Timberline presentation

DON’T LET PRINT
BECOME THE “WEEDS”
IN YOUR COLLECTION
Rhonda Glazier, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
Acquisition Institute at
Timberline Lodge
May 19, 2014
Acquisition Institute at Timberline Lodge - May 19, 2014

ASSUMPTIONS
• E-books are here to stay
• Print books are not going away anytime soon
• Books/monographs are the focus of this presentation
Goal: Create discussion around how libraries can maintain
relevant collections – regardless of format

“I’m having trouble spending my
money – we have so many e-
books.”
“Students today prefer the
electronic, the convenience
makes electronic preferred
over print by students and
faculty today.”
“It is more cost effective to
purchase electronic
materials. It allows us to use
the space for something
besides housing little used
print materials.”
“I’m not sure what to buy in print, it is
much more effective to have patron
driven titles, at least I know those will
be used.”
“With limited budgets, it
makes more sense to buy it as
a PDA or DDA than take a
chance and buy it in print.”
“It is really hard to figure out
what we are getting in
electronic, to know what we
should buy in print.”
“With very little money for
print books, I want to spend
it on the right things.
Help!!!”

PURPOSE OF PRINT COLLECTION
• Define for your library the role/scope of your print collection as
it relates to selection
• Print collections today are a smaller percentage of the budget
• What impact does this decrease in funding have on the
scope/purpose of the print collection?

PURPOSE OF E-BOOK COLLECTION
• Define for your library the role/scope of your e-book collection
as it relates to selection
• Looking at your library’s strategic plan, how do e-books fit into
that plan?
• What assumptions are you using in building your e-book
collection?

TRACK YOUR PRINT AND E-BOOK EXPENDITURES
• Pros:
– Allows you to know exactly what you are spending on each format
– Gives you another data element for analysis
– Allows you to create a narrative for administration
– Gives you a complete picture of how your collection is being
developed.

TRACK YOUR PRINT AND E-BOOK EXPENDITURES
• Cons:
– Complicates the budgeting process
– Not as flexible
– Creates an expectation of how the budget will be spent
– Not always easy to define how money is spent.

PDA/DDA COMPLICATES THE PROCESS
• Reasons to duplicate titles:
– Electronic copies may not give you perpetual access
– Each format can be used differently – has a different impact on the
user.
– If the class is taught in person and online there may be a need for
both formats
– Subject area
– High theft items

PDA/DDA COMPLICATES THE PROCESS
• Reasons to Not duplicate titles:
– Title is part of a PDA/DDA package and not central to the collection
– Print format does not offer any advantage to the user
– High cost of print may make it more cost effective to purchase through the
PDA or DDA model
– Older titles that were not purchased at time of publication can be more
effective if interest in the title triggers purchase

LEASE VS. OWNERSHIP –DOES IT MATTER?

WHY LEASE VS. OWNERSHIP MATTERS
• Still building a collection
• Going beyond access – what types of materials are core to the
mission of the library?
• Many times ownership is more cost effective than leasing over
time

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
• Need to develop print collection with longevity in mind
• Established programs on campus – and ongoing
demands/needs should be main consideration
• “Just in time” versus “Just in Case”
– Redefined as: Marginal/borderline titles and seminal/central works
that support the educational missions of the campus

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
• Print copy availability vs. SMUs vs. Device compatibility vs.
downloading capability
• Consortia participation
• Resource sharing agreements
– Key question: How “lendable” are your e-books and what impact
does that have on your print collection and selection decisions

THOUGHTFUL DECISIONS
• At a minimum you should consider the following:
– Curriculum
– Class delivery method
– Faculty preference
– Student use
– Publishing trends
– Research support
– Needs of your “community”
– BUDGET

CREATE OPPORTUNITIES TO GATHER INFORMATION
• Do your students check out print – even if e-book available?
• Do they request the print book from another library – even if you
have the e-book?
• How often do you ask students and faculty what they want?
– Surveys
– As part of instruction
– Informal conversations

CREATE A MATRIX
• Determine what you SHOULD buy in print
– Analysis of circulation of print materials
– Content
– Cost.
• Does it make sense relative to cost to purchase this title in print?
– Timeliness of material
– Seminal work
• Centrality of title to curriculum

APPLY THE SAME MATRIX TO E-BOOKS
• Determine what you SHOULD buy as an e-book
• Does the publisher offer new titles in e-book in a method that you can purchase?
– Analysis of circulation of print materials
• Is the e-book the preferred format for the subject area?
– Lease or own?
– Cost
• Does it make sense relative to cost to purchase this title as an e-book?
– Timeliness of material
– Seminal work
• Centrality of title to curriculum

PART OF
PDA/DDA
AVAILABLE
AS BOTH
PRINT &
E-BOOK
CIRCULATION
RANKING FOR
AREA
ANALYSIS OF
TITLE:
A. AGE
B. SPECIAL
FEATURES
CURRICULUM:
A. TYPE OF
CLASS
B. DELIVERY
METHOD
FEATURES
OF TITLE
CENTRALITY
OF WORK
PERPETUAL
ACCESS OF
CONTENT

DECISION MAKING PROCESS
• Have a long range plan for your library’s collection
• Develop strategies/budgets around long-term vision
• Balance collection – determine percentage of collection you want
in print vs. electronic
• Establish criteria that is important for your collection
– Are you moving your collection to primarily electronic?
• Five years from now – what do you want the make-up of the collection to be?

DECISION MAKING PROCESS
• What criteria are you going to use to determine format?
– Can that criteria be applied consistently?
• Establish decision elements by subject area
• Publishing trends
– Identify methods to keep up on publishing trends by subject area

CONUNDRUM
• How do we really know interest?
• Student/faculty behavior when browsing
– Patrons have traditionally browsed the stacks for print materials – how is that behavior replicated
for e-books?
• How do we determine relevancy of a collection if we haven’t defined the terms?
– What constitutes circulation for e-books
– How do we determine consistent data between print and e-books?
• Do we need to?
• IF PRINT MATERIALS ARE THE “FACE OF THE LIBRARY COLLECTION” HOW DO WE DEFINE
THAT COLLECTION IN A WAY THAT MAKES IT AN EFFECTIVE AMBASSADOR?

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