Make your collection count! This session talks about the overall quality of a library collection, including the benefits and methods of taking a physical inventory, analyzing collection procedures and workflows, and the life cycle of a collection. Most importantly, learn how to measure a collection’s quality. Our holistic approach to collection management will help all types and sizes of libraries to keep pace with the demands and expectations of their communities.

1. MAKING A
COLLECTION
COUNT
Holly Hibner and Mary Kelly
awfullibrarybooks.net

2. Collection Life Cycle

3. Management = control and attention
Development = growth

4. Collection Management Policy
GENRES,
FORMATS,
COLLECTIONS
GENERAL
SELECTION
CRITERIA
PRESERVATION,
CONSERVATION,
MAINTENANCE
WEEDING
EFFORTS
COOPERATIVES
& RESOURCE
SHARING
HOLDS TO
COPIES RATIO

5. Collection Philosophy
Broad vs. Deep
Popular materials vs. Well-rounded content
Diversity & Inclusion
"A quality collection...offers strategies to ensure that learners
actively engage with the materials." -Mona Kerby, Introduction to
Collection Development for School Librarians

6. Collection Objectives
Collection policy states how the
collection will fulfill the mission.
Collection objectives detail the purpose of
each collection and criteria for selection.

7. Collection
Benchmarks
How is the collection
performing?

8. Collection Management
Using Reports
Reports are not a substitution
for physically interacting with
the collection.

9. ILS Reports
• No circ prior to <date>
• Publication date prior to <date>
• Turnover rate
• Items marked missing
• Items “extremely overdue”
• Circ by call number range
• Highest circulating items
• In-house use
• Shelf list

10. Sorting
Every time you
sort a report in
Excel you get a
different piece of
information about
the collection.

11. The Circulation Metric
Define circulation:
Check-out, renewal, and check-in?
Is that three metrics or one?

12. Circulations
Over Time

13. Group Metrics
HOW DOES ONE
COLLECTION PERFORM
COMPARED TO
ANOTHER?
HOW OLD IS THE
COLLECTION?
HOW DO E-BOOKS
COMPARE TO PRINT?
WHAT ITEMS ARE
LIKELY TO BE
DAMAGED?
Group metrics describe the
activity of a whole collection.

14. AVERAGE AGE
VS.
MEDIAN AGE
Report carefully
Only include similar items
This report gives you an idea of how
old a group of items skews.

15. COLLECTION
SIZE
TOTAL
CIRCULATION
Relative Use

16. Item Metrics
How does its
use compare
to other titles?
How old is it? What is its
physical
condition?
Is there an
updated edition
available?
DESCRIBE THE ACTIVITY OF A SINGLE ITEM IN THE COLLECTION.
Is there a better title?

17. Cost Per Use
Price of Item/Total Uses
=
Cost Per Use

18. Physical Inventory
Compare what you
actually have to what
the computer says
you should have.

19. What You'll Discover
• Inaccurate call numbers
• Mislabeled items
• Items marked missing
• Items that are weird!

20. Everything is Connected

21. @awfullibbooks
submit@awfullibrarybooks.net
awfullibrarybooks.net
Thank you!