Collection Development and Acquisitions Policies and Procedures: Do They Meet the Needs of Today’s Academic Library Environment?

With recent vast changes in formats, purchase/subscription options, and funding sources, many librarians are wondering if their existing policies, procedures, and processes are meeting their library’s needs in the current environment. The presenters hope to create a survey of current practices in library collection development in order to aid librarians seeking different/improved means of doing these duties. Bailey and Creibaum began by providing information on past and present collection development methods of the Dean B. Ellis Library of Arkansas State University, including a brief overview of their allocation formula which is used to determine distribution of funds to departments. Following that, presenters led a lively discussion of current methods used by the attendees who also provided input as to what they would like to be doing differently in their libraries. Attendees were exposed to a number of ideas for improving collection development and acquisitions policies and procedures in their libraries and hopefully left the session with a greater understanding of the variety of processes available to and in use at academic libraries

Stretching Your Dollars: Saving on Online Content

This session, led by two librarians with decades of combined acquisitions experience, was based on the premise that although quality databases can be expensive and only the most fortunate of libraries have unlimited or even plentiful financial resources, there are ways to save funds on these resources. The presenters shared their knowledge about ways to stretch finite library acquisitions funds. Linda Creibaum and Jeff Bailey emphasized tools and strategies attendees could use to save valuable funds on databases and subscriptions. Discussion topics included consortial and volume discounts, the advantages of taking a trial, the importance of keeping notes and checking invoices, strategies for maximizing funds on renewals, and the fine art of negotiation. There was also an open dialogue about some of the rewards to be gained from working with vendors, including free product time and even access to free products

Trot So Quick: Addressing Budgetary Changes

This session discussed the planning and implementation of strategies taken by the Dean B. Ellis Library to address a significant budget reduction that went into effect in FY19. Holloway and Bailey covered methods taken to optimize a reduced collection development budget and distribute funds to various subject areas in an equitable and justifiable manner. Presenters reviewed meetings conducted with faculty to clarify the new budget and resource alterations. Examples of data provided to stakeholders was shared. Topics covered include deadlines implemented for resource renewals and requests, methods used to track and disclose information regarding the process, and interactions with vendors during this transition. Presenters shared recommendations and information pertaining to unexpected issues experienced during this process

Improving Student Success: Arkansas State’s Partnership with Credo Reference and Regional High School

Are new students coming to your university ready to succeed or are they being overwhelmed by the college experience? Does faculty complain that they spend more time, with increasing frustration, providing basic research instruction to new students? Is your institution being challenged to increase 1st and 2nd year retention rates? Two librarians from Arkansas State University (A-State) will discuss their innovative collaboration in which A-State and Credo are working together to bring information literacy resources and instruction to local high schools in support of college readiness. This session will cover a number of issues, including how the library engaged and garnered administration support, the challenge in establishing meaningful partnerships with local high schools, and developing and tracking the right metrics to validate progress. Topics of discussion will include ways in which the library can do more to enhance its strategic importance relative to administration goals; an overview of the established goals and how success will be tracked in areas including college preparedness, retention, graduation rates, GPA, and recruiting; and why this matters to the A-State Library

Improving Student Success: Arkansas State’s Partnership With Credo and Regional High Schools

In this “out of the box” session, two librarians from Arkansas State University (A-State) and Credo’s chief content officer discussed their innovative collaboration in which A-State and Credo are working together to bring information literacy resources and instruction to local high schools in support of college readiness. The session covered several issues, including how the library engaged and garnered administrative support, the challenges in establishing meaningful partnerships with local high schools, and developing and tracking the right metrics to validate progress. Topics of discussion included ways in which the library is working to do more to enhance its strategic importance relative to administration goals; an overview of the established project goals and how success will be tracked in areas, including college preparedness, retention, graduation rates, grade point average (GPA), and recruiting; and why this matters to the A-State Library. Participants were encouraged to share their experiences and provide feedback

Acquisitions for Newbies

Designed specifically for librarians new to the field of acquisitions, this preconference workshop featured an informal introduction to the basics of acquisitions librarianship from three standpoints: an acquisitions librarian, a library director with a background in acquisitions, and a regional sales manager for a key vendor to libraries for e-content and software as a solution. The session covered a variety of issues related to the acquisition of both monographs and serials, print and e-formats, and database and backfile purchases. Discussions included similarities and differences between acquisitions and collection development (and how they can vary from library to library), ordering considerations, avoiding purchase of duplicate resources, negotiating prices and access options, licensing, selecting vendors and jobbers, what a vendor representative expects from librarians, and various services that a company’s representatives can provide to assist librarians. The presenters discussed various aspects of access versus ownership of e-books and periodicals and the impact of each on space and budgets both current and future, various ways to allocate library acquisitions funds, and suggested the best times in the annual budget cycle for different types of spending decisions. Questions and interactive conversations were a welcome part of this open, relaxed exploration of what it means to be an acquisitions librarian in an ever changing library environment

The National Arts Education Archive: Ideas and Imaginings

The National Arts Education Archive (NAEA) is housed and maintained by the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP), and managed by YSP coordinators and educators with a well-established volunteer programme. This year, 2017, as part of the celebrations of the YSP’s 40th anniversary, the Archive will hold its own exhibition entitled Treasures Revealed: a collection of items selected by people who have been involved in the Archive, whether as donors, volunteers, researchers, artists, trustees or steering group members. In parallel with the exhibition, this article aims to give voice to a selection of individuals and groups associated with the Archive, discussing their interests and experiences of it, and their thoughts on its value and importance as a repository of arts education materials, ideals and practices. Our primary motivations were to consider these different voices in relation to the purpose, direction and relevance of the NAEA today. These exchanges raise fundamental questions and debates about what art education is and what it might become, and how these historical collections, and creative engagements with it, might help to shape our contemporary thinking

Acquisitions in a Nutshell

Designed specifically for librarians new to the field of acquisitions, this session featured an informal introduction to the basics of acquisitions librarianship from three standpoints: a veteran acquisitions and serials librarian, a library director with a background in acquisitions, and a librarian who began her first professional appointment in 2013. The session covered a variety of issues related to the acquisition of both monographs and serials in various formats, plus database and backfile purchases. Discussions included definitions, ordering considerations, avoiding purchase of duplicate resources, negotiating prices and access options, licensing, selecting vendors and jobbers, and various services that vendors’ representatives can provide to assist librarians. The presenters discussed various aspects of access versus ownership of e‐books and periodicals and the impact of each on space and budgets both current and future, and suggested the best times in the annual budget cycle for different types of spending decisions

Subsurface Defects in Silicon Investigated by Modulated Optical Reflectance Measurements

The investigation of defects in silicon by modulated optical reflectance measurements has proven to be a powerful and easy-to-use method of nondestructive materials characterization. This technique has been used to monitor ion implant dose [1] and measure polishing damage [2] in silicon wafers, and to map O2 swirl precipitates in Czochralski-grown silicon [3]. Laser-induced modulated reflectance offers advantages over some related thermal-wave techniques: it is contactless, and because it can be performed at modulation frequencies of several MHz, it offers micron-scale resolution. Its noncontact and nondestructive nature makes this technique attractive for production-line use in the semiconductor industry

Developing a Weighted Collection Development Allocation Formula

In this preconference workshop Bailey, Creibaum, and Holloway presented detailed instructions on how to create a spreadsheet-based library collection development allocation formula, one option to manage a library’s collection development budget. The presenters demonstrated and led participants through the process of creating customizable Excel-based formulas that can easily be modified to utilize the criteria relevant to a specific library and institution. The primary element in the success of such a formula is the use of weights applied to each factor contained in the spreadsheet. Potential factors include the number of students graduating from each degree program, total faculty per department, departmental credit hour production, the number of courses offered, and the average costs of books and journals in a discipline. By carefully assigning weights to each factor, the output of the formula results in an equitable allocation of funds to each subject area