Diversity collection assessment in large
academic libraries
Matthew P. Ciszek
Shenango Campus, Pennsylvania State University, Sharon, Pennsylvania, USA, and
Courtney L. Young
Beaver Campus, Pennsylvania State University, Monaca, Pennsylvania, USA
Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims to examine the methods of diversity-related collection assessment useful for large academic libraries.
Design/methodology/approach – Several examples of diversity-related collection assessment (circulation and use statistics, WorldCat Collection
Analysis, comparison to standard bibliographies, focus groups, patron interviews and surveys, stewardship letters, and a diversity collection
development statement) are explored.
Findings – Libraries wishing to assess a collection for diversity should have a clear definition of diversity in place before assessment. Many collection
assessment methods useful for determining the diversity of a collection are not applicable for large libraries. Additional tools may need to be developed
to facilitate this type of assessment in the future, especially at large libraries.
Originality/value – The paper encourages librarians at larger academic libraries to rethink how the collections are assessed for diversity needs, and
illustrates methods useful in performing this assessment in larger institutions.
Keywords Collections management, Equal opportunities, Academic libraries, University libraries, Resources
Paper type Technical paper
Introduction
In the past 15 years large academic libraries have moved from
the “inadvertent to the (somewhat) more deliberate” in the
area of collecting diversity-related materials (Gilbert, 1999,
p. 2). As the USA, and more specifically academia, has
become increasingly more diverse, the focus on growing
diversity-related courses and recruiting diverse faculty and
student populations has become a priority. Attracting a
diverse and multicultural faculty and student population is a
first step, but the entire academic community needs diversity-
related information resources to support multicultural
curricula and research. Academic libraries realized, in turn,
that if their institution sought to “address multicultural
research or teaching interests, it would also have to build a
corresponding collection of library resources” (McKinzie,
1994, p. 189). Although academic libraries have always served
as “the point of intersection of all groups on the campus”,
proactive collection assessment with an eye toward diversity
and multiculturalism became a priority in these libraries
starting in the mid-1990s as evidenced in the literature
(Buttlar, 1994, p. 10).
Collection size and organizational complexity become
issues when considering any collection assessment activities
for large academic libraries. In smaller libraries where
diversity-related materials are often in a single location,
traditional assessment strategies can be very effective. “When
collections are small the task is less complicated, but for
research libraries the challenge becomes difficult” (Grover,
1999, p. 58). Many of these assessment strategies depend on
an intimate knowledge of the collection, a close relationship
with the collection’s users, and comparison of the collection
to standard lists, which become more complex as collection
sizes and institutional intricacy increase. These methods can
still be effective in larger library systems through the use of
technology, resource and information sharing, and the
orchestration of many more “working parts”. Finally,
without a shared vision and plan for diversity collections in
place, differing opinions on how to increase the number of
diversity-related materials in the collection may lead to
libraries missing the mark when building collections.
So what about diversity collection assessment in a large
library system? This article discusses the various means of
assessment used in the development of diversity-related
collections, and outlines approaches that can be used in this
process, with a focus on large multi-branch/multi-campus
academic library collections. This assessment can be both
retrospective – that is, focusing on past acquisitions and the
status of the collection as it currently exists – and forward-
looking, which focuses on areas of future development and
planning.
Literature review
Much of the literature on the topic of assessment for diversity
focuses on small to medium-sized collections. These
collections typically have less than one million volumes and
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0160-4953.htm
Collection Building
29/4 (2010) 154 – 161
q Emerald Group Publishing Limited [ISSN 0160-4953]
[DOI 10.1108/01604951011088899]
Received: June 2010
Accepted July 2010
154