Library Collection Development for Professional Programs: Trends and Best Practices

Sara Holder McGill University, Canada

A volume in the Advances in Library and Information Science (ALIS) Book Series Managing Director: Lindsay Johnston Senior Editorial Director: Heather A. Probst Book Production Manager: Sean Woznicki Development Manager: Joel Gamon Assistant Acquisitions Editor: Kayla Wolfe Typesetter: Jennifer Romanchak Cover Design: Nick Newcomer

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Library collection development for professional programs: trends and best practices / Sara Holder, editor. pages cm Summary: “This book addresses the challenging task of collection development in modern academic libraries and contains practical advice and innovative strategies for current collection development librarians and future librarians seeking guidance in this complex position”--Provided by publisher. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4666-1897-8 (hardcover) -- ISBN 978-1-4666-1898-5 (ebook) (print) -- ISBN 978-1-4666-1899-2 (print & perpetual access) (print) 1. Academic libraries--Collection development--United States--Case studies. 2. Academic libraries--Collection development--Canada--Case studies. 3. Collection development (Libraries) I. Holder, Sara, 1967- Z675.U5L5185 2013 025.2’1877--dc23 2012009488

This book is published in the IGI Global book series Advances in Library and Information Science (ALIS) Book Series (ISSN: 2326-4136; eISSN: 2326-4144)

British Cataloguing in Publication Data A Cataloguing in Publication record for this book is available from the British Library.

All work contributed to this book is new, previously-unpublished material. The views expressed in this book are those of the authors, but not necessarily of the publisher. 128

Chapter 8 Information Sources and Collection Planning for Engineering

William Baer Georgia Institute of Technology, USA

Crystal Renfro Georgia Institute of Technology, USA

ABSTRACT This chapter will provide background for practicing librarians who have collection development responsibilities for engineering programs at academic institutions. Although it is intended as a resource for all engineering bibliographers, new librarians or those new to the technical fields may find it especially useful. Engineers (and engineering students) use information quite differently than other disciplines, and this can make collection development a daunting task. Furthermore, it is common for librarians with no background in engineering or technology to be assigned to manage the engineering collection. The information and tips contained in this chapter are meant to make this job easier.

INTRODUCTION Librarians in this situation face two major obstacles to success: learning how engineers use different A few years ago at a conference session for en- types of information and becoming familiar with gineering subject selectors, the members of the the language of engineering. audience were asked how many of them had a The purpose of this chapter is to help both new background in engineering. Fewer than half raised and seasoned engineering librarians improve their their hands. Although far from a scholarly study, collection management skills; however, it will be this illustrates a situation common in academic of most use to those new engineering librarians libraries. Many librarians are asked to manage col- who do not have a strong engineering background. lections in engineering and technology although Various formats of engineering resources will be they have no academic background in the subject. discussed. Some formats such as monographs and

DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-1897-8.ch008

journals are common to all disciplines, but the buy-in for open access initiatives and dealing way engineers use each of these resources differs with the inevitable journal cancellation projects from other areas of research. Other resources like resulting from ever-increasing subscription prices. patents and grey literature may be less familiar. Throughout the chapter, collection development Both society and commercial publishers are major tips gleaned from the literature or from the authors’ providers of engineering information, so each type experience will be discussed. A special section of of publisher will be discussed. tips for new engineering librarians is also included. Next, the chapter covers how to determine information needs and the process of creating a collection development policy. No two engineer- BACKGROUND ing programs are the same, and as a result no two collections should be developed in the exact same In his monumental paper on the information-seek- way. Engineering has several sub-disciplines ing habits of engineers, Thomas Pinelli pointed (e.g., civil, mechanical, electrical, chemical, and out that in order to meet library patrons’ needs, aeronautics), each of which may have its own librarians must first “become familiar with the focus. Just as professors split their efforts between information-seeking habits and practices of the teaching and research, the library’s collections user” (Pinelli, 1991, p. 5). He goes on to explain must support student learning and the research that when engineers are using information they efforts of students and faculty, and collection are really seeking answers. The end is what is development policies should cover the needs of important to them, not the journey. If they do not both aspects. The teaching component is driven have ready access to the information they will first by the courses and degrees offered, while the go to colleagues (Lord, 2000), and then move on research component is driven by faculty research to searching the literature when other avenues interests, in conjunction with the focus of any are exhausted. In 2006, Williams and Fletcher research centers that are part of the institution. analyzed citations from engineering master’s Even if a formal collection development policy theses. Their study showed that while journals exists, periodically reviewing the institution’s are used most heavily, books, conference papers, teaching and research efforts facilitates efficient government documents, and other resources are collection management. This process usually also widely cited across several engineering disci- gives the librarian more detailed information than plines. Websites also received a significant number is included in the written policy and encourages of citations. This again shows that engineers are consistent updates to the policy. Libraries may more concerned with the answers than which have institution-wide policies, both formal and source they use to find them. Kirkwood (2009) informal, which should be incorporated into the found remarkably similar results in her study of engineering collection development policy. (Is civil engineering theses and dissertations. there a preference for electronic versions wherever Engineers were early adopters of electronic possible? What are the budgets for books and libraries. Holland explains that “the corporate serials?) Librarians should also keep in mind that engineering library is no longer a physical loca- engineering research is becoming increasingly tion. Instead, it is a desktop information system or interdisciplinary in nature. It is not uncommon set of systems bundled together” (Holland, 1998, for a research topic to be shared with another p. 40). A later study of engineering students and discipline in science or even a social science area. faculty shows that while the physical library is Near the end of the chapter, the authors will still valued in academia, electronic resources are discuss issues and challenges such as creating becoming heavily consulted (Li & Baer, 2009). A

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potential stimulus for this shift was borne out by peer-review process and then published in a timely a survey of engineering faculty at the College of manner. The very nature of the process in which New Jersey in which respondents indicated that incremental advances in scholarship can be pre- “coverage and relevance were not as important sented relatively quickly is ideal for the Science, as immediate accessibility” (Tucci, 2011, Results Technology, and Medical (STM) fields that are so section, para. 6). Engineers want answers, and time sensitive. In addition to scholarly journals, they want them now. engineers use trade journals to keep abreast of general advances in their fields. Journals present many challenges for collec- COMMON RESOURCE FORMATS tion development. The most obvious is simply selection. Which of the thousands of journals are Engineers use many different types of informa- most important for a particular collection? This tion formats. Although journal articles are cited question is not easily answered, but ultimately, most often, conference articles, books, standards, the best combination of journals to support an government documents, and grey literature are engineering program depends upon the specific also commonly used. Each of these formats fills needs of that program. The “Collection Develop- a niche in the engineering information world and ment Plans” section of this chapter will discuss is therefore important to understand for those methods to ascertain those needs. Journal Citation managing collections in this discipline. Reports (JCR) can be used to identify the signifi- Which of these formats is most important? cant journals in a particular sub-discipline, but To a student or faculty member it is probably the keep in mind that many journals are not indexed one that holds the information they need at the by JCR and the rankings in JCR may be skewed moment. That being said, at one time or another downward in subjects where publishing in confer- each format will be needed; and as a librarian ence reports is considered an acceptable scholarly managing a collection, though it is impossible alternative to journals. Valuable tools to identify to know all future needs, it is important to try journals include publisher catalogs, faculty rec- to anticipate them. Understanding the role each ommendations, and conducting reviews of the format plays will help to keep collection develop- collection choices of peer institutions. Likewise, ment efforts in proper balance. The major formats blogs, listservs, and wikis for engineering librar- of engineering information are listed below along ians can be useful sources of information. Notices with a brief discussion of why they are important from engineering publishers are helpful to keep to an academic engineering collection. An effort abreast of new publications, which arise to fill has been made to move from the more important gaps in publishing for emerging areas. formats to the less important ones, but that ranking Scholarly journals tend to be expensive and is somewhat arbitrary. In each of engineering’s can quickly eat up a collection development bud- many sub-disciplines, the order may be slightly get. To make matters worse, subscription prices different. tend to rise much faster than budgets. Since the mid-1990s most journals have offered electronic Journals versions, which are usually preferred by students and faculty alike. Access to electronic articles has Scholarly journals are the primary vehicle for been made even easier by software that facilitates disseminating research in the technical fields. It the linking of index and abstract records directly is a format that is familiar to all areas of study, to the full-text of articles. The combination of wherein articles are carefully vetted through a tightening budgets and electronic access has

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caused a number of publishers to bundle journals including unfamiliar materials when designing a together in subscription packages. Libraries can project. Trying to memorize all the data needed save a great deal by using these packages com- would be impossible let alone impractical. Hand- pared to the cost of subscribing to each journal at books and encyclopedias provide easy access to a normal rates. However, these bundles are costly variety of information, which gives the engineer when it comes to flexibility. Usually, librarians more time to concentrate on understanding how cannot negotiate which journals are included and things work. which are not. It is a take it or leave it proposition. Traditionally, print handbooks, encyclopedias, This can make it difficult to add a new journal. and directories would be purchased and kept in Typically, because the allocation of additional a reference collection that would not circulate ongoing funding for new journal subscriptions is because of heavy use. Over the past few years, difficult to secure, one or more journals need to most print reference collections have been all be identified for cancellation in order to pay for but replaced by electronic resources. Students any new journal subscriptions. Yet, bundles can- and faculty members enjoy the usability and not be broken by removing individual journals, convenience of online products such as Referex, thereby reducing the pool of journals eligible to Knovel, and CRCnetbase that provide large selec- cancel for the purpose of adding new ones. Some tions of engineering reference materials. Unlike libraries (especially those with large STM col- print collections, the books in these products are lections) are attempting to address this issue by subscribed to, not bought. Thus, if the library moving funds that had previously been allocated cancels the subscription all access to titles within to the purchase of individual book titles into their the collection is lost. budgets for journals and other subscription costs. There are also three less obvious issues with This can be helpful in alleviating the immediate “rented” reference collections. First, since the se- demand for adding new journals to the collection lections are bundled, librarians are more restricted but it requires a careful balancing act so as not to in tailoring a collection to meet the institution’s overlook important new books (which can also be particular needs. Librarians do have a choice in expensive). It is also only a temporary solution, which package to buy, and some plans may be as, unlike one-off book purchases, subscriptions broken up into basic building blocks. For example, require payment every year and (as mentioned Knovel has twenty-six different sub-packages previously) tend to increase rapidly. A more long- such as “Chemistry and Chemical Engineering,” term solution may come out of the growing strength “Earth Sciences,” and “Nanotechnology” that can of the open access movement (discussed further be selected. However, if a library does not sub- in the Challenges section), but for the moment, scribe to the “Optics and Photonics” sub-package, this issue looms large. it will not get access to Fiber Optic Measurement Techniques. Second, because the library does not Books own the individual titles it has no guarantee that any specific title will remain in the collection Engineers (and engineering students) tend to use from year to year. Some titles disappear from books in three different ways: as reference tools, packages either due to licensing issues with the as mechanisms to foster learning, and as vehicles individual publishers or because aggregators make to disseminate research. Reference works are es- active decisions to weed older editions as newer sential to engineers. By nature, an engineer’s work editions become available. Third, there is often a touches on many diverse disciplines of science delay from the time a handbook appears in print and technology. Often, the engineer must consider and when it is available through an aggregator’s

131 Information Sources and Collection Planning for Engineering

collection. This delay is designed to entice librar- publishers to bundle e-books together for purchase ies to continue purchasing items in print, which or lease similar to journals with many of the same effectively means buying the same title twice. advantages and challenges inherent to that model. Indeed, there are some print resources that may Although many users prefer an e-book to its print still merit purchase; however, that decision should counterpart, an electronic version is not always be up to the library and not the aggregator. available. E-books have come a long way since Engineers also use books for other purposes. the early days and must be seriously considered Many books do not convey current research and as a significant part of engineering libraries. are not reference sources; rather they give an It is difficult to predict what the future holds overview of a topic. This role is especially vital for e-books; however, it seems likely that e-books in a university setting. These books allow a reader will replace their print counterparts as the stan- to explore new areas and teach themselves basic dard in engineering. This has already happened concepts at their own pace. They are often used for reference books where the usage of print col- to supplement classroom learning. Textbooks are lections has largely been replaced by searching a prime example of books that foster learning. collections like Knovel or Referex, and a large Although some libraries have policies against portion of other engineering books are being col- purchasing textbooks so as not to compete with lected in electronic versions. An important factor the bookstore, others make a point of placing in this movement is the way engineers use books, popular texts on reserve. Engineering librarians which is different than other disciplines. For the may choose to select textbooks not offered by the most part, engineers do not read books cover to bookstore, either in addition or as an alternative cover. Instead, they tend use smaller sections, a to those selected by the teaching faculty as course chapter, or even a page at a time. E-book vendors texts as students may often benefit from the fresh like Ebrary allow readers to download small sec- perspective an alternative textbook can provide. tions of their books in electronic formats, which Even though scholarly journals and conference can be loaded into personal readers, like Kindles proceedings are the most common venues for dis- or tablets. As long as e-book providers keep up seminating research, some publishers like Springer with technology such that their products retain and Elsevier publish books that fill this role. These the convenience factor, their dominance in the books are usually collections of articles written engineering field should continue. specifically for that purpose. Many series such as Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence (Springer) Conference Reports actually consist largely of conference reports. When considering monographic purchases for Many professional organizations sponsor confer- a library’s engineering collection, the topic of e- ences where researchers in specific disciplines books will be central to the discussion. E-books can gather to present their findings. This is by are a relatively recent option in collection develop- no means unique to engineering. What is dif- ment arenas, slowly gaining momentum since the ferent about an engineering conference is the appearance of Net Library and Project Gutenberg academic rigor involved and subsequently the in academic libraries around the late 1990s. While importance placed on conference articles. Most the concept of accessing book content from the engineering conferences include a double blind, comfort of one’s own computer was appealing, peer-reviewing process that is every bit as arduous the early implementations were clunky, forcing as that associated with scholarly journals. It is the users to download reader platforms and navigate article itself that is reviewed, vetted, and accepted less than intuitive interfaces. It is common for not merely an abstract of what will be presented.

132 Information Sources and Collection Planning for Engineering

The conference presentation will be based on the identify new conferences arising in support article, but it is the article that is most valuable. of new areas of research. Even though conference reports are extremely • Delayed publications: Conference reports important to engineers, they can be quite difficult are frequently published a couple of years to collect. In order to understand the reasons for after the actual event. this, it is helpful to know a little bit about the • Unpublished reports: Several conferenc- structure of the conferences themselves. Most con- es never have published reports. ferences are sponsored by professional societies. • Non-obvious places of publication: Professional societies are led by elected officials Many conference reports will be published within the organization who often have little or no as special issues of a journal or as part knowledge of the publishing industry. Likewise, of a book series. Likewise, some confer- conferences are organized by the engineers who ence reports are given titles that seem to participate in these societies. The intricacies of be ordinary books and major book vendors publishing a conference report are often not a may not even identify them as conference major part of planning the conference. reports. Some of the larger professional societies like the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Government Documents Engineers (IEEE) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) self-publish Government documents can be of great use to their own journals and conference reports. In engineers. Reports from government labs or fact, IEEE may be the largest publisher of en- government-sponsored research provide a wealth gineering information. Academic libraries will of scholarly information. Some areas of research usually identify the professional societies that are more likely to have government documents are most important for the programs they serve relevant to their field. If a government agency and purchase all the conference reports published focuses on a specific area of science, there is a by them in a package deal. This prevents reports good chance that the reports it produces will be of from individual conferences from slipping by interest to disciplines that share the same focus. For unnoticed. For example, a library that supports a example, the Environmental Protection Agency civil engineering program might want to collect produces many items of interest to environmental everything from the American Society of Civil engineers. Federal depository libraries will usu- Engineers (ASCE). Even purchasing conference ally have a librarian designated to manage the packages from societies may occasionally leave government documents collection. In these cases, holes in a collection. For example, if a conference engineering subject specialists may not need is co-sponsored by more than one society, it may to be involved in the collection of government not be included in one or the other of the societ- documents. Access to government documents ies’ bundles. Some of the additional challenges has been transformed over the past several years, for collecting conference literature are: and many are now distributed freely on the Web. It is becoming more important to concentrate on • Identifying which conferences to col- collecting reference materials like directories and lect: There are so many conferences out indexes for government information rather than there, and some seem to fly under the ra- the documents themselves since a Google search dar. Many reports will not be advertised to can often easily find the full-text. libraries and it can be especially difficult to

133 Information Sources and Collection Planning for Engineering

Patents Standards

Although patents could be grouped with govern- The world of engineering revolves around stan- ment documents, they merit their own category. dards. Webster’s Dictionary defines a standard Engineers concentrate on transferring scientific as “something that is established by authority, knowledge into usable technology, including custom, or general consent as a model or example marketable products. Patents are of interest both to be followed’ (Gove, 1993, p. 2223). Basically, as a medium to see the results of cutting edge standards are accepted ways of doing things that research and as a protection for the engineers’ have been established by professional societies or own inventions. United States patents can be other recognized organizations. Because standards freely searched and obtained from either the U.S. are used, when a blender is plugged in, it works. Patent and Trademark Office website (http://www. Likewise, a file can be saved on a flash drive and uspto.gov/) or Google Patents (http://www.google. opened on a different computer. All thanks to com/patents). Other websites provide access to standards. When engineers design new products European patents (http://www.epo.org/search- they must take into account the existing standards. ing.html) and Canadian patents (http://patents1. Engineering research at academic institutions is ic.gc.ca/). Asian patents can be found also (often often sponsored by grants from government agen- through government sites in the country of issue); cies or industry. These grants frequently require however, they tend to be more problematic to find the investigators to comply with certain standards. in part because searching needs to be done in the These standards may specify processes, which native language. As far as collection development need to be followed, minimum or maximum physi- is concerned, it is most important to ensure that cal properties of materials used, or standardized engineers have access to adequate resources on inputs and outputs required. Therefore, access to the process of obtaining patents as well as on standards is critical for engineers. locating existing patents. For anyone not used to working with standards, their designations may seem strange. Although Theses and Dissertations standards have descriptive names, standard granting agencies will also assign each standard Master’s theses and doctoral dissertations provide a number, which is usually an alphanumeric code a wealth of scholarly information, which can be like ASTM C658-98. The first few letters indicate of interest to engineers. Most libraries collect the the agency that has approved the standard, in this thesis and dissertations from their own institutions, case ASTM International (formerly the American but rarely add print copies of those originating from Society for Testing and Materials). The next few other schools. Many institutions subscribe to the characters represent the specific standard. In this Proquest Theses and Dissertations database, which case, C658 is the standard for “Chemical-Resistant indexes theses and dissertations from around Resin Grouts for Brick or Tile.” The last couple the world. Some institutions purchase a full-text of digits represent the version of the standard or, version of the database, whereas others subscribe more specifically, which year the standard was to the version that provides only indexing with accepted or revised. Standards are updated from a limited full-text preview. These schools have time to time so the date is important. Older versions traditionally relied on interlibrary loan to provide of a standard should not be discarded because it access. These documents are becoming easier to may be necessary to determine which version of access as more and more schools are providing a standard was applicable when a product was electronic access to their thesis and dissertations designed or a building was built. via institutional repositories.

134 Information Sources and Collection Planning for Engineering

There are thousands of standards, and most well. The collection development librarian must libraries cannot afford to purchase all of them. evaluate all these diverse materials and is often Instead, it is common to determine which col- challenged by researchers and faculty to locate lections of standards best fit the needs of the these esoteric items with only a partial or faulty institution and then to purchase (or subscribe citation to guide the search. to) everything in that collection. ASTM, IEEE, The advent of the Web has had the dual effect Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), and the of both helping and hindering the discovery of grey Uniform Building Code are commonly collected literature. While the power of Web-crawling search groups of standards. engines, such as Google, has made electronic copies of grey literature more accessible, it has Grey Literature also encouraged the tendency to forget that some valuable grey literature also exists in a print-only Grey literature has an important place in the col- form. These print resources can become even more lection development policy of the engineering difficult to locate in the electronic age where the librarian. Definitions for the types of collections collection development librarian may not bother which fall within the umbrella of grey literature to look beyond the results returned from online differ from source to source. The Luxembourg searching. Convention on Grey Literature, which was drafted GreyNet, or the Grey Literature Network at the third International Conference on Grey (www.greynet.org), is a nonprofit organization Literature, defines grey literature as “that which founded in 1992 which hosts conferences on the is produced on all levels of government, academ- topic of grey literature and publishes The Grey ics, business and industry in print and electronic Journal, An International Journal on Grey Lit- formats, not controlled by commercial publishers” erature (TGJ). Librarians interested in delving (Thompson, 2001, p. 58). In the current environ- more deeply into all the issues and challenges ment which encourages open access, and where surrounding grey literature can join the organiza- information exchange proliferates through diverse tion’s listserv and explore the growing database of social networking avenues such as blogs, discus- grey literature conference proceedings from the sion groups, twitter ponds and scholarly based past thirteen international conferences. technical portals, this definition of grey literature explodes into a dazzling array of resources. Technical Reports Grey literature is, by its nature, difficult to locate. Much of it is not readily available and often While in many cases technical reports could be subject to low print runs, which makes obtaining considered either grey literature or government copies at a later date problematic. The previously documents, they are of such importance to the discussed research resources of conference litera- engineer that they deserve their own category. ture and government documents may fall into the U.S. government-sponsored technical reports grey literature category, as might technical reports, were originally produced almost exclusively by manufacturers’ catalogs and industry standards. the Government Printing Office (GPO) and gener- International societies and research groups are ally cataloged by their assigned Superintendent an increasingly important source of relevant of Documents (SuDoc) numbers. During the last research, and manufacturing standards differ by two decades of the twentieth century, the National country. The inherent difficulty of identifying and Technical Information Service (NTIS) took over obtaining these types of international resources the distribution and indexing of the reports gener- places them into the grey literature category as ated by several agencies. This move has resulted

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in a complex environment where some technical final decision-making process often involves the reports are available only via the federal agency approval of library administrators or consortia that produced them, others via NTIS, and still oth- due to the high ongoing cost structure and the ers, generated by individual state and local govern- complexity of negotiating contracts with vendors. ments, may be very difficult to obtain. There is also The definitive engineering database is COM- a growing collection of non-government reports PENDEX, the electronic version of the original being produced internally by large corporations Engineering Index. This database indexes and like IBM or Bell Labs, which may be proprietary abstracts over 5000 key journals and conference and not available for collection at all even though proceedings back to 1884, as well as a select group they may show up tantalizingly in bibliographies. of technical reports and monographic chapters To add to the complexity, government agencies for all the major engineering branches. Because that publish technical reports have been known to it has become the standard for engineering da- change their method of distribution. The collec- tabases, it is now very difficult for engineering tion development librarian is challenged by the schools to achieve accreditation without library task of staying current in this continually shifting access to COMPENDEX. The premier vendor environment so as to assure that subsequent pub- for COMPENDEX is the EI Engineering Village lications are not missed as the publishing source as both are owned by Elsevier. In addition to changes (Thompson, 2001). COMPENDEX, Web of Science (or its competi- tor, SCOPUS), INSPEC and SciFinder are key Databases general scientific/technical databases that generate high usage statistics at most engineering schools. Any discussion of engineering resources would There are a number of other databases that are be remiss without mentioning some of the key valuable to one or more engineering branches. For databases for engineering literature. The final deci- example, electrical engineering researchers will sion for obtaining subscriptions to new databases find IEEE Xplore to be essential, and Factiva’s is not usually a part of the engineering collection business resources will be very important to in- development librarian’s responsibilities. Never- dustrial engineering researchers. Each engineer theless, the librarian will no doubt be consulted may have their own favorite database list based with regards to the relative importance of various on the specific focus of their discipline. This can database choices because a solid understanding of be challenging for the collection development database’s features and its value to the engineer- librarian who is trying to determine the optimum ing faculty and students will be critical. Launch- mix of resources for the library collection. ing a new database on a library website is a big decision that involves a long-term commitment. Once faculty and students become comfortable COLLECTION with a new database and begin to depend on the DEVELOPMENT PLANS resources it offers, it is difficult to discontinue the subscription or change to other vendors without an Collection development plans are tools used by unwelcome adjustment curve for users. Therefore, even the most seasoned librarians to keep track of decisions regarding new databases are carefully what they need to collect and why. These plans (or considered and are usually deferred to a collection policies) include information about each program development team. Once the team identifies the being supported so as to better understand what database and vendor that they feel will provide information the program needs. Analysis of the the greatest return in benefits to their users, the program’s information needs can help answer

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questions before the selection process begins. or on tribology or any combination of dozens of What topic areas need to be collected only on areas. Each program will have some of the basics a general level? Which topic areas need to be in common, but the unique areas will define it. exhaustively collected? Can certain aspects of Although every civil engineering program will a topic be excluded? Of course, factors besides need to teach courses in statics and dynamics, it the program itself are considered in the creation may or may not offer classes in transportation, of a collection development plan. Library-wide and, if it does, the focus may be different from decisions and funding help determine the level at that of other programs. which each subject is collected. The librarian should start by gathering basic A librarian may create several collection data about the program. What degrees are of- development plans. Having a separate plan for fered? At what levels? Are there any emphases each budget helps librarians ensure that each offered? How many students are enrolled in each discipline is adequately supported. No collection degree? How many degrees in each discipline development plan should be set in stone. Institu- have been bestowed in the past few years? How tions change, programs change, circumstances many teaching faculty are there? Are there any change, and therefore, collection development dedicated research faculty (faculty members that plans should change. While most changes will be have no teaching responsibilities)? Are there minor from year to year, over time, the collection special research laboratories on campus in which and its associated policy should change to reflect the program is involved? Academic departments the emerging needs of the institution. When taking should have all of this information readily avail- over a new management assignment, studying the able and are usually willing to share it with the collection development plan, if one exists, is a library. When organizing information about the great way to familiarize oneself with the program program, it is important to keep in mind both its and the thought behind the collection. Even if a classroom (learning) and laboratory (research) detailed plan exists, going through the process components. Library support for each of these of updating and revising it can be advantageous, areas differs. especially for those new to engineering disciplines. Classroom support will be heavily concentrated The first step to creating a useful collection on books, but may also include a healthy dose of development plan is to gather information about trade journals and core scholarly journals. How the academic program and organize it. Only after can one determine which courses need library understanding how the program uses literature support? This is a very relevant question in engi- can a librarian create an efficient plan to collect neering since most undergraduate courses will not it. No two engineering programs are the same. encourage students to look beyond the textbook Engineering is made up of several disciplines for information. Engineering librarians need to and sub-disciplines, which have overlapping yet be proactive in determining which courses would specialized needs. If an engineering degree is of- most likely use library collections. For example, fered at an institution, it usually focuses on one upper division and graduate courses are more of the common engineering disciplines like civil, likely to have a writing component. Likewise, electrical, mechanical, or chemical, rather than design courses are likely to use resources like being offered as a general engineering degree. The handbooks, and seminar courses may also need uniqueness of a program is often found in the sub- general works on the topics covered in the course. disciplines or areas of focus within the disciplines. Professors teaching these courses may offer sug- For example, a mechanical engineering program gestions on what would be useful, but they will may concentrate on developing alternative fuels often only give general recommendations.

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The need for research support is tied more Frequently, topics of interest to engineers will closely to faculty research interests than course fall outside the engineering disciplines. Engineers offerings. Most graduate students’ research is have always drawn upon scientific knowledge and tied with the interests of faculty advisors, so applied it to their projects, but research is becom- concentrating on the needs of faculty is doubly ing more and more cross disciplinary in nature. important. Research interests for faculty can often Engineers will share research interests with col- be found on departmental websites, but keep in leagues in the sciences, social sciences, and even mind that these pages may be incomplete and out the humanities, and there is a tremendous overlap of date. Engineering departments may maintain between engineering disciplines. Communication more elaborate pages on areas of research focus between subject selectors is critical. It should be within the department. However, the best way identified and agreed upon as to how collection to determine faculty research interests will be responsibilities for shared areas will be divided. through personal contact. A five minute visit to a Which librarian will have primary responsibility professor during office hours can go a long way for a given area? Will the responsibilities be di- to developing a lasting collection development vided by specific aspects of the topic? Often one partnership. librarian will be given the primary responsibility It is important not to push too hard or to be- to collect materials for a subject even if it is used come discouraged. Many engineering faculty feel by faculty outside their discipline. Planning and they do not have time to be involved with library communication among subject selectors can help collections, but may be willing to give a brief in- to eliminate duplicated effort. troduction of their research. Every now and then, It is important to remember that collection an engineering professor will want to play a more development plans look beyond the specific active role in collection development decisions. subject area they address. Library-wide policies These relationships should be cultivated because affect collection strategies. For example, is there they can be helpful in every aspect of a librarian’s a preferred e-book vendor? How much influence job, especially collection development. Research do individual subject librarians have in the pur- laboratories will also help set the research focus for chase of journal packages? What budgeted funds departments associated with the lab. Information are available for serials? For monographs? How about the emphases of each lab is usually found does the library handle standing orders? Library- either on the lab’s website or at the lab itself. wide policies affect every aspect of collection Once the information needs (both research and development so they should be included in the curricular) for the program have been identified, planning process. they should be organized and then analyzed. It Collection development plans enable librarians may be helpful to refer to the Library of Congress to quickly review all the parameters affecting the classification outline (http://www.loc.gov/catdir/ selection of new library materials. Determining cpso/lcco/) when organizing the information needs which materials to add to the collection is a bal- by subject. Keyword searches in the online catalog ancing act. A balance should be reached between can help determine call number ranges for sub- the information supporting curricular needs and jects as well. It is essential to keep track of which that filling research needs. This does not mean the areas are accentuated for research and which are same amount of money should be spent on both covered by courses. The subject areas of little or areas. Rather, it means that neither area should be no need are as important to identify as the areas neglected. Likewise, a balance should be main- of heavy need. Knowing what not to buy makes tained among the many subject areas, making sure collection development decisions much easier. that all are adequately covered. Librarians should

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keep in mind that publication patterns change from how roles differ for the purchase of new journals year to year. One year, an abundance of books on and databases versus monographs. Who has final fiber-reinforced concrete may be published. The selection approval, and what standing orders are in next year may find none on that topic, but several place? Become familiar with all the standing orders on non-destructive testing methods for concrete. related to engineering. Standing orders ensure that Purchases should be adjusted year to year with every monograph in a book series is ordered by a availability kept in mind. Also, knowing the cur- library. If a librarian places a separate order for a rent collection is invaluable. If a gap in existing book that is already included in a standing order collections is identified, more funds than usual it may result in unwanted duplication. may be spent on that area for a couple of years Sometimes the best way to become familiar so the weak area can be shored-up. with a new area is to start at the most basic level. In another sense, collection development A new engineering librarian wanting to learn about requires balancing between different formats. the discipline, both generally and locally at his or Serials budgets are commonly held separate from her institution, may want to: monograph budgets. The main reason for this is that the serial budget is already committed from • Consult the Occupational Outlook one year to the next. Any new journals would Handbook (http://www.bls.gov/oco/) for need to be matched with a similar cut in other an introduction to different engineering subscriptions. Because purchasing journals is a fields. long-term commitment, journal selection should • Review the Library of Congress detailed be a more involved process with heavy user input. classification scheme for the engineering Book purchases are much more fluid in nature. disciplines supported by the institution. In either case a collection development plan aids Browse those sections of the library to get the librarians in making wise choices. a better feel for the current collection and review recent introductory texts to get a broad overview of subject areas. Look up TIPS FOR NEW ENGINEERING definitions for terms or concepts that are LIBRARIANS unfamiliar. • Explore relevant departmental websites. Many new engineering librarians do not have a Many departments have listings of key degree in an engineering field, and may or may research areas for the faculty and often not have prior experience performing collection identify associated research centers in the development activities for other subject areas. university. Regardless, the discipline of engineering may • Examine the vitae of faculty to gain insight initially seem both exciting and daunting to tackle. into which journals are being chosen for Following are some tips to help new engineering faculty publications and what conferences librarians get started with their responsibilities. the faculty members regularly attend. This Start by learning from those who have gone can help identify journals and conference before. Review any documentation left by previous proceedings to purchase for the collection. librarians, and talk with colleagues to gain insights • Read the university course catalog as it will into any particular institutional practices. Review provide a wealth of information about the all written collection development policies and type and breadth of courses being offered meet with the collection development coordinator by the engineering department. Notice the to learn the procedures for budget allocations and distribution of topics between undergradu-

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ate and graduate level. Most book vendors new journals emerging every year. Professors rely will identify the content level of books in on journals not only to obtain others’ findings, some way to distinguish general audience/ but also as a vehicle to publish their own work. popular, undergraduate, graduate, research Historically, journal prices have risen much faster and/or professional level coverage. than library budgets. This is especially true with • Watch for any multidisciplinary or joint prestigious journals, which publishers know that degrees that are gaining popularity. libraries cannot cancel without widespread faculty Identifying these degrees can point the en- outcry. The bundling of journal purchases has gineering collection development librarian added to the pinch libraries feel as these bundles to other subject specialists with whom they often include expensive multi-year deals, which should collaborate when selecting titles for cannot be broken without stiff penalties. those degree areas. Enter the downturn of the American economy • Identify the major associations related to with state revenues shrinking and massive budget the different engineering branches. Study slashes occurring across the board. Even private their websites for news on current research institutions, not tied to state revenues, have ex- topics. These organizations will also often perienced lower returns from endowments due to be a key source for monograph, conference market volatility. As a result, many libraries con- proceedings, and journal purchases. tinue to struggle today with decreased collections • Browse through several general texts on budgets that do not even cover the cost of their information sources for engineering to get existing journal subscriptions. Hard, unpopular another view on the breadth of a particular decisions will continue to be made with regards branch of engineering. Some are listed in to journal cancellations. Some journal vendors the references and additional reading sec- are recognizing these difficulties and are begin- tions at the end of the chapter. ning to become more willing to negotiate lower increases and offer creative options in order to allow libraries to maintain their collections, but CHALLENGES AND ISSUES the serious nature of the problem will continue to dominate the attention of collection development In addition to the unique collection development librarians for the foreseeable future. aspects of the engineering discipline, there are also Something that may help to ease the impact several universal challenges being experienced of the journal crisis is the increase of open access by librarians today. The collection development journals. Open access journals are committed to a landscape is being altered by the constant pinch of policy under which they do “not charge subscrip- budget restraints (aggravated by the journal crisis), tion or access fees” for their articles (Budapest and the expansion of the open access movement. Open Access Initiative, 2002, para. 7). Instead, The very foundation of engineering disciplines is they use alternative funding models. The open also morphing and blending to create new spe- access movement continues to gain considerable cialties and interdependences among programs. popularity as time goes on. The tenure and promotion process in higher So far, there are relatively few open access education has added to the budget crises facing journals in engineering, but the number is growing. many libraries. Over time, achieving tenure has One factor that may inhibit the growth of open become tied to a faculty member’s success in access journals in the field is the large number publishing in peer-reviewed journals. This has of existing journals published by professional led to a proliferation of journal publications with societies. Traditionally, society publishers have

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been seen as a low cost alternative to commercial the shrinking monographic budget is seen as the publishers. Society publishers also have a proven lesser of two evils, but there is a point beyond track record of providing quality publications and which this is no longer a viable alternative. At have an established system for vetting articles. some point additional funding must be identified On the other hand, if more government agencies to avoid deteriorating collection quality. Although require federally funded research to be published in there are no definitive answers to this problem, open access journals, the number of new open ac- there are two methods that some libraries have cess journals in engineering will quickly increase. found effective in obtaining additional funding for Some commercial publishers are also investigating collections. The first is to educate faculty to the open access models by passing on all publication reasons behind the library’s budgetary problems, costs to authors. New and experienced engineer- and the impact that has on maintaining adequate ing librarians will want to keep abreast of open collections to support their needs. Requests for access publication trends. additional library funding that originate from the Some related efforts such as the Scholarly faculty have a powerful effect on the university Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition administration’s budgetary decisions. The second (SPARC) have championed scholarly journals that method is for the library to actively seek endow- are more cost effective than traditional journals. ments to support collections. This method requires Even though these independent journals are not a major investment of staff time (many library open access, they do provide a relatively low cost deans spend a significant portion of their time on alternative to expensive established journals. It fundraising) but can provide returns that are well will take extra effort to protect these independent worth the effort. journals during broad-scale journal cancellation The management of engineering collections projects. With the larger part of many library’s faces an additional challenge in that the nature journal subscription budgets tied up with big deals, of both engineering and scientific research is be- these independent journals may be one of the only coming increasingly cross-disciplinary. Subjects places to cut journal costs. Cutting independent that traditionally fell into one discipline now are journals would have the undesirable result of studied by many disciplines, often in entirely strengthening the big deal vendors’ hold over the different ways. Finding ways to efficiently select journal publication market as the smaller alterna- the best materials without duplicating effort will tive titles fold due to lost subscription revenue. take innovative and collaborative approaches to Another byproduct of rising journal prices is collection development. the shrinking of funds budgeted for monographs Finally, the electronic access to information, and other one-time purchases. In order to mini- while a great boon, also creates many challenges mize the number of journal titles cancelled, many to the creation and access of collections. As users libraries have needed to allocate a larger portion become more dependent upon one-stop searches, of the budget to serials. It is simply a case of Peter the less mainstream portions of the collections may robbing Paul. Thus, ensuring adequate collections remain undiscovered by those who most need the of non-serial materials becomes more challenging. answers these sources contain. Usually, the allocation of funds between serials and monographs is decided by library administrators rather than individual librarian responsible CONCLUSION for selecting materials for purchase. However, in the engineering fields journals are generally The engineering collection development librar- more important to research than monographs, so ian has a dynamic role in university libraries.

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Collection development decisions are based on a Thompson, L. A. (2001). Grey literature in engi- complex evaluation of teaching versus research neering. Science & Technology Libraries, 19(3-4), needs, open access versus big deal alternatives, 57–73. doi:10.1300/J122v19n03_05 and budgetary limitations. Continual learning Tucci, V. K. (2011). Assessing information- in a changing landscape assures success for the seeking behavior of computer science and engi- collection development librarian who can remain neering faculty. Issues in Science and Technology flexible and innovative in their efforts to serve the Librarianship, 64. Retrieved from http://www. needs of the institution’s engineering populations. library.ucsb.edu/istl. Williams, V. K., & Fletcher, C. L. (2006). Ma- REFERENCES terials used by master’s students in engineering and implications for collection development: A Budapest open access initiative. (2002). Re- citation analysis. Issues in Science & Technology trieved from http://www.soros.org/openaccess/ Librarianship, 45. Retrieved from http://www. read.shtml. library.ucsb.edu/istl. Holland, M. P. (1998). Modeling the engineering information professional. Science & Tech- nology Libraries, 17(2), 31–43. doi:10.1300/ ADDITIONAL READING J122v17n02_05 Auger, C. P. (1998). Information sources in grey Kirkwood, P. (2009). Using engineering theses literature (4th ed.). London, UK: Bowker Saur. and dissertations to inform collection development decisions especially in civil engineering. Paper Bierman, J., Ortega, L., & Rupp-Serrano, K. presented at the 2009 ASEE Annual Conference (2010). E-book usage in pure and applied sci- and Exposition. Austin, TX. ences. Science & Technology Libraries, 29, 69–91. doi:10.1080/01942620903579393 Li, L., & Baer, W. M. (2009). Library and information use patterns by engineering faculty Bobal, A. M., Mellinger, M., & Avery, B. E. (2008). and students. Paper presented at the 2009 ASEE Collection assessment and new academic pro- Annual Conference and Exposition. Austin, TX. grams. Collection Management, 33(4), 288–301. doi:10.1080/01462670802369875 Lord, C. R. (2000). Guide to information sources in engineering. Englewood, CO: Libraries Un- Bogdanski, S., Chang, B.-C., & Lawal, I. (2005). limited. Collecting grey literature: An annotated bibli- ography, with examples from the sciences and Pinelli, T. E. (1991). The information-seeking technology. Science & Technology Libraries, 25, habits and practices of engineers. Science & 35–70. doi:10.1300/J122v25n03_04 Technology Libraries, 11, 5–26. doi:10.1300/ J122v11n03_02 Bracke, M. S. (2010). Science and technology books on demand: A decade of patron-driven Standard. (1993). In P. B. Gove (Ed.), Webster’s collection development, part 2. Collection Man- third new international dictionary of the English agement, 35(3/4), 142–150. doi:10.1080/014626 language, unabridged. Springfield, MA: Merriam- 79.2010.486742 Webster.

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Carey, R., Elfstrand, S., & Hijleh, R. (2005). LaBonte, K. B. (2005). Citation analysis: A An evidence-based approach for gaining faculty method for collection development for a rapidly acceptance in a serials cancellation project. Col- developing field. Issues in Science & Technology lection Management, 30(2), 59–72. doi:10.1300/ Librarianship, 43. Retrieved from http://www. J105v30n02_05 library.ucsb.edu/istl. Chu, F. T. (1997). Librarian-faculty relations in Leach, M. R. (2008). Collection development collection development. Journal of Academic competencies for science and technology librar- Librarianship, 23(1), 15–20. doi:10.1016/S0099- ies. Science & Technology Libraries, 28, 11–22. 1333(97)90067-7 doi:10.1080/01942620802096788 Eells, L. L. (2004). For better or for worse: The MacLeod, R. A. C. J. (2005). Information sources joys and woes of e-journals. Science & Technology in engineering (4th ed.). Münich, Germany: K.G. Libraries, 25, 33–53. doi:10.1300/J122v25n01_04 Saur. doi:10.1515/9783110930764 Fidel, R., & Green, M. (2004). The many faces Mary, A. L., & Sankar, A. (2008). Collection of accessibility: Engineers’ perception of in- evaluation of PSN college of engineering and formation sources. Information Processing & technology library and PET engineering college Management, 40(3), 563–581. doi:10.1016/ library in Tirunelveli district. SRELS Journal of S0306-4573(03)00003-7 Information Management, 45(1), 63–70. Frank, D. G., & Kollen, C. (1989). Humanities Nesdill, D., Love, A., & Hunt, M. (2010). From and social sciences librarians in the science- subject selectors to college and interdisciplinary engineering library: Utilization and implications teams. Science & Technology Libraries, 29, for effective collection development and refer- 307–314. doi:10.1080/0194262X.2010.523308 ence services. Science & Technology Libraries, Osif, B. A. (Ed.). (2006). Using the engineer- 9, 63–72. doi:10.1300/J122v09n03_07 ing literature. New York, NY: Routledge. Gaur, H. G., & Sharma, R. (2010). Information doi:10.1201/9780203966167 seeking behaviour of users in university libraries Polanka, S. (2011). No shelf required: E-books in digital environment. Paper presented at the In- in libraries. Chicago, IL: American Library As- ternational Conference and Workshop on Emerg- sociation. ing Trends in Technology 2010. Mumbai, India. Robinson, M. A. (2010). An empirical analysis Holland, M. P., & Powell, C. K. (1995). A longi- of engineers’ information behaviors. Journal of tudinal survey of the information-seeking and use the American Society for Information Science and habits of some engineers. College & Research Technology, 61(4), 640–658. Libraries, 56(1), 7–15. Roth, D. L. (2010). The future of librarianship in Houle, L. (2004). Convergence between interli- science and technology libraries. Sci-Tech News, brary loan and acquisitions: A science and engi- 64(3), 6–9. neering library experience. IATUL Proceedings. New Series, 14, 1–7. Schmidt, K., Shelburne, W. A., & Vess, D. S. (2008). Approaches to selection, access, and collection development in the web world. Library Resources & Technical Services, 52(3), 184–191.

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Stern, D. (2008). Journal package plans: are a collective publication of conference papers An update on complex considerations. Sci- presented during the conference. ence & Technology Libraries, 28, 255–259. Engineering: A practical field, which utilizes doi:10.1300/01942620802098826 science and mathematics to design and construct concrete things. Engineering is split into special- Taylor, D. (1999). Standards collection develop- ized disciplines. For example, civil engineering ment in an academic library. Collection Building, encompasses the design and construction of 18, 148–152. doi:10.1108/01604959910303280 roads and other physical structures. Mechanical Tucker, J. C., Bullian, J., & Torrence, M. C. (2003). engineering, on the other hand, focuses on the Collaborate or die! Collection development in design and construction of vehicles, engines and today’s academic library. The Reference Librar- machines of all types. ian, 40(83/84), 219–236. Grey Literature: Scholarly writings of both print and electronic formats which are not dis- Tucker, J. C., & Torrence, M. (2004). Collection seminated via traditional publishers and thus often development for new librarians: Advice from the more difficult to locate. Grey literature can include trenches. Library Collections, Acquisitions & technical reports, government documents, blogs, Technical Services, 28(4), 397–409. doi:10.1016/j. scholarly discussion groups and portals. lcats.2004.08.013 Handbook: A reference book compiled of van Reenen, J. (2006). If it’s not digital it does brief facts and specifications for a given subject. not exist: The future of science and technology Peer Reviewed: A process in academic pub- collection development. Against the Grain, 18(4), lishing whereby qualified individuals in a given 22-28. field evaluate a submitted written document to determine whether it meets the academic standards Williamson, J. M., Han, L. D., & Colon-Aguirre, deemed suitable for publication in that field. M. (2009). Determining the scope of collection Standards: Widely accepted procedures or development and research assistance for cross- specifications defined by professional organiza- disciplinary areas: A case study of two contrast- tions or the government to maintain consistency ing areas, nanotechnology and transportation or assure safety. engineering. Issues in Science & Technology Standing Order: An automatic ordering Librarianship, 59. Retrieved from http://www. process for monographic serials that assures library.ucsb.edu/istl. titles in the series are not missed in the collection development process. SuDoc Classification System: An acronym KEY TERMS AND DEFINITIONS for the Superintendent of Documents classification system which was developed in the library Collection Development Plan: (also called of the Government Printing Office. Organizes Collection Development policy) A document government documents by issuing agency. which defines priorities for collection decisions Technical Reports: Often funded by private based on both the current and long-term goals and corporations or government entities, technical purpose of the organization it serves. reports are strictly structured documents, which Conference Proceedings: Conferences allow report the findings and conclusions of scientific researchers the opportunity to present original and technical research and often include design research findings and to discuss common chal- details and supporting data. lenges in their field. Conference Proceedings

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