Notes on Operations: Combining Citation Studies and Usage Statistics to Build a Stronger Collection

Vandenbark, R. T., & Wical, S. H. (2015). Notes on operations: Combining citation

            studies and usage statistics to build a stronger collection. Library Resources &

            Technical Services, 59(1), 33-42.

This article discusses the forms of collection development that affect academic libraries and their journal databases. There are some budgetary challenges associated with managing collections, so librarians often use alternative methods, such as citation analysis, when technology is not available or is too expensive. This helps to find which articles are being used and how frequently. There is also a need in academic libraries to determine a return on investment, or ROI, for journals in the library. Although many faculty imagine that each journal has a separate worth and can be rejected, journal subscriptions typically function in bundles. Personnel changes have a lot of influence over changes in the collection. Journal costs are usually complex, which means that faculty librarians, who are the most aware of those costs, are the individuals best prepared to garner support for decisions about journals to keep and let go.