scholarly journals Separating the wheat from the chaff: Intensive deselection to enable preservation and access

2017 ◽  
pp. 63-70
Author(s):  
Coleen Hoelscher ◽  
Jillian Ewalt
Keyword(s):  
Development Policy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Limited Resources ◽  
Collection Development ◽  
First Case ◽  
Time Space ◽  
Local Practices ◽  
Intellectual Control ◽  
The University

In 2014, the Marian Library at the University of Dayton completed a long overdue revision of its collection development policy. The new document more clearly defined the scope of the library’s collections, and was intended to guide new acquisition decisions. However, this new document had the unexpected benefit of providing a framework for deselection projects that enabled preservation and improved access to the collections. This paper will discuss and analyze two of these projects, and demonstrate how the revised collection development policy laid the foundation for successful deselection outcomes. In the first case study, legacy collections of genre-based ephemera were heavily weeded to remove photocopies, internet printouts, duplicates, and other out-of-scope materials. Both the challenges and benefits of weeding legacy reference files will be discussed. The second case study will examine a comprehensive review of the library’s inactive periodical holdings, consisting of over five hundred titles that were largely uncatalogued. Removing titles outside of the library’s collection scope transformed the collection into a manageable project for the cataloging staff to tackle. This formerly hidden collection, including rare periodicals not found elsewhere in the United States, is now in the process of being cataloged. Both projects transformed local practices and improved utilization of the library’s limited resources in staffing, time, space, and funding. Faced with legacy practices that compromised physical and intellectual control of materials, librarians leveraged a well-defined collection development policy to undertake two successful deselection projects. The policy was used to justify and guide deselection, ultimately improving both preservation and access.

‘A Routh O’ Auld Nick-Nackets’ – the antiquarian collection of John Rae

2015 ◽  
Vol 36-37 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-183
Author(s):  
Paul Taylor
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Social Context ◽  
Moral Education ◽  
The United States ◽  
Representative Case ◽  
National Museums ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The University

John Rae, a Scottish antiquarian collector and spirit merchant, played a highly prominent role in the local natural history societies and exhibitions of nineteenth-century Aberdeen. While he modestly described his collection of archaeological lithics and other artefacts, principally drawn from Aberdeenshire but including some items from as far afield as the United States, as a mere ‘routh o’ auld nick-nackets' (abundance of old knick-knacks), a contemporary singled it out as ‘the best known in private hands' (Daily Free Press 4/5/91). After Rae's death, Glasgow Museums, National Museums Scotland, the University of Aberdeen Museum and the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, as well as numerous individual private collectors, purchased items from the collection. Making use of historical and archive materials to explore the individual biography of Rae and his collection, this article examines how Rae's collecting and other antiquarian activities represent and mirror wider developments in both the ‘amateur’ antiquarianism carried out by Rae and his fellow collectors for reasons of self-improvement and moral education, and the ‘professional’ antiquarianism of the museums which purchased his artefacts. Considered in its wider nineteenth-century context, this is a representative case study of the early development of archaeology in the wider intellectual, scientific and social context of the era.

Factors influencing collection development process at the University of Nairobi Library

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Wambui Kamau ◽  
Aggrey Luyiya Elegwa
Keyword(s):  
Development Policy ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Research Output ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Collection Development ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
University Library ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
The University

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate the factors influencing the collection development process at the University of Nairobi library and suggest ways for improvement.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach was employed to collect, analyze and interpret data from collection development librarians at the University of Nairobi purposively selected. Data were collected through structured interviews and documentary review. Data were analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics.FindingsThe study established that the library has a written collection development policy which was revised in 2014 and is strictly adhered to. However, the policy has a gap on the role of faculty as stakeholders in the selection process. In addition, the criteria for selection are not explicitly stated. Findings also indicate that budget allocation, collection development policy, user demands, quality of staff, library consortium and the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act of 2015 influence the collection development process at the University of Nairobi Library.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was conducted in one public university library in Kenya. However, the findings may be applicable in similar university libraries in the country.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study may benefit students and faculty in the University of Nairobi from improved collection development process that would ensure that their information needs are met in a timely manner. This would lead to improved research output by students and faculty and ultimately improved research output by the university. University library management may also benefit in improving the collection development process, thereby making it more economical. The findings may also be useful in decision-making and policy development on matters pertaining to collection development at the University of Nairobi and other universities. Furthermore, the findings may be used by researchers to provide context and background information for future research on collection development in public universities locally and regionally.Originality/valueThis paper fulfills the need to make the collection development process in university libraries more efficient by proposing ways of addressing the challenges experienced.

Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage: A Case Study on US Latina/o Archives and Digital Humanities

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-27
Author(s):  
Gabriela Baeza Ventura ◽  
Lorena Gauthereau ◽  
Carolina Villarroel
Keyword(s):  
Digital Humanities ◽  
The United States ◽  
Digital Repository ◽  
Successful Work ◽  
The Us ◽  
Literary Heritage ◽  
History Of ◽  
Personal Archives ◽  
The University

AbstractThis article focuses on the work and efforts put forth by the University of Houston’s Recovering the US Hispanic Literary Heritage program (Recovery) to create the first digital humanities center for US Latina/o Research: #usLdh. Recovery is a program to locate, preserve, and make available the written legacy of Latinas/os in the United States since colonial times until 1960. Through 27 years of successful work Recovery has not only been able to inscribe the excluded history of Latinas/os, but also has created an inclusive and vast digital repository that facilitates scholarship in this area of studies. This article focuses on the importance of recovery work in the writing, teaching, and understanding of history and considers how local personal archives have helped to fill in the gaps of mainstream history. We will detail the goals and challenges of this mission, as well as the importance of educating the community in digital methods that preserve and disseminate minority voices.

Source Theatre Company and the Mandate of the NEA: a Case Study

1995 ◽  
Vol 11 (42) ◽  
pp. 128-134
Author(s):  
Mary C. Resing
Keyword(s):  
Public Funding ◽  
The United States ◽  
National Endowment ◽  
Washington Dc ◽  
The Public ◽  
Chapel Hill ◽  
The Arts ◽  
Theatre Company ◽  
The University

The controversy in the United States surrounding the funding of ‘offensive‐ and ‘pornographic‐ works by the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) has centered on whether or not the organization should espouse a morally conservative outlook in regard to the public funding of artistic works. However, the NEA arguably already pursues conservative policies rooted in its vision of the form, function, and outlook of the arts it exists to serve. The appointment of the actress Jane Alexander as chair of the NEA may have indicated that the organization would become more liberal in its moral stance, but the question remains: can government-supported art be anything but conservative? The following is a case study of one theatre's relationship to the NEA in the context of the Washington, DC, theatre community. The author, Mary C. Resing, is a former business manager of New Playwrights' Theatre in Washington, DC, and a former grant writer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is currently working on her dissertation on the actress-manager Vera Kommissarzhevskaia.

Campus Press, Inc.: A critical analysis of the corporatization of collegiate media

Journalism ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1018-1034
Author(s):  
Thomas F Corrigan ◽  
Jennifer M Proffitt
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Florida State University ◽  
State University ◽  
Corporate Ownership ◽  
University Of Central Florida ◽  
Central Florida ◽  
Corporate Ownership Structure ◽  
Student Newspapers ◽  
The University

This article examines the corporatization of collegiate media in the United States. Gannett Company, Inc.’s purchase of two university publications, the FSView & Florida Flambeau ( FSView) at Florida State University and the Central Florida Future at the University of Central Florida, have raised concerns regarding the autonomy of the campus press. This article first defines the functions and structures of the campus press and how each contribute to the normative goals and democratic potential of collegiate student newspapers. The article goes on to argue that a corporate ownership structure, despite the alluring rhetoric espoused by corporate media, meets the needs of advertisers and shareholders, not the communities the campus press should serve. Gannett’s purchase of the FSView is examined in depth because it provides a revealing case study of the underlying interests that corporations such as Gannett have in collegiate media.

To stream or not to stream?

2016 ◽  
Vol 117 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 485-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara E. Morris ◽  
Lea H. Currie
Keyword(s):  
Development Policy ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Collection Development ◽  
University Of Kansas ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Feature Films ◽  
Library Users ◽  
Streaming Services ◽  
The University

Purpose The University of Kansas (KU) libraries has faced increased requests for streaming video in the past five years. While we have provided access to many databases of films, feature films remained a problem. To write a collection development policy, the library undertook three investigations to ensure the outcome reflected the needs of the university. Design/methodology/approach Film titles included in Swank 300 and Criterion-on-Demand were checked against the CanIStream. it? website to check for availability through streaming, rental or purchase services. Student library users were surveyed to determine if they had streaming subscriptions and, if so, which ones. KU librarians also examined academic library collection development polices to understand how others have addressed this issue. Findings More than half of the feature films provided by the two vendors are available through subscriptions, renting or purchasing methods. A majority of students subscribe to one or more of these services. Many academic libraries are deciding not to provide streaming feature films. Originality/value There are no previous studies on students’ subscriptions to streaming services linked to availability of feature films offered from commercial vendors to libraries.

scholarly journals The Geopolitical Context of Chamorro Cultural Preservation in Guam, U.S.A.

2012 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria-Elena D. Diaz
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Free Association ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cultural Preservation ◽  
Limited Resources ◽  
Social Forces ◽  
Multicultural Society ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Island Territory

An unincorporated Pacific Island territory of the United States, Guam has been under American rule since 1 898. While proudly “Chamorro,” the descendants of indigenous islanders have been American citizens since 1 950. U.S. foreign policy, Americanization of island institutions, immigration flows from Asia and Micronesia, and economic uncertainty present challenges to the perpetuation of Chamorro culture-a syncretic blend of indigenous, Spanish, and American influences that has endured through centuries of foreign domination. As a gateway from the East to the United States and a frequent destination for Micronesian immigrants from the Compacts of Free Association, Guam regularly receives immigrants from Asia and other Micronesian islands. Many immigrants arrive on Guam to fill labor shortages as professionals or construction workers, while others arrive with limited resources and skills that don't easily transfer across cultures. Adding to this mix, a major U.S. military build-up is underway to transform Guam into a forward base in the Pacific. This article provides a case study of Guam through an overview of historical influences on Chamorro culture, a description of the island's contemporary multicultural society, and a discussion of current geopolitical and social forces impacting Chamorro culture in the land “where America's day begins.”

scholarly journals Kebijakan Pengembangan Koleksi dan Pemanfaatannya di Perpustakaan Perguruan Tinggi (Analisis Penerapan Kebijakan Pengembangan Koleksi Perpustakaan Utama Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta)

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Rahmat Iswanto
Keyword(s):  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Development Policy ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Document Analysis ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Collection Management ◽  
Collection Development ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
The University ◽  
Descriptive Qualitative

The assumption is there are many academic libraries of Indonesia especially under Minister of Religion Affairs (MORA) which hardly meet a demand of their users’ needs because their collection management or collection development policies do not prepare well. Actually to create a better collection, an academic library has to plan its collection well. This research has done with a purpose of inspecting a collection development policy of an academic library in Indonesia and its implementation. The collection development policy of main library of State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah at Jakarta in 2008 is the object of this research. This research has done by a descriptive qualitative approach that inspects deeply by means of any deep interview, observation, and document analysis. Having examined the formulation of its collection development policy we know the context of policy’s formulation, some actors who formulate, the roles of the head of the library, the attitude of the university and some values that influence. Having examined its implementation we know that the aims of the policy have achieved or not.

scholarly journals Exploring Publishing Patterns at a Large Research University: Implications for Library Practice

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Amos ◽  
Allyson Mower ◽  
Mary Ann James ◽  
Alice Weber ◽  
Joanne Yaffe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
The United States ◽  
Journal Title ◽  
Collection Development ◽  
Interlibrary Loan ◽  
University Of Utah ◽  
Publication Patterns ◽  
Scholarly Communications ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship

Objective – The research project sought to explore the value of data on publication patterns for decision-making regarding scholarly communications and collection development programs at a research-intensive post-secondary institution, the University of Utah in the United States. Methods – Publication data for prolific University of Utah authors were gathered from Scopus for the year 2009. The availability to University of Utah faculty, staff, and students of the journals in which University of Utah authors published was determined using the University of Utah Libraries’ catalogue; usage was estimated based on publisher-provided download statistics and requests through interlibrary loan; and costs were calculated from invoices, a periodicals directory, and publisher websites and communications. Indicators of value included the cost-per-use of journals to which the University of Utah Libraries subscribed, a comparison of interlibrary loan costs to subscription costs for journals to which the University of Utah Libraries did not subscribe, the relationship between publishing venue and usage, and the relationship between publishing venue and cost-per-use. Results – There were 22 University of Utah authors who published 10 or more articles in 2009. Collectively, these authors produced 275 articles in 162 journals. The University of Utah provided access through library subscriptions to 83% of the journals for which access, usage, and cost data were available, with widely varying usage and at widely varying costs. Cost-per-use and a comparison of interlibrary loan to subscription costs provided evidence of the effectiveness of collection development practices. However, at the individual journal title level, there was little overlap between the various indicators of journal value, with the highest ranked, or most valuable, journals differing depending on the indicator considered. Few of the articles studied appeared in open access journals, suggesting a possible focus area for the scholarly communications program. Conclusions – Knowledge of publication patterns provides an additional source of data to support collection development decisions and scholarly communications programming. As the estimated value of a journal is dependent on the factor being studied, gathering knowledge on a number of factors and from a variety of sources can lead to more informed decision-making. Efforts should be made to expand data considered in areas of scholarly communications and collection development beyond usage to incorporate publishing activities of institutionally affiliated authors.

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