Collection Directions: Some Reflections on the Future of Library Collections and Collecting

Hooper, Pamela

Dempsey, L., Malpas, C., Lavoie, B. (2014). Collection directions: Some reflections on the future of library collections and collecting. portal: Libraries and the Academy, 14(3), pp. 393–423. Retrieved from http://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/portal_libraries_and_the_academy/portal_pre_print/articles/14.3dempsey.pdf

Summary: The authors discuss several aspects of library collections and their observations on the changing nature of these collections. They begin with a discussion of bundling. They express that libraries are in the process of transitioning from being a sole information provider with the need to collect relevant print materials to provide to patrons, to a network center which provides access to the information needed utilizing external services which are more cost effective. They explain how the financial impact of less expensive networked services benefits libraries in a variety of ways. For the user it means that the discovery process has become far more global as resources can be accessed through the cloud rather than being limited to local selections. Data-driven environments allow access to available data from social networks like Goodreads, or Google Scholar, allowing libraries to make more informed collection development decisions. This ability is heightened when you consider patron selections, intralibrary loans, etc.

The authors also touch on the necessity for a collection of available data within the cloud. They stress that the cloud, as a source of knowledge on scholarly topics, allows researchers instantaneous access to raw data without waiting years for publication. It also allows libraries to focus their collections on uniqueness and stewardship/scarcity, rather then widely available information. Noting the limited staffing for libraries with large special collections, they note the trend toward inviting the public to do some of the basic cataloging work. An example of this might be the New York Public Library's Building Inspector application. They also speak to the public's demand for access to publicly funded research.

 Evaluation: I really enjoyed this article. The authors shared their vision of the future of library collections and gave me quite a bit to think about and consider. Not having managed an academic collection, their thorough explanation of the current trends gave me a good foundation towards understanding their hypothesis for the future.