Timberline presentation

Acquisition Institute at Timberline Lodge - May 19, 2014

DON’T LET PRINT BECOME THE “WEEDS” IN YOUR COLLECTION

Rhonda Glazier, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

Acquisition Institute at Timberline Lodge

May 19, 2014


ASSUMPTIONS

• E-books are here to stay• Print books are not going away anytime soon• Books/monographs are the focus of this presentation

Goal: Create discussion around how libraries can maintain relevant collections – regardless of format

“I’m having trouble spending my money – we have so many e-books.”

“Students today prefer the electronic, the convenience makes electronic preferred over print by students and faculty today.”

“It is more cost effective to purchase electronic materials. It allows us to use the space for something besides housing little used print materials.”

“I’m not sure what to buy in print, it is much more effective to have patron driven titles, at least I know those will be used.”

“With limited budgets, it makes more sense to buy it as a PDA or DDA than take a chance and buy it in print.”

“It is really hard to figure out what we are getting in electronic, to know what we should buy in print.”

“With very little money for print books, I want to spend it on the right things. Help!!!”


PURPOSE OF PRINT COLLECTION

• Define for your library the role/scope of your print collection as it relates to selection

• Print collections today are a smaller percentage of the budget

• What impact does this decrease in funding have on the scope/purpose of the print collection?


PURPOSE OF E-BOOK COLLECTION

• Define for your library the role/scope of your e-book collection as it relates to selection

• Looking at your library’s strategic plan, how do e-books fit into that plan?

• What assumptions are you using in building your e-book collection?


TRACK YOUR PRINT AND E-BOOK EXPENDITURES

• Pros:– Allows you to know exactly what you are spending on each format

– Gives you another data element for analysis

– Allows you to create a narrative for administration

– Gives you a complete picture of how your collection is being developed.


TRACK YOUR PRINT AND E-BOOK EXPENDITURES

• Cons:– Complicates the budgeting process

– Not as flexible

– Creates an expectation of how the budget will be spent

– Not always easy to define how money is spent.


PDA/DDA COMPLICATES THE PROCESS

• Reasons to duplicate titles:– Electronic copies may not give you perpetual access– Each format can be used differently – has a different impact on the

user.– If the class is taught in person and online there may be a need for

both formats– Subject area – High theft items


PDA/DDA COMPLICATES THE PROCESS

• Reasons to Not duplicate titles:– Title is part of a PDA/DDA package and not central to the collection

– Print format does not offer any advantage to the user

– High cost of print may make it more cost effective to purchase through the PDA or DDA model

– Older titles that were not purchased at time of publication can be more effective if interest in the title triggers purchase


LEASE VS. OWNERSHIP –DOES IT MATTER?


WHY LEASE VS. OWNERSHIP MATTERS

• Still building a collection

• Going beyond access – what types of materials are core to the mission of the library?

• Many times ownership is more cost effective than leasing over time


OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

• Need to develop print collection with longevity in mind

• Established programs on campus – and ongoing demands/needs should be main consideration

• “Just in time” versus “Just in Case”– Redefined as: Marginal/borderline titles and seminal/central works

that support the educational missions of the campus


OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

• Print copy availability vs. SMUs vs. Device compatibility vs. downloading capability

• Consortia participation

• Resource sharing agreements– Key question: How “lendable” are your e-books and what impact

does that have on your print collection and selection decisions


THOUGHTFUL DECISIONS

• At a minimum you should consider the following:– Curriculum– Class delivery method– Faculty preference– Student use– Publishing trends– Research support– Needs of your “community” – BUDGET


CREATE OPPORTUNITIES TO GATHER INFORMATION

• Do your students check out print – even if e-book available?

• Do they request the print book from another library – even if you have the e-book?

• How often do you ask students and faculty what they want?– Surveys– As part of instruction– Informal conversations


CREATE A MATRIX• Determine what you SHOULD buy in print

– Publishing trends

– Analysis of circulation of print materials

– Content

– Cost.• Does it make sense relative to cost to purchase this title in print?

– Timeliness of material

– Seminal work• Centrality of title to curriculum


APPLY THE SAME MATRIX TO E-BOOKS• Determine what you SHOULD buy as an e-book

– Publishing trends• Does the publisher offer new titles in e-book in a method that you can purchase?

– Analysis of circulation of print materials• Is the e-book the preferred format for the subject area?

– Lease or own?

– Cost• Does it make sense relative to cost to purchase this title as an e-book?

– Timeliness of material

– Seminal work• Centrality of title to curriculum

PART OF PDA/DDA

AVAILABLE AS BOTH PRINT & E-BOOK

CIRCULATION RANKING FOR AREA

ANALYSIS OF TITLE: A. AGE B. SPECIAL FEATURES

CURRICULUM:A. TYPE OF

CLASSB. DELIVERY

METHOD

FEATURES OF TITLE

CENTRALITY OF WORK

PERPETUAL ACCESS OF CONTENT


DECISION MAKING PROCESS

• Have a long range plan for your library’s collection

• Develop strategies/budgets around long-term vision

• Balance collection – determine percentage of collection you want in print vs. electronic

• Establish criteria that is important for your collection– Are you moving your collection to primarily electronic?

• Five years from now – what do you want the make-up of the collection to be?


DECISION MAKING PROCESS

• What criteria are you going to use to determine format?– Can that criteria be applied consistently?

• Establish decision elements by subject area

• Publishing trends– Identify methods to keep up on publishing trends by subject area


CONUNDRUM• How do we really know interest?

• Student/faculty behavior when browsing – Patrons have traditionally browsed the stacks for print materials – how is that behavior replicated for

e-books?

• How do we determine relevancy of a collection if we haven’t defined the terms?– What constitutes circulation for e-books– How do we determine consistent data between print and e-books?

• Do we need to?

• IF PRINT MATERIALS ARE THE “FACE OF THE LIBRARY COLLECTION” HOW DO WE DEFINE THAT COLLECTION IN A WAY THAT MAKES IT AN EFFECTIVE AMBASSADOR?

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