Collection Development and Management

Chase, Matthew
Fall 2016

Citation:

Lehman, K. A. (2014). Collection development and management: An overview of the literature 2011-12. Library Resources & Technical Services, 58, 169-177.

Summary:

This article provides comprehensive insight into the collection development literature published during 2011 and 2012. The author examined the issues confronting librarians as budget cuts, space limitations, and the increasing emergence of digital resources arise. In order to thrive in the new digital world, Lehman pays special attention to how collection development and acquisitions strategies are shifting toward patron-driven demand. The issues presented by the author have also provided libraries with the opportunity of innovative thinking as they strive for balance between print anddigital collections with open access resources, shared collection building, and re-purposing space beyond ownership.

Evaluation:

In addition to being a bibliographic treasure of citations on collection development trends, the article also proves to be a valuable glimpse into the ever-changing direction of the subject. In particular, it offers innovative strategies drawn from other libraries on how to address issues affecting many communities today such as budgetary and space limitations. Yet these very limitations, as the author points out, have led to new ways of building collections that better reflect their intended users.

Collection directions: Some reflections on the future of library collections and collecting.

Summary:  Written for academic and research libraries, this article delves into changing access patterns.  The authors note how access and collections are being “decoupled” away from purchasing and local storage and towards a more general facilitated access.   They say that this trend “moves the library towards a set of services around creation, curation, and consumption of resources that are less anchored in a locally managed collection, and more driven by engagement with research and learning behaviors.” (p. 10)    The authors go on to say that “The network [presumably the World Wide Web or the internet, and not a university LAN] is reconfiguring how libraries organize their systems and collections, and how faculty and students organize their research and learning workflows.” (p. 13)   They have included a wonderful collections grid (see above) (p. 16): 

 Evaluation:  This article was well-written and au courant.   As we move away from localized, standalone storage in any arena, shared access and collaboration becomes more natural and expected.  Demand-driven licensing models and “rightscaling” investments in print appear to be the future.

Dempsey, L., Malpas, C., & Lavoie, B. (2014, July). Collection directions: Some reflections on the future of library collections and collecting. portal: Libraries and the Academy, 14(3), 1-42. doi:10.1353/pla.2014.0013

Jhana Morlan
INFO 266 / Spring 2016

Changes in Collection Logic

Mallett, Natalie

Dempsey, Lorcan. (2016). The Facilitated Collection. OCLC Blog. Retrieved from http://orweblog.oclc.org/towards-the-facilitated-collection/

                The article begins with a description of libraries’ shift away from emphasizing local, owned collections to networked collections. “Print logic” collection building requires distribution of physical copies to locations. “Network logic” is a mix of local and remote services to be curated based on the needs of the users. Owned collections take up space, while “facilitated” collections more efficiently meet relevant needs by providing links and other connections to shared, simultaneous use,  or remote resources. Facilitated collections are more elastic and collaborative. The downsides are that organizational charts and division of labor may have to adapt to new collection processes, and that stewardship agreements are less clear.

                This article very succinctly demonstrates the complimentary concepts we refer to in this class as “collection and connection.” It takes a balanced and critical approach to the shift from owned materials to more and more licensed or linked content.