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Elizabeth W. Smith, Coordinator for Collection Development, Launiger Library, Georgetown University
There are many things to consider before launching a project for writing a collection development policy. As we worked through the process, we established some guidelines that may be helpful to other libraries undertaking similar projects. Some important components for us were careful planning, determining desired presentation format, and providing pertinent information. WLN Conspectus Software helped us achieve our goals.
The value of careful planning and establishing a well thought-out time frame for writing a collection development policy cannot be overstated. Time spent on this important first step, we knew, would pay off later by making the workflow faster and more accurate.
The presentation was also very important to us, because we wanted faculty and librarians to be able to understand the document with relative ease.
Also high on our list of priorities for the collection analysis portion of the document was to provide pertinent information about the department or study program that was being analysed. We felt it was beneficial to include factors such as the academic degrees the programs were supporting in the same part of the document as the actual assessment process.
First we decided what we wanted in our reports, then asked how, or if, it could be done. We found that the WLN Conspectus Conspectus Software was flexible and easy to customise for this purpose. We used the comments field to input text in our assessment records and ran a test report.
Knowing we could obtain the reports as desired, we could then generate the ones we wanted based on our curriculum, giving special attention to the interdisciplinary reports. This was easily accomplished using the Conspectus worksheets which are broken into Division, Category, and Subjects.
The following is a condensed, but concise, outline of the steps we followed. We hope it will be beneficial to others in setting priorities for meeting the needs of their own institution.
The Assistant University Librarian for Collection Management and Organisation with the Coordinator for Collection Development:
We decided on a two part policy: the first part was devoted to collection development policy statements and the second part dedicated to collection assessment, with preliminary text for each division containing information on the focus and breadth of that subject area.
At this point, we were able to establish a carefully developed time frame that would satisfy our aim of completing a draft of the policy in approximately one year. Deadlines were established for liaisons to complete the forms, work with the faculty, key in the information, edit the completed records, and do a final review.
| Task | Approximate time needed | Explanation |
| Planning | 1-2 months | |
| Initial meetings with Liaisons | 1 month | Involved group meetings followed by individual
meetings. Covered during the individual meetings:
|
| Completion of worksheets and policies | 3 months | |
| Input reports | 3 months | |
| Review | 1 month | |
| Edit and final review | 2 months |
Meetings with liaisons: We organised the library workflow and distributed worksheets and set deadlines, detailing a plan for the library liaisons. Our Library Liaison Program had been in place for approximately one year. We met with the entire group for an overview of what was to be accomplished, and then held follow-up meetings with small groups or individuals to detail the steps needed to complete their particular assessment worksheets. Liaisons received only the worksheets they were expected to fill out, while those responsible for interdisciplinary studies programs got the entire group of worksheets. The plan was based on subject specialists (library liaisons) completing the assessment forms for their departments, by means of the following process:
As much faculty consultation as possible was encouraged.
We created the reports by keying in information provided by liaisons. We used "Control/M" keys to create paragraphs in the text that introduces and summarises each major subject area.
The reports were reviewed by liaisons, faculty, the Coordinator for Collection Development and the Assistant University Library for Collection Management and Organisation.
When all reports were finished, we utilised a Collection Development Policy Editing Committee to edit for style and consistency.
A library that wishes to prepare a collection development policy should consider the following:
[The Mathematics and History reports at the end of the document are examples of the report used by Griffith University, Queensland].
Following these guidelines, we finished our collection development policy in drat form within one year. We created assessment reports for 41 departments, programs, divisions, and centres of study utilising the subject expertise of 28 library liaisons. The WLN Conspectus Software program gave us the option to review and change, as well as the ability to create interdisciplinary files.
Of course, it goes without saying that theory and background reading are required, but that, alas, is another article. Here I have focussed on the practical approach which, I hope, will be useful.
MATHEMATICS
GENERAL OBJECTIVES: To support undergraduate instruction for majors pursuing a B.S. degree, and required courses for non-majors; to support faculty and student research through the Ph.D in mathematics, statistics, computer science, the biological and physical sciences, philosophy and other related fields, to support an understanding of the utility of mathematics for non-majors.
SCOPE OF COVERAGE: Language: Emphasis is on English, including translations. Geography: No exclusions. Chronology: Emphasis is on current materials and significant older core works.
TYPES OF MATERIALS: Monographs; periodicals; serials; abstracts and indexes; government documents; electronic formats; audio-visual materials, including multimedia; conference proceedings and symposia. Exclusions: introductory general purpose textbooks whose primary function is instruction
INTERDISCIPLINARY RELATIONS: An interdisciplinary relationship is pending for computational science in undergraduate education with the Physics and Computer Science Departments. The collection supports mathematical aspects of scientific and course research and instruction for students and faculty in business, physics, computer science, biology, and chemistry. The demand for statistics books is broadly based.
OTHER FACTORS: Faculty members are doing substantial amounts of research in these areas:
Periodical holdings are not classified, but are arranged alphabetically in the Science Library, in Launiger Library, and in storage. The collection is adequate to support all student and most faculty research.
History is primarily of importance to the teaching and research programs of the Faculties of Asian and International Studies (AIS) and Humanities (HUM). AIS has an emphasis on the history of S. E. Asia, particularly China, Japan and Korea, and HUM on the history of Australia, Canada and Europe, particularly Great Britain and Italy. MONOGRAPHS Collection of approx, 18,500 volumes with an emphasis on Oceania (2900); Great Britain (1750); France (600); Germany (440); Italy (1150); USSR (673); North America (1775); US local and Canada (2200). INDEXES AND DATABASES the library holds the following major sources; "Historical Abstracts" [current print]; "Indexes to journal articles on Australian History" [print]; Bibliography of Asian studies [current print]; Annual Bibliography of British and Irish History" [current print]; CRIS: the Combined Retrospective Index set - Journals in history [print]; "Humanities Index [non-current print and current CD-ROM]; "British Humanities Index" [current print]; ;Index to foreign broadcast information services (FBIS) Daily Report - China [current print]; Current contents of academic journals in Japan - the Humanities and Social sciences" [current print] Cost free access to the "Current Contents" database and access to a subsidised search service based on external commercial databases is also available to the university community. REFERENCE Approx 1800 volumes with an emphasis on Asia (1050); Oceania (420); Great Britain (150); Italy (120) and biography (150). Key sources include ENCYCLOPEDIAS AND DICTIONARIES "Dictionary of history and ideas 5 vols"; "Dictionary of the Middle Ages 12 vols"; "Encyclopedia of Asian civilisations 9 vols"; "Australian Encyclopedia (3 sets)" BIOGRAPHIES "Current biography 1940-"; "Encyclopedia of world biography 12 vols"; "Biographie Universelle 45 vols"; "Dizionario Biografico Deglitatliani 40 vols"; "Dictionary of National Biography 20 vols"; "Australian Dictionary of Biography 12 vols"; "Dictionary of American Biography" CURRENT AFFAIRS "Keesings Contemporary Archives/Records of World Events 1931-"; "Asian Recorder 1958-"; SERIALS Approx 466 titles of which 221 are current subscriptions.
Last modified: August 18 2004.
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