Looking Back, Moving Forward in the Digital Age

Bullis, Daryl R.; Smith, Lorre

doi:10.5860/lrts.55n4.205

Cited by 20 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 130 publications

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“…66 Bullis and Smith also point to the "problematic subjectivity" that was recognized as part of the conspectus approach. 67 Vickery adds to the overall negative conspectus evaluation by stating that conspectus based CDPs "are inherently inflexible and resistant to change" and difficult to update. 68 He astutely concludes that conspectus based CDPs "cannot easily be adjusted to incorporate new research areas or interdisciplinary subjects, and a fluid, complex reality cannot be encapsulated in a formulaic policy document.…”

Section: Alternative Elements To Use In Collection Evaluationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nimble Collection Development Policies: An Achievable Goal

Levenson¹

2019

LRTS

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This paper identifies and reviews some of the currently relevant components of collection development which contribute to the need for having a written collection development policy (CDP) in place. The requisite elements for a pertinent and usable CDP are identified, keeping in mind the need to customize these policies to each library’s unique needs. A literature review is presented to demonstrate the long-standing purposes of collection development policies (CDPs), quantitative studies of existing CDPs, and some of the inherent drawbacks in the creation and application of these policies. The author presents a case study which demonstrates the processes undertaken to create a CDP for a medium-sized academic library. This includes more current and relevant considerations for a modern day CDP. The paper also includes the best practices identified throughout the policy creation process and which has the potential to be applied to other similarly situated libraries.

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Section: Alternative Elements To Use In Collection Evaluationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nimble Collection Development Policies: An Achievable Goal

Levenson¹

2019

LRTS

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“…Predictions that electronic resources would dominate library collections were made as early as the years 2000 to 2005, based on historical publishing trends and an assessment of the critical issues driving their adoption (Okerson, 2000). Three literature reviews have emerged on the topic: Bullis and Smith (2011), Casserly (2008) and Phillips and Williams (2004) . The latter review highlighted the increased importance of continuous collection assessment due to the increasing role of electronic resources.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are library electronic resources providing adequate support for research? A case study of a federal university in the United Arab Emirates

2019

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Purpose Middle Eastern universities have recently been included in international rankings, driving a shift in priorities from teaching to research. However, research-centric collection assessments are rarely applied in the region. The Library and Learning Commons of Zayed University has recently completed the first phase of collection assessment for this transition. This study aims to provide an overview of how electronic resources adequacy was measured, and correlations between utilization of resources and research output were determined. A systematic approach is presented to assess electronic resources impact and to investigate and demonstrate the Library’s support of research output in local research and the scholarly environment. Design/methodology/approach Journal article publications from 2009 to 2016 with at least one Zayed University affiliated author were collected from Scopus, the abstract and citation database operated by Elsevier BV. Sources used within these articles were analyzed. COUNTER usage statistics of three indicators (searches, sessions and full-text downloads) were collected from the most used electronic resources in the Library to define the correlation between usage and research activities in the university during the assessment period. Findings The change in university direction toward research is apparent in the data since Fall 2014. Since then, faculty publication output grew rapidly and was positively correlated with library resources use. Sessions and searches displayed a strong positive relationship with research output while the correlation with full-text downloads was moderate. This was true for individual colleges as well as for the university as a whole, supporting the assumption that library utilization is highly correlated with the growth of research productivity. Practical implications Results of this assessment were used to justify the budget allocation of Zayed University Library for supporting research and improve the focus of collection development to better meet researchers’ needs. The most important outcomes were to provide evidence-based information to Library management for strategic planning and evaluation of their changing role in the digital age. Originality/value The systematic approach described has enabled Zayed University library to assess the relevance of its resources to its changed focus toward research, both for the university as a whole and among the more research-productive colleges. This initial approach may be useful for other libraries going through a similar transition, particularly within the region.

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