National Library of Australia


Q&A on subject collecting information in ALG

1. Why has information on collection levels been included in the Australian Libraries Gateway?

The National Library has developed this facility in the Australian Libraries Gateway based on feedback from both library users and librarians suggesting the need for easy Web access to information describing the collections of Australian libraries.

2. Why is collection assessment important?

Collection assessment is a key part of collection management. It provides librarians with accurate information about the character, size, age and the quality of their library resources. This information helps librarians to manage their resources and achieve the library's collection and access goals.

Collection assessment can:

3. What are the benefits of providing information about your library collection in the Australian Libraries Gateway?

Australian libraries should provide information about their collection so that other libraries and library users can easily understand the strengths of their collections. By contributing and maintaining collection information on the Gateway, it will:

4. What are the principles underlying this facility in the Australian Libraries Gateway?

In developing this facility, the Library was guided by the following principles:

5. What are the key elements?

The key elements of the collection information system consist of:

The broad aim is to provide an online mechanism for Australian libraries to easily record and update information that describes their collections through the use of standard collecting level indicators and subjects.

Based on the assessment of their collections, the key task for libraries is to allocate collection level values to the broad and more specific subject category levels as well as providing any additional information about the collection via the comments field.

6. How can I be sure that the information describing a library's collection is authoritative?

The information about the collections of each library listed in the Australian Libraries Gateway has been provided by that library. This information has come from either of two sources; information provided to the Australian Conspectus database, and or information about the collection entered by the library in the Gateway entry using their own password. The authority of the information is the library that has provided it based on their own assessment of their collection. The National Library does not control any of the collection information available via the Gateway, however, we will monitor entries at the 'Research' level and will make contact with the libraries if these levels are not consistent with other information known about the library and its collection.

7. What is the relationship between the Australian Libraries Gateway and the Australian Conspectus database?

The architecture of the collection assessment section of the Australian Libraries Gateway is broadly based on that used in the Australian Conspectus database. Because of the widespread understanding and use of the Conspectus collection level indicators by both libraries and library users, they have been used as the basis for the ALG collection level indicators. However based on user feedback the numerical values used for the Conspectus levels have been replaced with text definitions to more clearly indicate the meaning of the levels to library users accessing this information in an Internet environment.

Similarly in order to make it possible to both easily update and search the information about Australian library collections, the over 10,000 Conspectus subject lines have been consolidated into approximately 250 subject categories. The grouping of these categories also conforms to the 24 divisions used in Conspectus.

8. Who should I talk to if I consider collection strength information from a library is incorrect or misleading?

If you find collection information that you believe is incorrect or misleading, you should contact the library listed in the Gateway drawing your concerns to their attention.

9. Collection assessment is an expensive process, what information can I include about my collection if I have not undertaken a detailed collection assessment process?

The primary aim of this section of the Gateway is to record and make easily accessible information about the collections of Australian libraries. To support the process the Gateway provides a range of information about tools and references on how to assess your library's collection, as well as a list of contact librarians who have assessed their collections.

However, if you have not undertaken a detailed collection assessment you can still include comments about your collection - either detailed comments for each ALG subject or more broadly comments on highlights of your collection. You can add both types of information using the Subject collecting information online update form.

10. If my library is using Conspectus software and worksheets for collection management, do I still send information to the National Library?

If your library is using Conspectus for collection management, it is no longer necessary for you to send copies of your worksheets or updates on the Conspectus software to the National Library. You can simply update the information about your collection on the Gateway using your own password.

Because the over 10,000 Conspectus lines have been consolidated into approximately 250 subject categories, you should consult the tables showing the mapping of Library of Congress and Dewey Decimal Classification Conspectus lines to the ALG subject categories, before entering your new Conspectus data in the Gateway.

11. Will the National Library still maintain the Australian Conspectus Database?

With the release of the online update facility on ALG, the National Library discontinued supporting data input to the Australian Conspectus database. The Australian Conspectus database was frozen from the end of November 1998, with the Library not accepting any new entries for inclusion in the database from that date.

12. Does the National Library still sell OCLC conspectus software?

From 31 March 2000 the National Library ceased selling OCLC conspectus software. Libraries wishing to purchase this software can contact WLN directly:
Glenda Lins
email glenda_lins@oclc.org
http://www.wln.org/

13. Do I have to use Conspectus if I want to include information about my collection in the Australian libraries Gateway?

There are a wide range of tools and techniques for collection assessment, and the Gateway lists a range of tools, references and contacts for Australian librarians who have assessed their collections. Information on the Conspectus approach to collection management is also available from the site.

The processes and techniques used to assess a collection are the responsibility of each individual Australian library based on their own management decisions about the most appropriate assessment approach to suit their needs. The decision to use Conspectus or other collection management processes will rest with each library and it is not the role of the Gateway to support any particular assessment process. However libraries that indicate they have collections at the "Research" level should have undertaken a documented collection evaluation process to arrive at that outcome. To support the sharing of information about the process of collection assessment the Gateway will actively collect and make available any documentation on the processes used by Australian libraries for collection assessment.

The primary objective of the Gateway is to collect up to date quality information about Australian library collections through the use of a Web based online update process and standard definitions of collecting levels.

14. My Library does not have strong collections in any particular subject area but is it possible to indicate that the library does have unique materials in the collection?

In assessing your collection you may find that the overall level of your collections are not at a high level but that you have unique materials or some strengths in a particular geographic or historic periods. Please use the 'Comments' fields for each ALG subject within the Subject collecting information online update form to record information about these types of materials in your collection.

15. Do the definitions of collection level indicators refer only to print library materials or do they include access to electronic and other non-print materials in the level definitions.

The ALG collecting level indicators are designed to apply uniformly to all subjects and to reflect the changing nature of collection development in an electronic environment in which Australian libraries are providing access to information through a range of sources covering their physical collections, commercial databases and Internet resources. The level definitions do clearly include access to electronic information as one of the elements to be considered in determining the level of the collection.
16. How can the subject collecting information I include on the Gateway be found by users?

Subject information is searchable on the Gateway via the 'Search collections by subject' as well as the 'Advanced search' option which allows users to search collecting comments (including highlights of the collection).
17. What other collection assessment information can I include on the Gateway?

ALG hosts collection assessment reports to facilitate information sharing. Libraries can also provide links to their collection policy documents through their entry on the Gateway. This information may also be searched for in individual library entries via the 'Advanced search' option.

Last modified: April 30 2009.