Untapped Resources: Graduate Assistants and Collection Development

Dailey, Kaitlin.

Todorinova, L., Deputy, B. R. (2011). Untapped resources: Graduate assistants and collection development. In B. R. Bernhardt, L. H. Hinds, K. P. Strauch (Eds.), Something's gotta give (pp. 584-589). DOI: 10.5703/1288284314969

Summary:
This book chapter discusses how libraries are incorporating MLIS students into collection development practices, and the positive impact that this has on not only the students but also the library since the budget does not have to be reallocated to accommodate additional staff members. I felt that this chapter was something that as MLIS students we could all identify with as we are learning about collection development and could incorporate some of the ideas or themes into our own libraries. The article starts off with a brief introduction of where collection development falls within a library, where "paraprofessionals and student assistants" play a role currently, and the history of paraprofessionals in the library. After this brief introduction, the article discusses what role collection development plays in the current curricula, graduate students in the library, along with the incentives of incorporating graduate students into the library.

Evaluation:
So, I really liked this article because I feel that I am someone who learns the best in a very hands-on environment, so this article catered to me. However, I can see the hesitance in some professionals when incorporating students into their institution. When I started working in libraries as an undergraduate, there was a fair amount of training that I had to complete prior to being on the floor (and I was being paid). Looking at graduate students, it may be more difficult to motivate them when they're already working so hard to complete their degrees. Additionally, I've noticed that many of the students in this program are library professionals already in some capacity so it may be less of an incentive to help their library for free when they're already working so hard as it is.

LGBTQ Collection Assessment: Library Ownership of Resources Cited by Master's Students

Harkleroad, Tiffany

Graziano, V. (2016). LGBTQ Collection Assessment: Library Ownership of Resources Cited by Master's Students. College & Research Libraries, 77(1), 114-127. doi:10.5860/crl.77.1.114

After the Stonewall riots in 1969, gay and lesbian studies, either in the form of individual courses or in the form of entire departments, began to emerge in academic institutions.  LGBTQ studies continue to expand in higher education, and as a result, academic libraries are assessing the needs of their institutions in the context of developing LGBTQ collections.  This study examples the bibliographic citations (3,243 in total) of 28 graduate theses with a focus on LGBTQ studies, written by students at Concordia University between 1991 and 2013.  The goals are to assess the strengths of the university’s current LGBTQ collection, to identify LGBTQ collection materials that the university is lacking, and to assess overall LGBTQ collection needs.  The study determined that the library owned 73% of the citations studied; this is below the average number of citation in similar citation studies on different topic areas.  By breaking down the types of materials cited, it was determined that the collection was weak in terms of LGBTQ popular periodicals; however, the more recent theses tended to cite this particular type of material less often.  The study determined that the LGBTQ collection at Concordia was well developed, particularly given the fact that there is no LGBTQ studies department at the school at the time of this study.

As a student who is particularly interested in LGBTQ studies as relates to library science, I found this article to be quite interesting.  For academic libraries, it is important that the libraries contain the correct types of materials and topic matter to meet the needs of students.  As academic studies expand to include more social concepts and topics, collections will need to adapt to meet those needs.  This particular study shows that the library in question has taken a fairly progressive stance, by containing many of the materials used in the completion of the theses studied.  I found the discussion of convenience bias most interesting, meaning students are more likely to use materials readily available in the library, and that might have some bearing on results in studies such as these.