The Dark Side of Collection Management: Deselecting Serials from a Research Library's Storage Facility Using WorldCat Collection Analysis

• Published in: Collection management Vol. 33; no. 4; pp. 272 - 287
• Main Authors: Ward, Suzanne M., Aagard, Mary C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Taylor & Francis Group 30.09.2008; Haworth Press
• Subjects: Acquisition and access: development policy, licenses, censorship; Acquisition. Collection development policy; Collection management; Deselection; Exact sciences and technology; Information and communication sciences; Information science. Documentation; Information service management; Library and documentation centre management; low-use serials; Purdue University; Research libraries; Sciences and techniques of general use; Serials; storage facility; Weeding; WorldCat; WorldCat Collection Analysis; United States; North America; America; WorldCat Collection Analysis; Stock management; Library management; Purdue University; collection management; storage facility; Higher education library; weeding; Inventory control; low-use serials; Deselection; Document elimination
• ISSN: 0146-2679; 1545-2549
• DOI: 10.1080/01462670802368638

To address the situation of its nearly full storage facility, the Purdue University Libraries developed guidelines for the deselection of very low-use serial titles and conducted a pilot project to identify material for withdrawal. The library school intern hired to conduct the pilot used WorldCat Collection Analysis to create subject lists of titles to be considered for withdrawal. These lists also contained value-added information about how many benchmark institutions owned and duplicated the local holdings of each title. Working with subject specialists, the intern developed criteria to guide a major serials deselection project. After the success of the internship in six subject areas, the libraries funded a longer-term position to complete the deselection project.