CCHILL out: evidence based collection management in the inter-library loan department

POSTER

Donna Robertson & Mary Grimmond
Northern Sydney Central Coast Health

INTRODUCTION
Meeting our users’ needs is paramount in ensuring we are providing an effective library service. Having a collection management policy that is in line with our organisations goals and objectives as well as meeting our clients’ needs is also important. How are collection development decisions made?

Collection management processes usually rely on a mixture of the librarian’s expertise, client input and local knowledge. Is this approach efficient enough to ensure the collection is developed appropriately or could it be done in a more systematic and measured way?

BACKGROUND
Denise Koufogiannakis developed a model for evidence based collection management for her institution at the University of Alberta Libraries in Canada which involves combining collection management with evidence based practice. The Evidence Based Collection Management (EBCM) model was seen to be a more efficient way to manage the libraries’ collection development strategies and to provide collection managers with a more systematic analysis of data to ensure a more effective approach to collection development decisions.

Using the principles of evidence based practice [Ask, Acquire, Appraise, Apply and Assess] we can combine with the collection development process to ensure a more effective approach to collection-based decisions. This paper will discuss how EBCM can be applied in the area of inter-library loans (ILL).

METHOD
“CCHILL out” (Central Coast Health Inter Library Loans Order Unexpected Titles)

Traditionally libraries borrow ILL materials from fellow libraries to supplement their existing collections. These items are generally lent over a short borrowing period and then returned to the home institution. A large portion of ILL requests are recently published titles while others have been requested multiple times. Many libraries would have a process where staff can identify items that have been borrowed multiple times and would then recommend them for purchase, however this process needs to be formalised.

ASK: Why buy? When to buy?

ACQUIRE: Acquisitions criteria – publication date range, publications that align with our current Collection Management Policy

APPRAISE: Search the literature – are their examples/models that are adaptable to our institutions needs?

APPLY: Workflow procedures for all sections involved in process – ILL, Acquisitions, Cataloguing.

ASSESS: Evaluation criteria – tracking items purchased, patron feedback on project

CONCLUSION
Implementation of this approach to ILL is in the planning stages. We believe that using the requests of our clients, given that items requested are subject specific to your own organisation, would have to be of benefit to our collection as well as enhance our client satisfaction and collection-based decisions.

Combining the methods used above with the concept of evidence based collection development can only further enhance the processes as well as client satisfaction.

Reference
Koufogiannakis, D. (2007, 6-11 May). Establishing a model for evidence based collection management. Paper presented at the 4th International Evidence Based Library and Information Practice Conference, Durham, North Carolina, US. http://www.eblip4.unc.edu/papers/Koufogiannakis.pdf