National Library of Australia Staff Papers, 2003

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Australian university libraries: collections overlap study

Roxanne Missingham, Robert Walls

Abstract


Australian university libraries contain very significant collections of material, including print and electronic resources. The scope of these collections, including the extent of unique holdings and collection overlap, has been a subject of discussion and speculation for a number of years. The study revealed that at a state level, university library collections have a high level of uniqueness. Further investigation of the trends identified by the study would be beneficial and would assist decision-making on future co-ordination of access to more diverse information resources for the Australian university community. Australian university libraries have developed collections to support teaching, learning and research in their institutions over many years. The extent and nature of the collections required to support each university's activities could be expected to be unique to some degree, because of the specific nature of research in each institution. There is likely, however, to be greater duplication of resources required to support teaching and learning in those subjects which are taught across a number of universities.

This overlap is inevitable if students are to have timely access to required information resources. The study sought to provide an overall snapshot of the extent of collection duplication and to provide an indication of future investigations which might refine our knowledge about Australian university library holdings. This could assist decision-making in a range of areas including co-operative storage ventures and support for providing co-ordinated access to digital information resources at a national level.


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