Geography Collection Assessment

Geography Collection Assessment Houston Cole Library Submitted by Linda Louise Cain August 2, 2013

Introduction Based on guidelines provided by the OCLC/WLN Collection Assessment Service, which provides a framework within which to evaluate a library’s current holdings and the level of activity at which the collection is being developed, the Geography collection is rated an overall 3bP, Intermediate or Instructional Support Level. to support the Master of Public Administration concentrations in Spatial Analysis The collection supports undergraduate programs and Environmental Science Management, and Emergency Management graduate level programs. A more narrowly defined assessment of the collection in these areas indicates a rating of 3cP, which is required to support graduate level programs. Refer to the Business and Economics Assessment , Emergency Management Assessment and the Geography conspectus sheets and checklist analyses for a more detailed examination of the Library’s collection.

Holdings The Geography collection contains 6274 and 116 e-book titles classified in G-GF. Patrons have unmediated access to over nine million volumes through universal borrowing agreements with other libraries. The number of titles for each subclass is listed below:

LC Class Category Totals G Geography, General 3,689 GA Cartography 283

GB Physical Geography 861 GC Oceanography 421 GE Environmental Science 446 GF Human Ecology 575 Total

Number of e-book titles.

1 Expenditures Combined serial and monograph expenditures for the Geography/Anthropology collection (statistics are not collected for the two subjects separately) for the 2007/08-2011/12 academic years was $##### (see table below). Note, the expenditures for the general databases are not included in this figure.

Fiscal Year Amount Expended for Amount Expended for Books Serials 2007-2008 $11,639.00 $3,297.00 2008-2009 $13,747.00 $5,467.00 2009-2010 $10,551.00 $3,813.00 2010-2011 $7,100.00 $3,289.00 2011-2012 $6,948.00 $3,062.00 2012-2013* *$5,595.00 *NA Total $49,985.00 $18,928.00 Combined Expenditures for Book and Serials $68,913.00

Books The library’s collecting level was measured against the Yankee Book Peddler %#@&**. The average percentage added from 2007 to 2012 was ##%. This rate indicates an acquisitions activity level required to maintain a 3cP collection????.

Fiscal Year Added to YBP Subclass Percent Held Collection G** G-GF 2007-2008 100 609 16% 2008-2009 158 652 24% 2009-2010 119 638 18% 2010-2011 91 661 13% 2011-2012 101 643 15% 2012-2013* *89 *na * Total 569 3203 Average***17%

* Compiled from Yankee Book Peddler??????????????????. **Title count includes Anthropology.

Bibliographies including Resources for College Libraries, and American Reference Books Annual were used to measure the quality of the Library’s collection. In checking the bibliographies against the Library’s catalog, the

2 following percentages were revealed in the subject area of Geography:

Title Collected Listed Percent Held RESOURCES FOR COLLEGE LIBRARIES 393 868 45% AMERICAN REFERENCE BOOK ANNUAL 2009-2013 27 104 25%

Periodicals and Serials The Library currently subscribes to or provides access to 463 periodical titles classified in the Library of Congress classifications Geography (G-GF), 98 periodical titles classified in the Meteorology/Climateology (QC851-QC999), and 53 titles classified as Geology (QE). Access to the number of electronic journals is facilitated by Wiley InterScience Earth Science Journals database and??????????????????????????????????????????????????????.

To determine the quality of the Library’s periodical collection in Geography, titles listed in Magazines for Libraries were checked against the Library catalog. Of the 34 titles listed, the Library subscribes to or has access to 25 titles or 73%.

Audio-Visual Materials

The Geography collection contains 20 audiovisual (AV) titles. ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????? +??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????

Access to Electronic Resources (Defined Access) The Library’s defined access is rated 3c, Advanced Study or Instructional Support Level. Access is provided to an extensive collection of remotely accessible electronic resources, including bibliographic tools, texts, indexes, journals, etc. In addition to subject specific databases, the Library has access to the general databases Academic Search Premier and Expanded Academic ASAP which include journal articles related to Geography. Most of the electronic journals are accessible through the on-line catalog which provides full bibliographic information for each title. Titles available through the aggregator databases, e-book collections, appropriate websites, documents, and e-journals are also integrated into the on-line catalog. In addition, a list of full-text journals accessible to the JSU community is available through the Library’s e-resource management tool, Serials Solution (an e-journal index) found on the Library Homepage.

The Library currently provides access to two geography related electronic databases, Wiley InterScience Earth Science Journals and World Data Analyst.

3 Wiley InterScience Earth Science Journals currently includes full text access to 70 journals, 51 ebooks, and 4 reference books. The World Data Analyst is published by Encyclopedia Britannica and combines detailed statistics with powerful tools for analysis and display. This resource features a unique collection of in-depth information about the countries of the world and allows researchers to create comparative charts and tables.

?????????????????????????? Bibliographical references to books, periodical articles, government documents, maps, and atlases in the American Geographical Society Collection if the University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee are listed in the Current Geographical Publications. These are arranged in accordance with the classification scheme utilized in the AGS Collection Research Catalogue. This publication has been static since 2005 but access remains electronically through the Online Geographical Bibliography (GEOBIB) which is linked from the Library’s catalog and webpage.

????????????????Subject specialist librarians also review and recommend World Wide Web sites for inclusion in the catalog.

Preservation The Preservation Commitment indicator is 2, Physical Preservation Level. Damaged items are routinely sent for repair. Missing items are replaced when possible by the original titles. If the original title is no longer available a new title in the same subject area is purchased. In the years 2001-2006 14 titles were discarded.

Supplemental Support The Geography collection is supported by related subject collections: Geology; Commerce and Business Administration; History; Religion; Sociology and Social Work; General Works; and the Alabama Collection. An additional resource for support is the Library’s selected government depository map collection on the third floor of the Library. .

Summary Total holdings, conspectus evaluations, and quantitative and qualitative comparisons indicate that the Geography collection is adequate to support courses for the Bachelor of Science in Geography, majors in secondary education with a teaching field in social science or general science, Master of Science in Education, Master of Public Administration concentrations in Spatial Analysis Management, the Master of Public Administration concentration in Environmental Sciences Management, and the Master of Public Administration concentration in Emergency Management.

Strengths:

4 ????????????The Geography collection has developed significantly since the last assessment in 2001. Expenditures for books and serials from fiscal year 2001-02 through 2005-06 totaled $94,540.29. The subclass Geographic Information Systems has shown the largest increase. A subject search of the catalog returns 194 titles within this subject. Of these, 129 titles are classified in the Geography classification of G70.2. However, the following subclasses have also had strong increases: General Geography, Hydrology, Oceanography, Environmental Sciences, and Cartography.

$$$$$$$$$$$The checklist comparisons of bibliographies and Library holdings show that the collection is of good quality. 48% of the citations in the checked four American Reference Books Annuals were for elementary schools, high schools and public libraries which are out of scope for the purposes of this collection. The Library has access to 375 Geography-related periodical titles. The 80% holdings rate derived from a check of the citations in Magazines for Libraries substantiates the quality of these holdings.

?????????????Internet sites for Geography are easily accessible from the Library’s catalog. Web sites for Geography are frequently added to the catalog and sites are reevaluated often.

Weaknesses:

?????????????An analysis of the Blackwell’s All Approval Plan Reports and the library’s acquisitions rates shows the average added to be 24%. This is at a level just below the suggested 25% suggested by the WLN to maintain a graduate level collection. If the influx of e-book titles in 2003/2004 is removed from the acquisitions totals reported, lowering that year’s average to 36%, the overall average would drop to 22% which would be slightly less than a 3cP level. Acquisitions should be increased in the graduate concentration areas to maintain the 3cP level. As indicated by the conspectus counts and the bibliographies checked, the Geography collection has some weak areas, such as Regional Geomorphology; Landforms; and Philosophy, and Methodology. These areas are not high demand areas for the curriculum. However, titles related to the Environmental Sciences Management concentration should be enhanced.

A review of the bibliographic records for the AV collection, indicates that the collection is small and dated.

Recommendations: The growth rate of the Geography collection should be enhanced to maintain a 3cP level for the graduate concentrations in this area. Further, titles should be selected in the areas of Regional Geomorphology; Landforms; Philosophy, Methodology, and Environmental Ethics.

5 AV holdings should be evaluated for possible weeding and input sought from the faculty for possible new AV acquisitions.

Efforts should be made to encourage more participation by the Earth Sciences Department faculty in the ordering process. Their input would be beneficial to the development collection.

6 APPENDIX

7 MAGAZINES FOR LIBRAIRES

JOURNAL TITLE PRINT ELECTRONIC ANTIPODE: A RADICAL JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY 1998-Present APPLIED GEOGRAPHY 1995-Present ARAB WORKED GEOGRAPHER No No ARTIC, ANTARCTIC AND ALPINE RESEARCH No No AREA 2001-Present* AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHER 1969-1970 1975-1979 1991-Present* BASE LINE No No CARTOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVES No No CARTOGRAPHY AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE 1999-Present CULTURAL GEOGRAPHIES: A JOURNAL OF CULTURAL GEOGRAPHIES 1998-Present CURRENT GEOGRAPHICAL PUBLICATIONS 1938-2002 1985-2005 EARTH OBSERVATION MAGAZINE THE MAGAZINE FOR GEOGRAPHIC MAPPING, EARTH INFORMATION No No ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY 1925-2006 1994-2003 ETHICS, PLACE AND ENVIRONMENT 1998-Present* EXPLORERS JOURNAL No No GENDER PLACE AND CULTURE: A JOURNAL OF FEMINIST GEOGRAPHY 1994-Present* GEO WORLD 2001-Present GEOFORUM 1995-Present GEOGRAPHICAL 1993-Present GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS 2001-Present GEOGRAPHICAL JOURNAL 1950-2006 1994-Present GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW 1916-2006 1990-Present GEOGRAPHY AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL 1963-2006 GEOJOURNAL A INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL ON HUMAN GEOGRAPHY… No No IMAGO MUNDI: THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR THE HISTORY OF CARTOGRAPHY 2003-Present* INSTITUTE OF BRITISH GEOGRAPHERS. TRANSACTIONS 1971-1976 2001-Present* INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SCIENCE 1998-Present* JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY 1902-2006 1992-Present JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY IN HIGHER 1990-Present*

8 EDUCATION JOURNAL OF HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY 1995-Present PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY 1989-2006 2002-Present POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY 1995-Present POPULATION SPACE AND PLACE 2004-Present

PROFESSIONAL GEOGRAPHER 1968-2006 1984-Present PROGRESS IN HUMAN GEOGRAPHY: AN INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF… 1981-1982 1997-Present SINGAPORE JOURNAL OF TROPICAL GEOGRAPHY 1999-Present* SOCIAL AND CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY 2000-Present* SPACE AND POLITY 1999-Present* SURVEYING AND LAND INFORMATION SCIENCE “TERRAE INCOGNITAE: THE JOURNAL FOR THE 1989-2001 1998-2001 HISTORY OF DISCOVERIES” 2002-2005 TIJDSCHRIFT BVOOR ECONOMISCHE EN SOCIALE GEOGRAFIE No No CYBERGEO (FREE ELECTRONIC JOURNAL) www.cybergeo.press.fr/ Yes TOTALS

9 The Best Books for Academic Libraries 2002

Classification Number Listed Held Percentage G Geography General G1 Serials 1 1 100 G3 Societies- 1 1 100 United States G63 Dictionaries. 5 3 60 Encyclopedias G65-G69 2 1 50 Geographers— Geography as a profession G70-G70.6 25 16 64 Philosophy Relation to other topics (GIS) G71.5 Geographical 2 1 50 perception G73-G74 Study and 2 2 100 teaching research G80-G99 History of 16 11 68.75 Geography G100-G108 5 4 80 Toponymy G113-140 General 8 7 87.5 works G141 Historical 2 1 50 Geography G149-520 Travel. 58 26 45 Voyages and Travel G521-570 17 7 41 Adventures. Shipwrecks. Buried Treasures. G580-999 Arctic 35 12 34 and Antarctic Regions G1000-G3122 116 71 61 Atlases G3701-9250 Maps 4 1 25 GA Mathematical 44 26 59 Geography

10 Physical Geography GB3 Congresses 1 1 100 GB10 Dictionaries. 3 2 66 Encyclopedias GB11 History 2 0 0 GB21.5 Philosophy. 1 1 100 Relation to other topics. Methodology- Special methods, A-Z GB23 Study and 1 0 0 Teaching. Research General works GB54.5 General 2 2 100 works, treatises, and advanced textbooks – 1975- GB55 Elementary 1 1 100 textbooks GB59 Popular 1 1 100 works GB70 General 1 0 0 Special (special aspects of subject as a whole) GB111- 178 Region 3 3 100 or country GB400.2- 641 51 23 45 Geomorphology. Landforms. Terrain GB650-GB3000 57 22 38.5 Hydrology GB5010-GB5014 9 5 55.5 Natural Disasters GC Oceanography 48 22 46 GE Environmental Sciences GE1 Societies, 2 0 0 Serials GE10 Dictionaries. 14 7 50 Encyclopedias

11 GE30- GE35 2 0 0 Communication in Environmental Sciences GE40- 45 12 7 58 Philosophy. GE 50- 59 History. 4 2 50 Biography. GE60 Vocational 4 2 50 guidance GE70- 80 3 2 66 Environmental education. Study and teaching GE105 General 2 1 50 Works GE123 Handbooks, 2 0 0 manuals, etc. GE140- 169 20 11 55 Environmental Conditions GE170- 190 29 13 45 Environmental Policy GE195- 199 23 8 35 Environmentalism GE300- GE320 4 2 50 Environmental Management GF Human Ecology 94 48 51 Total 739 377 51%

The Best Books for Academic Libraries 2004 Supplement

Classification Number Listed Held Percentage G Geography General G63 Dictionaries. 3 0 0 Encyclopedias G65-G69 3 2 66 Geographers— Geography as a profession

12 G70 Philosophy 2 2 100 Relation to other topics (GIS) G80-G99 History of 5 3 60 Geography G100-G108 1 0 0 Toponymy G113-140 General 2 0 0 works G149-520 Travel. 15 6 40 Voyages and Travel G521-570 2 1 50 Adventures. Shipwrecks. Buried Treasures. G570-999 Arctic 9 4 44 and Antarctic Regions G1000-G3122 22 11 50 Atlases G3201-5681 Maps 2 0 0 GA Mathematical 4 2 50 Geography

GB Physical Geography GB111-460 Region 3 0 0 or country GB650-GB3000 8 3 37.5 Hydrology GB5000 Natural 3 3 100 Disasters GC Oceanography 17 5 29 GE Environmental Sciences GE 10 Dictionaries. 2 1 50 Encyclopedias GE40-45 7 5 71 Philosophy. GE 50-59 History. 2 1 50 Biography. GE105 General 1 0 0 Works GE140- 169 10 5 50 Environmental Conditions

13 GE170-G190 16 10 62.5 Environmental Policy GE195- 199 8 8 100 Environmentalism GE220-240 11 6 54.5 Environmental Justice GE300 3 2 66 Environmental Management GF Human Ecology 23 14 60 Total 184 94 51%