether this would attract more requests from academic staff and consequently more funding for the library. The SL (S&T) felt that it was, however, too soon to predict what the impact will be.
Subject Librarians are also given the discretion to order items to fill gaps in the collection that are not highlighted by any of the above means. As each Subject Librarian is responsible for more than one subject area they can not realistically be expected to have an expert knowledge of all the subjects for which they are responsible. I therefore asked the Subject Librarian (S&T) whether she was required to have a degree in a science or technology subject and how she has developed her knowledge of the other areas. She explained that although her background is in a different subject area she has built up her knowledge of the collection and the different subject areas through dealing with student enquiries and communications with academic staff. This has given her a feel for which subject areas are covered well by the collection and where the demand for additional information lies.
Additional considerations
Because the library has a limited budget for purchasing stock items it will always, inevitably, be outstripped by demand. Considering which items to buy and how many copies to purchase is therefore only part of the story. The Subject Librarians also have to deliberate which format to select and how to manage the stock once it arrives to maximise availability. For instance, where resources are available electronically, e.g. e-books, these are likely to be favoured over print versions as they provide wider access, including off-site, to a greater number of readers. However, in some cases digital versions may not be suitable either because they are too expensive, can not be supported by the Digital Library or in the case of some subjects like art, the quality of the 'print' is insufficient.
Where the demand for specific paper items is particularly high instead of buying additional copies the Subject Librarians can employ a range of different loan statuses to increase circulation. For instance, they may decide to have a number of 7-day or 24-hour copies supplemented by a reference copy. Similarly, if items are prone to theft or vandalism or are particularly expensive or difficult to replace (e.g. out of print copies) they can also be safeguarded by making them available via the counter only and again using short loan statuses to increase circulation.
Ordering Items
We did not spend much time actually placing orders as I have previously witnessed parts of the process through shadowing the Acquisitions Team and through the earlier Cataloguing and Classification session. After going through the process of placing one or two orders I did, however, begin to appreciate just how time-consuming and administratively intensive the various checks and procedures are. Despite this, because of the manifold considerations outlined above, ordering is not something that can be easily delegated to non-professional staff. I am, however, hoping that my previous experience of ordering goods and services, processing invoices and monitoring budgets will prove to be useful preparation.
Conclusions
Although I have always suspected that ordering stock is not a straightforward business I had not previously appreciated the true complexity of the underlying decision-making processes involved. It soon became apparent during this session that our Subject Librarians, along with most other librarians in most sectors, face an increasingly difficult balancing act of weighing a limited budget against the demands of readers.
Budgets
The SL (S&T) started the session by explaining how the budget for each subject area is determined. The overall budget for library stock is divided between the Faculty Liaison Librarians (previously Academic Liaison Librarians) based partly on student numbers and partly on subject knowledge and previous experience. The FLL then deducts an amount for set expenditure such as journal subscriptions, electronic resources and standing orders. The remainder is then split between the various subject areas, again based on both student numbers and previous experience.
To ensure that the whole budget is spent by the end of the financial year, monthly spending targets are set by the Acquisitions Team. Although these provide a useful guide, it is not always practical to order books evenly throughout the year. For instance, the Subject Librarians have to ensure enough money is left towards the end of the academic year when bulk requests are placed for key texts in readiness for the start of the following year.
Sources of orders
The library's Collection Management Policy states that the library's main aim is "to provide a wide range of resources, but with current needs and access to core materials and texts taking priority". The majority of orders are therefore placed for copies of key and essential texts as listed in the individual Module Definition Forms/Module Guides. Gaining access to these reading lists is not, however, always straightforward. In the past these have been requested from the appropriate academic staff but other pressures on their time mean that this is not always their top priority. The SL (S&T) has therefore found that it is often more effective to request reading lists from the relevant administrative staff in each department instead.
Once the reading lists are received they have to be checked as sometimes they include out of print titles or older editions. Sometimes they also include weekly reading lists which do not specify which texts are key, essential or for background reading. This not only makes it difficult for the librarians to know how many copies to order, but it also makes it difficult for the students to determine which are the most important materials to read. In these situations, the librarians have to liaise with the departments to try and source alternatives. This obviously calls for some diplomacy and underlines the importance of building effective working relationships with the appropriate academic and administrative staff.
Although the Collection Development Policy gives clear guidance on the number of key, essential and background reading texts that should be purchased, additional copies can be ordered where demand is especially high. A report is regularly generated by our library management system, Aleph, to highlight such items, i.e. where reservations have been placed but not fulfilled. Orders are also generated by a lost item report which lists items that have been overdue or missing for a specific length of time. These are not, however, necessarily replaced like for like. For instance, where an item is out of print the preference is to replace it with a more recent title which covers similar material. Out of print items are however purchased where important information is not included in alternative titles. Similarly, new editions are ordered to replace the old unless they contain valuable material which is omitted from the latest edition.
Requests and suggestions for new items are welcomed from students and staff. These can be written in the suggestions book held at the Enquiry Desk or submitted using the online recommendations form available via the library website. Academic staff will usually send their requests direct to the appropriate Subject Librarian. These items are normally purchased unless the cost is prohibitive. Student's suggestions are considered on an individual basis within the context of the Collection Development Policy. As the Vice Chancellor has recently placed an emphasis on increasing research activity within our university I was curious to know whether this would attract more requests from academic staff and consequently more funding for the library. The SL (S&T) felt that it was, however, too soon to predict what the impact will be.
Subject Librarians are also given the discretion to order items to fill gaps in the collection that are not highlighted by any of the above means. As each Subject Librarian is responsible for more than one subject area they can not realistically be expected to have an expert knowledge of all the subjects for which they are responsible. I therefore asked the Subject Librarian (S&T) whether she was required to have a degree in a science or technology subject and how she has developed her knowledge of the other areas. She explained that although her background is in a different subject area she has built up her knowledge of the collection and the different subject areas through dealing with student enquiries and communications with academic staff. This has given her a feel for which subject areas are covered well by the collection and where the demand for additional information lies.
Additional considerations
Because the library has a limited budget for purchasing stock items it will always, inevitably, be outstripped by demand. Considering which items to buy and how many copies to purchase is therefore only part of the story. The Subject Librarians also have to deliberate which format to select and how to manage the stock once it arrives to maximise availability. For instance, where resources are available electronically, e.g. e-books, these are likely to be favoured over print versions as they provide wider access, including off-site, to a greater number of readers. However, in some cases digital versions may not be suitable either because they are too expensive, can not be supported by the Digital Library or in the case of some subjects like art, the quality of the 'print' is insufficient.
Where the demand for specific paper items is particularly high instead of buying additional copies the Subject Librarians can employ a range of different loan statuses to increase circulation. For instance, they may decide to have a number of 7-day or 24-hour copies supplemented by a reference copy. Similarly, if items are prone to theft or vandalism or are particularly expensive or difficult to replace (e.g. out of print copies) they can also be safeguarded by making them available via the counter only and again using short loan statuses to increase circulation.
Ordering Items
We did not spend much time actually placing orders as I have previously witnessed parts of the process through shadowing the Acquisitions Team and through the earlier Cataloguing and Classification session. After going through the process of placing one or two orders I did, however, begin to appreciate just how time-consuming and administratively intensive the various checks and procedures are. Despite this, because of the manifold considerations outlined above, ordering is not something that can be easily delegated to non-professional staff. I am, however, hoping that my previous experience of ordering goods and services, processing invoices and monitoring budgets will prove to be useful preparation.
Conclusions
Although I have always suspected that ordering stock is not a straightforward business I had not previously appreciated the true complexity of the underlying decision-making processes involved. It soon became apparent during this session that our Subject Librarians, along with most other librarians in most sectors, face an increasingly difficult balancing act of weighing a limited budget against the demands of readers.
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
Extended Shadowing Programme: Session Eight - Cataloguing and Classification
Yesterday morning I was given a brief introduction to cataloguing and classification by the Subject Librarian (Arts & Letters). When I was comparing Masters courses, I was surprised to find that many of them no longer cover this area in any significant depth as these tasks are now largely automated and many library schools believe that specific classification schemes can be picked up on the job.
It is, however, apparent from looking at advertisements for jobs in the information sector that cataloguing and classification skills are still in demand. I was therefore careful to pick a course with at least one dedicated core module to give me a sufficient grounding in the subject. Although I have previously done some reading in this area, I struggled to make sense of the theory without observing it being used in practice. I was therefore keen for this session to be included in my shadowing programme to make sense of my reading to date and to help me in my future studies.
The Subject Librarian (A & L) started the session by showing me the full catalogue record for an existing item in our Library Management System, Aleph, and briefly explaining the use of fields, subfields and MARC tags. Although Library of Congress subject terms are used, in the past our own subject terms were also added which lead to some duplication for older records. Although cataloguing and classification was previously undertaken by individual Subject Librarians, in a move to improve consistency, it is now the responsibility of the Assistant Librarian (Cataloguing & Metadata) based in the centralised Acquisitions Team. There are, however, occasions when catalogue records are still created and amended by the local Subject Librarians, for instance when ordering new items, adding donated items and recataloguing existing items.
Ordering new items
This process was demonstrated using the example of a book about Chinese film. Firstly, the librarian searches the database of our main supplier, Dawson Books, to check that it is in print and available to order. The database can be searched using the author's name, book title or ISBN. Once found the Dewey number given by Dawsons is noted down. The library catalogue is searched to see what other items are held on this subject. The Dewey number from the Dawsons database is amended to ensure that when the book arrives it will be labelled correctly and shelved with similar items in our existing collection. To add a new catalogue record a template is opened in Aleph and the ISBN, author's name, main title and imprint of the book are entered. This is then saved and pushed through to the Acquisitions module of the system. A message requesting the amended Dewey number is added to ensure that the spine label is correct when the book arrives. The remaining details such as the budget code, vendor's name and quantities required are added to complete the order which is then submitted. The item will now appear on the library catalogue with a note to indicate that is on order.
Adding donated items
If the library does not already hold a copy of a donated item, a catalogue record is downloaded from the Library of Congress or the OCLC (Online Computer Library Centre) database via Aleph's Cataloguing module. The record is checked and amended to delete any superfluous fields. The Dewey number is also checked and amended as described above. The record is then saved and a system generated bib number is allocated to the title. A barcode is stuck to the item and it is added to the catalogue record as a new entry. The cutter letters, collection and loan status are also added at this stage. An acquisition grid is stamped to the back of the title page and the bib no., shelf mark and item barcode are written in. The item is then set to 'in processing' and is passed on to be correctly labelled before being set to 'in process' and put into circulation.
Recataloguing
If an item needs to be recatalogued, the librarian will firstly check how often it has been borrowed. If usage has been low and there are multiple copies in the collection then it is likely that it will be withdrawn. However, if it is the only copy and usage is low, the librarian may decide to keep it in the interests of maintaining the depth and breadth of the collection. This is where the librarian's subject knowledge and experience come into play. If the decision is made to keep the item, a catalogue record is downloaded from the Library of Congress or OCLC database, as described above. This is merged with the existing catalogue record which is then edited to add and remove fields as necessary and to amend the Dewey number. If only a record relating to an earlier or later edition can be found, a general note of the original publication date will be added. Once the catalogue record has been saved, the item is added and the cutter letters are entered. Any changes to the collection and loan status are also made at this stage. Once all the changes have been made the acquisition stamp is updated and the item is relabelled before going back into circulation. If an item needs to be added to the catalogue in a hurry, the fast add function can be used to create a very simple catalogue entry. This can then be merged with a full catalogue record for the same title at a later stage.
The nature of the subject is such that I was only able to gain a very basic introduction to cataloguing and classification from this session and so it was not practical for me to have a go at cataloguing any items myself. I am, however, confident that having witnessed the theory being applied in a real-life situation has helped to consolidate my reading and will allow me to better understand the subject when I study it more closely as part of my Masters course.
It is, however, apparent from looking at advertisements for jobs in the information sector that cataloguing and classification skills are still in demand. I was therefore careful to pick a course with at least one dedicated core module to give me a sufficient grounding in the subject. Although I have previously done some reading in this area, I struggled to make sense of the theory without observing it being used in practice. I was therefore keen for this session to be included in my shadowing programme to make sense of my reading to date and to help me in my future studies.
The Subject Librarian (A & L) started the session by showing me the full catalogue record for an existing item in our Library Management System, Aleph, and briefly explaining the use of fields, subfields and MARC tags. Although Library of Congress subject terms are used, in the past our own subject terms were also added which lead to some duplication for older records. Although cataloguing and classification was previously undertaken by individual Subject Librarians, in a move to improve consistency, it is now the responsibility of the Assistant Librarian (Cataloguing & Metadata) based in the centralised Acquisitions Team. There are, however, occasions when catalogue records are still created and amended by the local Subject Librarians, for instance when ordering new items, adding donated items and recataloguing existing items.
Ordering new items
This process was demonstrated using the example of a book about Chinese film. Firstly, the librarian searches the database of our main supplier, Dawson Books, to check that it is in print and available to order. The database can be searched using the author's name, book title or ISBN. Once found the Dewey number given by Dawsons is noted down. The library catalogue is searched to see what other items are held on this subject. The Dewey number from the Dawsons database is amended to ensure that when the book arrives it will be labelled correctly and shelved with similar items in our existing collection. To add a new catalogue record a template is opened in Aleph and the ISBN, author's name, main title and imprint of the book are entered. This is then saved and pushed through to the Acquisitions module of the system. A message requesting the amended Dewey number is added to ensure that the spine label is correct when the book arrives. The remaining details such as the budget code, vendor's name and quantities required are added to complete the order which is then submitted. The item will now appear on the library catalogue with a note to indicate that is on order.
Adding donated items
If the library does not already hold a copy of a donated item, a catalogue record is downloaded from the Library of Congress or the OCLC (Online Computer Library Centre) database via Aleph's Cataloguing module. The record is checked and amended to delete any superfluous fields. The Dewey number is also checked and amended as described above. The record is then saved and a system generated bib number is allocated to the title. A barcode is stuck to the item and it is added to the catalogue record as a new entry. The cutter letters, collection and loan status are also added at this stage. An acquisition grid is stamped to the back of the title page and the bib no., shelf mark and item barcode are written in. The item is then set to 'in processing' and is passed on to be correctly labelled before being set to 'in process' and put into circulation.
Recataloguing
If an item needs to be recatalogued, the librarian will firstly check how often it has been borrowed. If usage has been low and there are multiple copies in the collection then it is likely that it will be withdrawn. However, if it is the only copy and usage is low, the librarian may decide to keep it in the interests of maintaining the depth and breadth of the collection. This is where the librarian's subject knowledge and experience come into play. If the decision is made to keep the item, a catalogue record is downloaded from the Library of Congress or OCLC database, as described above. This is merged with the existing catalogue record which is then edited to add and remove fields as necessary and to amend the Dewey number. If only a record relating to an earlier or later edition can be found, a general note of the original publication date will be added. Once the catalogue record has been saved, the item is added and the cutter letters are entered. Any changes to the collection and loan status are also made at this stage. Once all the changes have been made the acquisition stamp is updated and the item is relabelled before going back into circulation. If an item needs to be added to the catalogue in a hurry, the fast add function can be used to create a very simple catalogue entry. This can then be merged with a full catalogue record for the same title at a later stage.
The nature of the subject is such that I was only able to gain a very basic introduction to cataloguing and classification from this session and so it was not practical for me to have a go at cataloguing any items myself. I am, however, confident that having witnessed the theory being applied in a real-life situation has helped to consolidate my reading and will allow me to better understand the subject when I study it more closely as part of my Masters course.
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