1. ASSESSMENT OF SANTEE LIBRARY BRANCH PRINTED BOOK
COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT MEETING USER NEEDS
Kristy Hobbs LIB 285-11

2. INTRODUCTION
 One of the most crucial elements of a library is its
collection – what it has available to offer its patrons
and surrounding community.
 Collection development is a daunting task and at no
point is the collection ever finished, it needs to be
“constantly changing to anticipate demand,
respond to new interests and insure the availability
of material the community uses.”

3. PROBLEM STATEMENT
 I have noticed that within my own
local library’s physical collections
deficiencies exist in both the non
fiction and fiction titles.
 Fiction seems devoted to current
best sellers while non fiction titles
are outdated and subject variety is
slim.
 Most books (not all) can be
requested from another branch
however, this really removes the
browsing aspect associated with a
library. For myself it has become
a facility to drop off and pick up
books, and little else.

4. PURPOSE OF STUDY
 The purpose of this study is to ascertain
whether or not the current physical collection
of printed book titles is meeting the user’s
needs at the Santee Branch Library of the
San Diego County Library System.

5. RESEARCH QUESTION
 Is the content of the Santee Branch Library’s
physical printed book collection currently
meeting the needs of its users within the
community
 Sub questions:
 What areas is the collection lacking (if any)
 What solutions are available to increase user
satisfaction with the collection

6. LITERATURE REVIEW
 A user study of the Maulana Azad Library in India by
Abdul Mannan Khan and S. Mustafa Zaidi in 2011 yielded
some interesting results.
 The study found that while most patrons of the academic
library were satisfied with the overall collection they did
found on the spot reading lacking.
 Additionally, most patrons only contributed to collection
building by notifying staff of what they did not have
available.
 The study did not discuss what happened after a
weakness in the collection was identified and it would
have been interesting to see how the collection changed
or improved after this notification.

7. LITERATURE REVIEW (CONT)
 The Stetson University library’s reference team
performed a study to evaluate the use of materials
in their section.
 The study was performed over two months and at
the busiest times during spring and fall semester.
 After processing the data they found that only 8.5%
of their collection was being utilized.
 This data has enormous implications for not only
the development of their collection but their budget.

8. LITERATURE REVIEW (CONT)
 Budget also plays a heavy role in collection
development and with new technology less and
less money is being allocated for print books.
 According to Coffman’s article “in 1989 public
libraries across the US purchased a total of 41.3
million volumes, but by 2009 public libraries
bought only 27.9 million books—a decline of
more than 32% over 20 years. As a result,
public libraries’ share of the total book market
has plummeted from 4% in 1989 to 1% in 2009.”

9. STUDY POPULATION
 The population to be sampled is residents of
Santee, CA 92071 that are current library
card holders.
 The present population of Santee is roughly
55,000.

10. SAMPLING DESIGN
 The study is exploratory in nature.
 The research project will utilize stratified
sampling with a random sample selected
from each user group.
 The groups will be organized into children,
adults, and teenagers.

11. DATA COLLECTION
 The survey will be sent to individuals that
possess a library card with their city of
residence as Santee, CA 92071.
 If a household has more than one library
card holder surveys will be sent to each
individual.
 The survey will be distributed via U.S. mail
and e-mail (if available).

12. DATA ANALYSIS
 Cross case analysis will be performed for the
qualitative data while multivariate analysis
will be utilized for quantitative data.
 Qualitative data will be processed through
the software NVivo while the quantitative
data will utilize SPSS software.

13. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
 The research study involves human subjects and
as such it is imperative to take the appropriate
steps to ensure their rights and privacy are
protected throughout the duration of the study.
 Parental consent will also have to be acquired for
card holders under the age of eighteen to
participate in the study.
 Measures must also be taken to ensure researcher
bias does not alter the outcome of the study.

14. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS
 The most prominent limitation to the study is low
response rate.
 A second limitation is related to the size of the
population. While the population of Santee is
large, it is assumed that not every resident is in
possession of a library card. Our population is
limited to residents with library cards.

15. RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE
 The results of this study are intended to create a
dialogue between user needs and collection
development practices.
 Ultimately, the goal is to create a stronger overall
physical collection that relates to a greater number
of Santee residents.
 If the study is successful in its purpose it can be
replicated and applied to different branches (of
which there are 33) within San Diego County
Library System serving both large and small
populations.

16. CONCLUSION
 Collection development is a
living organism. For this reason
it needs to be constantly
evaluated for deficiencies and
superfluous material.
 If the collection is lacking or
outdated, the patron will only
ever step foot into the library to
pick up a requested book (if this
option is available) and leave.
 If the patron can’t find the book
they are looking for nor can they
request it, the patron’s
disappointment may lead them
to stop utilizing the library all
together.