Library & Information Science, Course 266: Collection Development.
Dr. David Loertscher
Fall 2003
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In chapter 4, you have the opportunity to describe the contents of a collection by identifying what you have and how much. Lots of libraries do this and report it to the media or upward in their institution. They brag how big they are. If the library is automated, usually figures are easily available from the system giving numbers of items by classification and perhaps aggregate numbers of books, videos, CDs, etc. I have said that estimation is fine if you have no figures readily available to you. So, the first part of your chapter, describe the contents of the library and perhaps give a chart giving numbers of items by type and class. Easily understood charts and graphs are always welcome to a reader who has not been to the library.
In the second part of the chapter, you should try to put the size of the library into perspective. The best way is to try and find something to compare it to. This might include recommended or "standards" to be achieved by a library of its type. These standards can come from:
• National, regional, state, and local "standards" documents
• Peer libraries (a library or group of libraries you consider a peer group)
Librarians often do size comparisons either to brag how big they are as compared with their neighbors or some standard, or how poorly they compare (hoping that the community and administration will take pity on them and give them more money). Lots of libraries use the tactic of "keeping up with the Joneses" to request support.
For the last part of your chapter you could either brag or create an exposé. As you think ahead at the whole report, what is the central message about the collection you will have for the reader? That might give you a clue about which direction to go. You could also combine both approaches - bragging about the size of parts of the collection and weeping about other sections.
Sometimes there will just not be any standards against which you could compare your library. We have also noted that as we move into the future, giving an accurate picture of size may fade into importance as digital libraries and virtual libraries develop.
New ways to describe digital resources and visualize them for the non-librarian are challenges. Perhaps you can rise to that challenge in your paper. Why not?
In any case, for the last part of the chapter, some kind of graphic that shows size comparisons would be nice if that is what you have chosen to do. Remember that length is not the object, but writing to someone who doesn't know the collection is. If I can't grasp your message in the few minutes I have to read it and I have a Ph.D. in the subject, then I assume that a normal patron, board, or even a boss would not be impressed. As always, some of you will have to manufacture something to report so your books might have some fictional aspects to them. At this point in your career, that is not a serious problem. It might become one if you were in charge and you were asked to defend your work.
Be sure to end the chapter with a short reflection of your message.