Enhancing Collection Development with Big Data Analytics

Peterson, Joy

Citation:

Crawford, S., & Syme, F. (2018). Enhancing collection development with big data analytics. Public Library Quarterly,37(4), 387-393. doi:10.1080/01616846.2018.1514922

Descriptive Summary:

Many professional organizations now use Big Data to analyze their operations and make evidence-based decisions. This article discusses the ways that libraries can use Big Data software to analyze collections and make decisions to purchase materials based on that supporting data. 

Evaluation: 

I think the use of analytics for collection development and management is an area that needs strong consideration.  While this article needs to be taken with a grain of salt, primarily because its authors are employees of the company that makes the analytical software highlighted in this study, collectionHQ, their claims are indeed valid.  

By actually tracking what is being circulated in a library system, collection managers can better anticipate the needs and interests of their patrons.  This will help increase future circulation and help eliminate what the authors call Dead on Arrival (DOA) publications, which are items that are never circulated once purchased.  The real issue here, however, is getting libraries to see the benefit of using analytics. 

Furthermore, libraries will then need to train their staff to develop analytical metrics that can be interpreted and incorporated into the collection development process.  My fear is that this kind of analytical rigor is not something that can be self-taught.  Ideally, a class in circulation analytics could be introduced into the current MS-level curriculum.  Regardless, this was a very interesting approach that I think will continue to gain traction among collection developers.

Transforming as a School Librarian and the Power of Weeding

Morgester, A.  (2018). Transforming my perspective. Knowledge Quest, 47, 2, 22-27.

Summary

Anne Morgester, a highly experienced, involved, and reflective school library leader,

shares the most simple message for those of us new to the school library:  we must

continually transform. Five pivotal career milestones allowed her to clarify her
purpose and vision. She insists that school librarians must always examine
perspectives and, if necessary, rethink practices with the guidance of one’s purpose
and vision.

Evaluation

From the start, I could relate to Morgester and felt encouraged.  She began as a

secondary English Language Arts classroom teacher and, like me, decided to
pursue a school library endorsement.  I could not, however, imagine myself being
able to gather five such impactful experiences with a young family, fettered by
familial responsibilities prioritized over a new career.  Though feeling slightly less
inspired as I read on, I realized that I could make an effort to experience any one of
the transformative opportunities detailed. Morgester explicates each of the following
experiences and argues its transformative impact:  

1.  Seek out professional leadership at the state level;

2.  Participate in rich, engaging professional development;

3.  Get involved and lead within the AASL professional organization;

4.  Invest in a collaborative district-wide effort to revise the school library job
description and train library staff to meet new expectations.

5.  Volunteer to weed a school library collection.

The last transformative experience on this list actually reignited some inspiration as
it seems to be the easiest endeavor. I could, realistically, invest a couple hours each
week weeding at a local school library.  I believe this experience will educate me in
ways that I can’t beginto understand. But, more importantly, I acknowledge a hint
of social justice in the activity of weeding. Morgester’s belief about weeding must be quoted in its entirety:

"I now believe that failure to effectively weed our collections is nothing less than a form 

of censorship.  If we don't weed effectively, either our students need a machete to bushwhack

their way to the engaging, relevant, and accurate materials we have or they simply don't

attempt to explore the shelves because what they want is buried in the mass of weeds" (27).

As a teacher of literacy, I recognize the wisdom in her stated belief.  My non-readers
do not make the first effort to experience a book because they admit being overwhelmed
with all the choices in the library.  By weeding the collection, a library can expose the
better holdings. I also suggest that the school librarian work closely with any teacher
who has a free-choice reading program.  Like several teachers at my site, we chose to
focus on a topic or genre (or combination of like-genres) each month. The librarian and
clerk then curate a couple of bookshelves for which students can more easily browse.  
In my mind, this practice is like plucking the flowers from the vast meadow so that
students may enjoy.

In the end, I appreciated Morgester’s editorial because the clear takeaway is that
school librarians must seek out opportunities to transform and we are never complete
static works.

Benchmarkinig--Collecting and Analyzing the Data

I found this chapter in a book because it talks about the use of quantitative data. I tend to think about the quality of a collection, but this chapter talks about reasons to use quantitative data to analyze collections

Kohn, K. (2015). Collection evaluation in academic libraries: a practical guide for librarians. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Benchmarking—Collecting and Analyzing the Data Chapter 4 (20 pages)

Focus on numbers of books or other materials rather than specific titles owned or used

Data can be used to compare to different collections in your library and also to look at libraries of similar size.

Ways to use Benchmarking:

1. To advertise

2. To plan collaborative collection development

3. To justify budget requests

4. To allocate existing budget

5. To know what to buy

6. To weed

"Teen Services Competencies for Library Staff" -- Keep this handy!

Snow, Elizabeth (Betsy)

"Teen Services Competencies for Library Staff", American Library Association, March 1, 2010.

http://www.ala.org/yalsa/guidelines/yacompetencies (Accessed November 27, 2018)

Document ID: 622a3066-43b3-d3e4-a9a8-fdd45987d59e

Summary:
The competencies for teen services are very helpful for librarians to understand what teens need in a public library setting, but are also a cogent justification for high school teacher librarians as they plan. From finding ways to engage youth and their families along with the community to reflecting teens and their interests, this article includes handy printouts to post in your space or to give to administrators.

Evaluation:
The standout competencies are "Equity of Acess" and "Continuous Learning" as our role in teen lives cannot be underestimated. Librarians are often the frontline to providing services and outreach, academic or otherwise. Teachers can get bogged down by classroom logistics and this serves as a holistic approach to teen education.

Downloads are here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/zo306yughdta5xr/Screenshot%202018-11-27%2011.31.32.png?dl=0

Collaborative Collection Development for Specialized Collections

Dailey, Kaitlin

Carr, M. (2013). Crowdsourcing content to promote community and collection development in public libraries. Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship 25(4), 313-316. 
DOI: 10.1080/1941126X.2013.847690 

Summary:
This article focuses on how important it is to reach out to community members in order to bring their own works into a collection. Specifically, this article focuses on chapbooks from poets which represent a difficult collection to work with for librarians because there is a constant tug between what is wanted and the quality. The idea is that by encouraging community members to voluntarily deposit their works into the library so patrons can get what they want and the collection can remain relevant to today's users.

Evaluation:
I rather enjoyed this article a lot because I think it is very important to include community members when selecting content for a collection. I noticed that with my library as well as other public libraries that there is a huge focus on the user initiating the process for collection development. Some libraries do have internal lists that they pull from, but they predominantly focus on the patrons for their development which does not always work. But, by utilizing a information community and creating a space for collaboration, Carr is demonstrating that development can occur at a local level for the collection that is still relevant and what is desired. I would have liked to have seen a broader study, but based on the scope it would have been problematic to focus on a larger collection.

Megan Pinheiro da Silva
Fall 2018

Collins, Karla B. and Carol A. Doll. 2012. " Resource Provisions of a High School Library Collection", American Association of School Librarians. http://www.ala.org/aasl/slr/volume15/collins-doll


Summary

This study explores teachers’ perceptions of the instructional role that the school library collection plays in one particular high school. Two different surveys were sent out to 80 teachers with 28 teachers responding. Four teachers agreed to participate in interviews. Teachers perceived students’ preference of library resources: first websites, next print, then videos, databases, other, eBooks in descending order. Students access information via computer first, then teacher provided materials, then textbook, then library, then print, and lastly video. More surprising than teacher perceptions of students preferences were teachers non-use of the library. Some teachers, even veterans, lack understanding of the school library's resources, including its most valuable resource--the librarian. Although teachers are often overwhelmed and lack the time to explore new resources, they spend a significant amount of time searching for quality resources on their own, without the help of the librarian or library collection.

Evaluation

Despite serious limitations acknowledged by the researchers, this study of one school's teacher perceptions reveals a significant barrier to effective use of library resources. If teachers are overwhelmed by the amount of new information, lack time, and don't know how the librarian can help them, they are not using the library, nor are they relying on the librarian for assistance. Collins and Doll acknowledge that trust is a key factor. An unexpected result of the study was the discovery that textbooks are being used less and that teachers are spending considerable amounts of time searching for their own materials. It is difficult for the librarian to support the curriculum if she does not know what is actually being taught in the classroom. It is also not easy for the librarian to gather this information, as it requires a working relationship of trust. The implications of Collins and Doll's research are sobering. School librarians will have to work much harder to make known what they offer and, more importantly, continue to build relationships with teachers over time.

E-Book Market Considerations for Public Libraries

El-Bathy, N Khalil

Sanchez, J. (2015). Forecasting public library e-content costs. Library Technology Reports, 51(8), 8-15.

Summary
Sanchez tracked the availability of content that was previously available in both print that is now only available online and discovered a 5% transition rate from print or print & digital availability to digital availability only.  Sanchez predicts that even this moderate transition rate will have devastating effects for library budgets because of the higher cost of e-books compared to print books.

Evaluation
This article is a good introduction for anyone new to the task of budgeting, collection development, and e-books.  Library Technology Reports, in general, is an invaluable tool for library professionals.  Being nearly three years old, this article, however, is rather dated given the fast pace at which technology and market dynamics develop.  I would be interested to read a more current article on the subject, especially one that discusses if and how the budget forecast presented here by Sanchez did or did not develop the way he envisioned.  This article should be read along with "What Cost and Usage Data Reveals about E-book Acquisitions" by Carrico, Cataldo, Botero, and Shelton (2015), and also Rossman and Arlitsch's (2015) "From Acquisitions to Access."

While Sanchez paints a very bleak picture of the rising cost of e-books, he has left out many important considerations.  For example, publishers don't want to price themselves out of business.  The low production cost of e-book compared to print editions means that e-books are not too expensive to produce and sell at a profit.  The rate of profit can afford to consider how much it's customers are willing and able to pay.  The question is whether e-book publishing companies are willing to give up their sales contracts with the library industry because the latter can no longer afford to pay.  Do these companies have other sustainable sources of revenue that make the library market for e-books obsolete?  Even if they did, why not lower the price and make profit on top of those other profit revenue sources.  Sanchez's explanation is worth considering but there are other variables and market practices he does not discuss.