Doug Way

The Assessment of Patron-Initiated Collection Development via Interlibrary Loan at a Comprehensive University

Patron-initiated collecting via interlibrary has been examined regularly in the literature over the past decade, with articles examining the topic at public libraries, liberal arts colleges, and large doctoral institutions. This paper examines a patron-initiated collection development program at Grand Valley State University, a comprehensive university with an enrollment of 24,000 students. It compares Grand Valley State Universitys experiences with those at other types of institutions. The paper also discusses the different models used to assess the success of these programs within the literature and how Grand Valley State University used WorldCat Collection Analysis, circulation statistics, and peer comparisons to assess its program.

Methods and Strategies for Creating a Culture of Collections Assessment at Comprehensive Universities

Differing from those of their liberal arts and Association of Research Libraries counterparts, todays comprehensive universities face a variety of unique challenges and opportunities when it comes to assessing their collections. This article looks at the different needs and interests of comprehensive universities and focuses on the challenges faced in evaluating collections in three distinct university library settings. Case studies from individual universities will be used to examine issues regarding different means of assessing electronic book collections, collection development policies, and library databases.