Community-Curated Collection through Student Empowerment

Smit, Elizabeth

Heisserer-Miller, R. & McAlister, L.R. (2023). New horizons for academic library collection 
development: Creating a community curated collection through student empowerment. Journal of Library Outreach & Engagement, 3(2023), 119-135.

Summary:

Librarians at Southeast Missouri State University started two programs to get more patron input into collection development. The first let students nominate and then vote on which section of the library should get a special $3,000 budget. The second created a grant program for student groups to suggest materials needed by the library. Items purchased through the first program saw a jump in usage while items purchased through the second program saw lower than average usage. In both cases, the researchers were pleased with the student engagement with the programs and the relationships built between the library and the affinity groups on campus. One grant turned into an on-going project and a new special collection in the library.

Opinion:

While I don't think the results of this study are particularly exciting, encouraging patrons to take ownership over portions of the collection sounds like a great way to improve circulation and engagement. The programs here might not translate directly to your library or budget but they're a good jumping off point. And, the researchers' enthusiasm for the programs is catching! I know my students would love to pick books, but I often worry that they'll choose books that are trendy now & then they'll will be forgotten before they even arrive. Sometimes we take book suggestions but I would love to have students vote for which section of the library needs a tune-up next year. Our library doesn't receive enough money to give grants to student groups but it would be nice to include other areas than English, Science & Social Studies in our purchasing decisions.

Prison Library Collections

Paddock, Denise 

Vogel, B. (2009). Collection, coercion, and constitution: A collision with the absurd. In The prison library primer: A program for the twenty-first century (pp. 42–60). Scarecrow Press.

Brenda Vogel has been an authoritative voice on prison libraries for the last two decades. This chapter looks at prison library collections; what they should be; points out some flaws in arguments against a well-rounded collection, and gives a really good guide on creating a collection development policy that reflects library standards and can stand up to scrutiny. 

A few highlights are:

·      Collection’s, both in development and maintenance should follow same principles of librarianship as any other library.

·      There aren’t standards, basically at all. There are guidelines but none that prison administration have to adhere to. There are legal requirements that can be fulfilled but leave room for seriously limiting libraries.

·      There are some prison librarians that believe in self-censoring collections to decide what’s best for inmates. But luckily, these (at least those who put things into print) are quickly called out by others defending the principles of librarianship in prison libraries be upheld.

·      Great collection development policy justifications that are written out section by section.

This chapter does a great job of realistically looking at the likely issues a prison librarian will face- and how to be prepared. Issues being that libraries are libraries, and often can have arbitrary decisions about what isn’t acceptable, made by people outside of the library. She does a great job pointing out how and when to make the connections needed to prevent issues in the future. 

Library of Things Collection: Study of a public library tool lending collection

Lamb, Amanda

Söderholm, J. (2015). Borrowing tools from the public library. Journal of Documentation. 72(1), 140-155.

Many library collections are moving beyond traditional constraints. Library of Things collections, especially, are breaking new ground with circulating seeds, musical instruments, games, crafting kits, and tools. But why do patrons borrow “things?” This study explores this research question as applied to borrowing tools. The results? In addition to borrowing tools to enhance community and for paid work, patrons also wanted to learn and acquire skills through a public service. Public libraries can (and do!) pair unique Library of Things offerings with instructional opportunities. Patrons expressed a strong sense of community support in borrowing tools. They mentioned home and neighborhood improvement as well as a notion of sustainable community development. Patrons weigh several considerations before checking out a tool from the tool lending library: access and usage, cost, tool type, library vs private borrowing, and political and ideological motivations.

A Library of Things is a vibrant example of user-led collection development. Is there a community quilting group? What equipment does this group share because it is difficult to own? Can the library purchase any equipment to support this need? The potential for this collection seems limitless (within reason). How about a circulating seed collection for a garden club? Could a collection of circulating games support a teen gaming group?  What do users want to learn and what equipment do they need? Collection development for a Library of Things definitely raises some eyebrows. How does one clean and maintain equipment effectively? Do you trust patrons to check these items out and return them well? Beyond the logistical questions, those developing collections could and should ask what benefits the library and its community could enjoy by trying something new in a collection like this. At our Oregon library, a young patron checked out a radar gun from the Library of Things collection to measure the speed of the rides at a local community festival. His family sent photos of this experience to the library which were shared across social media. The positive impact of a Library of Things item can be far reaching indeed.

I Want it All. And I Want it Now.

Geist, Karen

Brasile, F. (2019). I Want it All. And I Want it Now. The Washington Library
Association Journal,35(1), March, 5-7.

The article I Want it All. And I Want it Now describes how today's collections reflect a different reality.

Library collections have changed over time as new formats emerge and old formats retired. Instead of one
format replacing another, formats now coexist. We have print books, LT books, books on CD, e-books
or e-audio books. Patrons want it all. They have more options than ever to consume content. The formats are more flexible than ever allowing patrons to interact with materials on the road, in the office, or atop a mountain. Digital media circulation has grown substantially while print circulation has decreased.  This is great for the patron but presents significant challenges to many libraries. “Determining how to allocate the library materials budget has become increasingly complex in recent years,” says Helen Gutierrez Collection Services Manager with SPL. Print books have a set cost, digital item pricing is inflated often 3x that of the retail price. Digital collections vary in terms of access- perpetual or metered.  Seeking funds beyond the materials budget also had its limitations. Libraries can select fewer copies of items or eliminate certain formats. All may accomplish the goal of reducing costs but will that negatively impact patron and decrease customer satisfaction? Libraries are trying to work with vendors to develop better tools to aid in managing digital collections and demand. OverDrive is working with libraries by the addition of “Always Available” content.  OverDrive added a collection of travel books that patrons can check out anytime, as many times as they like. They also added fifty of the most popular audiobooks to provide unlimited access. The challenge is going to be how to provide our patrons with well-rounded, current collections with limited funds.

This article surprised me on a few levels.  I did not realize the actual cost of digital items and never
realized the challenges faced by any Collection Management staff.   I naively thought that you buy a
digital item and it is yours, like a book. There are so many options with various costs. Print books
are on the decline while digital items are in demand but I think that everything will level off.  I think
standardized options for digital items are on the horizon. How can it continue this way? I think more
vendors will brainstorm ideas to make working together with libraries easier and more cost effective.

When you need that One and Only Book

Cassandra Swartzwelder

https://www.chronicle.com/article/When-You-Need-That-One-and/241210

This article is about a patron who is looking for a particular book that is only 
available in a library in Estonia. This is where Interlibrary Loan comes in.
 Interlibrary loan staff "facilitate the exchange of books, articles, and journals
 among libraries" (Turnage, 2017). Not one library has everything in it's collection.
 The majority of people think that there will no longer be a need to lend or
 borrow physical items. This is not the case, there are more and more 
requests for physical items now.

What the 21st-Century Library Looks Like

Cassandra Swartzwelder

Najmabadi, S. (July 02, 2017). What the 21st-Century Library Looks Like. The Chronical of Higher Education. Retrieved from https://www.chronicle.com/article/What-the-21st-Century-Library/240494

Summary:

This article is about the changes that occurred at DePaul’s John T. Richardson Library. Recently the library went through a renovation that reflect today's digital world. The main floor no longer holds books, but instead offers a space where patrons can gather, talk, and get technical help from the Genius Squad counter. This part of the library has transitioned from being a library of collections to a library of people. The internet has taken the place of books. Due to this some libraries have moved their books off-site to create more space for their users. Libraries are getting rid of items or placing them in storage. The article notes that HathiTrust, is making sure that at least one of its member libraries holds onto a physical copy of each resource hosted online. This allows the library to free up much needed space that is requested by its users while preserving its collection. This also has had an effect on a librarian’s job. Librarians are spending less time with collections and more time teaching. In order to fit their new role libraries are buying less print and more electronic resources.

Evaluation:

This article reflects the climate of today. It address how libraries and librarians jobs are changing due to technology. It also notes the importance of preserving the libraries print collection. By doing all of these things, libraries will be able to provide the user with their needs for the years to come.

Preserve technology storage collection downsizing

Library Collections and Objecthood

Tiffany Harkleroad
INFO 266
4/27/16

Roll, A. (2016, September 26). Library collections and objecthood. [video file].  Retrieved from https://youtu.be/jk0nynPHOM8

This was an excellent video presentation by Ann Roll, discussing how books can become "objects" and this objecthood often inhibits weeding in a library collection.  Emotional responses to books can cause an emotional response from a library engaging in weeding.

The video proposes that physically interacting with books as objects is what creates such an emotional attachment to books.  Books become more like props in our everyday emotional situations, and the emotions experiences are then transferred to the books.

I found this to be a very interesting presentation, examining the emotional relationships people have with books.  I know that weeding can be a hot button issue to book lovers, and patrons often get upset about the act of weeding.  This presentation does a great job of explaining why these reactions happen, and how we can better approach weeding in a way that can reduce such emotional responses to weeding.  We all know how important weeding can be to keep a library thriving and useful, so this is a great guide to making the process a little less painful.

Recordkeeping in Book Form: The Legacy of American Colonial Recordkeeping

Zatko, Ruzena

Zhang, J. (2014). Recordkeeping in Book Form: The Legacy of American Colonial Recordkeeping. Information & Culture, 49(4), 469-491.

 

Summary

 

In this study, what is being looked at is the history of recordkeeping, preservation, and retrieval systems. The inspiration to coding actually came from the Native Americans, who wore different color beads and each of them had a different meaning. Some of the bead collecting was to help them remember and to categorize. The colonial times did not have a recordkeeping system adopted yet and there is a lack of evidence on what their process was. But to get to the root of how recordkeeping formed, four samples were taken dating back to the 1600s and the practices were analyzed.

 

Evaluation

 

Due to this being a historic research, there is only the evidence that was preserved that can be used to support any claims with the origins of research. This also demonstrates because of improper recordkeeping practices or lack there of, we don't have the information we could have possibly had if those practices were in play. Clearly, everything must start somewhere. In this case dating back to the 1600s is impressive enough. Overall, this is a great paper, highly informative of the history of record keeping and its legacy.

Museum Manages it's Own Collection on Wikipedia It's Own Way

In The Wall Street Journal, article,  Museums Open Up to Power of Wiki,

MoMA Now Hosts Monthly Edit-a-thons to Help Improve the Quality of Wikipedia Pages by Robin Cembalest (2015) one can consider a innovative approach to Wikipedia and maintaining sound collection management practices. The Museum of Modern Art may have many works listed with Wikipedia. The issue is: is every work represented accurately and completely? It would be challenging to cover such an extensive collection alone, but MoMA had a different idea about how they would control the quality of their collection shared through the world wide web. MoMA called volunteers to come take a crash course in editing with a follow-up on assisting the museum with quality control on Wikipedia. It seems many parts of the collection could use some updates, but the coolest thing about this partnership between MoMA and Wikipedia is the acknowledgement and cooperation between both parties. Community members came forward to give in their free time efforts to fact check and explore different pieces of the collection. These public designed events are to have trained volunteers begin to edit parts of the collection. A shift among libraries, museums, and collection holders is taking place. Different agents are aware of the necessity to permit and support a collection representation on the internet for patron access.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/museums-open-up-to-power-of-wiki-1444613033

Robin Cembalest

Oct. 11, 2015 9:23 p.m. ET

The Future of Libraries Has Little to Do with Books

Brandes-Miesner, Marta

Spinks, R. (2015, January 4). The future of libraries has little to do with books. Good: A magazine for the global citizen. Retrieved from http://magazine.good.is/articles/public-libraries-reimagined

Summary:

 In this article, the author talks about how libraries are reinventing themselves by becoming vibrant and attractive community “hubs”. The article emphasizes the need to develop libraries into places where patrons can become not only digitally literate, but digitally fluent. The future of libraries according to this article is encompassed by its free services, by being a community gathering space, and by fulfilling patrons’ needs for connectivity. The first “Bookless Library” has been built in San Antonio, Texas. The author described it as a “digital hub”. This library is all digital, cloud-based, and has over 10,000 eBooks and eReaders for the public. The author states though that with its plethora of auditoriums and creative spaces to relax, work and meet in, library materials seem like an afterthought. Nonetheless, the sentiment of this article is that reimagining and recreating the library as a place for people to gather works well for the future of libraries.

Evaluation:

This article is interesting in its ability to present images of future libraries, and those that have already been moving in this direction. Imagining that this is one of many directions future libraries will take is obviously plausible. However, the idea that libraries will become more community spaces to meet rather than to go to for the purposes of gaining something is not as plausible. There are so many existing places to meet, study, gather, etc. People go to libraries to “acquire” something-knowledge, information, Internet access, assistance, leisure materials, peace & quiet, solitude to study, etc. not only for the space itself. So while the author presents a vision of the future that is sleek and stylish and seemingly new, the article neglects to include the very reason libraries exist in the first place. They exist to impart information or knowledge (regardless of its format) and to act as a point of entry for equitable access to that information and knowledge. Without these two factors, these “gathering spaces” are just that.

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.