Anna H. Perrault

The shrinking national collection: A study of the effects of the diversion of funds from monographs to serials on the monograph collections of research libraries

A precipitous rise in the price of library materials, especially serials; an increase in worldwide publication output; and a decline in the funding base of research libraries have resulted in a drastic erosion of the purchasing power of research libraries. This erosion of purchasing power has in turn directly resulted in a reduction of the number of nonserial printed materials acquired by academic research libraries in the United States in the latter half of the 1980s. This study is a comparison of the number of nonserial imprints acquired by the 72 Association of Research Libraries members whose bibliographic records for the imprint years 1985 to 1989 are included in the 1991 edition of the OCLC/AMIGOS Collection Analysis CD-ROM database. The results of the study confirm that there was a decline in the holdings of the 72 libraries from 1985 to 1989 by language and subject groupings. This led to a greater concentration on a core of materials by the 72 libraries.

National collecting trends: Collection analysis methods and findings

The primary focus of collection evaluation and assessment has been the subjective judgment of the strengths and weaknesses of library collections. The process has generally been a local application, often utilizing peer group comparative data Quantitative collection analysis to support the subjective processes of collection evaluation and assessment is now almost universally conducted through extraction of data from local systems or network databases. National collecting patterns can be studied through the use of data extracted from the bibliographic utilities. This article examines the use of data from the OCLC/AMIGOS Collection Analysis CD and standard statistical series as a methodology for studying national collecting patterns. Findings on national collecting patterns from 1986–1995 in academic libraries in the United States utilizing the methodology are presented.

The Integration of Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes and Teaching Effectiveness

The School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) at the University of South Florida (USF) was selected as one of nine departments to participate in a pilot study for alternate measures of teaching effectiveness, one of two foci in a USF Harvard Challenge Grant funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Under the auspices of the grant project, the SLIS developed student learning outcomes for the graduate program in library and information science. This paper reports the conceptual phase and outlines the strategic planning process in which the goal for teaching is formulated in programmatic objectives for student learning outcomes and in assessment measures for those objectives. A model is proposed for the integration of assessment of student learning outcomes and teaching effectiveness.

The Effects of High Median Age on Currency of Resources in Community College Library Collections

In 1998, a comprehensive study was conducted of the monograph collections of the twenty-eight public community colleges in Florida. This article reports the findings of that study with respect to median age and currency of resources. The rationale for the interpretation of the findings in the Florida Community College Collection Assessment Project is congruent with the philosophy that college collections should emphasize the instructional and curricular needs of students and, therefore, that the collections should emphasize current resources rather than retrospective depth. The findings on median age from the Florida Community College study serve as an example for the discussion of the implications of median age on currency of resources in college library monographic collections, especially in the professional, scientific, and technical fields. The major recommendation is a Continual Update Collection Management Model for college collections.

The Role of WorldCat in Resources Sharing

ABSTRACT The 30th anniversary of WorldCat was celebrated in 2001. At that time, there were 45 million records with over 750 million location listings, spanning over 4,000 years of recorded knowledge in 377 languages. In the anniversary year, a bibliometric study was begun under the auspices of an OCLC/ALISE research grant. A 10% systematic random sample of the database was analyzed utilizing the OCLC iCAs software to profile the monographic contents of WorldCat by type of library, subject and language parameters. The profile reveals the extent of global publications made accessible through the OCLC international network. Several findings of the study can be examined as possible barriers to successful cooperation in collection development and resources sharing. One of the major problems analyzed in the study is the timeliness in the availability of bibliographic records for current publications. This paper explores the feasibility of using WorldCat as a cooperative collection development tool as well as additional measures which might be derived from analyzing bibliographic records. The results can be used to stimulate discussion on the role of WorldCat as an international resource on the universe of publication available for research and resources sharing worldwide.

A new dimension in approval plan service

Abstract This paper presents the results of a three-month study conducted using the fiche database service offered by a major approval plan vendor and three review tools. The object of the study was to assess the utility of the fiche service to a selector for determining the status of new publications with respect to his/her library approval program at the time of review. A secondary objective was to assess the usefulness of the fiche service as a tool for monitoring the effectiveness of the vendors interpretation and implementation of a librarys approval plan profile.

United States History: A Selective Guide to Information Sources

Created for scholars, librarians, students and the general public, this work identifies and describes numerous reference books on American history. Arranged topically, subjects include politics and government, military, social and cultural items. Various search strategies are suggested.