Blog Post - Collection Development Techniques Gathered from a Modern Assyrian Heritage Collection

Rosie Ramos

Zaghmouri, L. (2023). The First of Its Kind: Collection Development Techniques for the Vasche Library’s Modern Assyrian Heritage Collection. Collection Management, 48(1), 48–55. https://doi-org.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/10.1080/01462679.2022.2099331

Summary:

In The First of Its Kind: Collection Development Techniques for the Vasche Library’s Modern Assyrian Heritage Collection, Lena Zaghmouri examines how California State University’s Modern Assyrian Heritage Collection developed and expanded a uniquely specialized circulating collection in Modern Assyrian Studies, which is rare and unique. Motivated by a donor’s $50,000 endowment and a broader initiative to support an emerging academic program, the project sought to fill a significant gap in library collections, where most Assyrian-related materials focus on the ancient world rather than contemporary Assyrian communities, histories, and cultures.

Zaghmouri highlights the collaborative and innovative methods required to build a collection in a field with limited, often difficult-to-acquire materials.Their primary strategy involved systematically searching the Online Public Access Catalogues of major research universities such as UCLA, UC Berkeley, Harvard, and Princeton in an effort to locate titles not currently held by the Vasche Library.

The article underscores how collecting for marginalized or low-publication fields requires strategies beyond conventional acquisitions workflows. The team’s work revealed that the existing collection already held most commonly available titles, making community outreach, author contact, exploration of self-published works, and partnerships with small and local presses which are essential for future growth. Zaghmouri argues that these nontraditional methods not only support collection development but also strengthen the library’s relationships with local Assyrian communities and scholars, ensuring that the collection remains relevant, comprehensive, and culturally responsive.

Evaluation:

I really enjoyed reading this article because I think it highlighted some important aspects of collection management that I am interested in practicing at some point in my career. I really appreciated the team's approach to collection development with an application of practices specifically catered to working with smaller communities. I also appreciated how Zaghmouri addressed the criticism academic libraries receive as being elitist institutions while also outlining different ways that librarians and library staff can work on bringing down the barriers affecting different marginalized communities.