Collection Assessment for Changing Times – Practical Applications for Library Projects
How are libraries applying collection assessment strategies to meet changing user needs and campus goals? Resources for College Libraries (RCL), the core title list for undergraduate collections, highlights different use cases for RCL and the Bowker Book Analysis System (BBAS) analysis tool.
Three academic libraries present recent collection assessment projects aimed at supporting new initiatives, building more inclusive holdings, and improving collection services. These projects illustrate how RCL core title data is applied in distinct environments to support continuous assessment. Explore practical applications and gain insights that can help strengthen assessment plans and build quality collections.
Watch the recording and download slides of the April 19th “One Tool, Many Applications: Collection Assessment for Changing Times” Webinar.
Learn how Illinois State University librarians assessed the value of course-assigned ebooks using diverse models and perspectives. This project examines timely questions around textbook affordability, online education support, and accessibility and equity issues. Access the research paper here.
In Spring 2020, the University of West Florida initiated an ongoing assessment project to evaluate their monograph collection with a diversity lens. This guide describes how to benchmark holdings, promote diverse collections, develop new institutional practices, and connect library data to strategic plans and campus goals. Access the UWF diversity assessment libguide here.
The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point has used BBAS together with RCL for continuous collection assessment for over ten years. Recently, they’ve applied the tool to assist staff through a deselection project aimed at reducing the collection size and relocating to a new building. This use case follows UWSP and their efforts to maintain key works, weed responsibly, gain faculty input, and demonstrate collection value. Access the UWSP case study here and the UWSP collection assessment guidelines here.
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