The document summarizes the work of the Collections Management and Planning (CMP) unit at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Library. The CMP unit, consisting of 1 librarian and 2 student librarians, was created 1.5 years ago to address emerging collections issues. It utilizes various tools like circulation reports, duplicates reports, and WorldCat Collection Analysis to analyze the physical collections and provide data and recommendations to other library units. Some of the CMP unit's projects include collection profiles for each branch, identifying unnecessary duplicates, tracking in-house item usage, and flagging items in the catalog. The document discusses how the CMP unit helps the library address issues like space constraints, shifting priorities and formats, but
1. Shaky Stacks
New Modes of Collection
Management for Uncertain Times
Doug Brigham
Shannon Simpson
Danielle Westbrook
02 August 2012
PNLA Conference
Anchorage, Alaska
2. What factors have most
impacted your collections
in the past five years?
3. Issues UBC is facing
• Library-wide reviews
• Space
• Money
• Time
• Shifting priorities, formats, perceptions
4. 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
5. CMP by the numbers
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
6. 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
8. Collections Discussions
Created collection profiles for each branch
UBC Library Collection
Profiles: First Round
Analysis Report
9. Suite of Collections Tools
• Circulation and Acquisitions Reports
• Duplicates Reports
• In House Use Tracker
• Item Flagging in the ILS
• WorldCat Analysis
11. 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
12. In House Use
Information about collection use not captured in
our ILS
Components
• In House Usage Tracker
• In House User Interface
Our Partners
• Systems
• Borrower Services
• Library branches
14. In House Use
Benefits
• More accurate depiction
of use
• In House use patterns
can be analyzed
• Layout of collections
and user space
15. 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
16. 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
17. 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
18. 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
20. 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.
21. 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
22. 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
24. 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
25. 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
27. 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
28. Thriving!
Some rights reserved by W J (Bill) Harrison
