Collection Management Matters: the Ad Tabase Dance: Waltzing with a Big Budget Cut Glenda Alvin Tennessee Sttae University, [email protected]
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Against the Grain Volume 27 | Issue 2 Article 33 2015 Collection Management Matters: The aD taBase Dance: Waltzing with a Big Budget Cut Glenda Alvin Tennessee Sttae University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/atg Part of the Library and Information Science Commons Recommended Citation Alvin, Glenda (2015) "Collection Management Matters: The aD taBase Dance: Waltzing with a Big Budget Cut," Against the Grain: Vol. 27: Iss. 2, Article 33. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7771/2380-176X.7057 This document has been made available through Purdue e-Pubs, a service of the Purdue University Libraries. Please contact [email protected] for additional information. Collection Management Matters — The Database Dance: Waltzing with a Big Budget Cut Column Editor: Glenda Alvin (Associate Professor, Assistant Director for Collection Management and Administration, Head, Acquisitions and Serials, Brown-Daniel Library, Tennessee State University, 3500 John A. Merritt Blvd., Nashville, TN 37209; Phone: 615-963-5230; Fax: 615-963-1368) <[email protected]> very Collection Management Librarian to give it another year to see if usage picks think use the database the most, explaining our dreads the day of the big budget cut, up. This usually happens because someone funding issues, the cost-per-use of the database, Ebecause it involves a lot fancy footwork has knowledge of an instructor who has an and my proposed plan of action. Sometimes with vendors, faculty, and students. Faculty assignment for that product. In some cases, I this may include the deletion, but it might also have to be given clear explanations as to why will send an alert to the department to let them include a suggestion for another database they the library can no longer purchase the database know that the database is on probation. have not considered, that is more inexpensive, that supports one or two small classes in the For example, the usage statistics demon- but offers similar coverage. Each message al- department, and students have to be informed strated that Nursing Education in Video was ways has a phrase stating that, if the department about alternative means for accessing full barely used by the Nursing faculty, who for wants to retain the database for accreditation text. Database vendors have to be flexible years had been calling about needing money purposes, we will try to follow their wishes. If about what the library can afford in regards for videos. As their liaison, I sent a message to nobody contacts me after a period of time to to expensive databases or bundled databases the entire department stating that the cost per say that that they need the database for research which have barely used components. use appeared to reflect that the database did not or to support their classes, then I proceed with When I am evaluating renewing databases, support their curriculum. The Dean wrote me my plan. If I am offering a substitution, I give I usually look at three components: usage back to say that they would take up the issue them a 30-day trial, asking for comments, and statistics, the program/majors it supports, and at their next department meeting. Sometimes if nobody responds, I send them a reminder accreditation requirements. For the usage this approach works, and sometimes it does not. midway through the trial. statistics, I look at what we collect When there is no response, I am left Asking the sales representative to supply in-house from our ILS and then look wondering what will happen if the statistics is a good strategy, because they at the usage statistics, specifically some faculty member skipped can do the math and see that the database is the full-text downloads, on the the message and then will not that popular. This can often pave the way vendor’s Website. complain later when the for a discussion about a smaller package or a After I have compared database has disappeared. reduction in the renewal price, if the library the usage statistics, I discuss Sometimes new faculty cannot afford the full price. One of my vendors the databases that I intend are hired who used one of offered a 50% reduction on the renewal price, to discontinue with the Li- our discontinued databases rather than smaller package, because we both brary’s Database Committee, at their former institution could see that only one segment of the database which has a cross section of and are upset that we don’t was being used by a small number of patrons. public and technical services provide it, which happened Negotiating with vendors to unbundle their librarians. The committee with two databases. packages, so that the most popular database may agree to the termina- I send an email to all can be retained, can set off a bit of twirling, tions, or they might decide of the departments that I continued on page 18 Bet You Missed It Press Clippings — In the News — Carefully Selected by Your Crack Staff of News Sleuths Column Editor: Bruce Strauch (The Citadel) Editor’s Note: Hey, are y’all reading this? If you know of an article that should be called to Against the Grain’s attention ... send an email to <[email protected]>. We’re listening! — KS INNER CHILD BATTLES STRESS THRU COLORING GRIM SCANDINAVIA by Bruce Strauch (The Citadel) by Bruce Strauch (The Citadel) Well, I see college hysterics want safe rooms where they can color Let’s read some ghastly tales in a socialist paradise. (1) Maj Sjöwall pictures and view films of frolicking puppy dogs. The French are and Per Wahlöö, Roseanna (standard trope of murder inter- out of ahead of them. Hachette has released Art-Thérapie: 100 upts summer plans) (1965); (2) Henning Mankell, Faceless Coloriages Anti-Stress, and the French are taking to it big time. Killers (elderly couple butchered in remote cabin) (1991); Two million copies sold. They are mandala designs which (3) Jo Nesbø, Police (killing members of a police dept. in seems quite Jungian. way that evokes crime each solved) (2013); (4) John Ajvide Despite non-stop vacations, the French think they are the Lindqvist, Let the Right One In (made into a truly creepy most stressed-out folks on earth. But we come in second. So movie) (2004); (5) Karin Fossum, The Caller (Mom checks Barron’s is releasing art-therapy coloring books. pram and finds baby drenched in blood) (2004). See — William Brennan, Atlantic, “Coloring Books for See — Erik Larson, “Five Best,” The Wall Street Existential Angst,” April 2015, p.33. Journal, March 14-15, 2015, p.C10. 12 Against the Grain / April 2015 <http://www.against-the-grain.com> navigate this type of large-scale analysis by book that was retained, and physical review A Case for the Use of Collection ... normalizing data, matching data points, and was not performed for every item that was from page 16 producing institution-level reports. withdrawn. By basing their weeding de- One of the challenges libraries face in cisions around data and pre-defined rules, Gift and Deselection Manager, INN-Reach the deselection process is establishing ob- GVSU was able to save time and improve Union Catalog, and ProQuest Title Match- jective measures for making reasonable and consistency in their deselection. ing Fast. While these systems vary in their unbiased decisions. A rules-based approach Libraries strive to make the most effec- services and functionality, each is designed to deselection used in conjunction with a tive use of their spaces, and, as part of that to help librarians assess their holdings for collection analysis tool can streamline the effort, it is of the utmost importance to make both collection development and deselection decision-making process. When using a educated, unbiased, and timely decisions purposes.1 rules-based approach to deselection, librar- about our collections. Use of a collection It is important to note that, as a profes- ies “define categories of books that could analysis tool in conjunction with a rules- sion, we are collectively responsible for be withdrawn without title-by-title review, based approach to weeding offers libraries archiving materials and preserving access enabling a batch approach to some weeding an alternative to manual data gathering and to information, but, with improved print decisions.”5 Establishing and adhering to title-by-title analysis. Collection analysis resource sharing and online availability, it clearly defined rules for what should be tools can expedite overlap and gap analysis, is not necessary that every library retain a weeded and what should be kept, it reduces, facilitate batch processing of both records copy of every book. To ensure that libraries if not eliminates, time consuming title-by-ti- and materials, and ultimately speed up the are not all weeding the same titles and that tle analysis. deselection process. Libraries embarking content is archived both in print and electron- In anticipation of a new library as well as on a large-scale deselection project would ically, it is necessary to compare our holdings the implementation of an automated storage be well-served by a collection analysis tool with other libraries and repositories and to and retrieval system, Grand Valley State and the implementation of a rules-based analyze where there are overlaps or gaps in University (GVSU) undertook a weeding decision-making process. our collections. We must have some project in 2009. Working knowledge of what is held by peer with Sustainable Col- institutions, what may be available lection Services (SCS), in shared print archives, and what GVSU established a set Endnotes is available electronically, be- of criteria and used those 1. For more information on individual prod- fore we can decide what we to generate lists of poten- ucts and the services they provide, I would can remove from our own tial weeding candidates.