Shaky StacksNew Modes of Collection Management for Uncertain Times

Doug BrighamShannon Simpson Danielle Westbrook

02 August 2012PNLA ConferenceAnchorage, Alaska

What factors have most impacted your collections in the past five years?

Issues UBC is facing

• Library-wide reviews

• Space

• Money

• Time

• Shifting priorities, formats, perceptions

What is Collections Management & Planning (CMP)?

• A unit in Technical Services that focuses on emerging collections issues

• Mostly analyzing physical collections thus far

• Provide services for other Library units such as data analysis, project support, recommendations and tools for collections work

1 Librarian & 2 SLAIS co-op Student Librarians

Unit is 1½ years old

Over 30 active projects

Collaborating with 70 colleagues in 20 UBC Library units

Working with 5 external partners

CMP by the numbers

How we came to exist

• CMP Librarian is a new position

• Doug had been the systems librarian; moved to

eResources

• The Library's desire to start new collections

discussions

• Shannon & Danielle hired as co-op students to

provide support for emerging projects

Tools & Techniques

Collections Discussions

UBC Library Collection Profiles: First Round Analysis Report

Created collection profiles for each branch

Suite of Collections Tools

• Circulation and Acquisitions Reports

• Duplicates Reports

• In House Use Tracker

• Item Flagging in the ILS

• WorldCat Analysis

Circulation & Acquisitions Reports

Determine collections growth & use

• Annual breakdown items acquired• Annual breakdown of circulation

statistics

Duplicates Reports

Identify and remove unnecessary duplicates to free up space and make our collections stronger

• Duplicates on the same bibliographic record• Can specify different duplicate thresholds

Partners• Serials• Cataloguing• Systems

In House Use

Components• In House Usage Tracker • In House User Interface

Our Partners• Systems• Borrower Services• Library branches

Information about collection use not captured inour ILS

Education Library

43% More Use!

In House Use

Benefits• More accurate depiction

of use

• In House use patterns can be analyzed

• Layout of collections and user space

Item Flagging in the ILS

Allows us to identify & mark items for later action – streamlines future collection management decisions

Flags for later action

• To ASRS

• From ASRS

• To IRL immediately

• To IRL if possible

• Do not remove to IRL

• Review for IRL in 3 years

• Please withdraw

WorldCat Collection AnalysisTM

Identify gaps in the collection, overlap with other libraries and items unique to UBC

• Module of WorldCat

• Compares UBC Library collections to other institutions’ collections

• Great for gap analysis

• Potential for regional collection management and storage facilities

Technical Services Workflows

Analysis done in Summer 2011 to support the Technical Services (TS) Review

• Over 160 workflows on TS processes

• Gave CMP an overarching view of material flow

• Learned how to extract and analyze workflows

Benefits of the CMP unit

• A dedicated unit provides support for colleagues

that other units cannot

• Library-wide focus means we can connect the

dots

• We can assist with horizontal and vertical

integration for collections management

• We bring a unique blend of skills and perspectives

Collections Projects

Collections Pilots

Response to collections discussions and last copy guidelines in Art, Architecture & Planning (AArP), and Music

AArP

• Examine how the last copy guidelines would shape a weeding project.

Music

• Determine how to define and identify core items in a subject.

Why Renew?

Summer 2012 special project with eResources colleagues

• Laying the groundwork for renewal decisions

• Greater scrutiny in the process

• Organizing usage stats & cost data

• What to put in the renewal calendar

• Initial phases of ERMS implementation

Collections Moves

Branch closures and reclaiming of space trigger huge collections shifts

• Closing the Music Library to create a new Arts Library

• President taking the remaining half of a floor in Koerner library

• Need to shift collections in four branches plus ASRS ~ 930,000+ items in play

• Integrated Research Library slated to open January 2015

The Big Picture

Is there a big picture?

• Our work has been project-based

• No broader initiatives

• We have not secured ongoing buy-in from

colleagues

• There is a huge amount of potential in the unit

• We're surviving – but we're not yet thriving

How to survive

• React to the current situation

• Develop solid solutions

• Build relationships across the organization

• Deliver successful projects

• Use data to support your actions

• Utilize the skills you have

• Work with the resources available

Surviving

Some rights reserved by xlibber

How to thrive

• Be prepared and forward-looking

• Get buy-in and sustain continuous dialogue

• Incorporate new skill sets - create ones that don't

yet exist

• Integrate your project experiences

• Use data to inform your decision making

• Devote time to research & development

• Support the unit with adequate resources

Thriving!

Some rights reserved by W J (Bill) Harrison

What do you think?

Thank you!

Doug Brighamdoug.brigham@ubc.ca

Shannon Simpsonshannon.delay@gmail.com

Danielle Westbrookdanielle.westbrook@gmail.com

CMP 2012.005/1