Behind Closed Doors: An Exploratory Study of the Perceptions of Librarians and the Hidden Intellectual Work of Collection Development in Canadian Public Libraries

2002 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 294-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsti Nilsen
Keyword(s):  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Collection Development ◽  
Intellectual Work

Behind Closed Doors: The Hidden Intellectual Work and Images of Librarianship

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lynne McKechnie ◽  
Kirsti Nilsen
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Community Leaders ◽  
Service Research ◽  
Collection Development ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Intellectual Work ◽  
User Perceptions ◽  
The Public ◽  
Intellectual Responsibility

Unlike many professionals, much of the intellectual work of librarians takes place behind closed doors, hidden from those who actually use the resulting service. Research on user perceptions of collection development work in public libraries, (the Who Decides? study), revealed that collection development is a hidden intellectual responsibility. Brief interviews were conducted with 106 adults in twoCanadian public libraries. Only 40% identified library staff as being responsible for collection development. Others suggested a variety of decision makers, including users and “ the public” , committees of community leaders, government officials, publishers, and pre-existing lists. Most respondents indicated that they were guessing. They frequently used mental models to generate answers. The authors contend that at least part of the misunderstanding of librarians and their work may be attributed to its hidden nature. Why the public does not know that librarians select materials is considered along with the implications of these findings with respect to the image of librarians, and the staffing and funding of libraries.

Considerations for collecting Japanese anime for academic libraries

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 53-56
Author(s):  
Glenn Masuchika
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Intrinsic Value ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Collection Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Areas Of Concern ◽  
Japanese Animation

Purpose Too often, academic library selectors of DVDs purchase Japanese animation (anime) for their popularity without any further concern of their important contributions to the combined wealth of researches of an academic library. The purpose of this paper is to offer considerations for an academic selector to ponder before adding this particular type of animation. These considerations do not necessary pertain to the collection development considerations for selectors at public libraries. Design/methodology/approach This paper will discuss the major problems of actively adding anime to an academic library, the present areas of concern, and will offer warnings and suggestions based on a conceptual framework of anime having true academic value. Findings Anime cannot be chosen independently as if it has any apparently intrinsic value sui generis. Anime must be added concomitantly according to the collection development policies with other resources, especially DVDs, to create a full, rich and useful collection to scholars. Originality/value Academic studies concerning anime and collection development for academic libraries are usually comprised of only long lists of suggested anime, with no further discussions about its implications to the general worth of an academic library. This paper offers no such lists. Instead, it offers considerations selectors must take into account before investing time and money adding anime to an academic library collection.

scholarly journals Romance novels in american public libraries: A study of collection development practices

2008 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denice Adkins ◽  
Linda Esser ◽  
Diane Velasquez ◽  
Heather L. Hill
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Collection Development ◽  
Romance Novels

scholarly journals Improving Collection Development and Reference Services for Interdisciplinary Fields through Analysis of Citation Patterns: An Example Using Tourism Studies

2004 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 216-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juris Dilevko ◽  
Keren Dali
Keyword(s):  
Research Methodology ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Research Output ◽  
Collection Development ◽  
Intellectual Work ◽  
Reference Services ◽  
Interdisciplinary Field ◽  
Tourism Studies ◽  
Scholarly Production ◽  
Future Information

Analyzing the citation characteristics of the scholarly production of an interdisciplinary field according to the kind of research methodology employed can provide much valuable information that can be used to improve both collection development decisions and reference services. Focusing on tourism studies, this article shows how a detailed breakdown of citations by Library of Congress (LC) classification can help librarians manage the information scatter that is typically associated with interdisciplinary fields. Data about the percentage of cited material from particular LC classes and subclasses that are used in the collective research output of an interdisciplinary field can be helpful in identifying types of material for purchase that otherwise may be overlooked. In addition, by identifying LC classes and subclasses that generate many citations, librarians can closely examine individual citations from these classes to get a detailed sense of how interdisciplinary scholars do their intellectual work, thus allowing them to better understand and anticipate the future information needs of these scholars.

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