LIBE 463 Assignment 3
Assignment 3 Collection Evaluation
For this Assignment, I have completed an evaluation of the 971 section of the library.
Reports from the Automated Library System
971 256 Copies
Percentage of the 900s 83%
Average Age 1998 or 15 years
Circulation
This year 62 or 2.86% of titles circulated this year.
Total (since automation began in September) 101 or 3.8% of titles circulated since September 2012.
For more Quantitative Date, click here.
Qualitative Data
The 971 section of the library is problematic. Many of the books are too large for the shelves, so they have to be shelved on their sides. There are multiple copies of several books, but some of these titles rarely circulate. The large books are also quite intimidating to patrons. Many do not want to sign out a large book because it is inconvenient to take home. Large books are also intimidating to some English Language Learners as they fear that there might be too much text or the text might be too challenging for their reading level. Some of the books are not physically appealing either. Their dated cloth bound appearance is unattractive and students are reluctant to even consider these texts. Having looked inside several books, I have found out-of-date information especially pertaining to books about specific provinces and cities. The populations, politics, and economies of these locations have changed drastically in the past ten years. As a result, these books have been set aside for weeding. The shelves in this section are also over-crowded, which makes finding books difficult. Additionally, some of the books are too tall for the shelves, so they are shelved on their side, again creating problems for organization and access.
Collection Mapping
971 256 Copies 4.5% of the total Collection
Percentage of the 900s 83%
Average Age 1998 or 15 years
Books per student 0.1
Books per student for classes known to use this part of the collection: 3.4
Other Formats
Online Resources and Databases Through the Surrey School District, students have access to several online databases. Here is a link: https://www.surreyschools.ca/sites/7V5JQUO4HC/Wiki/Lists/Wiki/Secondary.aspx
The following databases and online resources would be of most use to Foundations Social Studies Students:
Encyclopedia of British Columbia
The Canadian Encyclopedia
Canadian Student Research Centre
Canadian Points of View
Canadian Reference Centre
Gale CPIQ Canadian Periodicals
ELL Reference Centre
World Book Discover
World Book Student
Many of the resources provided by these databases may be at a reading level that is too high for Foundations Social Studies students, so articles would need to be pre-selected by the teacher or teacher-librarian. The following video streaming sites are also available through Surrey School District: https://www.surreyschools.ca/sites/7V5JQUO4HC/Wiki/Lists/Wiki/VideoStreaming.aspx These resources would be of use to the Foundations Social Studies teacher.
Summary of the Data
Overall, the data collected indicates that the collection is quite old. Additionally, there are several titles with multiple copies, yet none of these books get circulated. There is an emphasis on titles in the 971 section, followed by 971.1 and 971.9. Several of these titles are dated and do need updating, especially those dealing with specific provinces and cities.
Strengths: 971 General Canadian Information Texts, History of Canada Texts
971.1 Texts that deal with British Columbia
971.9 Texts that deal with the North.
Although these sections contain the most number of titles, some of these titles do need updating, while others are duplicate copies, so these numbers alone are not a true reflection of strength.
Weaknesses
971.002.
971.004-although there are 14 titles in this section, the collection should be more reflective of our student population. This section deals with the multi-cultural aspect of Canada and presents the voices of various ethnic groups and their experiences with coming to Canada. Having titles that are updated and representative of a wider spectrum of cultures would be more appropriate for the student population. 971.5 A wider variety of biographies of important Canadians in an appealing format would be of use to our patrons.
Recommendations for Improving the Overall Quality of the Print Collection
1. Weed
a. Duplicate titles
b. Dated titles
c. Titles that do no circulate
d. Titles that do not meet the needs of the patrons (ie Inappropriate Reading Level, material presented in a way that is not easy to understand, titles that do not address topics that are relevant.)
2. Add titles to the weak sections
a. Titles must be at an appropriate reading level
b. Titles must present material in a way that is appealing and easy to understand
c. Titles must have current, accurate information
3. Organize
a. Rearrange shelves to accommodate the size of the books
b. Create more space on the shelves so books are easy to find
4. Explore
a. Other libraries and their 971 sections to get ideas for titles
b. Recommended lists from Saunders and Follett
Recommendations for Improving the Overall Quality of the Non-print Collection
1. Screen online videos to select those that would be of use to Foundations Social Studies. That way, the teacher could have a reliable list of videos that are always available digitally.
2. Pre-select articles from the databases that are appropriate for Foundations Social Studies.
Reflection
After completing this collection evaluation many of my preconceived notions were confirmed. Having interacted with students who are looking for information on Canada, I know that they struggle to find materials that are appealing, informative, and at an appropriate reading level. Although the 971 section has the most number of titles, not all of these titles are appropriate for the patrons. Many students are looking for a general information text about Canada, but several of these titles are more like textbooks. They are not easily accessible and the size of the books does not promote circulation. When asking “Does the collection meet the users’ needs?” (Bishop), I can reach a clear answer: no. There are several gaps and weaknesses that need to be addressed. “Is the collection integral to the curricular and instructional needs” (Bishop). Again, based on evaluation, the answer is no. Foundations Social Studies students do not need to use the collection in order to complete their course; however, by developing the collection to meet their needs and enhance the delivery of the course would be beneficial to the teachers and students.
What worked
For me, physically looking at the books is the best way to get a good idea of the condition of the collection. I can look at the cards to get a better idea of circulation statistics, I can check the copyright date, and I can check the physical condition of the book. I also liked using the “Elephant Method” as suggested by Loerstcher. By looking at a specific section of a collection rather than trying to swallow it whole, collection mapping was a manageable and relatively easy task. As suggested by the readings, using a combination of qualitative and quantitative data is the best approach.
What didn’t work
Relying solely on the circulation statistics from Destiny does not work because the data has only been collected for a short period of time. It would be nice if Destiny provided an age analysis of specific sub-sections within Dewey instead of the entire 971 section. Also, due to some discrepancies in the cataloguing of some of the titles, although they have the same call number, some are actually multi-volume titles, not duplicate titles. Finding this error allowed me to update the information in the catalogue. Many students also use books in the library without signing them out, so the use of these titles are not reflected in the circulation statistics.
What I would do differently next time
Next time, I would try to get more student feedback and work with the teacher or teachers whose class is using that section of the collection. Because of the short timelines of this course and the courses at my school (they are only 6 and half weeks long), in order to work with a class on a section, I would likely have to start much earlier in the term (the third term just ended.) It would be nice for a class to come in to the library, use a section of the collection and provide me with feedback. Then, as a follow up after my collection evaluation and weeding, it would be useful to have the class complete the same activity. I could then compare the data from the first visit with the second visit to make further changes to the collection. I could also apply this data and feedback when assessing other sections of the collection.
Additionally, I would like to work with another teacher-librarian on a collection evaluation project. It would be interesting to conduct an evaluation on the same section of two libraries. This way, we could work together and compare collections and results. We could find out what titles of popular in each library and if they are not in another library, this could lead to future purchases.
Finally, were I to conduct a similar section specific evaluation, I would make a habit of monitoring books used in the library. Instead of just re-shelving books, I would scan them as being used in the library in order to have a better estimate of actual circulation.
Work Cited
Bishop, Kay. The Collection Program in Schools: Concepts, Practices, and Information Sources. 4th ed. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2007. Print